Episode 19 of the podcast, “LARPing with Your Mom,” landed this morning. In this one, Kristen D joins us for an array of segments, including What Have We Been Playing?, Giving Me Life, Steal This Game Mechanic, Create a Roleplayer, and Community Feedback.
Games discussed: Jason Morningstar’s Fiasco, Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel’s Dungeon World, Zak Smith ‘s A Red & Pleasant Land, Vincent Baker’s Dogs in the Vineyard, Ben Lehman’s Hot Guys Making Out, Marc Majcher’s Icebox: Timeline, and more!
great listener feedback.
Yes to Bartek’s gay bark boots
great listener feedback.
Yes to Bartek’s gay bark boots
Great episode!
Also, it’s a little weird to shoehorn into a game that’s about something else, but if you want to have some fireside chatter check out the Sundered Land games from Vincent Baker. Nights Watch is a quick little game that’s specifically about just that.
Great episode!
Also, it’s a little weird to shoehorn into a game that’s about something else, but if you want to have some fireside chatter check out the Sundered Land games from Vincent Baker. Nights Watch is a quick little game that’s specifically about just that.
Patrick Brannick That’s a terrific idea! I have been meaning to check out that whole collection of games at some point . . .
Patrick Brannick That’s a terrific idea! I have been meaning to check out that whole collection of games at some point . . .
The fun thing is something I missed out chiming in on previously. I’ve been thinking about this recently and my introduction to role-playing at http://www.whodaresrolls.com goes into it a bit. My attitude is this:
Fun is the base threshold. Fun is what you should aim for and even if you don’t have anything else, it’s fun hanging with your friends.
Above that is the “why isn’t this a book/TV show/film?” Level where you all made an awesome story together and had fun. Even in D&D, maybe it was the tensest battle yet, maybe it was some political scandal or a court case which redefined the campaign.
Then above both of those is the sublime place, where you play a game which tells you something. It can be fun with friends, it can be a great story you made with them, but it makes you think about it long after. The Quiet Year has done this for me, as has Carolina Death Crawl and even some trad games. When a game can be a fun experience and show or teach you something, that’s the higher level you don’t have to aim for, but is pretty damn nice when you get there.
The fun thing is something I missed out chiming in on previously. I’ve been thinking about this recently and my introduction to role-playing at http://www.whodaresrolls.com goes into it a bit. My attitude is this:
Fun is the base threshold. Fun is what you should aim for and even if you don’t have anything else, it’s fun hanging with your friends.
Above that is the “why isn’t this a book/TV show/film?” Level where you all made an awesome story together and had fun. Even in D&D, maybe it was the tensest battle yet, maybe it was some political scandal or a court case which redefined the campaign.
Then above both of those is the sublime place, where you play a game which tells you something. It can be fun with friends, it can be a great story you made with them, but it makes you think about it long after. The Quiet Year has done this for me, as has Carolina Death Crawl and even some trad games. When a game can be a fun experience and show or teach you something, that’s the higher level you don’t have to aim for, but is pretty damn nice when you get there.
As far as Actual Play podcasts and Improv going together, well there is a podcast, http://www.oneshotpodcast.com/, which is a bunch of Chicago Improvers doing short Actual Plays of their sessions. I thought the two episodes on Inspecters (http://www.oneshotpodcast.com/one-shot/70-inspectres-part-1/, http://www.oneshotpodcast.com/one-shot/71-inspectres-part-2/) were particularly entertaining.
Kristen if you want an Actual Play of a campaign, they also do a Star Wars (Edge of the Empire System) as a weekly ~1 hr long campaign.
As far as Actual Play podcasts and Improv going together, well there is a podcast, http://www.oneshotpodcast.com/, which is a bunch of Chicago Improvers doing short Actual Plays of their sessions. I thought the two episodes on Inspecters (http://www.oneshotpodcast.com/one-shot/70-inspectres-part-1/, http://www.oneshotpodcast.com/one-shot/71-inspectres-part-2/) were particularly entertaining.
Kristen if you want an Actual Play of a campaign, they also do a Star Wars (Edge of the Empire System) as a weekly ~1 hr long campaign.
Thanks for coming to Icebox! I’m glad you enjoyed it—this was the first time it was played, so there were funky bits, but overall, I think it came off pretty well.
We do a whole lot of long-form improv in Austin, and I’m always more than happy to talk about gaming, larping, improv, or answer whatever questions you have. (We’re just about to start up some improvised Disney musicals, so come on back any time!)
Thanks for coming to Icebox! I’m glad you enjoyed it—this was the first time it was played, so there were funky bits, but overall, I think it came off pretty well.
We do a whole lot of long-form improv in Austin, and I’m always more than happy to talk about gaming, larping, improv, or answer whatever questions you have. (We’re just about to start up some improvised Disney musicals, so come on back any time!)
I enjoyed hearing someone say they liked to read gamebooks, aside from the whole issue of playing or whether the game itself is good or not. I still think Jared Sorensen’s InSpectres, especially in the context of its publication date, is one of the best written game books ever. I just felt like it was super well organized, the perfect length for the material it needed to convey, had a clear voice, etc.
I enjoyed hearing someone say they liked to read gamebooks, aside from the whole issue of playing or whether the game itself is good or not. I still think Jared Sorensen’s InSpectres, especially in the context of its publication date, is one of the best written game books ever. I just felt like it was super well organized, the perfect length for the material it needed to convey, had a clear voice, etc.
Also, in the show notes under games mentioned you should add Lost Days of Memories and Madness, which was mentioned at the top of the show. I had never heard of it and it sounds interesting.
Also, in the show notes under games mentioned you should add Lost Days of Memories and Madness, which was mentioned at the top of the show. I had never heard of it and it sounds interesting.
Hi! I think this is the right ep to respond to.
Anyway, to answer your question, I am a listener. I don’t know how you found out about the hot dog water park thing but if you ever tell anyone about it you’re DEAD, you hear me? DEAD.
Moving on, every time someone brings up Microscope, I wonder why they’re not just playing Mike Holmes and Ralph Mazza’s Universalis, which does everything Microscope does, only better and more fun, and has been around forever, and doesn’t get nearly enough love. Anyway the mechanic you reference from Microscope is basically a direct cop of the Tenets phase at the beginning of a Universalis game, only less flexible and interesting.
On another note, Steve basically hit all the points I would have brought up about Fun not being “enough” when it comes to gaming. Fun is great, but Rewarding > Fun. At that larp minicon I mentioned before, the games I played in were mostly all tragedies of various sorts, with tons of Feels and angst and uncertainty. Now, if you consider any kind of enjoyment to fall under the umbrella of “Fun”, that’s fine, that’s just a semantic argument and can be easily resolved. But they were not fun in the traditional “laughing and having a good ol’ time” sense, but they were hella rewarding in the “oh my god so much catharsis” sense.
Anyway, keep crankin’ out the casts and I’ll keep listening. You guys are filling the void left by The Walking Eye Podcast’s absence for me.
Hi! I think this is the right ep to respond to.
Anyway, to answer your question, I am a listener. I don’t know how you found out about the hot dog water park thing but if you ever tell anyone about it you’re DEAD, you hear me? DEAD.
Moving on, every time someone brings up Microscope, I wonder why they’re not just playing Mike Holmes and Ralph Mazza’s Universalis, which does everything Microscope does, only better and more fun, and has been around forever, and doesn’t get nearly enough love. Anyway the mechanic you reference from Microscope is basically a direct cop of the Tenets phase at the beginning of a Universalis game, only less flexible and interesting.
On another note, Steve basically hit all the points I would have brought up about Fun not being “enough” when it comes to gaming. Fun is great, but Rewarding > Fun. At that larp minicon I mentioned before, the games I played in were mostly all tragedies of various sorts, with tons of Feels and angst and uncertainty. Now, if you consider any kind of enjoyment to fall under the umbrella of “Fun”, that’s fine, that’s just a semantic argument and can be easily resolved. But they were not fun in the traditional “laughing and having a good ol’ time” sense, but they were hella rewarding in the “oh my god so much catharsis” sense.
Anyway, keep crankin’ out the casts and I’ll keep listening. You guys are filling the void left by The Walking Eye Podcast’s absence for me.