Inspired by some threads over on Story Games, I thought we might want to kick off a monthly thread showcasing links that we've found useful or inspiring. These don't have to be games related, as long as they can find some use in your gaming experiences. So please, don't link to the latest desperately funny YouTube video that we've all seen millions of times before.
Anyway, to kick things off, the latest Sons of Kryos podcast (#41) has some illuminating thoughts on starting games in media res. Always worth listening to, you can download episode 41 here.
Cheers
Malcolm
Graham W talks sense about
Submitted by JoE PrincE on Mon, 07/05/2007 - 14:15.
Graham W talks sense about Game chef on storygames
link
One of those occasional groundbreaking threads from the Forge on unbaked games Ironically started by Ben Lehman, whose endorsements adorn Shock!
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JoE
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Prince of Darkness Games
Rock N' Role-Play....
A certain Mr G M Skarka
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Wed, 09/05/2007 - 10:18.
A certain Mr G M Skarka returns to the fray with some interesting stuff.
Cheers
Malcolm
Contested Ground Studios
After deriding the notion of
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Wed, 09/05/2007 - 11:25.
After deriding the notion of designing in public as egotistical and navel gazing, he's ... designing in public. Still, should prove to be interesting all the same.
My point
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Wed, 09/05/2007 - 11:38.
My point entirely.
Cheers
Malcolm
Contested Ground Studios
A couple of interesting
Submitted by Iain McAllister on Fri, 18/05/2007 - 06:38.
A couple of interesting articles from Ars Technica on why writing in games matters. This is specfically about Computer games but there are some interesting comments on emergent gameplay in MMO culture, WOW in particular.
Cheers
Iain
Why writing in games matters pt 1
Why writing in games matters pt 2
Lead Developer Mob Justice RPG
Check out my home brew games like 'Reel Adventures'
FreeRPG.org has had a
Submitted by Newt Newport on Sun, 20/05/2007 - 06:41.
FreeRPG.org has had a redesign.
http://www.freeroleplay.org/
First time I've come across it.
Usefull links to articles on copyright, free rpgs and openfonts.
Looks like its just getting started, but its a good start :D
Regards
;O)Newt
The GMS is a quixotic beast,
Submitted by Tim Gray on Mon, 21/05/2007 - 12:53.
The GMS is a quixotic beast, best judged on end products rather than online conversations. Of course the design for Underworld was done online, many moons ago.
Tim Gray
Silver Branch Games
www.silverbranch.co.uk
Vincent Baker posts a little
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Tue, 22/05/2007 - 16:10.
Vincent Baker posts a little bit about his new game, Poison'd, inspired by Graham's challenge at Story Games, over at the other Collective.
Two Hours To Kill
Submitted by Gregor Hutton on Thu, 24/05/2007 - 23:45.
If you have two hours to kill you should listen to Clyde's interview with Ron Edwards on the Theory From The Closet podcast.
The description of his past GMing sadly mirrors my own experiences (where a "good" GM put on a great show and got the players to the right point at the right time to wrap up the story -- i.e. the GM's story). While I had fun at the time (hey, I was the GM) I'm sure it wasn't at all collaborative and I later got to the point of basically performance theatre. Which was a shame. Story before I think is the term used.
Anyway, a lot of the stuff in the interview resonated for me and my gaming experiences.
But you do need to have two hours free.
More Gamasutra Goodies
Submitted by Iain McAllister on Fri, 25/05/2007 - 08:04.
Nice article about what causes players to identify with the protagonists in CRPGs. Some thoughts that could be applied to character building in our own games.
Everyman and the action hero: how to build a better player character
Lead Developer Mob Justice RPG
Check out my home brew games like 'Reel Adventures'
A Fistful of Games: Contenders and Covenant
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Thu, 31/05/2007 - 22:13.
Sneaking into the dying hours of May, Paul Tevis is playing both Covenant and Contenders at the moment. He talks about them both at a fistful of games.
graphical design
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Thu, 31/05/2007 - 22:28.
Not that those of you with a graphics designer or two in-house need this, but for the rest of us, there's a great thread at Story Games about poor man's graphical design.