Bill Bodden's Blog - Posts Tagged "gaming"

Baby Milestones

I just turned in some work I've been doing for a tabletop RPG project. It was 15,000 words - as long as three short stories, and the longest single thing I've written to date. Compared to what most of my writer friends turn in regularly, 15,000 words is no big deal. Not at all. Still, it's like crossing a baby milestone for me, and I'm glad to have it behind me. The longer the work I can turn in, the easier it will be to convince myself that a novel really isn't beyond my capabilities.

It felt really good to ship it off to the editor for a first pass. If I'm lucky, I will only have minor edits to make to my section before it goes to press. I can relax a little now - but only a little because I really need to start looking for more work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and working on fiction while I search and apply and wait.

A writer always needs to keep busy; keeping those writing skills sharp is critical - the longer you stay away from writing, the harder it is to get back to it.
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Published on May 01, 2013 09:35 Tags: business, gaming, writing

Saying 'No'

Sometimes freelancers are offered projects for which the only sensible answer is 'no'. It may be because of the timing -- in the middle of two projects when real plum drops into your lap -- or it may be that it just isn't right for you. It's tough to turn down paying work even if you're busy at the time: freelancing is a feast-or-famine existence, and building up a nest egg against the lean times is always desirable when work can suddenly dry up for months at a time.

I recently had a convention ask me to appear as a special guest. This convention was a two-day drive away from where I live, and due to the somewhat remote location, it would also be expensive to attend by flying. Being a small and fairly new convention, the only compensation they could offer me was a free badge (membership) to the con.

It was very flattering to be asked, but three important things came to mind:
The convention would cost me roughly $1500 to attend through gas, food, and lodging.
Timewise, it would cost me at least a week: two days driving -- both there and back -- plus the three days of the con.
This was a gaming con, and while I am a gamer and enjoy games, there's really nothing for me at the majority of local gaming conventions.

While I am at a point in my life where I have more time than money generally, this trip would cost me both, and the likelihood of it doing anything that would help my career as a writer is slim. In the gaming industry I don't really need any more exposure: I have a multitude of very solid contacts in that area, so work can be had if I'm willing to work for the rates that gaming companies can offer. It's not that I feel gaming work is beneath me or any such thing: my time is more valuable to me than two cents per word (or less) and retaining no rights whatsoever to the work after I turn it in. Those downsides for such projects usually far outweigh the benefits. It has to be a special project that really appeals to me before I will strongly consider work of that sort. It does come along from time to time, but it's rare.

Writing is a business, and writers have to learn to treat it that way. It would have been a balm to my frequently bruised ego to be listed on that program book as "special guest" but the numbers just didn't add up for me.
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Published on June 11, 2013 14:42 Tags: business, gaming, writing

August Conventions

I'll be attending two conventions on consecutive weekends at the end of summer: GenCon and GeekKon.

GenCon (http://www.gencon.com/) is the largest of all gaming conventions, and takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana over August 15-18. I'll be attending the Diana Jones Award ceremony the evening of August 14. My official presence during the remainder of the convention will involve helping out in the Green Ronin booth during the day, and goofing off in some fashion during the evenings.

GeekKon (http://www.geekkon.net/) is a general interest convention that takes place in Madison, WI August 23-25. I've been invited to return as a special guest this year, and plan to help out in the Gaming With the Guests program, as well as participating in a few panels here and there. Other guests this year include friends Matt Forbeck, Matt McElroy, Rob Wieland, and John Jackson Miller.

I'm especially thrilled that Bridget Landry will be a guest of GeekKon as well. Ms. Landry is on the team supporting the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which among other things provides the relay for information from both Mars rovers, Opportunity and Curiosity. As if that weren't enough, she's also a world-class costumer. I'm really looking forward to meeting Ms. Landry!
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Published on June 25, 2013 15:24 Tags: appearances, conventions, gaming

Gaming As Adults

Most adults I've talked to who played D&D gave it up after college. They still speak fondly of the games they had, but for some reason felt that it wasn't an appropriate activity for grown-ups. I find this attitude confusing, and it can be extended to most types of games including board games; mainstream adults don't see games as anything other than "kids' stuff".

That makes me sad. Play is one universal that all humans enjoy. It helps keep our minds sharp, helps shed stress, and is a fun social activity that doesn't (necessarily) involve alcohol. Physical activity, like bowling or being in a recreational sports league is the same idea, only with (usually) less mental stimulation and a more physical dimension. Exercise is important for body AND mind!

I've spent the majority of my life gaming, and it has provided me with a living now for the better part of 30 years. I'm encouraged seeing more families -- and more adults -- enjoying board games as a regular pastime. Role-playing games are also more than just kids' stuff; the RPGs of today are, as a rule, far more sophisticated than those we played growing up. In fact, most tabletop RPGs are aimed at an adult audience, with mature themes and subject matter that the average 12 year-old just won't find appealing.

The greatest impediment to a regular gaming session as adults is lack of free time. With the technology we have today, even gaming groups separated by vast distance can still game together using a variety of online resources like Skype and G+/Google Groups. As life and technology changes, so too must we change and adapt to our new environment.
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Published on July 03, 2013 12:00 Tags: gaming

Odds & Ends, Plus A Book I Love

First, I'd like to mention that I'll be attending GenCon this week in Indianapolis Tuesday thru Saturday, hence the early posting of my blog. As a last-minute reminder, I'd also like to mention that print copies of the books Haunted: Eleven Tales of Ghostly Horror and Sidekicks!, both of which include stories of mine, will both be available for sale at GenCon, at the Green Ronin Publishing booth (#1703). Haunted will also be for sale at the Drive Thru RPG/White Wolf booth (#1201). See you there!

Second, I want to point out that National Buy A Book Day is September 7. The foundation behind this worthy effort is soliciting donations to be able to afford full non-profit status. If you'd care to float them a few bucks (I gave them $5), paste this link into your browser and have a look: http://www.buyabookday.org/donate.html

Books I love: A Hunger Like Fire

Having only recently enjoyed White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness Universe, I must admit I've been drawn in hook, line, and sinker. One of the things responsible (partly, at least) for this obsession of mine is the novel A Hunger Like Fire by Greg Stolze.

A Hunger Like Fire concerns vampires; specifically, the vampires in Chicago according to WoD cannon. They are predators and monsters to be sure, but some portion of their humanity remains, and much of the book - indeed, much of White Wolf's entire Vampire setting - is concerned with the vampires' efforts to maintain at least some portion of their humanity. The more monstrous they become, the more likely they are to feed without caution, without discretion, thereby revealing to humanity exactly what it is that lives among us. Vampires know too well that while they feed on humans, humans are also their most dangerous enemies, and so one of their unshakable laws is to maintain the "Masquerade", the artful deception that vampires don't exist.

The story begins with a working class slob named Bruce Miner who wakes up wrapped in a plastic dropcloth, assuming he went on a bender last night despite the lack of a hangover. The truth is far more frightening, and Bruce Miner must now come to terms with the fact that he has changed. He now craves blood, and after an unfortunate incident, realizes he must cut ties with his living family or put them at risk - from those who would use them to get to Bruce, and even to protect them from Bruce himself.

A Hunger Like Fire masterfully wraps the tale of Bruce Miner around the interwoven stories of a number of Chicago's Kindred. From the band of near-outcast vampires who take Bruce and and teach him what he needs to know, to the seductive Persephone Moore, to the head vampire, the Prince of the city of Chicago, Maxwell Clarke. The action is fast-paced and exciting, the personal dramas are intriguing, and the personalities themselves have an irresistible draw, a pull that lures the reader in and doesn't let go until the sad realization that there are no more pages left unread.

If you enjoy horror fiction, tales about vampires or just plain good writing, I urge you to track down a copy of A Hunger Like Fire. Game stores should be able to find it through their distributors, but if not, the ebook version can be found on any number of online sites including Drive Thru Fiction . Be sure to let me know what you think after you're done reading it!
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Published on August 13, 2013 06:35 Tags: appearances, gaming, writing

GenCon, Geek-Kon, and Firefly

I have returned from GenCon in good health and none the worse for wear - for the most part. Standing on a convention hall floor for three days is murder on the feet and back, so I'm trying to take it easy this week. I signed a couple of my books, bought other people's books, and had a good time reconnecting with friends I don't see often enough. I also came back with some gaming writing work firmed up for the next month, as well as tantalizing hints of potential freelance work to come. More details when I can announce them!

***

The schedule for Geek Kon, happening this weekend (August 23-25) in Madison, Wisconsin is up, (http://www.geekkon.net/) and I'm pleased to say I'm going to be a bit busy! I have a reading (from Sidekicks, along with one of my co-authors Patrick Tomlinson) on Friday at 4 PM, and will be taking part in "Gaming With the Guests" for charity, on Friday night from 8-10 PM (and maybe later!). This year's charity is the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. Please give generously.

Saturday I'm on three panels: E-Books and Innovations In Publishing, 2PM; How to Kick Off a Kickstarter, 5PM; Slingin' Dice: An Introduction to RPGs, 6PM.

Nothing scheduled for Sunday, but I may show up anyway - I always have a great time at GeekKon, and the con staff treat their guests well. Stop by and say hello, join me for a game - or a drink - and enjoy a low-key convention!

***

At GenCon, Margaret Weis Productions released the Firefly RPG in a Gen Con Preview format. I picked up a copy and this book looks fantastic. It uses Cortex Plus, which if you've played MWP's Marvel Heroic RPG or Leverage, you already know the system. There are precious few copies of the preview left, and rumor has it they may show up here and there over the next few weeks so keep a sharp eye out. At the very least pick up the general release version when it comes out later this fall -- I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. Kudos to my friend and Firefly Line Developer Monica Valentinelli, and all the many folks who worked on this project, for a job very well done!
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Published on August 21, 2013 11:58 Tags: appearances, conventions, gaming

E-book Piracy

I was discussing ebook piracy with some folks at GeekKon over the weekend, and I made a couple of points to these folks (who were newly-minted publishers looking for ways to market their RPG books) about piracy and the ebook market, which they were reluctant to enter because of piracy fear.

1. People who pirate your books are not your customers. Therefore, this is NOT a lost sale.
Most people who download (or upload) books are doing it because they can, not because they particularly care about the subject matter of the book in question. I know of people with stringers of thumb drives - all filled with books they've downloaded for free - who only HAVE all those books because they could get them for free. It's doubtful whether they'll even read any of them. It's called hoarding, and at least they've found a way to do it that doesn't fill their homes with gum wrappers and stacks of 30 year-old newspapers.

2. Piracy CAN lead to sales and new customers.
This is a bit of a contradiction to point #1, but bear with me. More frequently than I would've expected, people who discover a book through a bit torrent site really like what they see, and decide to actually BUY some of the books from that author/related to that RPG. They are not necessarily pirates themselves; more often, they want to check out a book before buying it, which isn't always easy in the current marketplace.

3. Piracy is inevitable.
That doesn't mean you have to like it, but fighting this kind of piracy is exactly like trying to stop the tides; the genie is out of this particular bottle, and as soon as someone comes up with new security measures, hackers rise to the challenge of breaking the "unbreakable" security system.

I suggest people take a page from my friends at Posthuman Studios; they actually upload their books to bit torrent sites if they aren't there already. They have little disclaimer notes in an obvious place within the file that effectively read: "thanks for checking out our book. If you like it, here's some other stuff by us you might want to check out." They also actively maintain a presence on these sites, and interact with the folks who hang out there. This strategy has paid off handsomely for the Posthumans, such that they regularly get testimonials from customers regarding finding their books on pirate sites, enjoying them, and going to their local store to actually purchase Posthuman's books.

When I asked him to verify Posthuman's stance, Adam Jury* added: "I truly think that one "Hey, just to let you know, I'm a real person making this stuff, and if you like it, I'd appreciate you buying the Kindle version or a paperback as a gift to a friend or something, please." is far, far more useful than anything antagonistic and more useful than silence. If someone isn't going to buy your stuff, being a _jerk_ to them isn't going to make them more likely to buy your stuff, even if you were "morally" wronged first."

Adam also wrote about this extensively years ago before tiring of fighting against people who refused to evolve. One such essay can be found on Adam's website: http://adamjury.com/2010/piracy-doesn...

It may be trite and heavily worn, but the old saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." is entirely appropriate. You can't stop piracy, so instead of wasting your energy ranting about the unfairness of it all, spend your energy coming up with more creative solutions to the problem. It is more likely to pay off for you in the end than harboring a bitter grudge.

*My thanks to Adam Jury for being a good sport and getting back to me on short notice.
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Published on August 27, 2013 15:05 Tags: business, gaming, piracy, writing

New Personal Best!

Recently I finished up some freelance writing for British RPG company Modiphius on the Pacific Theatre guide for Achtung! Cthulhu. At over 30,000 words, this was my biggest single writing project to date. Many of my writer friends would scoff at that number – it’s not even the length of a full novel – but I’m still proud that I finished it, and extremely pleased that I did so on time. Achtung! Cthulhu is an interesting setting: if you can imagine the opening sequence for the first Hellboy film – with Professor Broom and the US soldiers exploring the Scottish island where Nazis are supposedly holding some sort of...
To read more visit Bill's website.
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Published on October 09, 2013 15:15 Tags: gaming, upcoming-projects, writing

A Gamer's Life For Me!

I’ve been a gamer since I was a kid. My family played board games around the kitchen table after supper many, many times, and from those experiences I learned valuable things about patience, waiting your turn, and yes, a fair amount of strategy and how to bluff. Also important, having to read instructions and rulebooks helped polish my reading skills, so that I was a fully proficient reader by the time I entered first grade.

Games — from card games and simple board games to more complex ones, all the way up to tabletop role-playing games — are a hobby I’ve enjoyed for more than four decades now.

To read more, go to Bill's website HERE
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Published on October 22, 2013 16:05 Tags: gaming

My Favorite Tabletop RPGs

I've worked in the games industry now since 1984. Most of that time was spent working retail, some in distribution, some working for a manufacturer, but all of that time was spent gaming, and trying out new stuff. I enjoy roleplaying as much now as I did in my teens, even though most of the people I grew up with view RPGs as "kid's stuff", or something one is expected to grow out of.

Which basically I think is bullshit. Just like dressing up in costumes now and again, RPG gaming is a healthy outlet and a fun pastime. So to give those of you who might be looking for a new game some ideas, I present to you my list of favorite RPGs, in no particular order. If you want to learn a bit more about the games -- or order a PDF copy -- click on the picture of the game.


Victoriana

I'm pretty into Steampunk these days, and gaming-wise nothing scratches that itch as nicely as this game. Victoriana uses a dice pool system: When trying to accomplish a Task, you roll a number of dice equal to your rating in a skill or ability, plus a number of dice equal to your character's rating in the related physical or mental ability. Sometimes, if the challenge is tougher, you receive black dice as a penalty. You roll the black dice at the same time, but any successes on those count against you. The setting reminds me of Shadowrun; the world has magic, and elves, dwarves, humans and beast-men mix with humans. It's fun, and the setting is a change from most games.



Shadowrun

Take the dystopian, sci-fi future typified by Cyberpunk, add magic, fantasy humanoid races, and a group of characters skirting the law to complete jobs and get paid and you have Shadowrun in a nutshell. Another dice pool game, Shadowrun uses only six-sided dice, and does so to good effect. You have a number of dice equal to your skill, plus more equal to your mental or physical ability,. plus maybe more or less depending on how easy or difficult the taks may be. The setting for this world is fantastic, and like so many RPGs, is the main reason -- far more so than because of a specific system -- why people play any particular game.



Bushido

Finding people willing to play this game with me was never easy; for some reason, most white Midwesterners don't get into mythical Japan the way I do. This game uses the basic d20 concept made famous-ish by D&D, only a it's a bit skewed here. Instead of trying to roll high, you want low, the lower the better. Makes it easier to parse that as your skill improves (i.e. the number goes up) you have larger range of numbers that indicate success.
This game incorporates a great deal of historical information about feudal Japan, as well as a lot of mythology and folklore, and if I had to pick only one, Bushido is probably my favorite RPG of all time.



Vampire: The Requiem

After being sneered at for years by numerous Vampire players, I was finally convinced to give the game a try, and was pleasantly surprised. Like any RPG, how much fun the game is depends on the quality of the folks you game with. Vampire examines concepts such as humanity, redemption, and the slippery slope of evil in a framework of the politics and mind games that only beings with greatly extended lifespans have the patience for -- and the time to watch those events unfold. I may be pilloried by the True Believers for admitting that I like the new incarnation -- Vampire the Requiem -- better than the original Vampire the Masquerade, (especially since I'm doing some writing for Vampire the Masquerade right now) but my preference may have something to do with being exposed to the new one first.



Call of Cthulhu

The grandpappy of all horror-themed RPGs, Call of Cthulhu will always occupy a squamous, rugose place in my heart. Players confront cosmic threats to humanity, and battle them as best they can. Challenges are resolved by rolling percentile dice (generating a score from 1 to 100) and then compare that to their skill level to see if they succeed in that task. This is another game to play for the setting, pulp-era 1920s and 1930s, borrowing heavily from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and many, many others. Character mortality is high as character witness things "Man Was Not Meant To Know and go insane, or get eaten by rather nasty creatures from beyond space and time. Tons of films have been made from the stories of these writers, and they can easily inspire one to play this game.




Mutants & Masterminds

If you're a fan of comic-book superheros, M&M is your game. Using a simple d20 roll + your skill value to determine success, the system is surprisingly flexible and elegant. Simple to understand and easy to get into, M&M does for capes and cowls what D&D does for swords and sorcery. I also really like the injury system: not based on hit points, it's instead based on levels of injury or fatigue. After all, nobody ever really dies in comic books, right?
Full disclosure: I used to work for Green Ronin Publishing, the folks who publish Mutants & Masterminds. That doesn't make the game any less awesome.

So that's a few of my favorites; it's quite a mix of stuff, but I find that I'm not all that interested in playing the same setting using the same system for ever and ever. I like having some variety in life, and games are no exception.

Oh, and you may have noticed I left D&D off this list. While the progenitor of all tabletop roll playing games was a fine entry drug, I find that, for the most part, D&D games devolve into a standard routine: kicking in doors, killing things, and taking their stuff. Lather, rinse, repeat. I got bored with that a long time ago, and while I've played newer iterations of Dungeons & Dragons since then, I find I can't stick with it for longer than a few sessions before I start looking for other options.
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Published on February 19, 2014 23:22 Tags: gaming, recommendations, rpgs