Month: June 2021
The Long-Term Gaming Group
Plot Grenades. Immanuel Moments. “Hiyo, Tom here!” Most readers won’t exactly understand the meaning of any of these, but for a small group of people each one elicits its own strong reaction. That group is my gaming group, who I’ve been playing with in one incarnation or another for 16 years. Over that period of time we’ve developed our own lore, traditions, and yes, a thick haze of inside jokes.
In some ways, a gaming group is no different than any other group of friends who share a hobby. You could develop inside jokes, stories, and catchphrases about board games, or hiking, or motorcycles. The thing that’s different, though, is that role-playing games come with an immediate emotional engagement. That’s exactly why people’s preferences are so specific, and why people are so defensive about them.
If we assume you’ve done everything right, found a group of likeminded players and opened…
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Exclusivity in Games
Where do you go when you want some fast food? Well, that depends. If you want a Whopper — Burger King. A Chalupa — Taco Bell. Big Mac — McDonald’s. Spicy Chicken Sandwich — Wendy’s? Popeye’s? Everyone has a Spicy Chicken Sandwich these days.
Now, let’s imagine a world where all fast food joints (Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Popeye’s) all have the same exact menu. That would suck! Part of the excitement of eating fast food is picking out where to go. This is exclusivity (in fast food).
Exclusivity is also great for the gaming industry. You may think it would be nice to get every single game released on all platforms, but let’s imagine a world where that was the option. There are already too many games to play. Every gamer has a backlog of games which they will one day return to (or will remain in…
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What Gamers Can Learn From Music Streamers on Twitch
One of my favourite non-gaming corners of Twitch to visit is the music section. From musicians showcasing their talents, to producers talking shop about the creative process, to DJ sets that give me something to listen to for extended sessions, there’s a lot of entertainment to be had here.
I also think there’s a lot that we as game streamers can learn from music streamers, even if we don’t have a musical bone in our bodies.
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Abomination Vaults #2: The Heroics of Trahz Gorlock, Pt. 2
The self-proclaimed leader of the group, Trahz Gorlock, and his assistants continue to explore Gauntlight Keep to investigate the strange blue light in its lighthouse. –GM
14th of Sarenith, 4721 AR
We find a dead kobold washed up on the riverbanks. Varlan Reclus and BeldonHeartsbane step over to investigate the kobold, finding small pieces of metal that look like the pieces of a trap, along with with a gem worth six gold pieces which will be unevenly distributed amongst the party, with only one piece going to the great TrahzGorlock rather than the six he deserves. Leneth Lentrow flips over, opening the keep’s door. This angers the indomitable TrahzGorlock, since Leneth is not a true warrior like the mighty Trahz Gorlock. He breaks open the door, revealing another room.
Here, there are five mitflits and a large maggot, who are…
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Brewery & Entertainment Complex, Second Floor
Welcome to the second floor of this massive restaurant / tavern / inn / brewery / entertainment complex! Here we have the upper common room which overlooks the bar below. There is a private meeting room that can be rented out up here as well as the staff area including a common sleeping area and some offices. Stairs behind a curtain in the upper common room lead up to the inn rooms above.
The upper section of the brewery is also a mezzanine looking down over the main floor of the brewery with a door into the brewing and distilling tower where a walkway around the perimeter of the tower overlooking the vats below. The two buildings are connected by a passageway on the ground floor – the roof of which serves as a railed walkway between them on…
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Is Switch Pro Ever Coming? – Podclips, Nintendo Pow Block
Is the Switch ever getting a more powerful refresh? Let’s discuss. Nintendo Pow Block is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast apps. Leave us a nice review and a five star rating!
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You can find Nintendo Pow Block Live on Twitch every Monday night or on YouTube and your podcast service of choice every Wednesday. Remember if you’re watching on YouTube to follow the channel. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or…
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Hell’s Rebels #38: Night of Flame, Pool of Blood
While most of the party dealt with the Chelish Citizens Group leadership and Narkwood gave his life, Malcolm was in “The Devil’s Nursery” helping tieflings prepare for possible reprisals from the Chelish or the government. –GM
22nd of Erastus, 4715 AR
During my extended time managing the rebellion, I found a new member to join our merry band, after the disastrous loss of Narkwood that I had heard many tales about. His name was Nilver, and I was hopeful that he would be a good fit. We barely were able to exchange pleasantries when we immediately had to jump into action and rejoin with the the party. A fire had broken out in the Devil’s Nursery.
As we headed over, we debated what to do. We didn’t think we could help put out the fire directly: there were too many Hellknights already helping that could recognize us. We had…
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The Best Announcements at E3 2021
E3 is always an exciting time because you know there is going to be at least one thing that you can’t wait you get your hands on and play. Luckily for me, I had multiple things that made me reach for my wallet before seeing that some didn’t even have a definitive date yet. However, to slim down the list, there were a few things I needed to consider first.
Cinematic trailers don’t work for me, especially when it is a new franchise. That means games like Redfall and Starfield won’t be here on the list. We know next to nothing about either, and I can see that they have potential due to their developers’ pedigrees and general concepts. However, my excitement is on pause for the foreseeable future. The games also MUST be showcased at Summer Game’s Fest or E3 to be included.
These games are ones that I…
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Brewery & Entertainment Complex, Ground Floor
This is a massive tavern / brewery / entertainment area in a wonderfully anachronistic modern style – a mix of restaurant, bar, tavern, and on-site brewery with a large yard out back with two stages, a fountain, and many tables to watch the festivities from. There are tables everywhere, large covered outdoor patios, fireplaces for cold winters and chilly evenings, and the “tower” on the upper right side of the complex is full of vats and brewing equipment to keep the venue stocked with beer.
The main tavern / restaurant is the larger structure on the left, with a central bar, a number of tables, and four fireplaces (as well as an office for the manager). The right hand structure is the brewery and tavern with a much smaller kitchen and a number of private rooms to conduct business…
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