RPG Design PanelCast

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

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.  

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

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  

Succeeding at Conventions and Trade Shows 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.

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.

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 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?

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!

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.  

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.

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.  

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.

“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..

“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.