I liked My New LiveJournel Account to My Blogger Account

I found myself making a LiveJournel account to contact other people on LiveJournel. With a little bit of work, I was able to link it to this blog.

Using Google Wave for Gaming

I found this article published on the RetroRolePlayingBlog. Thought it was interesting.

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RetroRolePlayingBlog:

Using Google Wave for Gaming: "Google Wave seems to be the new 'must have' thing on the Internet judging by the buzz on sites like Lifehacker. Gamers are already thinking about how to use it in online games. So far, most people I've seen using it for RPGs are using it like a chat room and not taking much planned advantage of its special features.

Will Hindmarch had a interesting article on using Google Wave for gaming on his gameplaywright blog. Although his blog is aimed more at Story Games than pure RPGs, his ideas for using Google Wave in gaming are quite adaptable and very much worth a look: Playing On A Wave.

Dungeons and Dragons: Who will inherit the legacy?

I got an Email from Amazon asking if I wanted to sell any Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 material. I think it highlights the popularity of the d20 system and the failure of the fourth edition. Usually, about now, everyone is dumping their previous version to purchase the new one. The market for 3.5 materials should be flooded with players wanting to upgrade and prices should be depressed. Instead, now that the previous version is out of print, demand is higher than ever. A player’s handbook fetches about $90 new and $60 used. This while the free and remarketed Dungeons and Dragons Online is becoming wildly popular (to the point of server overload) and the entire online system is built on the 3.5 rule set.

Meanwhile, Green Ronin Publishing is pushing hard to replace the D20 system with their True20 system that is built on the 3.5 System Reference Documents that were released by Wizards and published under the Open Gaming License. I have seen their true20 on the shelves of two game stores I have visited in the last month. Clearly they are poised to strike at Wizards weakness and are looking to push True20 in as the real heir to the Dungeons and Dragons gaming legacy. They like to say, “True20 is the latest in generations of adventure roleplaying games that have been around since the 1970s.”

I have two 3.5 player handbooks at my disposal that are shared between two campaign groups. I want players to consider purchasing the books themselves. Should I place a $60-$90 burden on them? I think I could ask them to purchase the True20 players handbook at $30, or at least the PDF version for $9.99.

Hasbro’s downsizing last year saw Wizards of the Coast dump Jonathan Tweet (the main author of the 3.5 handbook). With this behavior you have to wonder what of interest will be coming out of Wizards in the future. Meanwhile a small upstart is attempting to co-opt a legacy.

Play Testing is Complete for this Year

There will be no Battle Game play testing on October 24th, 2009 in Fort Collins. It has been cancelled because of conflicting activities. This pretty much finishes up this seasons play testing. I do not expect to host any more battle game activities until March 2010.

More Battle Play Testing October 17th

Battle Day and Weapons Construction Workshop, October 17th, Fort Collins, CO

There will be another play test activity for the book "Battle Gaming: The New American Sport" on October 17th at Lee Martinez Park in Downtown Fort Collins. Directions are below.

The schedule is as follows:

• 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Weapons construction in the basement of the River Rock Cohousing Community House located adjacent to Lee Martinez Park. (Directions below)
• 12:30PM - 1:00 PM Lunch and Feedback, I will provide sandwich bar
• 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Battling. We play test specific scenarios
• 3:00 PM - free fighting time

I hope that you will come and participate. You can help shape the book that is likely to shape the future of this sport.

What to bring:

Any and all Amtgard/Belegarth/Dagorhir weapons. The system in the book is inclusive to all these weapon technologies. You may also wish to bring armor as we will be doing some play testing with armor.

If you are attending the weapons construction workshop, please consider bringing some supplies. I have many supplies which I will happily donate, but my supply chest is not bottomless. Typical stuff such as foam camping pads, pool noodles, tape, cores (PVC pipe/kite spar/fiberglass rods) and cloth are always useful.

More Information:
Additional information can be found at www.OpenBattleGaming.org, or by calling Dave Graham at 970-484-4577.

Directions:
Google Maps: Lee Martinez Park in Downtown Fort Collins

Fort Collins is located about 60 miles from Denver.

• Take I25 to Exit 269B which is CO-14 also known as Mulberry Street.
• Follow Mulberry Street approximate 3.5 miles and turn right onto Riverside Ave. This will be the intersection just after you pass the rail road tracks.
• Riverside Ave will become Jefferson St.
• Go across where it intersects with College Ave. You will now be on Maple St.
• Go four blocks and turn right on to N. Sherwood St.
• Follow N. Sherwood to the end (it ends in the park) and then turn right and go down the hill and park by the ball fields.
• Walk directly south to a fire lane (gravel) and follow it up hill to the east and you will be at the back of the River Rock Community House. Look for signs.
• Look forward to seeing you there.

Please note there will be no play testing on October 10th, instead more effort is being put into getting a larger crowd out for October 17th.

Book Play Testing on Sep. 5th in Fort Collins

Battle Day and Weapons Construction Workshop, September 5th, Fort Collins, CO

The book is comming along nicely. It is still currently titled "Battle Gaming: The New American Sport." Crynolyn is working on photos for the book.

A certain amount of play testing and player feedback needed to complete this project. Therefore I am organizing a series of play test and weapons construction activities that you are invited to attend.

Each of these activities will take place at Lee Martinez Park in Downtown Fort Collins. Directions are below.

The schedule is as follows:

• 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Weapons construction in the basement of the River Rock Cohousing Community House located adjacent to Lee Martinez Park. (Directions below)
• 12:30PM - 1:00 PM Lunch and Feedback, I will provide sandwich bar
• 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Battling. We play test specific scenarios
• 3:00 PM - free fighting time

I hope that you will come and participate. You can help shape the book that is likely to shape the future of this sport.

In addition to September 5th, additional play testing and weapon workshops with be held on September 12, October 10, 17, and 24. These events will occur rain or shine. In the event of rain, we will primarily focus on making weapons and armor.

What to bring:

Any and all Amtgard/Belegarth/Dagorhir weapons. The system in the book is inclusive to all these weapon technologies. You may also wish to bring armor as we will be doing some play testing with armor.

If you are attending the weapons construction workshop, please consider bringing some supplies. I have many supplies which I will happily donate, but my supply chest is not bottomless. Typical stuff such as foam camping pads, pool noodles, tape, cores (PVC pipe/kite spar/fiberglass rods) and cloth are always useful.

More Information:
Additional information can be found at www.OpenBattleGaming.org, or by calling Dave Graham at 970-484-4577.

Directions:
Google Maps: Lee Martinez Park in Downtown Fort Collins

Fort Collins is located about 60 miles from Denver.

• Take I25 to Exit 269B which is CO-14 also known as Mulberry Street.
• Follow Mulberry Street approximate 3.5 miles and turn right onto Riverside Ave. This will be the intersection just after you pass the rail road tracks.
• Riverside Ave will become Jefferson St.
• Go across where it intersects with College Ave. You will now be on Maple St.
• Go four blocks and turn right on to N. Sherwood St.
• Follow N. Sherwood to the end (it ends in the park) and then turn right and go down the hill and park by the ball fields.
• Walk directly south to a fire lane (gravel) and follow it up hill to the east and you will be at the back of the River Rock Community House. Look for signs.
• Look forward to seeing you there.
  

He's Barack Obama

I thought this was pretty fun.