Creativity In Business: Pixar’s Success and Lessons For Tabletop Publishing Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jeff Tidball, Cam Banks Managing a company of creative people can be challenging. New ideas are always being introduced into structured spaces that resist change and fear innovation and imagination. Tabletop game publishers and managers can learn from the success of Pixar, Inc, who have mastered the art of ushering in and protecting the new, releasing their employees from common limits on creativity, and not being afraid to try things in often radically different ways to create bigger and better projects As a fine example of creativity in business, the kickstarter for Unknown Armies 3rd Edition is currently up. Dig into the occult weirdness from Atlas Games! You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 78: Creativity in Business Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (195)

Project Budgeting For Tabletop Games Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jeff Tidball, Cat Tobin & Justin Jacobson The process of producing a board game, card game, or role playing game is lousy, with opportunities for financial disaster. Learn what financial factors you should take into account when planning a game production, and walk through a spreadsheet that’ll help you plan your own projects by estimating their profitability (or lack thereof). You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 77: Budgeting for RPGs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (248)

Formalizing Your Game Business Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Fred Hicks, Steve Segedy, Darren Watts and Brennan Taylor Is your company ready to take the next step? We’ll discuss how to turn a tiny game company into a slightly-larger game company. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 76: Formalizing Your Game Business Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (217)

Matters Of Scale: Running A Small Gaming Business Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Fred Hicks, Rob Donoghue and Steve Segedy Game publishing is a very different beast depending on how new you are to the industry and how much reach you and your game might have. Small press and independent creators will find that which printers, distributors and fulfillment channels they might use varies wildly depending on their goals and how much risk they’re willing to take. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 75: Matters of Scale Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (262)

Genius Loci: Your Setting is the Character Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Will Hindmarch Places, rather than protagonists, are often what RPG campaigns have in common because the characters are bespoke but the setting is shared. How does your game’s space inform its setting – and vice versa? How does setting pose and reflect theme? Settings can be characters in their own right, tuned and portrayed through your design to dramatize the themes and issues at the heart of your game. In this seminar, I’ll share some of what I set out to do and some of what I’ve learned designing Project: Dark and its play spaces. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 74: Genius Loci Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (300)

Opacity, Transparency, and Player Incentives in Your Strategy Board Game Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Gil Hova Do people understand what’s going on in your game? Not just the rules, but can they tell who’s winning? If they should watch out for a dangerous player? If they know exactly how their move will impact their next few turns? Join designer Gil Hova as he discusses transparency and opacity in strategy board games. We will discuss what makes a game mechanism transparent or opaque, how they work (or fail) in existing games, and how to use them to incentivize players to make interesting plays. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 73: Opacity Transparency [ 52:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (264)

Lovecraft WTF Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Julia Ellingboe, Kenneth Hite, Darren Watts & Bill White. H. P. Lovecraft is one of the grandfathers of weird fiction and horror. His racist and anti-Semitic beliefs are no secret. They are the foundation of his fictional worlds. They are interwoven throughout his work and for many readers, impossible to separate from the genius of his writing. Can a Lovecraft-inspired game make his work more accessible? It’s okay to like problematic things. This panel will be neither an attack nor a defense of Lovecraft’s work. In a broad sense, it will be a conversation about how designers might interpret or use source material with themes or images that are problematic. Apologies for sound quality issues. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 72: Lovecraft WTF Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (295)

Explicit vs Role-Based Knowledge Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Clark Valentine, Shane Harsch and Evan Torner. This seminar poses the question of whether it is possible to support a detailed, knowledge-rich environment for an RPG without creating a situation where the character that should know how to do something actually does not. Where is the balance between detail and role? You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 71: Explicit vs Role-Based Knowledge Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (238)

Editing Rulebooks Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Joshua Yearsley. Your rulebook is the heart of your game, so why not give it the love it deserves? In this seminar, you’ll learn ten best practices for improving the structure, style, and clarity of your rulebook. Got any burning questions about rules craft? Get answers from a professional rulebook editor. Additional references and a copy of the presentation is available at http://joshuayearsley.com/case/ten-things-you-can-do-to-make-your-rulebook-awesome/   You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 70: Editing Rulebooks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (330)  

Social Media Action Steps Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Beth Rimmels. Social media is a crucial marketing step, especially for new and small businesses. Even better, it can cost you little to nothing, but can be confusing or overwhelming. This panel will explain what’s essential, where to start (and on which social media channel), free and low-cost tools that will make your life easier, and how to grow an audience organically. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 69: Social Media Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (220)  

Executing a Smart Crowdfunding Campaign Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Fred Hicks, Joshua A. C. Newman & Hannah Shaffer How do you plan your crowdfunding campaign? How done do you need to be before you open? How do you engage your community? How do you plan for all possible outcomes? Joshua A.C. Newman (Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack and Shock: Social Science Fiction), Fred Hicks (Fate Core, Designers & Dragons, and more), and Hannah Shaffer (Questlandia) share their experiences and then ditch out on their planned talk to address your questions once they realize they can’t afford shipping.   Episode 68: Smart Crowdfunding Campaigns Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (222)   Special Kickstarter Mentions Sig: The City Between         Headspace RPG         ******************* You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes  

The Best Practices for Information Organization in Tabletop RPGs Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Brennan Taylor, Matt Wilson, Meredith Reitman, Krista White & John Stavropolous Tabletop RPGs serve as both a “let’s play!” and a reference document. RPGs designers and writers often attend to one of these goals at the expense of the other. Come to this panel to learn about professional theories of information organization, best practices for making the important information in your games findable and learn lessons from experienced game designers who have made information organization innovations and mistakes in their own games. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 67: Information Organization in RPGs [ 57:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (282)  

Learn RPG Design Redux Recorded at Gencon 2015 Presented by Jason Pitre, Caleb Stokes and Andreas Walters  This panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network is a fresh new exploration of how to start roleplaying game design by focussing on mission statements, the important questions of game design, and other gems. Also an absurd number of references to games including, but not limited to: Inspectres, Headspace, Dog Eat Dog, Paranoia, Fiasco and Apocalypse World. There is a reference to cards with links to a ton of resources? All of that treasure-trove is available over here. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 66: Learn RPG Design Redux Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (306)

Women in Game Design: Building Networks and Forming Mentorships Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Emily Care-Boss, Julia Ellingboe, Shoshana Kessock, Amanda Valentine & Avonelle Wing. The “gaming industry” has been a brutal place to be a woman this year. Join our esteemed panelists for a conversation about the need for strong support networks and finding mentors in a turbulent and sometimes hostile industry.   You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 65: Women in Game Design Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (248)

Dramatic Editing : Creating the Editing Bay Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Will Hindmarch How does your design facilitate dramatic editing at the game table? Do you have strict mechanisms that put editing into the hands of the players or their characters through overt metaphors or in-setting magic? Or do you provide procedures and guidelines for collaborating and revising action during play? Dramatic editing at the table allows for players to propose and explore actions without them necessarily making it “on stage” or committing it to “film” and that can be a messy freedom or a beautiful drudge. Let’s look at ways to facilitate what you want to happen at the table. Note that the sound quality is lousy in the first minute of audio, but it gets much better after that point. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 64: Dramatic Editing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (213)

Gaming With, and Designing For, Young Players Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks, Lisa Bowman-Steenson, Clark Valentine, Amanda Valentine & Brennan Taylor. Young players can present unique challenges to game designers and adults at the table. Attention spans, play styles, system mastery, and age appropriate subject matter can vary a great deal. Be part of a discussion about making and running games that work for young players. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 63: Playing with and Designing for Young Players Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (209)

Bisociation, Mashups, the Uncanny, and the Weird Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Kenneth Hite. “Bisociation, Mashups, the Uncanny, and the Weird: Toward an Aesthetic of Setting Bricolage” presented by Kenneth Hite. A dictionary may have been involved. In an age where “everything is mashup”, what makes a game setting more than the sum of its parts? Both the modern “uncanny” and the postmodern “slipstream” depend on subverting or deranging expectations, but how can you get good play without something to play off of? Do Koestler’s “bisociation” or Lovecraft’s “truly weird” help us out or derail us? Designer Kenneth Hite (NIGHT’S BLACK AGENTS, DAY AFTER RAGNAROK) isn’t sure yet, which is why he asks you to join him and think out loud on these topics. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 62: Bisociation, Mashups, Uncanny, and Weird Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (162)

Coming Up in the Indies: From Newcomer to Company Owner Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Fred Hicks, Shoshana Kessock and Tim Rodriguez. This panel will be a discussion between newer and more established company owners with success stories in the indie RPG world. They are ready to share their insight and tips about becoming part of the publishing world. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 61: Growing Up In The Indies Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (177)

Accessibility and Disability Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Russell Collins, Elsa Henry, and Shoshana Kessock. The final frontier of game design seems to be accommodating for those who are differently-abled. Designers of games who have a background with being differently-abled will discuss how to design to be more inclusive in this manner. We’ll discuss the foibles, pitfalls and issues associated with designing games that are not accessible. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 60: Accessibility and Disability Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (151)  

Style Guides are your Friend Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Amanda Valentine and John Adamus Style guides are one of the indispensable tools an editor uses to help make your project the best it can be. Learn more about them and the other must-have tools an editor uses, and find out why following the style guide can mean the difference between making “a thing” and “a game”.   Episode 59: Style Guides are your Friend Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (204) You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes  

Gaming As Other: Moving Beyond Tokenism Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Misha Bushyager, Julia Ellingboe, Ajit George & Mark Diaz Truman John Stavropolous moderates as our panelists continue the discussion about the challenges faced by ethnic minorities and people of color within the hobby. In this panel, they will tackle how gaming companies, designers, conventions and communities can effectively bring greater diversity to their ranks, mentor emerging voices, and share leadership roles.   Episode 58: Moving Beyond Tokenism Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (165) You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes

So You’re Making Your First Game Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by John Adamus and Mark Richardson. Learn from a pair of first time game makers and industry professionals the perils, frustrations and strategies it takes to put together your first game from start to finish.   Episode 57: So You're Making Your First Game Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (308) You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes  

What Editors Do Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by John Adamus, Jeremy Morgan & Amanda Valentine. Cleaning up your tortured syntax and fixing your punctuation is only the beginning. A good editor can help you improve the presentation of your game on many levels You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 56: What Editors Do Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (168)  

How to Succeed at Conventions Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Join veteran conventioneer, Avonelle Wing, for a conversation on attending trade shows and conventions as an industry professional. Talk about identifying and setting goals, representing yourself and your brand and otherwise setting yourself up for success.   Episode 55: How to Succeed at Conventions Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (165) You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes

Playtest Feedback Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks, Tim Rodriguez & Jay Treat We all know playtesting is vital, but how do you take the results of playtests and apply them to your game? Three industry veterans explain what works for them.     Episode 54: Playtest Feedback Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (176) You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes

Cartography of Fictional Worlds Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Kenneth Hite, Hal Mangold & Mark Richardson Learn from a panel of veteran cartographers and game designers the techniques they use to make maps of fictional worlds. A map from Mark Richardson about renaissance superheroes from The Enlightened Man.   Episode 53: Cartography of Fictional Worlds Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (231) You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes

Work Together AND Keep Your Friends: Healthy Publishing Collaboration Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Joshua A. C. Newman, Epidiah Ravachol & Hannah Shaffer. Collaborating on a creative project is great! You get double the creativity, double the productivity, and the benefit of mutual support. Nothing could go wrong, right? Whether you’re collaborating with friends or strangers, there are some important strategies to keep your collaboration healthy and productive. What happens when one person is doing the majority of the work? Do you need a contract when working with your friends? Who owns the intellectual property that you produce? What happens if you become an overnight success? We’ll share strategies, horror stories, and success stories about creative collaboration.   Episode 52: Collaborating with Friends Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (192)

Episode 51 – RPG Podcasting and Design This special episode is a crossover with The Jankcast and the Tabletop Superhighway podcasts. In this episode, I am speaking with Todd (Jankcast), Alex (Tabletop Superhighway) and Larry (Tabletop Superhighway) about how RPG Podcasting interacts with design, and what we see from our particular vantage points. Welcome to the RPG Design Jankcast Superhighway.   Episode 51: RPG Podcasting and Design Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (181)

Computer Hacking in Games Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Shane Harsch, Clark Valentine & Tim Rodriguez Our panel discusses the actual process/stages of intrusion (what we call the “Kill Chain”) and then facilitates a discussion about the challenges of turning that real-world process into an actionable and fun gaming experience.   Episode 50: Computer Hacking in Games [ 56:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (267)  

Gmless RPGs and Other Variations Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by John Stavropoulos and Brennan Taylor Role playing games have game masters, right? Well, not necessarily – plenty of interesting games have chosen not to assign that role, or share it between some or all of the players at the table. What goes into the decision whether to have one, many or no game masters?   Episode 49: GMless RPGs and Other Variations Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (221)

The Writer’s Workshop Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by John Adamus. Here’s a chance for authors and creators to get answers to their writing questions as they work on developing their first, or tenth project. Questions often include issues of layout, editing costs, the best way to write to the reader, and the best way to take an idea from the abstract idea phase to the down-on-paper phase   Episode 48: The Writer's Workshop [ 1:26:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (286)

Playtesting Brutally Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by John Stavropoulos and Dave Chalker. Your best friend, your spouse, and your grandma all say they like your game, so it must be ready to be published, right? WRONG. The most refined games come from an extended playtesting process, where your decisions are challenged and every mechanic is put through the burning forge of brutal playtesting. Learn how to examine games of your own design and others for ways to streamline, balance, and otherwise turn into a better game by “killing your darlings” and learning what red flags to watch out for in the playtesting process that could sink you after publication.     Episode 47: Playtesting Brutally Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (187)

Least System Necessary Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks, Rob Donoghue, Clark Valentine & Stephen Hood. How much system does your game *need*? We’ll be examining very minimal systems like Risus, CORE, Amber DRPG and so on as a starting point for design, always coming back to the question of whether you are adding things to your system because it need it, or because you’re “Supposed To”. Minimal Game system references to: Risus Fate Accelerated WARP System   Episode 46: The Least System Necessary Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (272)

Icons and Anchors Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by Rob Donoghue & Jason Pitre. Icons and anchors are fascinating pieces of RPG design technology, establishing people and organizations within settings that are strongly tied to player characters and to each other. Let’s talk about how these can be effectively used in your own game designs. References include: 1) My own summary of the mechanic: Examining Icons in Design 2) Rob’s ample blog discussion: [1][2][3] [4] [5] [6]. 3) Chris Chin’s discussion of Keys, in the other excellent article. 4) And the economic devastation of the Identify skill over at Project Multiplexer     Episode 45: Icons and Anchors Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (198)

Succeeding at Conventions and Trade Show Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by Avonelle Wing Conventions are overwhelming, and setting yourself up for success involves many components: Branding yourself for visibility, interacting appropriately with the convention, maximizing the impact of your contact with your public, and other ideas. Double Exposure Senior Vice President, Avonelle Wing, will share her experiences, both as a convention organizer and as an attendee representing her own brands.   Episode 44: Succeeding at Conventions and Trade Shows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (153)

Book Design 101 – First Principles Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by Fred Hicks and Hal Mangold The panelists look at the book as an object of design. Whether it’s conveying rules or setting, the look and feel of the book itself is crucial to the experience of play. Our experts will draw on their own experiences to explain why books look the way they do.   Episode 43: Book Design 101 - First Principles Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (192)

Adventure Design as Technology Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks & Rob Donoghue. We started with a map and a key. There have been structural improvements since then: boxed text, wandering monsters, plot point adventures, hard and soft points, personality-driven dungeons, mad libs plots and many more. This process has not been rigors, so the spread of these ideas has been haphazard and without the thought that’s gone into rules improvements. That is a shame. Take some time to talk about these technologies and how they can help you make better adventures.   Episode 42: Adventure Design as Technology Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (235)  

Episode 41 – Designing RPGs for Kids Presented by Amanda Valentine, Tim Rodriguez & Krista White. Designing games intended for younger audiences doesn’t mean dumbing down. What are the additional challenges involved in making products to appeal to the younger set?   Episode 41: Designing RPGs for Kids Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (216)

Hacking Apocalypse World Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Vincent Baker, Misha Bushyager, Marissa Kelly, Mark Richardson & Mark Diaz Truman. Learn about the Apocalypse World engine and why it has become popular amongst indie designers. This will be a panel of veteran *World players and *World game designers, including the designer of Apocalypse World!   Episode 40: Hacking Apocalypse World Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (343)

Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition Analysis Presented by Rob Donoghue & Jason Pitre. So, the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons is out. Now it’s time to dig into the design and talk about the rules, procedures and advice that the game brings to the RPG design field. Let’s look at the crunchy bits! The companion reference to this discussion can be found on Rob Donoghue’s blog, where he discusses the Starter Set, the Player’s Handbook and the Monster Manual in detail.   Episode 39: Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Analysis [ 55:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (336)  

D036 – Accessibility Issues For Game Designers Presented by Russell Collins & Jason Pitre. Games are about imagination and creativity so the print medium shouldn’t be a barrier to entry. Understanding the needs of persons with learning differences and the options that designers have will keep you from excluding people who are eager to enjoy our hobby. This seminar will focus on blindness, low vision, and dyslexia and strategies to present your game content for those with print disabilities in digital and audio media.   Episode 38: Accessibility Issues for Game Designers [ 55:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (146)

D015 – Roleplaying Scenario Design Recorded at Metatopia 2013. Presented by Kenneth Hite, Darren Watts, Rob Donoghue, John Stavropoulos & Bill White. Our panel of experts drills down into the specifics of scenario-building for publication, whether it’s showing off the game’s basics with an introductory scenario, or stringing several together for a mini-campaign book.   Episode 37: Roleplaying Scenario Design Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (213)  

My Game Will Cost What? Presented by Curt Covert & Stephen Buonocore. This panel will seek to explain why games cost what they do. What are the expenses, and what decisions must you as a designer make in order to hit your target price point? Presented at Metatopia 2013.   Episode 36: My Game Will Cost What? [ 1:02:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (189)

“Dangerous Mechanics” Presented by Jason Pitre, Kenneth Hite, Rob Donoghue & Will Hindmarch.  The panelists will deal with mechanics that look good on the surface but can have unforeseen negative consequences in play. Spending XP, no-effect rules, dice-generated currency – all have hidden dangers. Explore these and other light bulbs that didn’t quite work out..   Episode 35: Dangerous Mechanics [ 54:25 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (275)

“Gaming As The Other: Race in Our Industry” Presented by John Stavropoulos, Terry Romero, Ajit George & Mark Diaz Truman. As many “geek” activities have expanded over the last ten years, role-playing has often struggled to include the voices of racial and ethnic minorities. Join Ajit George, Mark Diaz Truman, and Terry Romero to discuss what challenges the industry faces including “Others”, why increased diversity is valuable and important to the future of gaming, and what path both designers and players can take toward building a more robust, inclusive community.   Episode 34: Race in our Industry [ 54:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (181)  

How to Work with Editors This seminar was originally presented at Metatopia 2013 in Morristown NJ. This panel was led by Ryan Macklin, Amanda Valentine, Cam Banks and John Adamus. Everyone needs an editor. How do you hire one? Once you have one, how can you work with her most efficiently? How does somebody become a great game editor themselves?   Episode 32: How to Work with Editors [ 54:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (140)  

How to be a Good Playtester for Others This seminar was originally presented at Metatopia 2013 in Morristown NJ. This panel was led by Will Hindmarch, Tim Rodriguez and John Adamus. Everyone agrees playtesting is crucial. But what kind of feedback is best for publishers? This panel looks at the necessary skills and mindset for being a good playtester from *this* side of the table.   Episode 32: How to be a Good Playtester for Others [ 56:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (226)

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 [ 57:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (181)