This was basically me the entire episodeNews: The RPPR Actual Play podcast has a new look. Thanks to KC Green for the banner! Be sure to check out his webcomic, Gun Show. We also have new content on the Base Raiders website, including a character creation survival guide.

Synopsis: Research is an important part of game design, especially when writing historical scenarios. We invited Adam Scott Glancy of Pagan Publishing to talk about research and game design, starting with his work on Cold Dead Hand, now available in The Unspeakable Oath #23. Tom, Scott, and I had a long ranging discussion that went over many topics related to history and research, so we didn’t have time for letters or anecdotes. I will list a few resources mentioned in the episode though.

Shout outs:

Music: FOR MOTHER RUSSIA

BUY MY BOOK :DNews: Check out the first Base Raiders Actual Play, with brand new Origin Story rules available for free on the Base Raiders website. Also, BUY MY BOOK 😀

Synopsis: We decided to analyze two recently written scenarios to see how the art of scenario writing has changed over the last 20 years. We took Millionaire’s Special, a Trail of Cthulhu adventure from the book Out of Space and Ghost Town an adventure from the newest Mutants and Masterminds core rulebook. By looking at the antagonists, plot structure, and tone, we figured out what works and what doesn’t. It’s a lively discussion!  Tom has a letter and we have shout outs and anecdotes.

Shout Outs

  • Red Scare: a comedic horror web series set in a fallout shelter during the 1950s. Who among the survivors is a vampire?
  • Shadow Bound: A silent horror web series set in a Lovecraftian 1930s setting. It’s like a game of Call of Cthulhu brought to life!
  • The Smash Brothers: a 9 part documentary on the competitive Smash Brothers Melee scene. Far more fascinating than you might think.
  • The Wolf Among Us: A great adventure video game based on the comic Fables.
  • Stanley Parable: Just play this game.
  • Eldtrich: A Lovecraftian roguelike game with Minecraft-esque graphics.
  • Best of the Worst: A web series where the team from Red Letter Media reviews horrible movies.

 

Song: Ghost Town by Adventures of Leonid

News: Base Raiders is out! You can buy the print edition here and the PDF here. If you buy a print copy forward your order confirmation email to rpprpodcast@gmail.com to receive the PDF for free. All copies to backers have been shipped. In other news, Aaron has a new series on Raillery called Let’s Play in the Dark. Check out the first episode in the above Youtube link. Finally, because of a dispute between Amazon and the Missouri state government, the RPPR Amazon affiliate program no longer works.

Synopsis: Because October is horror month, Tom and I thought we would talk about some of our pet horror topics – architectural and body horror. I recently finished the J. G. Ballard novel, High Rise, which gave me some insight into the intersection of horror and place. Tom’s experience in playing Invasive Procedures gave us some insight into running body horror. So, kind of a refresher episode on running and appreciating horror games. Tom also has a very special letter and of course an anecdote. Huzzah!

Shout Outs

  • Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play: Amazing post-apocalyptic play about meta-narratives and storytelling.
  • Game Dev Tycoon: A video game about making video games, for profit!
  • High Rise: A novel about the alienation of modern society and rich people going all Lord of the Flies.
  • John Dies at the End: A horror novel and movie with a twist of the surreal. Quite entertaining.
  • Springfield Barcade: Alcohol and free video games, a winning combination.
  • FTB Minecraft Server: Hooray Minecraft mods!
  • It’s a Disaster: Apocalyptic Comedy about a bad lunch gathering
  • Occult America: Book about the history of occult movements that began in America, like Spiritualism. Great fodder for historical games.
  • Iteetoo: Cool t-shirts and prints with sufficiently geeky designs
  • Wool: Incredible post-apocalyptic novel and well worth reading!

Song: Zombie – club mix – horror halloween music by Sam Haynes