Designing content in a shared-world setting is fraught with dangers. Disgruntled fans are armed with all manner of weaponry, but none as dreadful as the ‘canon.’
A Joyful Noise
Geeks speak, but why should anyone listen? Because all voices have the potential to produce a joyful noise. We just have to be willing to hear it.
Preference is Puzzling
It is not terribly hard to write a typical dungeon-delve adventure with 3 encounters, a skill challenge, and the PCs rushing in at the last moment to stop the ritual before the evil creature of great power is unleashed. Many DMs and players are happy with that. Thank goodness! However, not every DM or player is happy with the standard fare.
A Year at Critical Hits, and GenCon 2011
Gen Con is always tough for me. When I first started attending, I just ran a few games, played a few games, and hit the Exhibit Hall. I didn’t really know anyone, no one knew me, and I could absorb it all without over-extending myself. Now it is getting more complicated. I still know very few people, and very few people still know me, but there are more obligations that go into a convention now.
There’s No Crying in Design
Whether you’re talking RPG design or other creative works, anything presented to the public is going to garner reaction. Criticism can be devastating, but there are ways to deal with it.
4e CAN be Old-School!
I asked myself a question a few weeks ago, and now I can finally start to answer it. Along the way, I scare myself with the random numbers that have stayed in my head for 30 years.
What Can GenCon Do for You?
Ask not what you can do for GenCon, but ask instead what GenCon can do for you.
Can 4e Be Old-School D&D?
My most recent design project for Wizards of the Coast has left me thinking a lot about old-school D&D. I have been reminiscing about my early days of playing, when my Jr. High school friends and I could play first-edition AD&D for 72 hours straight without having to worry about jobs or families or responsibilities […]
Dealing the Wildcards
Anything adventure designers can do to help DMs run their games will mean a better experience for players. In this column, I explore the concept of the wildcards, elements adventure designers can add to encounters that provide DMs with choices.
So You Want to Write RPGs?
How does one get into the freelance RPG business? I cannot tell for sure, but I can make some observations.
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