Victor J. Wyatt

Reading list

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:15:18 -0400

Okay, so I bought a lot at GenCon 2011. Add that to the stack I brought back from Origins 2011 and the stuff I am getting from Kickstarter sponsorships and I am going to be reading game books (and hopefully getting some to the table) until next Origins when it all starts again.

I thought when I brought the books back from Origins in June I would be taking a huge chunk out of my wishlist. The goal was to not have to bring anything back from any other cons this year. Well, there’s so much cool stuff out there it didn’t quite happen that way. Now I have a list of things I at least want to read soon if I can’t immediately get them to the table to play.

I also want to review a bunch of these books as I get through the stack as well. When I get them done I’ll let everyone know where to find them.

What you see here is my stack of loot from this last weekend at...

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:34:00 -0400

What you see here is my stack of loot from this last weekend at GenCon 2011. Starting at the top we have:

Tanto Cuore - a deck building game similar to Dominion or Ascension but cooler. It has maids. ;-)

Cosmic Patrol - a 50s/60s style sci-fi adventure roleplaying game from Catalyst Game Labs.

The Book of the Smoke - an in-setting book that ties in with Bookhounds of London (a Trail of Cthulhu setting). It sounded mysterious and like something I could use in many different games.

Cheers Gary - to support the Gary Gygax memorial I donated and got this lovely book printed with tons of forum posts Gary conversed with many gamers through. I even had his wife and the editor of the book both sign it for me. Yeah, I got teary when they signed it, but the cause is great. :D

Dread - the horror roleplaying game that uses a Jenga set as resolution mechanic and tension builder.

The Marvelous Land of Oz - got this trade paperback at a local comic shop Wednesday night when the roommates wanted to pick up more Magic cards to add to the cards in our swag bags.

Dead of Night - this was a suggestion of one of the guys who came with us. It’s a horror game with a cool werewolf on the cover.

Remnants - is a sci-fi roleplaying game in a harsh future were you get to play character with mighty mecha. What could be better than giant robots.

Coronets but Never Crowns - a supplement for Houses of the Blooded that adds several new rules to twist the knives in each character’s back.

Shadow, Sword & Spell: Expert Core Rulebook - who couldn’t do with more savage, Conan-esque fantasy?

Kiss My Axe: The Quick and Dirty Gen Con Edition - is a preview edition of what’s going to be an awesome game. Accidental Fraser handed me this copy and now I am itching to play vikings.

Dungeon World - a totally awesome, must-have, hack of Apocalypse World. Just take AW and throw it into a dungeon crawling, fantasy world and you’re ready for action.

Stealing Cthulhu - Graham Walmsley’s latest book about using Cthulhu in your games. Now, with more Cthulhu Dark. He also signed it for me. ;-)

Annalise - is a vampire/monster game where you play the obsessions of the creatures, not the creatures themselves. I’ve been wanting this for a long while. It’s horror as it should be played.

Trail of Cthulhu - Kenneth Hite’s take on the Cthulhu genre of roleplaying games using the Gumshoe system.

Ashen Stars - is something that was suggested to me by several people at the con so I had to take a look. It’s sci-fi by Robin D. Laws. I’m looking forward to trying this one out.

Lifeboat - is a tough time for you, the survivors of an ocean liner that sun in the early 1900s. Will you survive to take the loot or will you try and make sure your true love survives?

I also had to get a mug from The Ram when we ate there Wednesday evening. This thing is freakin’ huge!

That’s it for a quick recap of the loot I bought through GenCon weekend. If you have questions about anything just ask me via Twitter or e-mail. I will probably also post reviews of some items as they strike my fancy.

GenCon 2011 Schedule

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:06:43 -0400

We’re planning on getting into Indy on Wednesday and leaving for home the following Monday. The week is full with planned events I schedules well before meeting all the cool people at Games on Demand at Origins 2011. I may modify the schedule to play with them more this year at GenCon. I’ve gotta also squeeze in some good food downtown.

The following is the planned schedule:

Wednesday: Arrive in Indy sometime in the late afternoon and possibly be available to meet up that evening for food or gaming (or both).

Thursday: Events and exhibitor hall.

10AM to 2PM - Night Falls in the Wicklow Museum [RPG1119405] Hollow Earth Expedition

8PM to 10PM - Case Goblin Willow [RPG1123889] The Laundry

Friday: Events and seminars (but I may replace seminars with Games on Demand).

8AM to 12PM - The Substitute [RPG1120090] - Mutants & Masterminds 3E

12PM to 2PM - Design a Game in an Hour [SEM1122800]

2PM to 3PM - Game Design is Mind Control [SEM1120297]

4PM to 8pm - Words of the Wise [RPG1123807] - The One Ring

Saturday: Events and Games on Demand (maybe a little exhibitor hall).

10AM to 2PM - Mecha vs. Giant Lizards From Space [RPG1120341] Mecha

2PM to Whenever - Games on Demand

Sunday: Games on Demand, last minute exhibitor hall and pickup games with anyone not leaving Sunday.

10AM to 2PM - Games on Demand

Monday: Leave for home in the morning (with plans for GenCon 2012 forming in my mind).

Game Chef 2011 [Wrap Up]

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:48:49 -0400

Well, I didn’t make it tot eh deadline which was last Monday morning but I did end up with a pretty cool concept I’ll end up finishing and probably putting up somewhere for free. My thought was to get it down to a one page game with the feel of a flier you get on the street from someone who’s promoting a play, sort of that handbill kind of thing. Plus, if I have the sanity (and patience) to do so write it in iambic pentameter. It is Shakespeare themed after all.

My new goal for all of this is the end of August. I’m not too sure if GenCon will interfere too much but I need to set a goal.

My nephew’s site at Scout camp. They’ve kept it...

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:19:47 -0400

My nephew’s site at Scout camp. They’ve kept it pretty clean.

Game Chef 2011 [Day 4]

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:06:26 -0400

It’s day four of this year’s Game Chef competition. I have a good chunk of rules outlined and most of it thought though. Last night I was able to start on the first draft of the game’s text but I can see this 3000 word limit being a big, brick wall. Once the thing is written I’ll have to start chopping a ton of words. It may even turn out to be a cut of nearly 60% to get down to limit.

I’ll post a link once I have the time to put more of it up on the Story Games Praxis forum.

Game Chef 2011 [Day 1]

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:36:00 -0400

Game Chef 2011 [Day 1]:

Today is the first day for this year’s Game Chef competition. It’s all about making a game from scratch in a with following a theme and using a select set of ingredients. Check it out if you are interested.

Also, if you want to follow my progress you’ll be able to find me as +vjwyatt on Google+ (with a Game Chef 2011 circle), @vjwyatt on Twitter and vjwyatt on the Story Games Praxis forum.

Manga world

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:26:47 -0400

It’s been a while since I’ve read any manga. I have a few series on my shelf but one I haven’t actually read yet is Chobits. The other day I pulled book one off the shelf and started reading. So far the story’s okay but it’s cool enough to keep me going.

Other than the manga having a fair bit of fan service the story actually has a bit of mystery going on. The persocom (personal computer/android) has proven to be more powerful than the ones on the market. Each time anyone attempts to scan it’s capabilities their machines shut down or completely fry out. It’s enough of a bite to keep me going.

Once I am done with this series I have yet to finish Suzuka. Then I’ll need to find a new one to catch my interest.

Search me some RPG

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:18:58 -0400

I get so frustrated when I try and do a search for ‘roleplaying games’, ‘role playing games’ or ‘rpg’ and get results that are 90% or more for computer games (MMOs and non). I want links to pencil and paper, around the table, play it with friends in the same room, roleplaying games. I want to find new games or info about them and not have to know what exists before doing my search.

Just sayin’.

What a cover does

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:32:38 -0400

Because I’ve had so little time to read (and I’m a slow reader) I’ve been carrying around my newly acquired copy of Carry. I picked it up from IPR (Indie Press Revolution) at Origins. I think due to the book’s cover I’ve had a couple coworkers pick it up and thumb through. Nobody’s asked questions but I thought them picking up the book’s been curious.

Cel*Style

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:05:00 -0400

Cel*Style:

I heard about this web site supporting anime and manga based RPG and story-games from Yaruki Zero Podcast #18: Cel*Style With Jake Richmond.

Check it out and buy a cool game. I recommend Panty Explosion Perfect and Anima Prime. They are both high action, anime inspired RPGs.

Boots on the ground

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:58:55 -0400

I started reading Carry: A Game About War the other day. It’s proving to be an intense, emotional game that brings the flavor of the Vietnam War. You play grunts in a couple teams on the US side. When the game comes to a close the players will be the last men standing, faced with what happened and where they are headed in life.

The Origins 2011 loot: Carry, Vornheim, Agents of S.W.I.N.G.,...

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:23:23 -0400

The Origins 2011 loot: Carry, Vornheim, Agents of S.W.I.N.G., Fiasco Companion, REIGN Enchiridion, Monsters and Other Childish Things, Cold City, A Dirty World, Wild Talents and Usagi Yojimbo.

The last day

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 09:13:59 -0400

It’s the final day of Origins 2011. I’m a bit tired and a bit sad to see it end for another year. I didn’t expect to even be here for more than a Saturday day pass but I was able to change that. I’m glad I did. This year I didn’t schedule any events. I just used generic tickets and spent my time in the Games on Demand room where I met a load of awesome gamers and played to cool games I’ve wanted to play for a while. It turned out an awesome and well needed vacation. I hope everyone else who attended had an equally great time.

Origins 2011

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:08:59 -0400

I’m taking Friday off so I can get one more day in Columbus at Origins. I need the break from work and this should be a nice respite between now and GenCon. Yay for me!

Conventions 2011

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 10:48:00 -0400

It’s con season and I’m getting excited.

Next Saturday my brother and I will be hitting Columbus for Origins. We’re just planning a day trip but it’s cool to see everyone down there and check out the dealer hall. It’s one of my favorite parts of the large cons.

Then in August we’re heading to GenCon with a couple friends, and for the first time, staying downtown. The guys going with us are complete GenCon noobs. It’s going to be awesome seeing how they react to the whole thing.

I also hope to meet in person some of the people I converse while on Twitter.

This is going to be a blast!

TV series attraction

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:23:03 -0400

What is it with shows like Lost, Flash Forward and Persons Unknown that catch my attention as they do? I think it’s the mystery. That unknown taste strikes me in a way that gets me to watch more.

Unlike me some people complain when they don’t get the answers they are looking for. Not me. I don’t care about answers. I just want more mysteries build on top the mysteries that drew me in. Twist that plot so tight that the characters crack under the pressure.

To make it worse (or better), if the characters are compelling and have some twisted connections amongst themselves I will be so addicted to the series I can’t hold off on episodes until there are no more.

Give me a bell jar environment and some severely flawed characters and you own my soul until there’s no more episodes to watch. Just don’t cancel on me. It leaves me left alone in the dark… more dark than the show already promises.

I hate that.

… but I love the shows. Keep them coming.

Tweeters

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:23:59 -0400

If you are at all interested in roleplaying games and have a Twitter account check out hash tag #RPGchat on Thursday night at 9pm Eastern. We usually have a topic for the evening and it’s a great opportunity to geek out with other gamers.

The price of play

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:28:00 -0400

On thing I noticed recently with all the Kickstarter game funding campaigns recently is this.

I don’t like to spend much for games on a per book basis. Sure, I get some books no matter what they might cost due to creator or game line but I try and pinch pennies where I can. However, with the games I helped fund I did so because of the feeling of being able to help someone with a project they had a passion for. Because of this I spent more (and in some cases far more) than I ever would have spent for game books.

Because of the passion the creators had for their games and the quality they put into their games I couldn’t help but give them my backing. I was able to help some people I admire with a projects they have a passion for.

At the end of the day what I spent to help those Kickstarter projects get to their goals (and beyond) was money well spent.

Thematic portrayal

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:08:43 -0400

I need to find a theme that suits me. Many catch my interest. Some I’m attracted to but are missing that spark. And, none of them are screaming out to be selected.

What am I to do? Build my own? That might be fun but it will be time consuming.

I need a game flavored theme.