http://jankcast.com A round table discussion podcast about gaming of all kinds. Mon, 14 May 2012 18:33:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 A round table discussion podcast about gaming of all kinds. The Jank Cast yes The Jank Cast feedback@jankcast.com feedback@jankcast.com (The Jank Cast) The Jank Cast Gaming, Roleplaying Games, Dungeons and Dragons, RPGs, http://jankcast.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/Jank.jpg http://jankcast.com Chicago, Illinois Weekly http://jankcast.com/archives/1934 http://jankcast.com/archives/1934#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 18:33:55 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1934 http://jankcast.com/archives/1934/feed 0 Interview with Meg Baker of Night Sky Games In this episode, Todd and Timo have a nice little chat with Meg Baker of Night Sky Games about all sorts of stuff including her gaming history, her games Psi*Run and 1001 Nights, how education and having kids affects her understanding of games, and designing with certain experiences in mind. Meg has some really cool stuff to say and we're sure you'll enjoy hearing her brain get picked. Bonus: listen for the car alarm going off early in the interview. Fun! The Jank Cast yes 1:10:29 http://jankcast.com/archives/1932 http://jankcast.com/archives/1932#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 20:30:13 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1932 http://jankcast.com/archives/1932/feed 8 Actual Play: The Mountain Witch, Session 2 Players: Joe, Megan, Rob, Timo, Todd This is our second session of The Mountain Witch. We begin with a review of the last session, then go right into the game as our four ronin continue to climb Mt. Fuji to confront The Mountain Witch, each for their own reason, their dark fates slowly being drawn out. Two things to note: Dreadamame Kabuki Streetcar You heard it here first. The Jank Cast yes 2:16:17 http://jankcast.com/archives/1903 http://jankcast.com/archives/1903#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 15:48:32 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1903 http://jankcast.com/archives/1903/feed 2 Bonus Episode: Gamer Terminology From Forge Midwest! Hosts: Clyde, David, Paul/Kevin, Timo, Todd What's that? You want to hear more? Well this conversation between David and Paul from The Podge Cast and Clyde from Theory From the Closet, The Yellow Menace, and just generally the interwebs, was recorded at Forge Midwest. Put it in your earholes and enjoy! The Jank Cast yes 1:23:17 http://jankcast.com/archives/1899 http://jankcast.com/archives/1899#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 14:07:34 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1899 http://jankcast.com/archives/1899/feed 5 Episode 130: Forge Midwest Recap Hosts: Joe, Megan, Todd We went to The Forge Midwest and played a bunch of games. We discuss them. Important stuff for you to think about: RPG Podcast Survey Jank on Demand! May 19! Come and have fun! Glitter Guild Benefit Show! May 26! Come and have fun, again! Main topic (11:22): Forge Midwest Recap At the Forge Midwest, we played Inspectres, Lady Blackbird, Lords of Waterdeep, House of Cards, Monsterhearts, Final Girl, Psi*Run, Fiasco, and The Sword, The Crown, and the Unspeakable Power. We give a rundown and these games, and talk about the con in general (spoiler: we had fun). Rants (1:22:30): Megan: Don't Cheat at Games. Joe: G+ has been killin' it. Todd: My apartment made me leave Forge Midwest Early. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com We are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and encourage you to get in touch with us via our Facebook page, Spooky Outhouse Forum (it’s a little quiet, but we’d love to get it going again), Twitter or Google+. You can also listen to us via Stitcher Radio. Now go out and roll some dice! The Jank Cast yes 1:32:04 http://jankcast.com/archives/1895 http://jankcast.com/archives/1895#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 19:18:19 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1895 http://jankcast.com/archives/1895/feed 2 Actual Play: The Mountain Witch, Session 1 Players: Joe, Megan, Rob, Timo, Todd We do character creation and play the first of three sessions of Tim Kleinert's seminal game "The Mountain Witch." Character creation starts right away and the actual play begins at about 1 hour in. Enjoy! The Jank Cast yes 2:38:16 http://jankcast.com/archives/1889 http://jankcast.com/archives/1889#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:34:10 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1889 http://jankcast.com/archives/1889/feed 2 Interview: Geek Girls Burlesque from Gorilla Tango Theatre! We were at Forge Midwest this last weekend (more on that next week) so we didn't record a regular episode, but we've got something even better for you: Megan does an interview with the ladies of Geek Girls Burlesque from Gorilla Tango Theatre, including Ms. Pixy, Stella Cheeks, Sadie Hotkins, Marie Curiosity, and Hot Tawdry! This would also be a good time to mention the Glitter Guild's benefit show to get them back to perform at Gencon on May 26. Check it out! Enjoy the interview! The Jank Cast yes 40:05 http://jankcast.com/archives/1884 http://jankcast.com/archives/1884#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:12:23 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1884 http://jankcast.com/archives/1884/feed 4 Episode 129: Drama! It's easier to fall in to patterns of comedy or gratuitous,unthinking violence, but working in actual functioning drama in to a game can take a little more. We talk a little about what we do to make that happen for us, and the problems or details of having that happen. The Jank Cast yes 1:20:10 http://jankcast.com/archives/1881 http://jankcast.com/archives/1881#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:39:39 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1881 http://jankcast.com/archives/1881/feed 0 Bonus AP: In a Wicked Age Part II (With Forge Midwest Plug) Players: Joe, Megan, Rob, Timo, Todd Took me almost a month to get it up because I've been busy with work, but here's our final session of In a Wicked Age! We begin with a quick plug for Forge Midwest from Willow Palecek. Then, at 2:00 we have character creation. The game itself starts at 36:21. Finally, we have a short discussion about the game starting at 2:54:59. Enjoy! Please note, we get a little punchy by the end, by which I mean folks get their drink on. The Jank Cast yes 3:03:08 http://jankcast.com/archives/1870 http://jankcast.com/archives/1870#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:44:29 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1870 http://jankcast.com/archives/1870/feed 0 Episode 128: Intrigue Bringing intrigue in to a game can be tough: as a medium, gaming rewards straightforwardness more than anything else. We talk about the nature of intrigue, and how it applies and is applied. The Jank Cast yes 1:22:05 http://jankcast.com/archives/1867 http://jankcast.com/archives/1867#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:38:52 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1867 http://jankcast.com/archives/1867/feed 0 AP: In a Wicked Age, Part I Players: Joe, Megan, Rob, Timo, Todd The bad news is that there's no episode this week because Megan and Todd were at Walking Eye Con. The good news is that we have part I of II of our AP of In a Wicked Age (IaWA, to those in the know) for you. Enjoy! The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1858 http://jankcast.com/archives/1858#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:12:56 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1858 http://jankcast.com/archives/1858/feed 5 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 127: Emergent Play On the cast we talk a lot about how detail about the characters, the world or the theme come out during play, what is called emergence. We take this episode to talk directly about that aspect of gaming. The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1856 http://jankcast.com/archives/1856#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:16:50 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1856 http://jankcast.com/archives/1856/feed 0 Bonus AP: Psi*Run Players: Joe, Megan, Scott, Timo, Todd This is a bonus one-shot we did of Meg Baker's sweet new game Psi*Run. The game starts right away after a short intro by Todd, then we play for about 2 hours and end with a review/discussion of the game that starts at 2:07:35. The game is about amnesiacs who wake up remembering very little about who they are, but discovering that they have psychic powers and are being chased by some nefarious force who wants to do them harm. The mechanics revolve around trying to answer a series of questions the players have about who their characters are. Joe GMs (which in this game means he plays the chasers and frames scenes) and Megan, Scott, Timo, and Todd play the totally anti-social bunch of jerks who are the amnesiacs in this game. The Jank Cast yes 2:50:12 http://jankcast.com/archives/1846 http://jankcast.com/archives/1846#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:04:01 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1846 http://jankcast.com/archives/1846/feed 4 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 126: Ensemble Casts When gamers sit down around a table with a bunch of characters and start playing the game, the stories that come out of it can take a variety of different paths. With this in mind, we delve in to the nature of the ensemble cast, and what it means at the table: what characteristics and aspects come out, how do the character stories develop, and how different games handle different types of inter-PC relationships. The Jank Cast yes 1:29:57 http://jankcast.com/archives/1844 http://jankcast.com/archives/1844#comments Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:30:05 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1844 http://jankcast.com/archives/1844/feed 0 Interview with Josh Mannon This is a bonus interview Todd conducted with Josh Mannon: Father, Husband, and Game Designer! Josh runs At the Table Games and has been playing, designing, and hacking games for a long time. Todd and Josh discuss discovering new and different games, how to hack games successfully, what makes fictional worlds worth gaming in, Josh's sweet idea about getting 12 games into playtesting this year, and Josh's upcoming Dungeon World adventures pack, which is in Kickstarter right now. Go help him reach his goal! Also, you might hear Todd's cat or Josh's laundry making noise. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. The Jank Cast yes 31:25 http://jankcast.com/archives/1828 http://jankcast.com/archives/1828#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:05:51 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1828 http://jankcast.com/archives/1828/feed 3 Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 125: Co-operative Boardgames We talk about our favourite cooperative boardgames, and some of the design and play characteristics of these games The Jank Cast yes 1:15:30 http://jankcast.com/archives/1822 http://jankcast.com/archives/1822#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:03:36 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1822 http://jankcast.com/archives/1822/feed 3 Bonus AP: Final Apocalypse World Session Players: Joe, Megan, Timo, Todd Our final session with the crew of the Leviathan. Thanks for listening. We begin with a review of previous sessions. The AP starts around 21:30. We conclude with a deconstruction of the campaign. That starts around 3:17:40. The Jank Cast yes 3:44:44 http://jankcast.com/archives/1814 http://jankcast.com/archives/1814#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:37:38 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1814 http://jankcast.com/archives/1814/feed 5 Megan,Sushi Kebab Joe,Timo,Todd Episode 124: Triggering the Mechanics Deciding how and when the mechanical aspects of a game should be used can be a complex topic. Even with newer games providing clearer guidelines as to what should trigger mechanics, there's often a decision to do just that. We hijack this episode with a discussion of how that choice shakes down, and how different games provide different guidance and methodology The Jank Cast yes 1:23:46 http://jankcast.com/archives/1802 http://jankcast.com/archives/1802#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:16:48 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1802 http://jankcast.com/archives/1802/feed 6 Episode123: What game for this context? There's a mantra that Ron Edwards espouses as being key to playing a successful game: "I want to play this game with these people at this time." Another way that could be phrased is "What game do I want to play with these people at this time?" When you know you're going to be playing with certain people, we discuss how you choose which game to play? The Jank Cast yes 1:31:18 http://jankcast.com/archives/1800 http://jankcast.com/archives/1800#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:38:32 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1800 http://jankcast.com/archives/1800/feed 5 Bonus AP: Apocalypse World Part 7 Players: Joe, Megan, Timo, Todd Our second to last session of the Apocalypse World campaign. Shit gets real. The Jank Cast yes 2:14:51 http://jankcast.com/archives/1778 http://jankcast.com/archives/1778#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:14:53 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1778 http://jankcast.com/archives/1778/feed 5 Scott,Timo Episode 122: Scott and Timo Talk This weeks episode is a conversation between Scott and Timo, talking about the role of the GM and the structure of play as they each approach it. The Jank Cast yes 38:25 http://jankcast.com/archives/1776 http://jankcast.com/archives/1776#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:04:08 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1776 http://jankcast.com/archives/1776/feed 2 http://jankcast.com/archives/1774 http://jankcast.com/archives/1774#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:57:20 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1774 http://jankcast.com/archives/1774/feed 0 Bonus AP: Apocalypse World Part 5 Players: Joe, Megan, Timo, Todd The next installment of our ongoing AP. Suddenly Jax has a southern accent. The Jank Cast yes 3:12:53 http://jankcast.com/archives/1770 http://jankcast.com/archives/1770#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:52:10 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1770 http://jankcast.com/archives/1770/feed 2 http://jankcast.com/archives/1768 http://jankcast.com/archives/1768#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:55:31 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1768 http://jankcast.com/archives/1768/feed 0 Bonus AP: Apocalypse World Part 5 Players: Joe, Megan, Timo, Todd We return with another AW AP. The sound is a little worse on this one for some reason (seriously- I didn't do anything different), so sorry about that. Enjoy! The Jank Cast yes 2:56:19 http://jankcast.com/archives/1758 http://jankcast.com/archives/1758#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:29:26 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1758 http://jankcast.com/archives/1758/feed 7 http://jankcast.com/archives/1749 http://jankcast.com/archives/1749#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:35:39 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1749 http://jankcast.com/archives/1749/feed 2 Megan,Scott,Todd Episode 121: Character Arcs (Narrative Techniques) Character arcs are the overall flow of how a character develops during a story. These can be applied to gaming, but in the cast we find that the application can be problematic. We talk a lot about our AP of Apocalypse World, which can be found on our website or on our RSS feed. The Jank Cast yes 1:29:05 http://jankcast.com/archives/1747 http://jankcast.com/archives/1747#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:24:46 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1747 http://jankcast.com/archives/1747/feed 2 Bonus AP: Apocalypse World Part 4 Players: Joe, Megan, Timo, Todd The continuing saga of the crew of the Leviathan as they do very bad things to each other. The Jank Cast yes 2:58:02 http://jankcast.com/archives/1736 http://jankcast.com/archives/1736#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:44:40 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1736 http://jankcast.com/archives/1736/feed 2 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 120: The 3 Act Structure (Narrative Techniques) Hosts: Todd, Megan, Scott, Timo What did we play (06:50) Jank on demand: Misspent Youth, Apocalypse World, Kagematsu, Murderous Ghosts Apocalypse World: Timo, Megan, Todd Ninjato: Megan, Scott Red Dragon Inn, Legend of Drizz't: Todd Magic the Gathering: Megan Gnomes of Zavandor: Scott Main topic: The 3 Act Structure (Narrative Techniques) (37:00) The 3 act structure is a commonly used format for organizing a work of fiction. We talk over how it applies to playing and running gaming sessions. Rants (01:15:08) Timo: I have a ridiculous new toy. Also, what's your evil computer of choice: GLaDOS or Hal? Todd: Keep your bullshit out of my brainstream. Scott: Well Done, Evil hat and Fred Hicks! Megan: My ex is a douchebag. Other Links: Drip Drop April Showers Maggot Twat Ascension: Storm of Souls Fleshlight 5th Edition It was a Mutual Decision Sorceror Call of Cthulhu Rule of Threes Del Close Fiasco (Harry Dresden Playset) Remember Tomorrow Trail of Cthulhu Zombie Cinema D&D Encounters Evil Hat Fred Hicks You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com We are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and encourage you to get in touch with us via our Facebook page, Spooky Outhouse Forum (it's a little quiet, but we'd love to get it going again), Twitter or Google+. Now go out and roll some dice! The Jank Cast yes 1:27:50 http://jankcast.com/archives/1733 http://jankcast.com/archives/1733#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:13:11 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1733 http://jankcast.com/archives/1733/feed 2 Joe,Megan,Timo,Todd Bonus AP: Apocalypse World Part 3 This is the next session of our AW game as another bonus AP. Enjoy! Or don't. The Jank Cast yes 2:51:02 http://jankcast.com/archives/1725 http://jankcast.com/archives/1725#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:26:50 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1725 http://jankcast.com/archives/1725/feed 2 Fuzzy,Megan,Scott,Todd Episode 119: Perspective (Narrative Techniques) Perspective is an interesting thing that affects how we view situations and scenarios. By playing with how things are described or revealed it's possible to highlight different aspects of the game in some pretty fascinating ways. The Jank Cast yes 1:36:08 http://jankcast.com/archives/1722 http://jankcast.com/archives/1722#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:27:34 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1722 http://jankcast.com/archives/1722/feed 2 Joe,Megan,Timo,Todd Players: Joe, Megan, Timo, Todd - We got some good feedback on the last AP, so we're going to keep posting more of them. Exciting! If you're just here for regular, old Janky-content, just hit delete on this and we'll have a regular episode for you on ... Players: Joe, Megan, Timo, Todd We got some good feedback on the last AP, so we're going to keep posting more of them. Exciting! If you're just here for regular, old Janky-content, just hit delete on this and we'll have a regular episode for you on schedule. Otherwise, enjoy this bonus episode and we'll keep the AP coming. The Jank Cast yes 1:48:18 http://jankcast.com/archives/1712 http://jankcast.com/archives/1712#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:38:37 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1712 http://jankcast.com/archives/1712/feed 6 Episode 118: Chekov's Gun (Narrative Techniques) Chekov's gun is a concept of design that applies very well to theatre, but less well to gaming. Nevertheless, it provides a framework that can be applied to gaming in an interesting way. The Jank Cast yes 1:08:38 http://jankcast.com/archives/1704 http://jankcast.com/archives/1704#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:03:56 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1704 http://jankcast.com/archives/1704/feed 3 Episode 117: Flashbacks (Narrative Techniques) We're starting a new series exploring how narrative techniques used in different forms of media apply to gaming: The good, the bad, the ugly, and the stir-fried. We set it off by talking about a thing that we used during our Apocalypse World actual play: flashbacks. We talk about how they have worked for our games, and what we like and dislike about it. The Jank Cast yes 1:17:03 http://jankcast.com/archives/1694 http://jankcast.com/archives/1694#comments Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:47:30 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1694 http://jankcast.com/archives/1694/feed 0 Megan,Sushi Kebab Joe,Timo,Todd Actual Play 3: Apocalypse World - The Leviathan We recorded the third session of an ongoing game of Apocalypse world. The players are Megan, Timo, and Friend of the Cast (TM) Joe with Todd as the MC. A wiki for the game exists here: http://chicagoindiegaming.wikispaces.com/Apocalypse+World+-+The+Leviathan The Jank Cast yes 2:52:42 http://jankcast.com/archives/1685 http://jankcast.com/archives/1685#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:09:18 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1685 http://jankcast.com/archives/1685/feed 7 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 116: Year in Review Less serious topic: We just talk a little about the things that happened in gaming and with games this year including Kickstarter, the rise of our gaming advocacy, and the way convention games and gaming is changing. The Jank Cast yes 1:12:03 http://jankcast.com/archives/1683 http://jankcast.com/archives/1683#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:34:00 +0000 Megan http://jankcast.com/?p=1683 http://jankcast.com/archives/1683/feed 0 http://jankcast.com/archives/1674 http://jankcast.com/archives/1674#comments Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:18:42 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1674 http://jankcast.com/archives/1674/feed 2 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 115: respecting stories. We believe that gaming is, at it's heart, communal story telling. Part of that is learning to be able to tell stories with others: To play nice, to listen and make other people's stories count, and be willing to let the game go where the game will go. We talk a little about our own techniques and experiences with trying to do this well with others, when it's succeeded or failed, and what we've learned about how it works for us. The Jank Cast yes 1:17:52 http://jankcast.com/archives/1671 http://jankcast.com/archives/1671#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:20:39 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1671 http://jankcast.com/archives/1671/feed 1 Megan,Timo,Todd Episode 114: janksgivinger In a departure from our usual stuffy material, we take the holiday to talk about things we're thankful for: mostly gaming related, but also just generally geekish. If you're looking for serious analysis and conversation, come back later, we're busy being happy. The Jank Cast yes 1:03:44 http://jankcast.com/archives/1662 http://jankcast.com/archives/1662#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:04:32 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1662 http://jankcast.com/archives/1662/feed 3 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 113: Pass the Paper There is a trend in games to have a core mechanic that creates a real thing: A map, a story, a written set of relationships. There's this interesting thing about having a real record, some object that comes out of the game that you can refer back to you. The Jank Cast yes 1:17:59 http://jankcast.com/archives/1652 http://jankcast.com/archives/1652#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:40:44 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1652 http://jankcast.com/archives/1652/feed 0 Megan,Sarah Lynne Bowman,Scott,Timo,Todd Episode 112: Gaming as Therapy Sometimes gaming can be a great therapeutic resource. The cast goes in to a conversation about how that looks and what drives that kind of play. We have on Sarah Lynne Bowman. Sarah received her PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2008. McFarland press published her dissertation in 2010 under the title The Functions of Role-playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve Problems, and Explore Identity. Her current research focuses upon understanding social conflict within role-playing communities and applying Jungian theory to the phenomenon of character immersion. The Jank Cast yes 1:08:55 http://jankcast.com/archives/1649 http://jankcast.com/archives/1649#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:27:29 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1649 http://jankcast.com/archives/1649/feed 0 http://jankcast.com/archives/1642 http://jankcast.com/archives/1642#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:44:38 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1642 http://jankcast.com/archives/1642/feed 3 Megan,Timo,Todd Episode 111: Gaming as Social Commentary As part of playing an RPG strong themes of social commentary can come out: Discussions on Race, gender, social mores and conventions, all can become strong elements of a game. But how do you build towards such a thing, and what are the dangers of doing so? We talk about the role that Social commentary takes in gaming. The Jank Cast yes 1:15:05 http://jankcast.com/archives/1623 http://jankcast.com/archives/1623#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:33:15 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1623 http://jankcast.com/archives/1623/feed 8 Megan,Reek,Timo,Todd,Tom Episode 110: Playing to Socialise Part of the fun of gaming is not actually the game itself, but the hanging out with friends that it causes. Whether you are friends outside of the game, or get together just to do this particular thing, or barely know each other, there is a whole realm of interactions that the game is part of, but is not necessarily all about the game. As part of our "Why we game" series we talk about the socializing that goes on around and about the game. The Jank Cast yes 1:26:00 http://jankcast.com/archives/1617 http://jankcast.com/archives/1617#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:08:17 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1617 http://jankcast.com/archives/1617/feed 2 Megan,Rob,Timo,Todd Episode 109: Gaming for Exploration One of the reasons that gaming is so fun is that it allows us to ask "what if" questions, and to see what they lead to. In this second episode in the "Why we game" series we're doing, we talk about what we like to do in terms of exploration, what we look for, what it gives us and things we do that help or hinder our ability to really live out those thoughts. The Jank Cast yes 1:17:13 http://jankcast.com/archives/1609 http://jankcast.com/archives/1609#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:17:29 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1609 http://jankcast.com/archives/1609/feed 0 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Playing for Escapism The first in our "Why we game" series, we talk about gaming as an act of escape or the chance to live vicariously. The Jank Cast yes 1:06:07 http://jankcast.com/archives/1606 http://jankcast.com/archives/1606#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:30:56 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1606 http://jankcast.com/archives/1606/feed 4 http://jankcast.com/archives/1600 http://jankcast.com/archives/1600#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:22:07 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1600 http://jankcast.com/archives/1600/feed 4 Megan,Rob,Scott,Timo Episode 107: Long form and short form games Because of the way we've structured out gaming, we play a lot of short campaigns or single scenarios. This lends our gaming a certain feel and has some positives and negatives. How does that compare to playing long, ongoing games? What do you gain, what do you lose? The Jank Cast yes 1:07:03 http://jankcast.com/archives/1597 http://jankcast.com/archives/1597#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:51:33 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1597 http://jankcast.com/archives/1597/feed 1 John,M-Riv,Paul,Tim,Todd,Tom Getting into gaming So this week we did something a little different: Todd did a cast with his group which started via school, several of whom weren't gamers until recently and the rest of whom hadn't gamed since high school. Most gaming podcasts, understandably, feature people who have been into the hobby for a long time. We thought it would be an interesting take to get to hear from some people who are brand new to the hobby or just got back into it after a decade or more away to get a somewhat different perspective on this little thing we call role-playing. Enjoy! The Jank Cast yes 49:52 http://jankcast.com/archives/1595 http://jankcast.com/archives/1595#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:00:58 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1595 http://jankcast.com/archives/1595/feed 2 Megan,Rob,Scott,Todd Relationships Between GMs and Players What is the relationship between player and player or player and GM? In this episode, we beat that horse to death with a bat and then kick it a few times. Take that, dead horse! The Jank Cast yes 1:16:31 http://jankcast.com/archives/1587 http://jankcast.com/archives/1587#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:20:41 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1587 http://jankcast.com/archives/1587/feed 6 Dave,Rob,Scott,Todd We're So Excited! There's a lot to be excited about in gaming, and in this episode, Dave, Rob, Scott, and Todd overflow with squee! We discuss Apocalypse World, Warmachine, Space Marine, Don't Rest Your Head, A Flower for Mara, Mouse Guard, Zombie Cinema, and Rob's parent's shaggin' wagon. Exciting, huh? The Jank Cast yes 1:34:15 http://jankcast.com/archives/1579 http://jankcast.com/archives/1579#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:08:48 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1579 http://jankcast.com/archives/1579/feed 5 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd RP in a non-RP land After a brief interlude in which we talk about cats (they judge us so you can't) we talk about the intersection of role play and non-rpg games: boardgames, video games, miniatures. Even though these games are not inherently about roleplaying it can be fun to step in to the characters a little more and add some colour. What does it bring to a game to introduce RP, and why do we do it? The Jank Cast yes 1:12:58 http://jankcast.com/archives/1574 http://jankcast.com/archives/1574#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:20:40 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1574 http://jankcast.com/archives/1574/feed 5 http://jankcast.com/archives/1567 http://jankcast.com/archives/1567#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:46:25 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1567 http://jankcast.com/archives/1567/feed 10 Megan,Peter,Timo,Todd Gaming Advice and the Conversation on Gaming Timo read some interesting blog posts about the nature of the conversation about gaming after the explosion of Independent games and brought the conversation to the table. As part of that conversation we end up talking about the whole blowup that happened surrounding the rise of Forge Game theory and "System Matters." The conversation goes longer than usual, but we end up talking about the role of gaming advice and what character it takes. The Jank Cast yes 1:34:28 http://jankcast.com/archives/1558 http://jankcast.com/archives/1558#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:18:59 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1558 http://jankcast.com/archives/1558/feed 5 Megan,Rob,Scott,Timo Character Flaws The cast sits down and talks about how character flaws are handled in game. We discuss some of our favourite types of flaws, how we play to or against them, and how different games make use of them. At some point, wild accusations are made, and we have a guest appearance by a Ethan, a local who was in the store creating a character as we were recording. The Jank Cast yes 1:05:00 http://jankcast.com/archives/1554 http://jankcast.com/archives/1554#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:13:10 +0000 Megan http://jankcast.com/?p=1554 http://jankcast.com/archives/1554/feed 0 http://jankcast.com/archives/1551 http://jankcast.com/archives/1551#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:00:09 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1551 http://jankcast.com/archives/1551/feed 6 JANK100! Episode 100!! We summarize Gencon, interview a bunch of random people about their gaming habits and experiences, and just generally enjoy being people participating in this awesome hobby. The Jank Cast yes 1:13:52 http://jankcast.com/archives/1545 http://jankcast.com/archives/1545#comments Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:30:30 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1545 http://jankcast.com/archives/1545/feed 1 http://jankcast.com/archives/1536 http://jankcast.com/archives/1536#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:38:08 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1536 http://jankcast.com/archives/1536/feed 11 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd RP at conventions With Gencon coming up, we continue in our series on gaming with people. We talk about some of the characteristics of playing games with strangers, the nature of the social contract in convention settings, and how our behaviours change due to the differing circumstances. The Jank Cast yes 1:14:11 http://jankcast.com/archives/1534 http://jankcast.com/archives/1534#comments Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:41:22 +0000 Megan http://jankcast.com/?p=1534 http://jankcast.com/archives/1534/feed 3 http://jankcast.com/archives/1530 http://jankcast.com/archives/1530#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:24:46 +0000 The Jank Cast http://jankcast.com/?p=1530 http://jankcast.com/archives/1530/feed 0 http://jankcast.com/archives/1524 http://jankcast.com/archives/1524#comments Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:07:49 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1524 http://jankcast.com/archives/1524/feed 0 http://jankcast.com/archives/1518 http://jankcast.com/archives/1518#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:31:38 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1518 http://jankcast.com/archives/1518/feed 3 Megan,Timo,Todd We discuss what makes a game broken, how you might break one, and why you might want to do that. Hosts: Timo, Todd, Megan Star Trek: Expeditions Yggdrasil Gurps Games By James Hero Quest Walden Books HMV White Wolf What did we play: (9:45) Megan & Timo: Badass Todd: Fiasco, Apocalypse World Self Critical Hits Magic: The Gathering (New Set pre-release) Double Dragon Bad Dudes Foxy Brown Shaft Black Dynamite Avenging Disco Godfather Fiasco: The Dragonslayers Playset Our conversation with Bully Pulpit Monty Python Serenity RPG Dragon Age RPG Fellowship of the Boobs Main topic: Breaking/Broken games (28:50) We love our broken games, but that doesn't mean they're perfect. And even the most well designed game can be broken, if you put your mind to it. It's fun to sometimes push the boundaries, to test the engine and see how it chugs along. We discuss some of the characteristics of broken games and the breaking of games, and how it's different from drifting rules. Traveller Rifts Gurps Palladium Ron Edwards Dungeons & Dragons Angel Summoner and BMX Bandit Shadowrun Agon 3:16 Vincent Baker Mechaton Amber RPG Nobilis Freemarket Hell4Leather Godlike Unhallowed Metropolis Dresden Files Lady Blackbird Rants (01:09:15) Megan: Players are awesome. Todd: Why the fuck was the road in to Evanston closed? Timo: I need to schedule more time with my friends. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2011 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 1:16:03 http://jankcast.com/archives/1516 http://jankcast.com/archives/1516#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:49:51 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1516 http://jankcast.com/archives/1516/feed 0 Actual Play 2: Misspent Youth, Review And, finally, we discuss our game/review Misspent Youth. We had a blast playing it, hope you enjoyed listening to it. The Jank Cast yes 32:23 http://jankcast.com/archives/1512 http://jankcast.com/archives/1512#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:41:16 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1512 http://jankcast.com/archives/1512/feed 6 Actual Play 2: Misspent Youth, AP Here is the actual actual play portion of the actual play. If you didn't listen the the character/world creation posted yesterday, you might be a little confused (hell, you might be confused even if you did!) so here's a quick rundown: -Todd is GMing, which means in Misspent Youth that he's "The Authority." The Authority we created for our game is a sort of hyper-capitalist oligarchy called "The Board," who are making everyone update their "social stock tickers" (the little watches which measure how much a human being is worth) to 2.0 soon. -Timo is playing Levi, the rich son of a board member who likes to rebel against his father's authority. -Rob is Jet, a punk hacker who's gotten in trouble for messing with people's social stock tickers. -Charles is Samara, Jet's innocent little sister, ignored by their parents. -Megan is Kira, an arty, misfit girl from the wrong side of the tracks, with "part-timer" parents. -Reek is Warner, a handsome and popular kid with an attitude. The Jank Cast yes 3:36:49 http://jankcast.com/archives/1509 http://jankcast.com/archives/1509#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:17:14 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1509 http://jankcast.com/archives/1509/feed 2 Misspent Youth Actual Play: Character Creation This is the character creation session for our actual play of Misspent Youth. Misspent Youth is a game where you play "Y.O.'s," or "young offenders," 13-17 year old delinquent kids, taking down some kind of evil authority figure. During character creation you create both your player characters AND the Authority, controlled by the GM. The game then follows a seven act format with an innovative conflict system. The Jank Cast yes 1:19:06 http://jankcast.com/archives/1493 http://jankcast.com/archives/1493#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:18:07 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1493 http://jankcast.com/archives/1493/feed 5 Timo,Todd Todd and Timo have a sit down conversation about the characteristics of their gaming styles, and how such things can change gaming dynamics. Timo sent an email (22:35) Overt exposition through dialogue or description (23:30) Exposition to put questionable action in to context, i.e. it's the character, not me! (24:45) Pithy, witty dialogue (25:40) Our sorceror game as an example (27:55) Pulp Fiction exposition has a different feel (30:35) Timo is about the Big Moves (31:45) Subtlety in games: Todd's Dresden Files RPG experience (32:20) trying to understand why someone elses character does things (33:45) Past history: Call of cthulhu and doing SOMETHING (35:10) games designer around big moves: Fiasco, Shock, Sorceror, Apocalypse World (36:10) having to break up the action (37:45) Being bad at exploration (38:10) Other gamers: Megan plays grandiose, Tennessee Williams characters, Rob focuses on relationships, Charles plays harried "normal" people (39:20) What do you do with your aesthetic, and does it help to know about it? (42:23) When aesthetics don't work well together and the spectre of "Bad gamer." (42:55) Changing how you play (44:10) Immersive play: Graham Walmsley's Playing Dangerously (46:00) Running a game towards specific players (47:00) Same page tool, Baker's Rules of Immersion (49:00) The rocky road of Serenity. (53:15) Forcing the interaction as the GM (55:35) Apocalypse World 1st session to help get everybody on course (56:35) catching or grabbing the players attention: bang! (58:10) Speaking out loud to get it yourself (01:02:00) The Jank Cast yes 1:07:10 http://jankcast.com/archives/1485 http://jankcast.com/archives/1485#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:18:45 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1485 http://jankcast.com/archives/1485/feed 4 Charles,Megan,Reek,Timo With Charles leaving Chicago we take the opportunity to talk about what it's like to gain and lose players Main topic: Gamers in Transition (17:03) Looking for a group in Kentucky (17:50) Networking (19:20) The fluidity of our group (19:50) Trad process: Find a group, that's your group thick and thin. (21.25) It's like going on a date (22:50) When new to a group: jump right in (24:10) Being welcoming of new people (25.40) Story games can be a little personal (27:00) The language thing (27:55) When you have to play with these peoples (29:00) Non-gaming relationships between gamers (30:05) What happens with the breakup (31:50) Being able to cherry pick people (32:30) Social interaction that isn't just RPG (33:50) Group looking for people (34:45) Mike's first ed game (36:30) Other organizational structures (38:30) Jovian Chronicles: when you can't find interest in your game (41:35) Transitioning who you're willing to play with (43:30) The Audition (44:20) Passive aggressiveness sucks (46:20) The Indie Pimping: Dread is great to warm up to people (47:50) Rants (50:05) Charles: It sucks to leave Chicago gaming Megan: It's kinda odd that a lot of fantasy writers are old men writing preteen fantasy romance things Timo: Why don't people in the suburbs realise they live in middle of goddamned nowhere. Reek went off to pride. The Jank Cast yes 58:11 http://jankcast.com/archives/1474 http://jankcast.com/archives/1474#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:52:31 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1474 http://jankcast.com/archives/1474/feed 2 JOHNKELLY,Lexx,Scott,Todd How does gaming relate to exploration of the human condition? Does it help, or hinder? Main topic: The Human Condition (18:05) Wikipedia definition (18:30) An intense and overbearing fear of death (19:55) Todd's first explorative experience (23:30) Stolen inspiration: Scott's buddhist character (26:10) Rob and Megan: players who explore via characters (27:30) Lexx: Playing up realism or the other (28:15) Diatribe against the spartans (29:20) Dragon Age racism (30:20) Do you set out to explore the human condition? (33:20) Layer and sublayer (35:00) Story and meaning (36:10) Genre Games provide more direction toward meaning (Battlestar Galactica, Usagi Yojimbo) (39:05) A dearth of positive things in gaming (love, hope, friendship) (40:20) Massaging the topic: back to good and bad game (44:00) Reality TV is the fascination with cruelty (46:00) When it's not: overcoming the challenges (48:00) Refusal to submit (49:30) Positive relationships, metagaming, and life (50:25) When fantasies come out (53:15) Learning things about others by accident (54:10) Rants (57:35) Lexx: We put up with much worse things in gaming than anywhere else. Why? JohnKelly: My show is about post-rapture survival Scott: If your game store offers open gaming, buy from that store. Todd: Didn't have one, so we rant about him instead. New Fiasco Playset, made by Megan and JohnKelly The Jank Cast yes 1:05:31 http://jankcast.com/archives/1471 http://jankcast.com/archives/1471#comments Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:05:06 +0000 Megan http://jankcast.com/?p=1471 http://jankcast.com/archives/1471/feed 0 http://jankcast.com/archives/1467 http://jankcast.com/archives/1467#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:25:38 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1467 http://jankcast.com/archives/1467/feed 3 http://jankcast.com/archives/1455 http://jankcast.com/archives/1455#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:59:54 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1455 http://jankcast.com/archives/1455/feed 6 Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Everyone runs in to things while playing RPG's that frustrate the heck out of them. For this cast we identify some of the things that annoy us and how we deal with them. Main topic: Gamer Frustration (24:10) Railroading and how not to appear to railroad (25:00) GM inflexibility (26.20) When gaming resembles a point-and-click video game (29:15) Investigation/mystery games: Call of Cthulhu as an example (30:00) The three clue rule (30:35) Investigation games: care about the mystery/care about the characters (31:45) Illusionism can work (33:35) What Frustrates us: Timo: when nothing I do matters (34:00) Scott: when I can't trust the other players to respect/honour the game (37:50) Timo: Gamer Tourettes (38:50) Lexx: They keep playing my Arkham Horror. Why do they keep playing my Arkham. (39:50) Megan: Megan gotta make megan's mistakes (42:30) Omar on the throne (45:25) Todd: As a GM, the guy who derails the entire session (45:50) Overplanning for the coming challenge (46:20) Not knowing what to do as the GM (51:30) Not know what gaming is and thinking you do (54:05) Fellowship of the Boobs as an example of different play stuff (56:23) "What do you want me to do?" (58:00) How to get past the frustrations (59:40) Same page tool ftw (01:00:00) The Fiasco Companion (01:01:45) Rants (01:03:03) Todd: I'm fine with people and their crotches (except Wonder woman), but why do they text like a 13-year-old girls? Megan: I make as much money making balloon animals for a weekend as I do in the entire week. Scott: Why the fuck is Tanto Cuore a great game? Timo: Katniss Everdeen is just a little bit self indulgent. Just a wee bit. The Jank Cast yes 1:15:15 http://jankcast.com/archives/1446 http://jankcast.com/archives/1446#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:18:01 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1446 http://jankcast.com/archives/1446/feed 6 Megan,Scott,Todd We talk a little about that weird thing that one person has to do in most games: Gm. It's fraught with a lot of responsibilities and is treated differently in a bunch of different games. What do we see as the characteristics of the GM (or whatever h... We talk a little about that weird thing that one person has to do in most games: Gm. It's fraught with a lot of responsibilities and is treated differently in a bunch of different games. What do we see as the characteristics of the GM (or whatever his name might be), and how do they affect or guide the story at hand? Main topic: What is a GM (28:35) Playing games which spread the Gming among players makes Megan more willing to GM (29:15) GMing like you're a director not a storyteller (30:10) The fun ringleader (31:20) Name calling and what they imply: Dungeon Master, Games Master, Storyteller, Master of Ceremonies, the Authority, the Fool, and others (32:00) Break in action to discuss Lexx's HS football picture (34:10) Effective/defining things GM's do (35:35) Using film terminology: screenshots, montage ending in Fiasco, Zombie Cinema. (40:00) Scenes-based games: Misspent Youth (42:20) non-film descriptiveness (43:00) comic and cartoons: increased importance, increased detail a la Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics (44:00) Megan's living 1st ed game: what are good advice for new GM's? (48:15) The Authority in Misspent Youth is not very Gm-like (59:15) More authority the GM has, the more a player can focus on their character: Remember Tommorrow as an example (01:00:25) the stereotypes: Trad versus Story gaming (01:01:30) Last word from Scott: Gm is not God, God is one of the GM's NPC's (01:02:40) Rants (01:03:00) Scott: I'm very interested in characters because it's hard to find new stories. Megan: Let people play their own games. Todd: Fuck you, Vegas Wedding Planners. The Jank Cast yes 1:14:28 http://jankcast.com/archives/1441 http://jankcast.com/archives/1441#comments Mon, 30 May 2011 16:00:19 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1441 http://jankcast.com/archives/1441/feed 0 Dave,Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd A conversation on how this technique is applied and works in gaming Escalation is a technique used in lots of RPGs. Whether it's written in to the rules or used on the fly, it provides the ratcheting up of tension that makes games fun to play. We spend an hour discussing how this technique is used and what role it plays in games. The Jank Cast yes 1:06:41 http://jankcast.com/archives/1427 http://jankcast.com/archives/1427#comments Mon, 23 May 2011 22:10:48 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1427 http://jankcast.com/archives/1427/feed 7 JOHNKELLY,Megan,Robb,Scott,Todd We talk about bringing personal knowledge and skills in to play in a fun and fancy fashion. Fancy! The problem with playing people who you aren't is that you still keep being who you are. Slapbadger the thief likely doesn't know much about carpentry, but you probably took that class in high school as an excuse to get out of real work, and here you are having to make a table to put all your filthy loot on. In this episode we talk about how outside knowledge plays out in games, how it is brought in to game well as well as poorly. The Jank Cast yes 1:03:50 http://jankcast.com/archives/1414 http://jankcast.com/archives/1414#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 13:47:13 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1414 http://jankcast.com/archives/1414/feed 0 JOHNKELLY,Megan,Timo Replayability is a thing that affects games of many different genres: boardgames, cardgames, rpg's. We talk about what makes a game, module, or scenario fun to replay. Replayability is a thing that affects games of many different genres: boardgames, cardgames, rpg's. We talk about what makes a game, module, or scenario fun to replay. The Jank Cast yes 59:50 http://jankcast.com/archives/1408 http://jankcast.com/archives/1408#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 18:55:13 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1408 http://jankcast.com/archives/1408/feed 1 http://jankcast.com/archives/1395 http://jankcast.com/archives/1395#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 18:47:07 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1395 http://jankcast.com/archives/1395/feed 1 Megan,Scott,Todd Hosts: Todd, Megan, Scott - Banter: Home decor in the style of Jank. Todd's gettin' married by Elvis and Julius Ceaser. The best parts of weddings. Playboy is/was an awesome place to work. Dissection of episode 68 and turning things in to things. Hosts: Todd, Megan, Scott Banter: Home decor in the style of Jank. Todd's gettin' married by Elvis and Julius Ceaser. The best parts of weddings. Playboy is/was an awesome place to work. Dissection of episode 68 and turning things in to things. What did we play: (14:18) Scott: Hansa Teutonica, Mines of Zavandor Megan: 1st ed D&D living game (Level up!), Sorceror Todd: Defenders of the Realm, Sorceror, Vampire, Order and Chaos Online Talk about the Sorceror game for a bit.(20:27) Main topic: Character Death (25:14) Pushing meth on the party to save them (25:30) Death and creative agenda (26:45) Death in 4th edition (29:50) Reactions to character death (32:00) Dying in Dogs in the Vineyard is pretty damn rewarding (34:35) Choosing death without the roll: Annie's death in Unhallowed Metropolis. (38:45) Death coming out of risky/rewarding situations (43:00) Houseruling in "one cool thing." (44:00) Wil Wheaton's death on the Penny Arcade AP (45:15) Remembering the dead, making death matter (49:00) GM's and GMing the death (54:20) TPK (Total Party Kill) and who owns the game (58:45) Death in one-shot games: Fiasco, Hell 4 Leather, Zombie Cinema. (01:02:00) Dungeons & Dragons goblin game (01:03:25) Scotts favourite character ever came from meaningless death (01:04:30) Rants (01:05:45) Megan: Straight women are ruining drag. Scott: Telling my conservative southern family that I'm moving in with a gay Puerto Rican man 15 years younger than me will be awesome. Todd: In memoriam Evelyn Caruso. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 1:11:29 http://jankcast.com/archives/1393 http://jankcast.com/archives/1393#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:17:22 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1393 http://jankcast.com/archives/1393/feed 4 Lexx,Todd Hosts: Lexx and Todd - For this episode, we were SUPPOSED to talk about character death with a full cast, but some people cancelled (coughMajdicough) and other people didn't show up (coughJohnKellycough). At first, Hosts: Lexx and Todd For this episode, we were SUPPOSED to talk about character death with a full cast, but some people cancelled (coughMajdicough) and other people didn't show up (coughJohnKellycough). At first, Lexx and Todd said "maybe we should just call it." Then they looked deep into each others eyes in the most manly of ways and realized that true heroes, real heroes, carry on no matter what. Like a couple of Vikings they went into battle, recording a full cast with just the two of them. Bards will sing of this heroic tale for generations, calling it "the greatest accomplishment ever by two humans." Too much? Yeah. Okay. Mostly it's just Lexx and me shooting the shit about the current games we're playing. If that sounds interesting to you, listen and enjoy, if it doesn't, we'll be back next week with a full cast episode. One show note: The Same Page Tool which we were recommended to by our friends and compadres over at The Walking Eye. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1381 http://jankcast.com/archives/1381#comments Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:47:42 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1381 http://jankcast.com/archives/1381/feed 0 Joe,Jordan,Lexx,Majdi,Timo Hosts: Majdi, Timo, Lexx, Joe, Jordan - Capitalizing on the relentless earth-shattering fame of game designer Majdi we talk with him and Joe and Jordan of Level Zero about the games they are working on, as well as some of the processes of developer. - Hosts: Majdi, Timo, Lexx, Joe, Jordan Capitalizing on the relentless earth-shattering fame of game designer Majdi we talk with him and Joe and Jordan of Level Zero about the games they are working on, as well as some of the processes of developer. Banter: Rainforest Cafe, designing for suicide, the bottom of the foon change, the myr (amir)? Advertising on magic cards. Timo is very appropriately professional Main topic: Design (5:20) Lexx and Timo are just critics: These guys actually make things (bullshit) (5:40) Joe and Jordan and Level zero games: Node, netgain (6:20) Transmedia incorporation (10:10) Octodad: interfacing with the game is the game (14:40) The future of Octodad: more levels, a steam game, kinecto-dad (18:15) What surprised you about developing a game (21:12) Joe: All the communication you won't be doing (21:35) Large teams and a bug report system (22:30) Jordan: You can't make all of your ideas (Kill your babies) (24:15) Communicating to the players (25:30) The game manual (29:20) What is the fun of the game? (30:30) the language of games (31:00) Cheese moves and exploits (34:30) Octo-Mac (37:15) Playtesting across different types of games (39:10) released unfinished (43:30) Game as entertainment, game as income (45:45) Rants (52:00) Joe: A Story is not a game Jordan: Fuck games of "kill the leader," especially munchkin Majdi: I love playtesters. Really I do. Seriously. Timo: You watch your step, Weiser. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 57:12 http://jankcast.com/archives/1369 http://jankcast.com/archives/1369#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 22:56:34 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1369 http://jankcast.com/archives/1369/feed 2 Cass,Courtney,JOHNKELLY,Majdi,Todd The Love Cast is a little old place where we can get together. - Love Cast, baby. - Hosts: Cass, Courtney, Famous Game Designer Majdi Badri, JOHNKELLY, Todd Bumper: Chair in your pocket/giant bird - Banter: Chair in your pocket, cont. The Love Cast is a little old place where we can get together. Love Cast, baby. Hosts: Cass, Courtney, Famous Game Designer Majdi Badri, JOHNKELLY, Todd Bumper: Chair in your pocket/giant bird Banter: Chair in your pocket, cont.  JohnKelly doesn't get a free donut.  Todd is a liar and JohnKelly is a drunk.  Majdi bought Clue.  Star Wars Guess Who.  Star Wars 3D.  Captain EO/Courtney Likes Disney/Disney Hall in 3D/Closet Adventures (we're on a roll!).   Courtney doesn't want to be here and thinks Majdi and JohnKelly are assholes (Todd is making this up).   Majdi's ladyfriend may or may not exist.  Majdi is THE INFEKTOR!  Famous Game Designer Majdi Badri's next game will be "Dr. Touchem."  Max Cadwell.  Peter is confused.  Courtney wonders why Courtney has a microphone.  Toddworth. What did we play this week? JohnKelly: Nothing, because Matt is stupid. Famous Game Designer Majdi Badri: Pathfinder Todd: Sorcerer and Vampire Courtney: Battleheart Cass: Nothing (but D&D is coming up) Topic: Gaming with significant others. How has Famous Game Designer Majdi Badri tricked his ladyfriends into gaming? Courtney likes to levelgrind so JohnKelly suggests 316. Make your significant other comfortable if you want them to game with you. A spoonful of booze makes the game go down. Magic + Logic = A whole different game. Collaborative boardgames. Nerdy media = nerdy gamers. Forbidden Island, the game to sucker your significant other into gaming with. Problems with gaming with a significant other: myth or reality? Rants: Courtney and Todd: Your friends suddenly turn conservative when you get old/No grades = no grammar. JOHNKELLY: Columbia College, Under the Bus. Cass: Dunkin Donuts doesn't have turkey sausage, but says it does.  Jerks. Majdi: No Angry Birds in the dark. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2011 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com. Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1365 http://jankcast.com/archives/1365#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:14:23 +0000 The Jank Cast http://jankcast.com/?p=1365 http://jankcast.com/archives/1365/feed 1 http://jankcast.com/archives/1361 http://jankcast.com/archives/1361#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:27:33 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1361 http://jankcast.com/archives/1361/feed 3 JOHNKELLY,Megan,Scott,Timo,Todd Hosts: JohnKelly, Megan, Scott, Timo, Todd - Today, in response to the Walking Eye's recent episode on rules drifting, we tackle the subject. I won't say we did it better, but our cast definitely had 100% more of Scott's mustache. - Bumper: Timo. Hosts: JohnKelly, Megan, Scott, Timo, Todd Today, in response to the Walking Eye's recent episode on rules drifting, we tackle the subject. I won't say we did it better, but our cast definitely had 100% more of Scott's mustache. Bumper: Timo. What a maroon. Banter: Timo is late. Megan's show. Todd gets internet yelled at. Super Sweet 16 sucks. Bobcat Godthwait will kill those girls in a movie. Birthdays. We make fun of Timo more. JohnKelly does a surprisingly good impression of him. Can we edit Timo into the cast from older casts? Scott's mustache of power (aka, the SLEAZSTACHE). What did we play? Megan: Magic, Lady Blackbird, Nightfall JohnKelly: Fiasco (but wrong) Scott: Battletech Todd: Lady Blackbird, Serenity Timo: Lady Blackbird Topic: Topic, topic, topic, topic, topic. Where were we? Oh yeah. Rules and house rules. We are in dialogue with the Walking Eye who did a convo on drifting the rules with Ryan Macklin, John Wick, the awesomely named Eddy Webb, and our arch-nemesis WEIIIIIIIIISEEEEEEERRRR! What is a rule? Mechanics? Advice? Social contract? All three? Anything in the book, including "the" and "and" is a rule. Also- don't be a dick. You have drifted the rules, which is 100% okay, if you change the setting. We get a little glimpse into JohnKelly's psyche. The Golden Rule- Change what you want. Todd didn't know that West Side Story is based on Romeo and Juliet. But he did. He's lying. No one seems to care if people drift rules. Does everyone do it? Does it make a difference if you're playing a "trad game" or an "indie game"? Why drift the rules in Lady Blackbird, for example? Shouldn't you give them game a try the way it is? Todd wants to know if a game is broken. JohnKelly thinks you can't mess up Call of Cthulhu. What can you mess up? Does anyone run D&D with the rules totally straight? It's always combat that gets drifted, isn't it? Slowing the game down. Is it momentum or time we're worried about? Narrative and mechanics coming together, for example, Dogs in the Vineyard. If you can drift the rules and not affect the narrative at all, what does this mean? Role-playing is, in effect, a drift. Transparency. Why wouldn't anyone change the grapple rules? To demonstrate this, Scott grapples JohnKelly. Run it as right as you can, first, then change it. Rules are there for a reason. If you're drifting the rules of a game, there's probably a different game you can play that would do what you want it to do. Go buy it. Two comes after one. Rants: Megan: Magic! Know your audience. Timo got rid of his TV for free. What's wrong with America? JohnKelly: Gary Gygax tells you what to do from the afterlife. Todd: Fuck Terry Jones. Seriously. Scott: Condolences to Jolly Blackburn's family. See below. Auction for Jolly's Family Cosplay for a Cause at Pressure! You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2011 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com. Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1349 http://jankcast.com/archives/1349#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:05:29 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1349 http://jankcast.com/archives/1349/feed 11 http://jankcast.com/archives/1345 http://jankcast.com/archives/1345#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:38:24 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1345 http://jankcast.com/archives/1345/feed 4 Ben,Lexx,Megan,Rob,Scott We talk about anthropomorphic gaming, i.e. playing non-humans. Lexx and Scott say I'm going to link a bunch of stuff in the show notes, but there's no way I'm doing a google search for "squid chair" to link it. My gmail adds would be CRAZY after that. We talk about anthropomorphic gaming, i.e. playing non-humans. Lexx and Scott say I'm going to link a bunch of stuff in the show notes, but there's no way I'm doing a google search for "squid chair" to link it. My gmail adds would be CRAZY after that. Hosts: Ben, Lexx, Megan, Rob, Scott Show notes: Bumper: Canadians. Banter: Putting unpleasantness behind us. SuckerPunch is dumb, but pretty. Feed your head! I should sue SuckerPunch. Sounds good to me. Squids. Autotuning. Happy birthday Nathan Fillion. Topic: Anthropomorphic gaming. Like, serious non-humans. Question one: Sex. Obviously. Sentient free willed beings that want GOOOOOOOOLD!!!!! Archetypes or arbitrary types? Are non-human characters just a focus on one aspect of humanity? We're still dealing with things that are mostly human. Human/animal hybrids. Isn't this just what roleplaying is? What's interesting about this: we can explore the dualism of humanity. Rational/animal. Was Whitewolf was going for this conflict in Werewolf? Rob likes to play characters that have an animalistic side because he likes to role-play something that isn't him. Dawg the RPG: Canine Compulsion rules. Lexx is rigid. Ben is open to the secrets of the universe. Watership Down, the cartoon. "A strange desire for carrots and sex, not necessarily in that order." Rob puts his book learnin' to good use: KAFKA! JANK CAST: MAKIN' IT UP! Sorcerer = What Kafka could be. The danger of playing an alienated character. Act out because you have an interesting character, not because you want to be transgressive for the sake of transgression. The sociology of animals. Inevitably, dolphins come up. Ratten! Rants: Ben: Manly commercials think men are stupid and women are harpies. This seems incorrect. Scott: The circle of death. Rob: Sykpe group video blew it. Lexx: Furries. Megan: Everyone at the fest got the flu. Also: Megan will perform nerd themed burlesque at GenCon. Woot. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com. Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1339 http://jankcast.com/archives/1339#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:43:29 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1339 http://jankcast.com/archives/1339/feed 4 Ben,Lexx,Megan,Rob,Scott Hosts: Charles, JOHNKELLY, Scott, Todd Notes: - (I'm super busy getting ready for a conference, so I don't have time to add links to all the fun stuff in the show notes. If something sounds cool, you're going to have to google it!) - Hosts: Charles, JOHNKELLY, Scott, Todd Notes: (I'm super busy getting ready for a conference, so I don't have time to add links to all the fun stuff in the show notes. If something sounds cool, you're going to have to google it!) Bumper: Fuck Timo, and Fuck That Game Too. Banter: Todd's neighbors bring the funk. Scott's back from China and he brought show and tell! IHOP has fried chicken and waffles. Sweet. Halal KFC leads to CHICKENGEDDON! Sweet Chinese mugs. We're not sexist here on the Jank Cast. We get our Pocky on. TROLLJERGEN!!! The Windy City Burlesque Fest: Megan brings the boobs to Chicagoland. Coming attractions on the Jank: THE CAST OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE BOOBS! Kids these days. Majdi is a celebrity and is, hence, too good for us now. What did we play? JK: D&D and Stratego Scott: Wrath of Ashardalon Todd: Lady Blackbird, Serenity, Zombie Cinema Charles: Lady Blackbird, Zombie Cinema, Dresden Files Main Topic: As part of our Media and Gaming series: COMIC BOOKS! Scott talks about C2E2 Scott claims that Corey Glover from Living Colour is Danny Glover's son. He isn't. But it's a sweet rumor, so just keep telling everyone he is. Either way, click here for awesomeness. Scott's definition of a perfect woman. What can comic book storytelling teach us about gaming? It's a discrete story. We're going to talk about Batman. A lot. Comic books can give visuals but also text description. What's so Civil about War anyway? They have a very complicated world with lots of characters. Our Valued Customers We can use them as inspiration for how to plot a game. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud: Aspect to Aspect Storytelling. The arrangement of panels on a page is a part of storytelling. Locke and Key Usagi Yojimbo: Telling a story just with visuals. Blah Blah Blah: our new game. Don't attack Superman's strengths, attack his weaknesses. Who is the Villain? Favorite superhero systems to play. Suggestions: Godlike/Wild Talents BASH Mutants and Masterminds Capes Mutant City Blues Marvel Superheroes Aberrant Heroes Unlimited How do you balance a superhero system? Should you even bother? JohnKelly says maybe. Todd says no, just skip the realism and balance and go right to outcomes. Todd says "Captain Marvel" but means "Wonderman." We complain about some of the superhero posters on the wall of Chicagoland Games. Rants: JohnKelly: Have you seen this Majdi? Scott: Future trains! Charles: Most positive rant ever. Todd: Wonder Woman is having a rough time You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com. Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1333 http://jankcast.com/archives/1333#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:55:56 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1333 http://jankcast.com/archives/1333/feed 7 Reek,Rob,Timo,Todd Hosts: Reek, Rob, Timo, Todd - We start out talking about when you're playing a game where the "party" isn't a "party," so to speak. This shifts to a discussion about how system fits into this along with how a balance of character goals vs. Hosts: Reek, Rob, Timo, Todd We start out talking about when you're playing a game where the "party" isn't a "party," so to speak. This shifts to a discussion about how system fits into this along with how a balance of character goals vs. group goals shape this. Also: Canada. Shhhhhhhhnotes: Bumper: OH CANADA! Banter: Todd resealed his Dunkin' Donuts coffee. This makes sense because of, you know, filth. Toilet propaganda: know your system, know yourself. Somehow we get talking about something being broken and RPG karaoke. I have no idea what this is all about. The Jank Cast hasn't jumped the shark, but we're definitely Chasin' Steve. Finnish people have issues with women. Black Metal. Scandinavians hate each other. The Z-axis of comedy. What we played: Ticket to Ride Dixit Jewish Apples to Apples Dragon Age II Serenity Tangent: Peepsville. Topic: Games where the characters aren't a "party." Does a game's mechanics drive your towards party play or non-party play? We say some games do. For example: Fiasco, Shock, and The Mist-Robed Gate drive you away from party play with their conflict/audience mechanics. Story-telling vs. Task oriented gaming? Social norms around the table: are you the audience if your not "in scene?" Human Contact- Coming out soon! Remember Tomorrow: a task oriented game where you're probably not a party. Timo has a threeway with Pluto and Pluto (the dog and the planet, respectively). Timo doesn't like Gwenyth Paltrow. Reek doesn't either, apparently. Why are we mad about Gwenyth Paltrow? Who knows. The Wire is character driven storygaming. Does the game need you to have a "balanced party" and shared goals or not? D&D often does. Zombie Cinema? In a Wicked Age? Not so much. Apocalypse World and creating PC-NPC-PC triangles. Dogs in the Vineyard, too. Vincent Baker is good at this. Reek loves Vincent Baker but doesn't want to admit it, so he decides he has a new enemy. BAKER! We discuss definitions of sexuality and Reek attempts to be a gentleman in front of a lady, for a change. Todd says "rim planet" and all hell breaks loose. It takes Reek two minutes to contain himself. What do people expect from the game? How do you give it to them? Canada: The RPG. Rob, painted in blood, chasing people with a machete. NOW THE HUNT BEGINS! Rules again: what do they let you do as far as attacking someone, talking to someone, etc. Does a system give you the freedom to do exactly what you want with your character narratively, or are you shackled to realism? Fiasco lets you do whatever you want. Godlike didn't. How do you GM a character driven game? In the same way you play a character as a PC. Lady Blackbird as a great example of a game that lets you decide the fate of your character. Static relationships vs. dynamic relationships. Is this a result of having an external goal? Sorcerer: goals that don't intersect at all. This allows you to create dramatic irony at the table. We become more convinced this is all about how much the group has a goal which unites them vs. how much the individual characters have conflicting goals. Party games are fun, rewarding, and you can do awesome character stuff in them. That's not the issue. Rants: Timo: Try a new game, people! Rob: Interviews suck. Reek: Carrie. Todd: Fuck plate tectonics. Also: wait a few minutes before you start making the bad jokes about tragedy. Assholes. Donate to the Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com. Again, The Jank Cast yes http://jankcast.com/archives/1316 http://jankcast.com/archives/1316#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:17:05 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1316 http://jankcast.com/archives/1316/feed 4 JOHNKELLY,Megan,Reek,Todd Hosts: Megan, Todd, Reek, JohnKelly - In this episode, we discuss how to manage your work/gaming balance. And Megan is tired. Very, very tired. - Show Notes: Banter: The worst show ever. LOOK AT MY TEXT!!! OH MY GOD!!!! We're tired. Hosts: Megan, Todd, Reek, JohnKelly In this episode, we discuss how to manage your work/gaming balance. And Megan is tired. Very, very tired. Show Notes: Banter: The worst show ever. LOOK AT MY TEXT!!! OH MY GOD!!!! We're tired. Todd's ladyfriend's parents are in town and he's too embarrassed to introduce them to the people on the cast. The other "Megan Pedersen" gets thrown under the bus. What Games Did We Play? (10:10): We finished up Godlike. The less we used the mechanic, the better it was. Greg Stolze agrees, interestingly enough. 12:30- THE SNEEZE! The other Spider Man Musical. Kickstarter.com is a thing. The Robocop Statue. In the future... there will be Huck Finn. Main Topic: Work/Game balance (19:00) Todd Doesn't have time to do high prep GMing anymore. Neither does JohnKelly (so he just doesn't GM). Work never ends for most of us so we have to schedule fun around work. We almost never miss the weekly game, even when we're busy. Reek's life. Beefquest. Tangent: Steven Tyler sucks hard. JohnKelly wants to do one game a week, at least. Gaming to escape? Gaming as a creative outlet? Do you want to get something out of gaming that you don't get out of work? Megan is highbrow. What does "escapist" mean? Are we really trying to "escape" from work? "Gaming with Strangers." Rants! (51:30) Todd: A Public Service Announcement Megan: Bad student interview Reek: All work and no play makes Reek a something something JohnKelly- Drive Angry (what Todd's friend Marnie calls "NIXSPLOITATION!"). Nicolas Cage flips his shit! You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com. Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 1:05:51 http://jankcast.com/archives/1302 http://jankcast.com/archives/1302#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:51:25 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1302 http://jankcast.com/archives/1302/feed 0 Charles,Megan,Reek,Rob,Timo,Todd Hosts: Megan, Todd, Reek, Rob, Charles, Timo - Gaming and theme are an interesting thing: It may or may not be a thing that is strongly expressed, desired or even present. But what role it takes in game play and how it affects the game and the playe... Hosts: Megan, Todd, Reek, Rob, Charles, Timo Gaming and theme are an interesting thing: It may or may not be a thing that is strongly expressed, desired or even present. But what role it takes in game play and how it affects the game and the players is an interesting topic, and one that we try to address with some breadth and depth. We may or may not succeed: We might just end up punning. It will be upon you to find out. Word of warning, the quality is a little poorer with this one simply because we did not have our microphones and were using a laptop microphone. Also we eat some delicious delicious food as we cast. Behold, our majesty! Banter: Themeless writing, we realise we're bantering, We then turn what we played in to big discussion of creative agenda kind of stuff. What we played this week (3:50) Megan: Godlike, Magic:The Gathering, Mansions of Madness Todd: Arkham Horror, Serenity Main topic: Theme (21:59) Vincent Baker's post on Anyway (22:10) Misspent Youth has theme, issues, situation (24:10) Choice leads to theme: preconceived theme a la Darths and Droids (25:50) Gaming to affirm a theme (28:50) Character theme or leitmotifs (30:40) interplay between personal and overarching theme (33:00) Is it worthwhile to force a common theme? (35:45) The Wire as an example of changing theme(37:00) Different medias express theme differently (38:40) Do players (not characters) have themes? (40:30) Theme of our Apocalypse World game (43:30) Looking for theme in gaming is rough (45:40) So what's the point of theme in gaming? (48:00) System working with and against theme (49:30) Gaming is not a genre (aka Todd throws down some big words) (52:15) George Polti, gaming as communal storytelling (54:15) Rob lays down the etymological knowledge (55:35) Rants (57:00) Reek: No homo? what the fuck? Todd: Being asked for autographs is an aweful experience. Megan: Come up with a signature (Behold the Ravening Maw!), Megan is coming down to Kansas Rob: I don't rant, I'm Canadian Charles and Akure don't like to rant, but they make awesome hosts Timo: What's wrong with my hair? interposed stories about the neighbours sexlife, why isn't there more bird-of-prey sex? You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 1:11:27 http://jankcast.com/archives/1312 http://jankcast.com/archives/1312#comments Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:07:21 +0000 Megan http://jankcast.com/?p=1312 http://jankcast.com/archives/1312/feed 2 http://jankcast.com/archives/1309 http://jankcast.com/archives/1309#comments Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:01:29 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1309 http://jankcast.com/archives/1309/feed 2 http://jankcast.com/archives/1300 http://jankcast.com/archives/1300#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 02:09:52 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1300 http://jankcast.com/archives/1300/feed 3 http://jankcast.com/archives/1296 http://jankcast.com/archives/1296#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:51:59 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1296 http://jankcast.com/archives/1296/feed 0 Megan,Reek,Scott,Todd Hosts: Scott, Megan, Reek, Todd - In which we discuss Doctor Who and how it may relate to gaming. We'll do this sort of thing from now on. Spoiler alert: there are spoilers! You've been warned. - 1:06- Oh yeah? Why don't you go blog about it? Hosts: Scott, Megan, Reek, Todd In which we discuss Doctor Who and how it may relate to gaming. We'll do this sort of thing from now on. Spoiler alert: there are spoilers! You've been warned. 1:06- Oh yeah? Why don't you go blog about it? 2:30- Facebook v. Boobs. 4:23- Welcome to the Jank Cast! It's the Doctor Who cast and JohnKelly didn't show up, even though it was his idea. We make-a-the-jokes. 5:00- Show might be a little loud because of a store event. We'll post the 12 hours of actual play. 5:30- What'd we play? UMLAUT: THE GAME OF METAL!!! How do you play a whole band? 6:55- Min-maxing your band: Raw Black Metal bands are hosed! 10:45- Megan played Magic: the Slouching. 11:10- Serenity. We need to talk. Everyone's character is too damn libertarian. 12:24- HOORAY FOR PLAYING GAMEZ!!!!!! 12:30- Talking about Doctor Who. Todd whistles the Doctor Who theme. Why does no one stop him? Insert Tardis Noise here. Todd doesn't. 13:00- Kicking off a new series: nerdy media and what we can learn about gaming from it. 13:40- John Kelly is the voice of a new generation. At least according to his superfan. Shout out to JK's superfan: what's up, dude? 14:20- The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game- good gateway game. 15:00- Primeval game? Neat. 15:10- Megan is watching every Doctor Who episode she can from the beginning. Hey, look at all the retconing! 17:25- Consistent World vs. Character Dramady? 18:30- Megan likes the episodes where The Doctor goes to random historical locations. 19:00- Joe doesn't like Doctor Who because shit ain't real. 20:40- The Doctor teaches us how to do good character moments. 21:20- Megan don't like time-travel. In Doctor Who it's a MacGuffin, though. 23:08- "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." 24:30- Relationships between aliens and humans: similar, or different? Scott thinks humans are pets. Porno for Pyros agrees. NINETIES FTW! 25:40- Alien morality < human morality. 27:05- How do you use power? 27:20- Humans shouldn't be able to make decisions. 28:28- When you don't get your props it can be romantic. Huh? 29:00- Choices have consequences. 30:05- The Whoniverse is atheist, and thus takes life experiences very seriously. 31:45- Pregnancy in L5R 33:10- Favorite companion? Martha Jones. Obviously. 34:45- Doctor Who villains. Single minded, non-human logic. Delicious. 41:45- Permanence and consequences. Heavy, man. 43:25- Doctor Who isn't atheistic, it's agnostic. Because he's space Jesus. 46:15- Kids don't get Doctor Who (because they're dumb). 47:35- WHERE DOES THE STUFF BLOW UP????!!!?!!?! 48:15- The glory of MAGGOT TWAT!!! Rants: Scott is taking Chicago's bad weather to China. Megan: in the internet, everyone can hear you scream. And, while we're at it, what's up with video games with no light? And water. Reek: Role playing a non-human (the old people make Noid jokes). Also- Furry Metal Jacket. Todd: This rant goes out to my grandma. Much love. The Jank Cast yes 57:27 http://jankcast.com/archives/1278 http://jankcast.com/archives/1278#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 03:53:15 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1278 http://jankcast.com/archives/1278/feed 3 JOHNKELLY,Lexx,Majdi,Scott,Timo Hosts: JOHNKELLY, Lexx, Scott, Majdi, Timo - We sit down to mock each other over the topic of world creation, pregenerated versus emergent worlds, and a host of topics. - Banter: Starro's eye. Lexx cheats at Foursquare and made his brothers southern, Hosts: JOHNKELLY, Lexx, Scott, Majdi, Timo We sit down to mock each other over the topic of world creation, pregenerated versus emergent worlds, and a host of topics. Banter: Starro's eye. Lexx cheats at Foursquare and made his brothers southern, Majdi is flakeish (and quiet), Oscar the Grouch and Winger, Gwar created 40K, Scenes from the Multiverse. What we played this week (4:30) Scott: L5R Timo: Godlike and Civilization Boardgame Majdi: Dread, Pathfinder Lexx: AD&D 2 JOHNKELLY: 3.5 Majdi's Furry Fantasies and Lexx's chest hair, the horrible methane smell Main topic: World Building (7:20) What prompts you to build a world? (7:50) Idea or character first (9:10) Game design and how well defined the world is (11:50) No such thing as a worldless game (13:50) Themes are not the same as a world (14:50) Opportunities with pre-created worlds (15:50) The significance of characters in the world (17:30) Theme driven world creation (18:45) Prep: what role does it take, and how does it work? (20:15) Getting the setting right matters (25:00) Having an idea and making it work with D&D (28:00) Starting from inspiration (29:40) Design a game from a seed (31:52) Length of the game (33:53) Characters and change (36:00) Genre smashing (37:15) The balance between predefined and character created: getting good group think (39:08) Rants (44:27) Lexx: Sports: THIS is what offends you? Majdi: Damn you, destructive testers, damn you to heck! JOHNKELLY: Theatre people should read plays Scott: Spray-on Tans. No wait, flaky gamers. Timo: Cell phones are a bunch of bullshit because LEXX WON'T LET ME BE MAYOR. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 51:20 http://jankcast.com/archives/1284 http://jankcast.com/archives/1284#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 05:44:17 +0000 Megan http://jankcast.com/?p=1284 http://jankcast.com/archives/1284/feed 1 http://jankcast.com/archives/1282 http://jankcast.com/archives/1282#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:06:01 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1282 http://jankcast.com/archives/1282/feed 12 http://jankcast.com/archives/1274 http://jankcast.com/archives/1274#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:26:48 +0000 Todd http://jankcast.com/?p=1274 http://jankcast.com/archives/1274/feed 7 http://jankcast.com/archives/1258 http://jankcast.com/archives/1258#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:51:36 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1258 http://jankcast.com/archives/1258/feed 4 Megan,Scott,Sushi Kebab Joe,Todd Hosts: Megan, Joe, Todd, Scott, JOHNKELLY - This cast we talk about the returners, the prodigals, the once-and-now-again: Born again gamers. There's a whole subsection of gamers who gamed once upon a when, disappeared, and returned back to the hobby. Hosts: Megan, Joe, Todd, Scott, JOHNKELLY This cast we talk about the returners, the prodigals, the once-and-now-again: Born again gamers. There's a whole subsection of gamers who gamed once upon a when, disappeared, and returned back to the hobby. We talk about being a born again gamer and what brings people back to the game. Banter: Back on topic, Crazy Joe and the Sound of Cooking, why not punch a fire?, a little about the real Joe. What we played this week (6:50) Godlike (Todd, Megan) Civilization Boardgame (Megan) Descent (Scott) Call of Cthulhu (Scott) Dawg (Scott, Todd, Megan) Serenity (Todd) Forbidden Island (Todd) Defenders of the Realm (Todd) S/lay W/me (Joe) Main topic: Born again Gamers (14:55) Times away: Todd (8) Megan (15) Joe (10) Megan: Theatre stole my soul, but I dun took it back (16:50) Listening to podcasts from the middle ages got me back in (Critical Hits, Major Spoilers) (18:30) (Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, The Elfish Gene) (21:45) Joe: Paying off the student loans, frustration with the games. (24:30) Finding new games that sounded more better (25:44) Todd was broked! (27:00) Video games showed me the path back (31:15) Losing your group can be the death knell (34:20) Scott: breaking in to a new game group (36:00) Revisiting the books (37:22) JOHNKELLY interrupts(40:00) Joe's presidency (40:15) The addiction creeps up on you. (41:00) Gamer Missionaries (42:35) Todd gets all sociological, and then shuts JOHNKELLY the fuck down (DAMN!) (43:32) Todd is embarrassed by his shows (44:50) If I'm not going to game now, then when? (Scott is no longer the oldest on the cast!) (46:00) Sociology thing: Identity used to come from more stable things (36:40) Giving yourself permission to be nerdy (48:55) Identity is what you're in to, not so much the things you do (50:00) Adults of leisure (52:45) The bubbling! (54:20) When I grow up: not such a hot idea anymore (55:35) This is across hobbies (ravelry, Stich it!) (58:30) Trying to stay near the game (1:01:30) Rants (01:03:43) JOHNKELLY: Cityscape is one of the best 3.5 books ever Scott: Mechwarrior is ridiculously crunchy (but my fun is solid) Todd: The Godlike you touch me in weird places Megan: Epic Win is the best thing EVER. Joe: There are too many good games. RETURN OF THE BUBBLING!!!! (01:12:15) You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 1:13:43 http://jankcast.com/archives/1255 http://jankcast.com/archives/1255#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:09:40 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1255 http://jankcast.com/archives/1255/feed 8 Lexx,Scott Hosts: Scott, Lexx - Scott and Lexx take a few minutes of time to talk about sports fans and gamers. They have fiery opinions that are loudly vocalized. LOUDLY. The Cast as a whole is sorting out some scheduling things, Hosts: Scott, Lexx Scott and Lexx take a few minutes of time to talk about sports fans and gamers. They have fiery opinions that are loudly vocalized. LOUDLY. The Cast as a whole is sorting out some scheduling things, so this is a short bit to keep you occupied until we get back to your regularly scheduled. You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 13:33 http://jankcast.com/archives/1242 http://jankcast.com/archives/1242#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:07:09 +0000 Timo http://jankcast.com/?p=1242 http://jankcast.com/archives/1242/feed 4 Lexx,Reek,Scott,Timo,Todd Hosts: Timo, Scott, Lexx, Todd, Reek - Religion is a serious part of peoples lives. A system of belief and faith is one of the pillars of strength that we rely on to be at peace with our world. So what better than to have some atheists, non-believers, Hosts: Timo, Scott, Lexx, Todd, Reek Religion is a serious part of peoples lives. A system of belief and faith is one of the pillars of strength that we rely on to be at peace with our world. So what better than to have some atheists, non-believers, and non-practicers talk about it for an hour as if they have any fucking idea what they're talking about? Am I right? We indulge in a discussion of the unknown. Between Lexx and Timo, some offensive things might get said if you are a person of faith. You have been warned. Banter: Disclaimer, How Timo taught himself not to laugh (and is a giant weepy ball of emo), Community plays D&D, D&D isn't as nerdy as we think it is, Lexx is worried about the age of the Nerd will end badly, beard beard beard. Main topic: Religion and Gaming (4:40) Disclaimer part 2 (5:17) Atheism as an excuse (Lexx hates intellectual laziness) (7:40) Do gamers tend to be secular? (8:50) Gaming when those around you are concerned/upset about it (9:40) Why gaming gets seen as religiously acceptable (15:00) Timo gets real offensive despite trying REALLY HARD not to be (he's just that good) (17:00) Gaming with a religious/cultural agenda (18:40) Religion in gaming: Testament, Second Sight (Timo actually meant (Seventh Seal), Dogs in the Vineyard (20:50) Religion in games as fear (25:05) Reek says: Fanaticism (26:05) Clerics without religion: making religion important in a game (27:05) The absence of complex motivation (Morally Therapeutic Deism) (34:00) The structure of belief (36:00) Individuals and the structures (40:00) PCs and mutual reinforcement (44:25) This conversation makes for good game (45:11) Gray games vs Black and White. See also character drama vs adventure (46:30) Problems with players beliefs in game (50:20) Belief in imagined space (Timo offensiveness part 2) (51:20) Culture more than religion: passing all experience through a religious filter (53:15) Dragons without magic from the Podge Cast vs Star Wars (56:45) Final points (57:30) Rants (58:38) Todd: Fortune Cookie Timo: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. Scott: City folk amaze me Lexx: Gamer diets Reek: Bicycles, sobering up, the clothes rack, I want my broom back, Allure magazine, you'll go deaf like you did. WWJD? You have been listening to The Jank Cast, copyright 2010 under the creative commons license. You can find out more about us at jankcast.com. All the music in the show is from the song, “Jank is a Dork Word” written and recorded by Todd and is used with his permission. You can send comments and feedback to feedback@jankcast.com Again, we are sponsored by Chicagoland Games, and this is JOHNKELLY reminding you to support your local gaming store. Now go out and roll some dice. The Jank Cast yes 1:09:26