I am embarassed to admit I have no idea who this guy is. I know he is a celebrity of some sort, but no clue why. However, what he is saying in the video about why we play games and community really works for me. RPGs are a shared story we tell with our friends, but they are also a great place to hang out and just be with some great people.
Microphone by Mick 0 at Flicker
Hobbies are driven by enthusiasm and the the two podcasts I want to talk about today are perfect examples of good recruiting podcasts. Neither is aimed a new players and they both very different shows but both shows are filled with enthusiasm and it is hard for me to listen to either and not get excited about the hobby. This energy can easily hook someone into a hobby if there is even peripheral interest, this is a core principle for hobby companies, but for miniatures and role playing games this often comes from other hobbyists.
The first podcast is The Meeples and Miniatures show and it is about miniatures gaming. It is a UK show and it is based soundly in English gaming culture, which isn’t the same as the US miniatures culture but at its core it is about the love of toy soldier gaming and that comes across very well in the podcast. The host is Neil Shuck and he has also launched a video podcast called Incoming which gives you a look at new models coming out in a nice top ten format. If you enjoy looking at nice models the Incoming show is fantastic.
The second show is one of my favorite roleplaying shows, Radio Free Hommlet. The whole Hommlet crew is refreshingly enthusiastic and makes every show fresh and enjoyable. So many podcasts strive for cool that they drain the life from the show, the hosts of Radio Free Hommlet think the game is cool, so they don’t have to pose. The effect is refreshing, normally each show features a character class they are reviewing and each of the hosts discusses what they like in the class. They make mistakes, they correct each other on the show and they have fun, it is hard not to get caught up in the energy.
Both shows work because they let the energy that drives the hobby for them show through and that can be hard for some people to do. I know when I lose my inhibitions and put that enjoyment into my hobby it really ups the fun, but as an adult it can be hard to do, we are trained to keep it cool, that is one reason playing games with kids is so much fun. Kids don’t care if you are cool or not, they just want to have fun and their energy can bring you right along, both these podcasts do the same thing.
The Onion brings ethics into D&D with the eternal question: Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?
There are a number of good communities out there if you are an RPG or miniatures gamer so it will be interesting to see if WOTC’s new community section works out. They are a step up from their old forums, but there is so much going on in them I am not sure they will work. They are attempting to replace their old forums, yahoo groups, fan wikis, blogs and they are throwing in Facebook thrown in for good measure. How much of it will work? Not sure, but it nice to see them try a big reach, if they have to pull back some they may still have a big win in the end. read more »
Just a reminder to vote in the Ennies, the role playing awards for 2009. It is quick and easy to do, as long as you remember that a 1 is the highest vote, not the 5 as I did before going back and making corrections. Anyhow, you have until July 31rst so go and vote!
Running games in Living Forgotten Realms can be a fun way to play D&D in nice convenient short sessions. Each session is planned to be a four hour game, although modules can run longer at times and there is no rule saying the game must be completed in four hours. As it is a world wide game that aims to let players play anywhere and get a similar game experience it is much more restrictive than running a home game, but you and the the players can still have a good time if you as a DM are prepared. read more »