My First Impression of the Silvervine System

 RPG's, Silvervine Game System  2 Responses »
Dec 052011
 

For those of you that don’t know what Silvervines Game System is you can visit their website here. For those of you that don’t want to leave (thank you) Silvervine is basically a RPG that incorporates thematic character creation with a cinematic narrative of almost dice-less roleplaying.  At least that is the best one sentence description of he game that I can come up with.

Moving on, in the not so distant past Ryan and I had the opportunity to interview the gang from Silvervine.  When I say gang I mean the creator’s and designers of the game.  If you like what you hear here I am sure you will meet them all.  At that point in time I was a little bit lost about what the system had to offer.  In fact I thought it was probably a bogus system.  The stories they told us in the interview were just too ridiculous for this game to work.  I mean how can anybody (not on acid) play a sandwich?  That’s right somebody created a sandwich as their character.  But, Ryan wasn’t as preoccupied as I was at Con on the Cob – he gave them far more time than I did.  In fact he was sold on the game.  I was leery, very leery. Continue reading »

Tomorrow Paizo Superstar

 Gaming News, Pathfinder  Comments Off on Tomorrow Paizo Superstar
Dec 052011
 

Paizo is doing it again.  I think this is the fifth year they have had an open submissions contest for RPG designers.   The winner this year gets to write a module for Pathfinder RPG system.   The Contest consists of 5 tests the participant will compete in.

 

You can read all the info here…

Continue reading »

L5R imperial Histories coming in January

 Gaming News, RPG's  Comments Off on L5R imperial Histories coming in January
Dec 022011
 

L5R: Imperial Histories

$39.99 SRP

 

The Imperial Histories recount the triumphs of the Emerald Empire and the most noble Emperors who have lead it in shining glory. Maintained by the dutiful Miya and the devoted Ikoma families, the Imperial Histories are a testament to the Emperor’s unfailing leadership and the never wavering loyalty of his servants. All samurai of the empire can look upon them and be assured of the imperial family’s unquestionable judgment and guidance of the Emerald Empire.

At least, the official imperial histories are such.  The truth…much more interesting. The Imperial Histories pulls back the curtain on many tumultuous eras of the Emerald Empire; revealing not only the glories of the Rokugani, but also their failings and tribulations. Providing a wealth of information for players and GMs alike, this tome serves as a resource for playing in various times of the Empire, or bringing elements of those times to your characters and campaigns.


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Why I Love Role-Playing Games

 Games and Education, Pen and Paper, RPG's  1 Response »
Dec 012011
 

Introduction

It all started on a rainy Saturday morning. I was spending the weekend visiting my cousin Lance. We were supposed to ride four-wheelers, but the bone-chilling downpour dashed those plans. So, we did what most adolescent males did in 1988. We turned on that 8-bit wonder, the Nintendo Entertainment System. After some Ninja Gaiden and Contra, we slid in Final Fantasy. The music entranced me, the graphics befuddled me, the gameplay bonded to me. The game touched me mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It was a whirlwind weekend romance that I would never experience again. A few years later, I received a Super Nintendo for Christmas, and by Easter had finally saved enough money to purchase Final Fantasy II. I ate, slept, and breathed that game; until Final Fantasy III came out.

Those games, and others like them (oh ChronoTrigger, how I miss thee), engaged me unlike any other. Undoubtedly, it is the level of story-telling which goes into those games which makes them the best. And as great as they were (and still are), and as much as I loved them (and still do), I always felt like something was missing – as though the experience could be so much more personal and interactive in a way that would really allow me to be a part of the game, and not just an almost passive observer. I didn’t know it at the time, but video game RPG’s had become my gateway drug to a deeper addiction.

Continue reading »

Hot News! Paizo Publishing to License an MMO

 Gaming News, Pathfinder  Comments Off on Hot News! Paizo Publishing to License an MMO
Nov 222011
 

Paizo publishing announced that they were teaming up with Goblin works.   Below is the official announcement.

 

Paizo Licenses Pathfinder MMO Rights

Goblinworks to Produce Next-Generation Fantasy Sandbox MMO

November 21, 2011 (REDMOND, Wash.) – Paizo Publishing, LLC has licensed the MMORPG electronic gaming rights to its smash-hit Pathfinder Roleplaying Game intellectual property to Goblinworks, a Redmond, Washington game developer and publisher that will create Pathfinder Online, a next-generation fantasy sandbox massively multiplayer online game. Founded by Paizo co-owner Lisa Stevens (Pathfinder RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade, Magic: The Gathering), game industry veteran Ryan S. Dancey (Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition, EVE Online), and experienced MMO developer Mark Kalmes (Microsoft, Cryptic Studios, CCP), Goblinworks is an independent company that will work with Paizo Publishing to bring the award-winning world and adventures of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game to the online gaming market. The process has only just begun, and there is plenty of opportunity for gamers to get in on the ground floor of this exciting new project. Paizo and Goblinworks are committed to soliciting player feedback about the Pathfinder Online project, and more information can be found at goblinworks.com.
Pathfinder Online will cast players as heroes in a unique online fantasy world filled with sword & sorcery adventures and kingdoms inhabited and controlled by thousands of competing players. Players can explore, develop, adventure, and dominate by playing fighters, rogues, clerics, or any of Pathfinder’s many character classes, or they can go beyond the standard options to create nearly any type of character imaginable. Find lairs, ruins, and caverns filled with monstrous creatures and incredible treasure. Build glittering cities of castles and bustling markets. Take to the battlefield with vast armies to seize and hold territory. Players change the world and create new stories as they compete for resources, land, and military might. The possibilities are endless.
“I’ve been hoping for a chance to work with Lisa and the Paizo team on a Pathfinder project for years, and now that we’re joining forces to produce Pathfinder Online, I couldn’t be happier or more excited,” said Goblinworks CEO Ryan S. Dancey. “My goal is to bring the high-quality experience Paizo has delivered for Pathfinder to the MMO platform, and to give players another fantastic way to experience the world of Golarion.”

Learn more about Pathfinder Online at goblinworks.com.

ABOUT PAIZO PUBLISHING

Paizo Publishing®, LLC is a leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels. Paizo’s Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game, the result of the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming, is currently the best-selling tabletop roleplaying game in hobby stores. Pathfinder Adventure Path is the most popular and best-selling monthly product in the tabletop RPG industry. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the nine years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than 50 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry.

ABOUT GOBLINWORKS
Goblinworks is the developer and publisher of Pathfinder Online, a next-generation fantasy sandbox MMO. The company is located in the Seattle suburb of Redmond. It was founded in 2011 by a dedicated group of creative professionals with backgrounds in tabletop hobby gaming and online videogame development. Goblinworks is dedicated to creating a fun, immersive online gaming experience for the fantasy roleplaying enthusiast. Its goal is to deliver the best sword & sorcery massively multiplayer game on the market by starting with a carefully designed core of features and iterating on the content continuously after launch, with the input and feedback of the player community.

 

If you are a Pathfinder fan that sounds like a good thing.  We will keep you up to date as much as we can.  Who knows maybe we will interview Goblinworks and Paizo Staffers.

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 Posted by at 7:04 PM

Roleplaying Etiquette for the Players

 Articles about better playing, Gaming News  Comments Off on Roleplaying Etiquette for the Players
Nov 212011
 

It has been a long time since I have role played.  I am getting ready to start a campaign in a system yet to be determined .  I am leaning towards Rifts or Ninjas and Superspies.  I haven’t played Rifts since 1998 and I am longing for a session.

Enough about what game system we will play.  The thought of playing has reminded me that sometimes things that shouldn’t need to be said must be said.   Huh?  hat in the world am I talking about?  Well, you’re a player what do you think?

Have you ever been sitting around a game table and caught a wiff of something that just doesn’t belong at the game table?  Have you ever been frustrated out of your mind because another just won’t stop talking?  Have you ever not wanted to play your character because one character in the part just makes you feel inferior?  If so you just might want to read this article.

Continue reading »

Box Breaking: Pathfinder Beginner Box

 Box Breaking, Pathfinder  Comments Off on Box Breaking: Pathfinder Beginner Box
Nov 152011
 

All right in this Box Breaking we have the Beginner Box set for Pathfinder from Paizo Publishing.  If you are thinking about playing Pathfinder RPG this might just be the thing you need to watch.

 

I ahve waited to delve into Pathfinder RPG for oh about a year.  This box set will give me that opportunity.

If you check back in a day or so we will have a character creation video using this box set.

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Silvervine Games Team Interview

 Gaming News, Interviews, RPG's  1 Response »
Oct 262011
 

  • Names: Ryan Rawlings, Edward Yarrus, Alec Stringer, John Arcadian Matt Solomon
  • Favorite Recipe: BEER!
  • What led to the creation of Silvervine Games
  • How the gang got into gaming
  • The nature of their game system
  • Crazy Characters
  • Gaming Industry Prognostication
  • The Influence of Furries and Anime
  • A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Highly
    Successful RPG Product Line
  • Hints on Future Products
  • Con on the Cob Lovin’
  • Conflict Management
  • And What’s Really Under Their Kilts

Hit the “Play” button below for an inside look – into the gaming industry, not their kilts.

 

 

Coblin Player

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Gaming & Depression, part 2: Roll with It!

 Articles about better playing, D&D, Games and Education, Gaming News, RPG's, The RL  3 Responses »
Oct 052011
 

Introduction

Last week I provided an overview of depression. This week I shall take a look at its connection with gaming. I’ve been gaming for fourteen years, and have had the opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people – folks that I gladly call “friend.” And there is one thing that I have noticed about the gamer population compared to the general population. I believe that the rate of depression in gamers is higher than that of the general population.

Gamers & Depression

Why is that? Are depressed people drawn to gaming? Or does gaming make one more depressed? Or is it simply a coincidence, or faulty observation on my part?

We can eliminate that last question based on the proven fact that I am always right. (Which, by the way, is another source of my depression. It is an incredible burden to be right all the time 😀 .)

The second question seems counter-intuitive: How can something “fun,” like playing games, make you feel depressed? Sure, many of the games we play are competitive, and no one likes to lose; losing can put one in quite a funk. But at the same time we recognize that “it’s just a game,” so the prospect and experience of losing are not that emotionally traumatic. Furthermore, many games, especially RPG’s are cooperative, allowing everybody to “win.”

Therefore I’m brought back to the first question: Are depressed people drawn to gaming? I think that there is some solid evidence to indicate this probability.

First, depression makes it difficult to socialize with other people, but gaming provides a “bridge” to social interaction. It’s easier to address another person through the medium of a game, with its rules and structure, compared to trying to strike up a conversation with someone at “regular” party.

Second, it gives the depressed person something to do. Lack of activity and motivation are the most difficult parts of depression to deal with. Gaming, at the very least, is an activity to focus on and participate in. Thus gaming is the vehicle by which one can combat that lack of motivation and activity.

I’m sure there are other reasons (which a qualified sociologist or psychologist could explain) why gamers seem to have a higher rate of depression than the general population, but these two stand out strongest to me. Continue reading »

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