There’s an unexpected hole in my Guest post schedule, my Gen Con prep is finally done and I miss talking to you all, so I thought I’d share my convention plans.
This is going to be my second attendance in as many years. Last time I came to the Con thinking I was a nobody and I left it feeling like a Rock Star and I took home some great lessons. This year, I’ve almost finished making my transition from ‘blogger’ to ‘industry freelancer’. I say almost because my Goodman Games adventure has been pushed back to November. Boo! That means that I come to Gen Con with different objectives than last year: that of networking with industry professionals and look for people willing to buy into my crazy D&D ideas.
Oh and have fun too!
So here’s a hodge podge list of what I have planned for the Convention.
Drunken D&D
Oh yeah, we’re so doing this. On Wednesday night, a group of friends (mostly bloggers who co-founded the RPGblogger’s network) and a very special guest are going to play a cross between a drinking game and D&D.
The adventure, conceptualized by myself and written by the highly talented John Richter (of South Africa), is a heavily modified version of the Dungeon Reality Show: Dungeonball adventure. We created a High School Comedy/drama called ‘Saved by the Grell’ where students of St-Tequilus high School play a Dungeonball game against their rivals of Wandering Monsters High School.
You can be sure that we’ll talk about the game once we return from Gen Con and the adventure will be available for download.
DCC tournament
I’ll be spending a lot of my time over at the Crowne Plaza, DMing Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classic tournament. This year the 4e adventure is called the Scroll of Ruin and it is a paragon-tier romp in a sunken desert dungeon. You can find the adventure’s backstory here.
I’m curious to see how different DMing an organized play adventure (Paizo’s Pathfinder Chronicles) will be from DMing a tournament.
Blogging Panels
I’ll be participating on 2 panels this year. At 4h PM on Thursday, I’ll be on the RPGbloggers panel along with my co-founder friends to discuss the network, our future plans for it and how it came to be. This is the perfect time to meet with the network’s bloggers.
I’ll also be on the ‘So you want to be a RPG blogger’ panel on Saturday at 9h00 AM, where we’ll discuss our experiences in this wonderful little niche of ours.
Come if you are there!
Magic the Gathering
Last year, I narrowly beat Dave the Game in a Magic Draft and I ended up splitting the 1st prize with another player because we ran out of time. This year, I intend to repeat my performance with Dave and take the 1st prize. He he he. I haven’t played competitive magic since last year; we’ll see if I lost my touch.
Beercon
As a Goodman Games DM and author, I got invited to a party called Beercon. The list of potential invitees seems to cover most of the spectrum of the industry. I can’t want to see how it turns out.
The Ennies
I missed the Ennies last year because I was DMing in a 125 player Paizo event. This year I’ll be there to support my good friends from Critical Hits as well as my other friends and designers such as Wolfgang Baur and Monte Cook.
More beer
After the Ennies, I’ll be off to grab a few beers with some WotC developpers and freelance writers. I’ll meet up with them to discuss my D&D for kids adventure concept and I hope we’ll just relax and swap war stories.
Oh and my liver is going to kill me… so much booze!
Tracy Hickman’s Killer Breakfast
If time allows, I’ll go and meet Tracy Hickman at his killer breatfast to meet him face to face. He was kind enough to provide me with a copy of his X-DM book and I’ll go and thank him in person. I’ll also post a review soon enough.
Late Night with Chgowiz
I got invited to a late night Sword&Sorcery game, DMed by Chgowiz. I can’t wait to try one of the rare versions of D&D I never played. I don’t know what class I’ll play. I guess I’ll have to see what I roll up.
Meet with D&D Developers
I’ve been offered some face time with D&D developers and I’ve asked to discuss two things:
- Have a walk through of the latest D&D insider tools and discuss how far WotC has gone since I wrote my Open Letter to them, decrying their horrible track record with Software.
- Discuss with developers what’s in store for DMs in the upcoming year. Get an preview of the cool things that will make running this game easier and more fun.
If you have any particular questions you’d like me to ask them, I’d be happy to oblige.
As you can see I’m going to have a busy Gen Con, but that’s all right, that’s how I like it.
I’ll also be live blogging a bit, if I can find some time and some cheap WiFi.
Talk to you later!
As you know, we’ll be spending plenty of time together during GenCon! 🙂
Can’t wait!
.-= Bartoneus´s last blog ..Monster Manual 2 – In Depth #4 =-.
*Squee* at name-dropping 🙂
I’m keen to see how the DD&D plays out. To any of the players for “Saved by the Grell” reading this – have you hugged an eldritch abomination today? They really appreciate the attention, you know.
Also: I really hope your liver survives this week. Perhaps find a suitable organ donor before leaving for GenCon, just in case?
Hope it goes great!
.-= Johenius´s last blog ..Using D&D 4e Skill Challenges in Solo Encounters =-.
Would you video the RPGBlogger’s panel? I’d love to be there but the cost is somewhat prohibitive.
.-= Rob Lang´s last blog ..Be an evil teddy in Keeton Must Die by Matt Jackson =-.
Wow, you have everything so planned out. Aside from a few meetings and seminars, I don’t know what I’m going to do with my time. This is my first con ever!
I may end up following Yax around like a lost puppy.
.-= Nicholas´s last blog ..Dungeon Notes #26 =-.
Where is the RPGBloggers panel being held?
.-= Ameron´s last blog ..The Ultimate Character for the Ultimate Dungeon Delve =-.
Slight correction: you’re coming in 2nd this time in Magic draft because I’m taking the 1st place (then winning packs I don’t know what to do with).
Rob: Last year, all the press panels (of which this is a part) were posted as podcasts, so I expect that to be the case again this year. I don’t know how likely it is they’ll do video for it.
Nicholas: There’s tons to do without scheduling anything, so you should be fine. Though following Yax around may get you into all kinds of hijinks too…
Ameron: They haven’t told us yet, but check the program book, it should be in there.
.-= Dave T. Game´s last blog ..Monster Manual 2 – In Depth #4 =-.
So Dave answered while I wrote this. So I’ll curtail some of mine.
@Bartoneus: I’m so looking forward to all of this. It’s going to be insanely fun.
@Johenius: I’m sure that this edition of DD&D will become a Gen Con legend. As for Liver transplants, I’ll take a few stem Cells from the lab, bring a portable Cloning tank and a mini-surgery kit and I should be good to go.
@Nicholas: It’s just my control freakishness. Since I booked events like the DCC tournament, I needed to have a well defined schedule to avoid double booking… which I managed to do anyway.
@Dave: In your dreams buddy! 🙂
So it’s some gaming and….beer, right? Sounds good to me.
Looking forward for your report on this!
Have fun!
@Jeremy: That sums it up nicely I’d say. I’m also packing a ton of water bottles to dilute all that booze. 🙂
@D_Luck: Oh I’ll write a few posts about my experiences for sure!
I’m really looking forward to seeing you there, Phil. I’ll be liveblogging for my 5th straight year, and there’s been a few late additions from my gaming circle that will be able to make it. I really think every gamer should get there at least once. It always feels like I’m coming home.
If the WotC guys shake your hand, are they going to throw splatbooks at me? 😉
All of this and you forget to mention Breakfast with a Gnome? So much for letting you wear my pointy hat while eating waffles.
.-= DNAphil´s last blog ..My GM Definition =-.
Ahhh come one Phil! The only meal I listed was Hickman’s Killer Breakfast. Otherwise I’d have written a 7 part series!
Of course I’m looking forward to eating breakfast with one of the celebrated Gnomes… I’ll capture you, drug you and try to extirpate the Stew’s recipe!
re: questions for WotC:
I’ve recently been smacked in the face by an outcome of DDI that I completely didn’t foresee: as the Character Builder’s popularity increases, peoples’ interest in third-party content seems to decrease considerably. The Character Builder is nice (despite its many flaws), and in my experience has a tendency to completely replace manual character sheet maintenance… but because it doesn’t support third-party content, neither do my games. New feats, classes, races, house rules, weapons, powers, etc. become an inconvenience in any campaign where the CB is used more than as just another way to verify builds.
I wonder how much of that effect was deliberate. If it wasn’t, I wonder what WotC is doing to increase 3p support.
Doesn’t the CB allow you to include custom power, feats, items etc?
If so, the player/DM just needs to create those 3p products in the builder.
Dear Chatty D,
I’d be interested, if you can disclose it, to hear about Goodman Games’ style guide. Do they allow you to write suggested dialog for NPCs? Do they say why not? Do they force you to include a certain number of encounters that will be good for druids or rogues? What’s their magic formula for making good adventures?
@Xero: I think it was a deliberate move. I too have little to no interest in non-adventure 3rd party product for the exact reason that it is not supported by D&Di. And I am certain that they have no intention of integrating 3rd party material since it’s not their IP (Unless the GSL says otherwise).
@Noumenon: The Style guide is just that: Style. Not content. So iot describes the structure of writing the adventure, proper Stat blocks and so forth. But absolutely no info on what to write. To write a good adventure you need to know 4e in and out and be a good writer… IMHO.
There’s no editor then explaining “This is what you need to fit in under the Goodman Games ‘brand'”? That seems weird. I would think Joseph Goodman would have a market segment all targeted out and try to make adventures that met that need — like, “old school traps, no NPCs who aren’t meant to be killed, adventures must be in a single location with a complete map.” What stops you from writing an Eberron adventure and turning that in?
Let me rephrase that.
I got contacted by someone at goodman games about a specific type of adventure.
I pitched the adventure, including a summary description of each scene. They answered ‘go for it’ and I since delivered that, based on the 4e style guide (which was at an early draft back in November of 2008).
So my experience is very limited.
For the DCC, I’m sure they doit like WotC and ask for detailed outlines and expect people to deliver an outline that respects the tagline appearing on all modules. I’ll ask Harley Stroh for sure.
However, Goodman Games is giving a ‘Write adventure that don’t suck’ seminar based on a Gen Con Exclusive book they’ll sell over there. I’d like to attend thatseminar and maybe I’ll get the info you seek. At the very least, I’ll get the book.
I too find that the customization option (or 3rd party input) of the character builder are somewhat limited.
My girl friend as an hard time with English. Currently each time I reprint her character for leveling up I must re-write the French clue I had written on the previous version. I would like to be able to tag notes on these power that could get printed in addition or instead of the power card text. In that way you could write your own power description and replace an existing one or write the translation of the power, etc…
The customizing capability are somewhat limited but they are existing in the campaign management section of the character builder you can create new feat and powers that will appear in the list. I have not use it thoroughly though maybe I could do something that comes close to what I want. But I’m sure that you could use it to add most of the 3rd party feats without their restriction. (only for bard would probably be available for all)
I’ll check on that tonight.
I’m going to be at Gen Con — I’ll have to check that Goodman seminar out! I love the DCCs and I’d love to hear some of the philosophy and business sense behind them.
@phil That’s pretty much what I expected, but I just wanted to hear it from their mouths. I think it’s a pretty shrewd – if somewhat insidious – tactic. Part of me applauds them for their business cunning, even while another part of me is upset about how this might affect the industry as a whole.
And how exactly could WotC include 3p material in the CB without the 3p’s permission? They couldn’t without either licencing it (which would likely cost them money and create at least a modicum of expectation that they vet it for quality) or buying it outright.
I think you’re going a bit overboard, Phil and Xero, to suggest that this was some cunning business trick. They gave you the ability to include custom content. I don’t really see what more they could do.
@Colemarr: Not insidious, voluntary… as in make the best possible tool to eclipse any need the customer would have for any 3p products. And for once, WotC actually delivers. I may have to eat my shorts about my old Open letter to Wizards.
This weekend I checked the customization capability of the character builder…
Technically you can add anything in it but… It’s only a name and it description. So your new power you create for monk in your home brew adventure does not follow the power templates for power and is not limited to the monk.
To use this customization feature you go in the campaign management tab add the element and save it to your campaign setting file which you can send to all of your players after ward. Then the player can load the campaign setting and add the feat/power/etc… by selecting the show custom “item” on the little H in the appropriate tab.
This concept is cool but give me a better editor for the custom material beside the name + description and it would be great. Add an easy way to import/export these custom item and it would be awesome. The last part might be tricky because of the potential abuse. (read somebody entering all the official material and redistributing it.)
@Colmarr: it’s not the same thing. “Custom Content” as the program currently recognizes it is little more than a block of text you can insert into certain locations on your character sheet. You can’t create a weapon, for instance, and then have the program recognize it as such and integrate its features into your powers.
There are other ways of fostering third-party support, aside from the strawman examples you listed. One great way would be to open up the program’s extensibility to third-party plug-ins. They could even monetize this process; in several ways that I can think of, and probably many more that I haven’t considered yet. It wouldn’t even be that hard to implement, assuming they cleaned up the XML output files a bit first (which they should probably get around to doing anyway).
As Phil pointed out though, they wouldn’t want to do that. They tried third-party-friendly last time around, and they didn’t find it to their liking. This time out, they’re making things decidedly harder for third-party content providers to compete. And that’s only “insidious” if you ignore the fact that WotC is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and their primary goal in releasing and promoting D&D is to turn as large of a profit as possible, not to foster a big, happy gaming community or to help their competitors get a leg up. I don’t blame them for acting like a corporation, even if their interests in D&D don’t always run parallel to mine.
I do however take some pleasure (however sardonic it may be) in the irony of their having to pay lip-service to the idea of a big, happy gaming community and a thriving third-party market in order to promote D&D and turn their profit. Unfortunately for them, the two things aren’t as divorced as they’d like them to be. I chuckle a bit whenever they’re reminded of this, but not out of any particular malice on my part. I’m a 4E player. I own every 4E book currently out (minus Manual of the Planes and all the adventures after H1). I want D&D to remain profitable and I want WotC to thrive and continue to produce content for this system. But I also want the third-party market to succeed, because I realize that 4E’s success hinges at least partially on third-party support. I may not buy every adventure that Goodman Games puts out (for instance), but the fact that they’re out there making adventures and splat books means the pressure is on WotC to maintain the quality and value of their own content. It also means more people playing 4E, which means more 4E. And to me, that’s a good thing.