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Lions of the North!

I talked about funding at length in another article, and it’s worth mentioning that Kickstarter has become a haven for funding games. One particularly promising, original game is Lions of the North, a post-post-apocalyptic game with a fantastic take on humanity might turn out.

Lions of the North is a roleplaying game that takes place in the future after the destruction of our current civilization. New nations and states have appeared in Northern Europe, struggling for their place in the sun. The new nations have abandoned the dead past and have embraced equality in a way our society hasn’t. Racism and sexism are things of the past.

The nobles of Peimar, the traders of Kirkoslet and the despots of Hanö are all seeking fortune and power. The pirates of Bornholm seek to gain wealth by raiding merchant vessels and the Gotlanders try to keep control of their island when the great powers of the age start encroaching on their territory. It’s The Age of Lions, and it means means that anyone is free to carve out their own destiny on land or at sea. It’s an age of free women and men, an age where your birth and gender don’t mean anything, having a strong swordarm or a cunning mind means a lot more.

Beyond this struggle, mythical creatures and strange magic appears on the new frontier. What are the dark forests hiding and are you brave enough to find out?

I really like the idea, and Kemper’s blog puts out some more fantastic details about his setting and system. Please support this awesome project by pledging!

A Christmas Surprise!

It turns out “Brain Full of Games” contest co-winner Ewen, aka nekoewen, aka yarukizero, is a legitimate indie game designer! Also, incidentally, word on the street is that he is a good-game broseph who has fought the good fight with many of my e-friends on RPG.net and reddit. He likes good games and makes good games. That’s not strictly relevant, but it makes me happy.

What is interesting is that he has written a longer, more involved blog post about his idea for an app-based tabletop RPG. I like some of his ideas, but I’d like to see it slant more toward multiplayer with each player having a device. After all, smartphones are pretty ubiquitous in his target market.

He also likes anime. A lot. A very, very lot.

From Poland!

I just want to drop a link to this post by Polish blogger Sethariel (it’s in Polish, of course, mostly translated here). He said some very nice things about my post that The Players Make The Game, and I wanted everyone to see it! This guy has the right idea about RPGs, games, and why we should be playing them.

Thanks from across the world, Sethariel!

What is the Model Train Ghetto?

Today guest poster LogicalPhallacy joins us to explain exactly what is meant by the “Model Train Ghetto,” and share the most hilarious image of John Lithgow I have ever seen.

So if you’ve been reading this site, you’ve most certainly seen the term “Model Train Ghetto” tossed around, or references to model trains. I think it’s high time that we discussed that. You see model trains are a definitive example of an insular hobby. To get into model trains requires an investment. A real model railway can easily total in the hundreds of dollars, and of course there are multiple competing standards of rail gauge, train size, props etc.. All this together means that model trains are a bitch to get into.

This is a shame because what was once a hobby that would bring joy to a child’s eyes on Christmas morning, is now an industry that caters to a rather select few.  Even the Wikipedia article is a mountain of technical terms and details about the different competing standards. Where the model train community might describe itself as refined, exclusive, and well known, most would describe it as expensive, lonely, and the butt of many jokes.

RPGs are running a risk of becoming model trains. How so?

Historically there was a time when model trains were a popular gift, the sort of thing that you give a child to occupy their time, or to play with with their friends. Then over time the trains got more complex, and the hobby got more and more focused. The kids grew up and kept their model trains, but not too many new kids came in.  Now we see an interesting situation: it is hard to find a model train set for a kid to just get into, and you don’t go looking in a toy store for one, you go to a hobby shop.

Likewise, there was a time when an RPG (“Red Box” Dungeons and Dragons) was a popular gift, the sort of thing that you give a child to occupy the time, or to play with friends. Then over time the games got more varied, and the hobby got more and more focused. The kids grew up and kept their games, but not as many new kids came in. I’ll stop there to avoid belaboring the point, but the parallels are pretty clear.

So what are RPGs to do? Well that is where this blog comes in. There are some people who actively want RPGs to be like model trains. They frequent forums to talk about the good old days, and how to relive them best and most accurately. They actively shun newcomers and argue for a more “exclusive” game. In this hobby we tend to call them grognards, but we might as well call them conductors.

What is D&D?

D&D is a toy. It is owned by motherfucking Hasbro. It’s the industry elitists (fans and creators alike) that want to distinguish it as some sort of adult activity, and that has done more harm to our image than anything else. The idea that these games are primarily fun is offensive to people that want it to be a hobby, and understandably so; the only problem is that hobbies are exclusionary and always get marginalized (RC planes, model trains, dolls) while games are culturally valid, engaging, and growable (paintball, RC plane racing, board games). If we’re going to get out of the model train ghetto, more people need to realize, and embrace, this fact:

We are grown-ups who play games. Gamers, if you will.