RPG Design Panelcast

Sex in Games Recorded at Breakout Con 2017 Presented by Moyra Turkington , Jacqueline Bryk , Alex Roberts , and moderator Emily Griggs . From the Ramayana to Romeo and Juliet, love and passion are at the heart of some of the most timeless stories ever told. So, how do we explore these themes in roleplaying games? How do we as players and GMs help each other have fun and stay safe? What systems bri...

GM Troubleshooting Recorded at Breakout Con 2017 Presented by Robin Laws , Matt McFarland , Anna Kreider and moderator Fraser Ronald . Solve your toughest GMing problems with the aid of our masterful panelists. Discussing the challenges of the game master’s life. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 114: GM Troubleshooting Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (844)

Art in Games Recorded at Breakout Con 2017 Presented by   Rachel Kahn , Anna Kreider , Emily Griggs , and moderator Cory Reid Demystifying the process of how art gets created for games — how to get commissions, how the process works, and what art can do for a game besides look great! The art that surrounds a game greatly influences how the game gets played, and inspires the players at the table. J...

Getting Kids into Games Recorded at Breakout Con 2017 Presented by Daniel Kwan , Rachel Kahn , Sean Munro and moderator Pieter van Hiel   We love role-playing games! Regardless of the game system, the storytelling, dice rolling, teamwork, and creative thinking involved in all tabletop RPGs have had a profound impact on our lives. But how do you introduce families and children to the imagination, s...

Being a Great Player Recorded at Breakout Con 2017 Presented by  Emily Griggs , Jason Pitre, Moyra Turkington and Chris Chung , moderated by Corey Reid . A great GM can only craft an amazing tabletop RPG experience with the help of great players. A discussion of how to be one of those players, improving the at-table experience for both yourself and everyone else. Includes discussions on roleplayin...

Game to Game: Converting Between Systems Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by  John Adamus and Paul Stefko If you play more than one RPG, you will eventually want to use material from one system in another. Or maybe your favorite game has been updated to a new awesome edition, but you want to keep using your old books too. What should you keep in mind when converting RPG rules and adventures fr...

Playing and Designing at the Intersections: Creating Good Allyship Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Kat Jones , Krista White , Elsa S. Henry & K.N. Granger . This roundtable will focus on how to design and run games from an intersectional feminist standpoint. We will discuss different ways a game can be intersectional including: mechanics, characters, artwork, and more. Drawing on concrete...

Art for your Game without Breaking the Bank Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jack Parra ,   John Carimando ,  Scott Bowmanchester  and Brennan Reece . Getting high-quality art is key to making a product look professional. How do publishers do it without breaking the bank? Our panel makes with the tips and tricks. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 108: Affordable Art [...

Working with Artists 101 Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Brennan Taylor , Fred Hicks & John Carimando How do you find and contact artists to work with you on a project? How much can you expect to spend? How can you avoid pissing your artist off? Find out from the veterans!   You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 107: Working with Artists [ 55:49 ] Play Now | Play in Popu...

Special Episode 1  In this special episode of the RPG Design Panelcast, we discuss a few administrative bits concerning the podcasts, including issues of sound quality. I also take a chance to shamelessly plug one of my games which is currently kickstarting ( http://tinyurl.com/SigKS ) You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes Special Episode 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (677)

Making your First Game Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Mark Richardson, John Adamus & Jason Walters. So, you’ve decided to make your first game. How exciting! Discuss what pitfalls to avoid and what strategies can speed you toward success with designers also making their first game. Note that Mark’s first game is Headspace, currently available at Indie Press Revolution ! John’s first game,...

Cultural Mechanics Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jason Pitre, Julia Ellingboe , and Mark Diaz Truman . Games are part of our cultures, and the rules we create reflect our own backgrounds. In this roundtable, we explore how mechanics can reflect and/or interrogate culture. How can mechanics explore other people’s experiences? What assumptions do we bring to the game-design table? You can...

Cyber Infiltration Hotsheet: Prepping to GM a Cyberheist Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by  Shane Harsch , Tim Rodriguez & Mark Richardson . What a cyberpunk GM should consider when prepping a cyberheist to keep the drama at least nominally grounded in reality (watch Mr. Robot before attending) This is a follow up to Episode 50, the panel on Hacking in RPGs.  You can subscribe to us here!  R...

Superhero Games Across the Multiverse Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Dave Chalker , Cam Banks , Darren Watts & Christopher Badell Superheroes are more popular than ever in the movies and on TV, and there are more games about superheroes than there’s ever been. What makes a superhero game a superhero game? How do you make your superhero game distinct? What are the most important aspects of...

A Designer’s Guide to Podcasts Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by James D’Amato, Alex Roberts & Kat Kuhl. A Designer’s Guide to Podcasts” presented by . Getting your ideas in front of people can be one of the most difficult and unpleasant parts of game design. So people love design, but hate talking about what they are doing. Thankfully there is a community of people who are dedicated to talk...

Promoting Your Game Through Podcasting and Other Media Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Chris Perrin , Tara Clapper, Chris Bell & Mario Dongu. Gaming has a rich, vibrant media that really enjoys advocating for new games and new game designers. However, it can be hard for game designers to find gamer media outlets and even harder to know what to say. This panel will look at ways game designe...

Structuring Game Texts Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jason Pitre, Robert Bohl , Jay Treat and Cat Tobin . You’ve designed your game, you’ve playtested it, and you’ve decided you want to publish it as a text (either for free download or sale). How do you structure that text so that it will draw readers in and make the game easy to understand the first time, and easy to use as a reference...

Why do you Hate your Readers and Players? Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by  John Adamus When writing a game or project, it’s important that the language be clear and enjoyable, not just showing off how smart the author is. Learn techniques to keep your project readable and enjoyable. You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 99: Why do you Hate your Readers? [ 56:27 ] Play No...

Ten (More) Ways To Make Your Rulebook Awesome Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Joshua Yearsley . Your rulebook is the heart of your game, so why not give it the love it deserves? In this seminar, you’ll learn ten best practices for improving the structure, style, and clarity of your rulebook. Did you come last year? These tips and tricks will be all new! Got any burning questions about rule...

What an Editor can do for you Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by John Adamus Editors are here to help. It’s their job. They’re tasked with making your project better. So why not use one? Get answers to what they do and how they can benefit you. Trust us, everyone needs one. Really You can subscribe to us here!  RSS Feed iTunes   Episode 97: What an Editor Does Play Now | Play in Popup | Downl...

GenCon Playtesting Panel Recorded at Gencon 2016 Presented by Jason Pitre, Emily Care  Boss ,  and Mark Richardson Playtesting RPGs is a difficult process. In this panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network, we will teach you how to effectively test games as a designer and as a player.  Learn about types of playtests, the best kind of playtesters, and how to offer constructive feedback....

Gearheads: Clever RPG Mechanics Recorded at Gencon 2016 Presented by Jason Pitre, and  Emily Care Boss Roleplaying game design is a hotbed of innovation, and this panel is a place to talk about some of the latest and greatest mechanics for games. We will talk about fronts, countdown clocks, gm-less play, advantage, and other mechanics to sink your teeth into. Links and Games! Romance Trilogy, incl...

Different Voices: Diverse RPGs Recorded at Gencon 2016 Presented by Jason Pitre, and  Shoshanna Kessock Roleplaying games offer a fantastic window into the lives of others, and let us see the world through different eyes. This panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network, will discuss some of these games that bring diverse voices and creators to the forefront. You can subscribe to us here!...

Heartwrenchers: Emotional RPGs Recorded at Gencon 2016 Presented by Jason Pitre, Shoshanna Kessock  and  Emily Care Boss The very best roleplaying games will tug on the heart strings during play. Whether the games make you feel love, grief or rage, they make for a memorable play experience. We will discuss these emotion-rich games, and what makes them tick like a broken heart. Apologies for poor s...

Introduction to RPG Publishing Recorded at Gencon 2016 Presented by Jason Pitre, Shoshanna Kessock  and Caleb Stokes Want to publish a roleplaying game? This panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network, is here to get started, avoiding the hidden pitfalls. Learn about Kickstarter, budgeting, distribution, printing, and the other black arts of publishing. Before you go, we would like to  a...