I just got around to listening to Andrew Huffaker’s latest Psychology of Gaming Podcast.

I just got around to listening to Andrew Huffaker’s latest Psychology of Gaming Podcast.

I just got around to listening to Andrew Huffaker’s latest Psychology of Gaming Podcast. Jeremy Strandberg had a lot of interesting things to say. Now I’m super excited to see more of Stonetop! Great questions and fascinating insights!

I particularly loved Jeremy’s answer to Yochai Gal’s question about great game mastering. The thoughts on constructing moves were also really helpful.

https://thepsychologyofgaming.com/2017/10/18/collective-unconscious-with-jeremy-strandberg/?blogsub=confirming#blog_subscription-3

https://thepsychologyofgaming.com/2017/10/18/collective-unconscious-with-jeremy-strandberg/?blogsub=confirming#blog_subscription-3

30 thoughts on “I just got around to listening to Andrew Huffaker’s latest Psychology of Gaming Podcast.”

  3. I enjoyed this interview as well. So much to unpack.

    My experience with RPGs is very different than what you guys discussed, though. I didn’t have an older friend/relative introduce RPGs or anything like that. I didn’t know this was even a thing!

  4. I enjoyed this interview as well. So much to unpack.

    My experience with RPGs is very different than what you guys discussed, though. I didn’t have an older friend/relative introduce RPGs or anything like that. I didn’t know this was even a thing!

  5. Yochai Gal, Hah! I didn’t have the older friend/relative, either! It’s just common enough that I recognize it as kind of a standard. Didn’t seem important to enough to bring up during the interview.

    I came to RPGs through this weird combination of video games and choose-your-own-adventure type books from the library. I bought my first red box in middle school from a classmate who had gotten it from his older brother, right? And then spent a bunch of time reading AD&D books and modules and issues of Dragon from the public library. But I was going to a Catholic grade school, and the Satanic Panic hit right about then, and no one’s parents would let us play. Pretty sure I’d already started making up my first ruleset before I ever got to play.

    In high school, I fell in with a gaming club (many of whom had learned from older siblings or cousins). My first game was Cyberpunk 2020, mostly played by-the-book (read: lethal, bloody, horrible and hilarious). Dallied with all sorts of 90s-riffic games throughout high school (AD&D2e, Vampire, Werewolf, Palladium’s TMNT and RIFTs and whatever they called their supers game). Started running my own made-up game, too.

    That carried into college, and gaming is what led to me study anthropology and religious studies. My senior honors project was an RPG, never entirely finished. Interned with Atlas Games and FASA during college.

    So, yeah… not a single older relative that I know of ever played an RPG. 🙂

  6. Yochai Gal, Hah! I didn’t have the older friend/relative, either! It’s just common enough that I recognize it as kind of a standard. Didn’t seem important to enough to bring up during the interview.

    I came to RPGs through this weird combination of video games and choose-your-own-adventure type books from the library. I bought my first red box in middle school from a classmate who had gotten it from his older brother, right? And then spent a bunch of time reading AD&D books and modules and issues of Dragon from the public library. But I was going to a Catholic grade school, and the Satanic Panic hit right about then, and no one’s parents would let us play. Pretty sure I’d already started making up my first ruleset before I ever got to play.

    In high school, I fell in with a gaming club (many of whom had learned from older siblings or cousins). My first game was Cyberpunk 2020, mostly played by-the-book (read: lethal, bloody, horrible and hilarious). Dallied with all sorts of 90s-riffic games throughout high school (AD&D2e, Vampire, Werewolf, Palladium’s TMNT and RIFTs and whatever they called their supers game). Started running my own made-up game, too.

    That carried into college, and gaming is what led to me study anthropology and religious studies. My senior honors project was an RPG, never entirely finished. Interned with Atlas Games and FASA during college.

    So, yeah… not a single older relative that I know of ever played an RPG. 🙂

  9. OK, so if we’re sharing starting out stories…

    My family came to the US when I was a boy, and I never really “assimilated” thereafter. I didn’t change my name (my siblings did) and even after learning English, I just couldn’t cut it socially. Whether this was the result of being an immigrant, or the fact that we moved around a lot, who knows? Maybe it would have happened anyways.

    I spent a ton of time alone, playing video games, reading novels (SciFi and Fantasy, of course) but the only role playing I ever really did was trying out new personas to try and fit in – not that it ever worked, of course! My father and I would play chess each day, but I was really, really bad at it. I’d get bored halfway through, and instead imagine the relationships each of the pieces had with one another (my favorite was the Bishop, who I saw as a magic user for some reason). I’d do the same with SheshBesh (a backgammon like game) and pretty much any “game” I got my hands on. The offered content was never enough: I wanted flavor, and story above all.

    People were quite cruel in the places I lived, and pretty racist/anti-semitic. Sports and school were difficult, and most of the time I’d read through a class rather than pay attention to the teacher. I flunked both junior high and high school. Eventually, I just stopped going.

    When I was about 16, I came across a copy of Palladium 2nd edition in a used book store – this was probably 1997 or so. I immediately bought it; not really understanding what is was, of course. This discovery was life-changing for me, I think. Suddenly, I understood what I’d been missing for so many years: make believe! The flavor text about the world was staggering, but no more so than the options provided: I could be a changeling? Wow! I didn’t really understand the rules, I just saw the prose as something new, and open – rather than limiting my choices like most games, this one seemed to rely on it!

    Of course, I never found anyone to play with, nor did I have any dice. I made up little scenes for myself and played different characters I’d created or borrowed; gave them adventures, and even love affairs! I was a teenage boy. It happens.

    Eventually, life took a dark turn, and I put Palladium, fantasy novels and other such “frivolities” away. I got really into politics and activism, and as I didn’t go to college I had a lot of free time on my hands to get into trouble. Years passed, I got married (twice) and started playing board games with friends. Then, my brother in law was hit by a car, and had to spend 6 months bedridden. I knew he had played D&D in college, and thought it would be nice if someone bought him the (at the time) brand-new D&D 5th edition DMG.

    He wasn’t interested. Instead, he wanted to be a player. He asked if I would learn how to DM. So, I did. Once I discovered RPGs (again) it was like a light going on in my mind; I felt like I’d found a room I forgot about years ago and it contained something very precious. It sounds stupid, but if felt like I’d found my imagination again! I convinced non-RPG types to play, and some of them even agreed to try.

    I got really, really into D&D. I wrote modules, ran multiple campaigns and one-shots, and eventually realized that I totally sucked at it. But it wasn’t just me; being a GM ain’t easy when you suck at math!

    I read about Dungeon World online, and something just clicked with me, I think. It arrived, and I read it – twice. I’m not gonna say why it was great because you all already know the reasons. But I still didn’t feel that same sense of wonder I remembered from High School; at least not until I discovered the Quiet Year, and Kingdom, and Questlandia, and so on. The Indie story game world was truly eye-opening, almost as much as Dungeon World was for me.

    Anyways, that’s the long and likely divergent story of how I found RPGs. Sorry if this was a bit depressing at first. I’d love to hear how folks found the hobby, so please, keep sharing if you like!

  10. OK, so if we’re sharing starting out stories…

    My family came to the US when I was a boy, and I never really “assimilated” thereafter. I didn’t change my name (my siblings did) and even after learning English, I just couldn’t cut it socially. Whether this was the result of being an immigrant, or the fact that we moved around a lot, who knows? Maybe it would have happened anyways.

    I spent a ton of time alone, playing video games, reading novels (SciFi and Fantasy, of course) but the only role playing I ever really did was trying out new personas to try and fit in – not that it ever worked, of course! My father and I would play chess each day, but I was really, really bad at it. I’d get bored halfway through, and instead imagine the relationships each of the pieces had with one another (my favorite was the Bishop, who I saw as a magic user for some reason). I’d do the same with SheshBesh (a backgammon like game) and pretty much any “game” I got my hands on. The offered content was never enough: I wanted flavor, and story above all.

    People were quite cruel in the places I lived, and pretty racist/anti-semitic. Sports and school were difficult, and most of the time I’d read through a class rather than pay attention to the teacher. I flunked both junior high and high school. Eventually, I just stopped going.

    When I was about 16, I came across a copy of Palladium 2nd edition in a used book store – this was probably 1997 or so. I immediately bought it; not really understanding what is was, of course. This discovery was life-changing for me, I think. Suddenly, I understood what I’d been missing for so many years: make believe! The flavor text about the world was staggering, but no more so than the options provided: I could be a changeling? Wow! I didn’t really understand the rules, I just saw the prose as something new, and open – rather than limiting my choices like most games, this one seemed to rely on it!

    Of course, I never found anyone to play with, nor did I have any dice. I made up little scenes for myself and played different characters I’d created or borrowed; gave them adventures, and even love affairs! I was a teenage boy. It happens.

    Eventually, life took a dark turn, and I put Palladium, fantasy novels and other such “frivolities” away. I got really into politics and activism, and as I didn’t go to college I had a lot of free time on my hands to get into trouble. Years passed, I got married (twice) and started playing board games with friends. Then, my brother in law was hit by a car, and had to spend 6 months bedridden. I knew he had played D&D in college, and thought it would be nice if someone bought him the (at the time) brand-new D&D 5th edition DMG.

    He wasn’t interested. Instead, he wanted to be a player. He asked if I would learn how to DM. So, I did. Once I discovered RPGs (again) it was like a light going on in my mind; I felt like I’d found a room I forgot about years ago and it contained something very precious. It sounds stupid, but if felt like I’d found my imagination again! I convinced non-RPG types to play, and some of them even agreed to try.

    I got really, really into D&D. I wrote modules, ran multiple campaigns and one-shots, and eventually realized that I totally sucked at it. But it wasn’t just me; being a GM ain’t easy when you suck at math!

    I read about Dungeon World online, and something just clicked with me, I think. It arrived, and I read it – twice. I’m not gonna say why it was great because you all already know the reasons. But I still didn’t feel that same sense of wonder I remembered from High School; at least not until I discovered the Quiet Year, and Kingdom, and Questlandia, and so on. The Indie story game world was truly eye-opening, almost as much as Dungeon World was for me.

    Anyways, that’s the long and likely divergent story of how I found RPGs. Sorry if this was a bit depressing at first. I’d love to hear how folks found the hobby, so please, keep sharing if you like!

  13. Yochai Gal That was a really honest and interesting story. It’s interesting how often there is a gap in the timeline when people talk about their RPG life. I suspect there is a sophomoric period in early adulthood where people try to “put away childish things” before they realize true maturity includes exploration, fantasy and playfulness.

    I first encountered D&D as a young kid in the 70’s and got my own box in the early 80’s. I played all kinds of games through my teens and early twenties and then stopped for a while. I think my wife and I were both odd ducks in different ways. After we had our son, we kind of “played” normal people for a while (maybe to protect him from some of the harassment and violence we both experienced growing up).

    I always kept an eye on the hobby but it wasn’t until my mid-thirties that I started trying to engage with it again. It felt like coming home to me. I got really into indie games and wrote up several of my own games and played them with my son and his friends as well as playing in a D&D game for a while.

    Then I found Dungeon World and fell in love with it.

  14. Yochai Gal That was a really honest and interesting story. It’s interesting how often there is a gap in the timeline when people talk about their RPG life. I suspect there is a sophomoric period in early adulthood where people try to “put away childish things” before they realize true maturity includes exploration, fantasy and playfulness.

    I first encountered D&D as a young kid in the 70’s and got my own box in the early 80’s. I played all kinds of games through my teens and early twenties and then stopped for a while. I think my wife and I were both odd ducks in different ways. After we had our son, we kind of “played” normal people for a while (maybe to protect him from some of the harassment and violence we both experienced growing up).

    I always kept an eye on the hobby but it wasn’t until my mid-thirties that I started trying to engage with it again. It felt like coming home to me. I got really into indie games and wrote up several of my own games and played them with my son and his friends as well as playing in a D&D game for a while.

    Then I found Dungeon World and fell in love with it.

  15. Logan Howard I’d love to hear you talk with Andrew Huffaker sometime. As a new parent, hearing how you both deal with being parents AND RPGs would prove most interesting.

    Also you do cool stuff – when’s the next Sword Breaker coming out?

  16. Logan Howard I’d love to hear you talk with Andrew Huffaker sometime. As a new parent, hearing how you both deal with being parents AND RPGs would prove most interesting.

    Also you do cool stuff – when’s the next Sword Breaker coming out?

  17. Jesse Ross is putting the final touches on it now. I’m really excited about what he’s doing.

    I’ve been working on the issue after that. I have stats for eleven varieties of jinn written up.

    The Nasnas that you brought to my attention is particularly creepy. I created a new tag just for it.

  18. Jesse Ross is putting the final touches on it now. I’m really excited about what he’s doing.

    I’ve been working on the issue after that. I have stats for eleven varieties of jinn written up.

    The Nasnas that you brought to my attention is particularly creepy. I created a new tag just for it.

  21. Yochai Gal Thank you for the kind words. I needed that. My son just moved into his own home so I’m learning about the empty nest part of parenting now. I’m always happy to talk about role playing and my cool kiddo.

  22. Yochai Gal Thank you for the kind words. I needed that. My son just moved into his own home so I’m learning about the empty nest part of parenting now. I’m always happy to talk about role playing and my cool kiddo.

  27. Andrew Huffaker He’s playing every week with his friends. I see him most weeks and he tells me about his games. They play PF or 3.5. I’m still trying to convince him to play DW but their GM (who is a really wonderfully creative young man) is dedicated to 3.5.

  28. Andrew Huffaker He’s playing every week with his friends. I see him most weeks and he tells me about his games. They play PF or 3.5. I’m still trying to convince him to play DW but their GM (who is a really wonderfully creative young man) is dedicated to 3.5.

Comments are closed.