RPG Design Panelcast

Episode 31 – The Care and Feeding of Freelancers

March 25, 2014 06:39 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MB

The Care and Feeding of Freelancers This seminar was originally presented at Metatopia 2013 in Morristown NJ. This panel was led by John Stavropoulos, Ryan Macklin & Amanda Valentine You’ve reached the point where you’re ready to hire some professional freelancers to help you complete your game, whether as writers, editors, or artists. How do you find freelancers, how do you work with them, and how do you keep them happy to work for you? Episode 31: The Care and Feeding of Freelancers...

Episode 30 – Reaching Retailers

February 16, 2014 07:38 - 56 minutes - 25.6 MB

Reaching Retailers: How To Get Stores Behind You This seminar was originally presented at Metatopia 2013 in Morristown NJ. Presented by Will Hindmarch, Jim Crocker & Brian Dalrymple (+1). Your game is ready for market. Now you’ve got to get it in the hands of players, and the best way to do that is to convince stores to carry and promote it. How do you do that? Our panel of experts fills you in! Episode 30: Reaching Retailers [ 56:02 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (140)

Episode 29 – Legalese and Intellectual Property

February 08, 2014 22:43 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MB

Legalese: Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents This seminar was originally presented at Metatopia 2013 in Morristown NJ. Presented by Justin Jacobson & Jason Pitre. It’s all about protecting yourself. Where and when do these legal concepts apply, and what do you need to do to make sure you’re covered without spending a fortune unnecessarily? Episode 29: Legalese and Intellectual Property [ 56:09 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (146)

Episode 28 – Ebooks 101

February 02, 2014 20:50 - 52 minutes - 24 MB

Episode 28 of the RPG Design PanelCast is brought to you thanks to the Metatopia Game Design Festival by Double Exposure. D050: “Electronic Book Publishing 101” presented by Jason Pitre & Joseph Bloch. What are the differences between publishing hard copy books and electronic publishing? This panel will fill you in on everything you need to know, from standards and tools to markets for reaching your audience. Episode 28: Ebooks 101 [ 52:25 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (146)

Episode 27 – Making Games Feel Magical

October 28, 2013 01:33 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MB

This was originally broadcast by Indie+ online convention, led by Mark Diaz Truman , presented by Kyle Simmons, Julia Ellingboe and James Raggi. This is discussion the various ways that games can feel magical, from the everyday kitchen magic to the perilous high magic that could end the world. Episode 27: Making Games Feel Magical [ 57:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (228)

Episode 26 – Magic Mechanics

October 19, 2013 22:32 - 1 hour - 28.5 MB

This was originally broadcast by Indie+ online convention, led by Mark Diaz Truman in conversation with Rob Donoghue. It’s a fascinating discussion on how game mechanics can create a feeling of magic during play. Episode 26: Magic Mechanics Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (355)

Episode 25 – Is Fantasy Dead?

October 12, 2013 19:56 - 1 hour - 27.8 MB

Is there still room for more Fantasy RPGs? What is fantasy really, anyways? How can you design interesting games within this genre? This was originally broadcast by Indie+ online convention, led by Rich Rogers. The presenters are John Wick, James Raggi, Gilian Fraser, David A. Hill Jr., Brennan Taylor Episode 25: Is Fantasy Dead? [ 53:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (248)

Episode 24 – How to Learn RPG Design

September 29, 2013 04:24 - 53 minutes - 24.6 MB

Everyone can design games, and we are here to help show you the way. We will teach you the basics and give you the resources to learning rpg design on your own. We provided attendants with a DVD full of podcast content and panel recordings. You can find much of that information at the link below: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eibuw567kj9px3q/ScnQmP5A58 This was presented by Jason Pitre and Mark Diaz Truman. Episode 24: How to Learn RPG Design [ 53:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download ...

Episode 23 – No Nos in Game Design

September 14, 2013 17:00 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MB

No Nos in Game Design A discussion led by Stan!, Jeff Bellinger., Matt Forbeck and Daniel Solis on mistakes they have learned from in their publishing experience. An excellent discussion worth a listen to this panel from GenCon 2011. Episode 23: No Nos of Game Design [ 55:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (283)

Episode 22 – Things you think about games

September 03, 2013 00:57 - 46 minutes - 21.5 MB

Things you think about games An excellent and philosophically rich discussion concerning why games matter. Presented Jeff Tidball and Will Hindmarch from Gameplaywright (http://gameplaywright.net) over at GenCon 2011. Episode 22: Things You Think About Games [ 46:55 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (218)

Episode 21 – Game Design is Mind Control

August 05, 2013 04:14 - 1 hour - 27.8 MB

Game Design is Mind Control: Presented by Luke Crane and Jared Sorensen from way back in 2011. The art of game design is to induce your players to behave in bizarre, irrational ways that they otherwise would not. Join us as we demonstrate how rules make you perform all sorts of ridiculous acts. And if you don’t believe us, you will by the end of the seminar! Episode 21: Game Design is Mind Control.mp3 [ 1:00:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (408)

Episode 20 – The Kickstarter Roundtable

March 16, 2013 19:39 - 1 hour - 47.4 MB

Kickstarter Roundtable: Presented by Fred Hicks and Brennan Taylor. In this intense workshop, we will explore the ins and outs of using Kickstarter as a crowdsourced fundraising platform. Topics will include best practices for making videos, for customer contacts through updates, etc. Regrets from Cindy Au and Joshua A.C. Newman on account of hurricane. Episode 20: Kickstarter Roundtable [ 1:43:38 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (202)

Episode 19 – Introduction to Nordic Larp

March 09, 2013 19:43 - 59 minutes - 27.4 MB

LARPs aboard submarines? LARPs about having cancer? Join us for a journey inside the fascinating high-art gaming scene of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. They play in submarines, nuclear reactors, and in custom-built shanty towns. They get government grants to LARP! Welcome to the arty world of Nordic LARP, where intense emotion, minimal mechanics — including safewords — and fabulous scenery rule the day. Join ‘Leaving Mundania’ author Lizzie Stark and game designer and Industry Insider...

Episode 18 – Volatility in Game Design

March 02, 2013 18:00 - 59 minutes - 27.4 MB

Randomness makes games fun, but it can also make them terrible. Our Industry Insider guests give advice on the right way to use randomness in game design. Randomness makes games fun, but it can also make them terrible. If you’re going to use randomness in your games, it’s like using fire in your kitchen. A great tool, but only if you know how to handle it. Our Industry Insider guests will give advice on the right way to use randomness in game design. Presented by James Ernest and Jason Morn...

Episode 17 – The International RPG Scene

February 16, 2013 18:00 - 53 minutes - 24.4 MB

There are thriving RPG scenes in outside North America. Come find out from our Industry Insiders on what’s up, what’s innovative, and what’s scandalous. Presented by Jason Morningstar and Dominic McDowall-Thomas. Episode 17: International RPG Scene [ 53:17 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (188)

Episode 16 – Indie Cradle to Indie Grave

February 09, 2013 18:00 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MB

Join Industry Insider designers and developers as they talk about post mortems of various independently published projects. Presented by Jason Morningstar and James Earnst Episode 16: Indie Cradle to Indie Grave [ 56:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (155)

Episode 15 – History Panic

February 02, 2013 07:07 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MB

Presented by Jason Morningstar and Kenneth Hite. Stress-Free Historical Roleplaying Description: How to enjoy roleplaying in historical settings – common pitfalls and how to avoid (or ignore) them. Presented at GenCon 2012. Episode15: History Panic [ 52:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (183)

Episode 14 – Advanced GM’less Play

January 26, 2013 18:00 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MB

A discussion about GM’less games by Jason Morningstar at Metatopia 2012. This was presented to a group of game designers and publishers who ask some advanced questions. Sorry that the introduction doesn’t include the title of the seminar. Episode 14: Advanced GMless Games [ 52:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (210)

Episode 13 – Introduction to GMless Play

January 19, 2013 18:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

A discussion about GM’less games by Jason Morningstar at GenCon 2012. This was presented to a general audience and provides a good foundation on the subject. Episode13: Introduction GMless Games [ 49:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (256)

Episode 12 – Playtesting RPG’s

January 12, 2013 18:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

What kinds of playtests are there? How can you run them or play in them effectively? Learn how iterative testing improves a game Discuss the purpose of playtesting. The three styles of playtesting? Playtesting your own game. Runing someone else’s game. Observing a playtest. Playing in a playtest with panache. Questions and answers Presented by Jason Pitre and Adam Koebel Episode12: Playtesting RPGs [ 49:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (236)

Episode 11 – It’s a Hit, now what? Dealing with Unexpected Success

January 05, 2013 18:00 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MB

“It’s a Hit! Now What? Dealing With Unexpected Success” presented by Fred Hicks & Curt Covert. You’ve made something and people like it and want more. Or your preorder went well – much better than you expected – and you find yourself facing a bigger print run and a bigger shipping effort than you’d planned for. Success can be a tricky thing – the bigger you succeed, the harder you have to work, and sometimes there are pitfalls. Join us and talk about the “now what?” phase. Episode 11: De...

Episode 10: The Retailer’s View – What sells, what doesn’t and why

December 30, 2012 18:00 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MB

The Retailers’ View: What Sells, What Doesn’t, and Why presented by Jim Crocker and Brian Dalrymple. This panel will focus on what new games look like from the perspective of the stores that sell them. Our panelists will lead a discussion of recently published games and how they fared once they hit their stores. Episode 10: The Retailers View.mp3 [ 54:54 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (200)

Episode 9: Self-Publishing: Production and Fulfillment

December 22, 2012 18:00 - 45 minutes - 20.8 MB

“Self-Publishing: Production and Fulfillment” presented by Fred Hicks, Darren Watts & Jim Crocker. You’ve decided to print and distribute your product yourself. What do you need in order to do so successfully? Come learn from folks who have done it. Episode 9: Self- Publishing; Production and Fulfillment.mp3 [ 45:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (178)

Episode 8: Licensing Popular Intellectual Property

December 15, 2012 18:00 - 57 minutes - 26.3 MB

“Licensing Popular Intellectual Property” presented by Amanda Valentine, Fred Hicks & Cam Banks. Three designers with extensive experience in the world of licensing well-known intellectual properties discuss what makes a good property for licensing, how to go about getting a license, and how to keep your licensor happy and yourself protected throughout the process. Episode 8: Licensing Popular Intellectual Properties [ 57:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (139)

Episode 7: Lessons from Indie Publishing

December 08, 2012 18:00 - 1 hour - 28.5 MB

An overall summary of Indie Game Publishing, including copyright, printing costs and the perils of distribution, by David A. Hill Jr. of Machine Age Productions. Episode 7: Lessons from Indie Publishing [ 1:02:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (174)

Episode 6: Addressing Controversial Topics

December 01, 2012 18:00 - 59 minutes - 27.1 MB

“Addressing Controversial Topics” presented by John Stavropolous, Bill White & Brennan Taylor. Join our panelists for a discussion on handling delicate and/or controversial topics in your game design. Subjects include political correctness, sexual and romantic interactions and religion. Episode 6: Addressing Controversial Topics [ 59:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (268)

Episode 5: Editing and Organizing Game Text

November 24, 2012 18:00 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MB

“Editing and Organizing Game Text” presented by Amanda Valentine, Fred Hicks, Jason Pitre & John Adamus. Successful game text requires clarity, structure and style. Learn the secrets of this dark art at this roundtable discussion. Episode 5: Editing and Organizing Game Text [ 56:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (314)

Episode 4: Care and Feeding of Artists

November 17, 2012 18:00 - 53 minutes - 24.4 MB

“The Care and Feeding of Artists” presented by Ed Bell, Jen Christiansen & Fred Hicks. You’re not an artist yourself, but your game needs art! How do you hire artists, and how do you work with them to get what you need? This special panel features Ed Bell and Jen Christiansen, two art directors from Scientific American magazine. Episode 4: Care and Feeding of Artists [ 53:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (201)

Episode 3: The Graphic Design and Layout Panel

November 15, 2012 18:00 - 1 hour - 53 MB

“The Graphic Design and Layout Roundtable” presented by Hal Mangold, Nathan Paoletta & Ben Morgan. Discuss the best ways to make your game look exciting, fun, and easily readable with some of the sharpest eyes in the field Episode 3: Graphic Design and Layout Panel [ 1:55:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (525)

Episode 2: My Dearest Failure: Games That Didn’t Work and Why

November 13, 2012 18:00 - 51 minutes - 23.8 MB

My Dearest Failure: Games That Didn’t Work and Why” presented by Jason Morningstar, Kenneth Hite & Rob Donoghue. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Join us for a discussion of games that never got made despite the best of intentions, and what lessons we can learn from the wreckage. Episode 2: Beautiful Failures [ 51:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (382)

Episode 1: The Coolest Game You Never Heard Of

November 11, 2012 08:00 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MB

Episode 1 is: The Coolest Game You Never Heard Of: presented by James Ernest, Kenneth Hite, Jason Morningstar, Cam Banks, Nathan Paoletta, Brennan Taylor & Others. Join our Guests of Honor and several additional talented designers for a discussion about their favorite obscure game that influenced them. What did we learn, why do we love them, and why do they remain obscure? This discussion will address both role playing and board/card games. Here is a partial list! Pitch Blowback (and Nigh...

Welcome to the RPG Design Panel Podcast!

November 11, 2012 07:34 - 1 minute - 624 KB

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new podcast, dedicated to sharing recordings of RPG related panels and seminars. I hope you enjoy this series. You can subscibe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 0: Welcome [ 1:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (290)