I hate top 100 lists. They force reviewers, participants, and readers to ranks books in order of "importance" or "quality" in a way that is truly unhelpful. Matters of which book is better or worse are not merely a matter of subjective standards, the subjectivity often lacks any real weight of opinion. As someone what their 54th favorite book is, and the answer will likely be different each and every time. This is even true if the individual hadn't read any books between askings.
The one thing that top 100 lists are good for is spurring discussion and possibly, just possibly, highlighting works that may be overlooked by those who want to explore a particular subject or genre. But the 1001 "blanks" to "blank" before you die books do a similar thing and don't have any arcane selection systems.
Recently, NPR finalized their "Your Picks: Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books" list. It was a list that seemed to have rules constructed specifically to rule out Harry Potter and to guarantee that Tolkien would be placed at the top of the heap. It's a list that contains some truly excellent examples of genre writing, but it is also a list that demonstrates the flaws so apparent in top 100 lists. One wonders what "new shores" or discoveries the individual seeking to delve into SF and Fantasy will find if they pick from this list -- a list filled with well known names and tilted toward New York Times best-sellers, as well as some writers favored by the literati. The list is sadly lacking in some truly excellent names, while including all of the "modern favorites." One knows they are reading a flawed list when the first Michael Moorcock book is listed at spot 90 behind such longstanding and influential works as <em>World War Z</em> and Timothy Zahn's "Thrawn Trilogy" of Star Wars media tie-in fiction. I loved <em>World War Z</em> and the Zahn is one of the best writers in the Expanded Universe, but neither of these contain the literary merit or influence of the Elric books -- or Moorcock's work in general.
There are authors on the list, high ranking authors, who consider Moorcock to be mandatory reading, yet he ranks in the bottom 10 of the top 100.
If only this were the worst of the sins. Low rankings on a list can be dismissed as mere subjective differences, but out and out exclusion of important voices -- while other writers receive multiple entries -- is nigh unforgivable.
Who was excluded?
Are you a fan of fantasy history and look to the past for great writing? Are you looking for some names you might remember from English Literature courses?
Never mind Samuel Butler or Edmund Spenser, you won't find them on this list.
Patrick Rothfuss' "The Name of the Wind" (a wonderful book btw) comes in at #18, but "The Faerie Queene?" Nah that's not a top 100.
The writer who created one of the most entertaining genre's in all of SF, the Planetary Romance, should be there right? Nope. Edgar Rice Burroughs is a less important contributor to SF/F than Terry Brooks. Friends who know how much I love and defend Terry Brooks know that I make that statement not out of lack of respect for Brooks, but for those who think he has more "important" works than Burroughs.
Where are C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, C.J. Cherryh, Elizabeth Moon? Thankfully Connie Willis and Lois McMaster Bujold manage to make the list (at #97 and #59 respectively) or the list would be a complete fraud.
Edmond Hamilton, Manly Wade Wellman, David Gemmell, Gordon R. Dickson (wtf? no Gordon R. Dickson?!), Harlan Ellison, or Jack Williamson? All of these writers are of lesser contribution than Max Brooks.
John Brunner, who wrote a book that one could argue paved the way for Brook's World War Z entitled <em>Stand on Zanzibar</em>? Nope.
Worst of all. There are two Stephen King books and not one by Howard Phillips Lovecraft or Edgar Allan Poe.
What books or authors do you think were left off the list that are top SF/F writers?
Do you prefer "to be read lists" to "top 100" lists?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Downshadow by Erik Scott de Bie [Review] -- The Birth of a New Forgotten Realms Hero Franchise?
Earlier this year I wrote a brief review of Don Bassingthwaite's recent D&D Core World novel The Temple of the Yellow Skulls. In that review, I praised Bassingthwaite as a writer and discussed how the lack of mythological depth in D&D's Core World limited his ability to tell a compelling story. In any Fantasy tale, a rich backstory is a necessity for the creation of compelling stories. A good story requires interesting people doing interesting things in a rich and believable world. Bassingthwaite had two of those -- people and things -- but hadn't been given the third, nor it appears had he been given the freedom to create the third. One of the major limits of media tie-in fiction, as much as I enjoy the genre, are the confines provided by the milieu that the story is tied to. Wizards of the Coast has been, until recently, dedicated to keeping the Core World (aka the Nentir Vale, the Points of Light Setting, or PoL-and) as generic as possible in the hopes that adventures there will be useful to anyone playing in any game world. The lack of success of this experiment, and how it allowed competitors to fill a market desire, are fodder for future posts. Just let it be said that a sparse setting can stifle a writer's ability to tell a compelling story and the Nentir Vale was until recently a very sparse setting.
The Forgotten Realms, where Erik Scott de Bie's 2009 novel Downshadow takes place, is another story entirely. The setting began as the brainchild of game designer and author Ed Greenwood long before there was a Dungeons and Dragons. The Forgotten Realms was Ed Greenwood's fantasy world, a world he wrote stories for and for which he eventually wrote several articles in Dragon magazine. Eventually, the Forgotten Realms became one of the major core settings for D&D and has had tens of thousands of pages devoted to its characters, its unique rules, its mythology, and its history. One can easily get lost perusing the Forgotten Realms wiki.
The Forgotten Realms is a rich and well developed setting that has endured for decades and has a devoted following.
Downshadow takes place in one of the major cities of the Forgotten Realms world, a city called Waterdeep. Since the God of Murder and Strife (Cyric) killed the Goddess of Magic (Mystra) over one hundred years ago, the Realms have been a place of chaos and despair. With Mystra's death, the Weave of Magic that surrounded the world shattered and much of it fell to the world infecting the world and its residents like a disease in an event called the Spellplague. This event -- and others -- changed the world forever. Many of the great heroes who once protected average citizens have died or been driven mad in the ensuing years. Waterdeep, a once great and wondrous city, was as greatly affected by the Spellplague. Both in terms of physical destruction and in becoming a refuge for those who were cursed by the Spellplague. These cursed individuals now live in a part of the city called the Downshadow, a city that lives under the city of Waterdeep. Strange and dangerous things lie all around the Downshadow in the form of monsters and traps of ancient magic, but strange and dangerous things live in Downshadow as well. Where there is civilization, there is crime and where the shadows are deep the criminal element is even more powerful.
The city watch of Waterdeep has formed a special Guard unit that is given the duty of protecting the citizens of Waterdeep from the dangers of Downshadow and with protecting the citizens of Downshadow, but even they cannot do enough. Aiding the brave members of the watch is a troubled vigilante named Shadowbane -- the main character of Downshadow. Shadowbane was once a beggar, thief, and murderer who had been both blessed and cursed by the Spellplague. He heals faster than most people and has near superheroic strength, agility, and stamina. He used these abilities for evil purposes in the city of Luskan until he met a Paladin who gave him faith in a higher purpose and who provided the young man with a legacy. Shadowbane went from a dark stalker on the edge of society and transformed into a shadowy vigilante who used his knowledge of how the criminal elements operate to combat them where they hide.
As one can imagine from the description above Downshadow is a combination Fantasy and Superhero adventure tale that owes a good deal to many prior stories. Reading the novel one can see the influence of Zorro, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and Batman. Like the tales of these heroes, Shadowbane hides his real identity from many of those he loves and strives to balance his bloodthirsty nature against his need to provide justice for and not vengeance to those he hunts. The Spellplague has given him power, but it is also slowly killing him and removing his ability to feel physical sensations. This phenomenon is symbolic of his own growing emotional distance from those around him. Shadowbane must learn to love and protect, it is not enough to hide and avenge. And it is in the narrative of Downshadow that Shadowbane must make this choice.
The story of Downshadow is fairly simple. There is a criminal mastermind in town who wishes to stir up chaos in the aristocracy of Waterdeep and expand his influence. To do this he uses his provocateur protege Fayne to create scandalous situations and reveal the secrets of those who wish secrets kept. He also hires an assassin named Rath to eliminate those he cannot ruin. He seeks to ruin the High Priestess of Sune and to destroy Shadowbane whose vigilantism interferes too much with his machinations. Shadowbane must do his utmost to oppose the plans of the mastermind while discovering who he really is and what his true purpose will be. Into this struggle enters a mysterious young woman named Myrin. Myrin appears out of nowhere and has no memory of her own past, but it seems that she too has been touched by the Spellplague (or has she) and given abilities she cannot truly control.
Can Shadowbane stop the plans of the mysterious mastermind? Can he protect those he loves? Can he keep his secret hidden? Can he meet his destiny?
These are the questions that work themselves out in the novel, and the answer to the above questions isn't always yes.
Erik Scott de Bie meets the challenge of writing a compelling story while working within the constraints of a media tie-in novel. Though the tale is based on a D&D world, one rarely sees game mechanics leak into the storytelling. A major challenge a writer in a D&D novel faces is making the magic and action feel like the D&D setting without making it seem too much like a reader is reading mechanics out of a users manual like the Player's Handbook. de Bie demonstrates a deep knowledge of the Forgotten Realms setting and infuses the narrative with bits of history and mythology where necessary. Reading Downshadow, I very much felt that the story was taking place in a larger world that had a rich history. de Bie was able to convey information about Shadowbane's heretical Paladin order and the origins of the Spellplague without the information seeming overly expository. The exposition is presented narratively and only when necessary. The story is compelling and the outcome open enough to compel a reader to desire more. Shadowbane himself is a bit of a cipher, but his character does grow as the story progresses. He starts as a generic superhero, but by the end of the book readers are beginning to see the personality behind the mask. I am eager to see the character develop further. Many likable characters die in the story and there is a cameo or two from other Forgotten Realms tales that provide nice Easter Eggs.
The only flaw with the novel is that the narrative sometimes jumps from one scene to another in a mildly awkward way that caused me to double back and reread past passages to make sure I didn't miss any information. Given the breakneck pace of the book, these slight speed bumps interrupted the flow of the story. That said, I eagerly await the next novel in the Shadowbane series Shadowbane which is being released as an e-book exclusive this September.
POST REVIEW MUSINGS IN WHICH I TELL YOU ABOUT MY CHARACTER
The Shadowbane character is based on either the Shadowbane Inquisitor or Shadowbane Stalker class from the Complete Adventurer book for the 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons, though there are some significant differences.
Shadowbane's sect is heretical because it believes that the essences of two dead gods are still active in the world, rather than the opinion that one god has taken over the "portfolios" of the dead gods.
Shadowbane reminded me of a fusion of the only two characters I have ever played in Forgotten Realms campaigns. The first was a 2nd Edition AD&D Paladin of Tyr who had the Swashbuckler kit from The Complete Fighter. How could one not want to be able to specialize in 4 weapons?! I have always been a fan of Zorro, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and the Three Musketeers, so I really wanted to play a happy go lucky swashbuckling Paladin. Since Paladins had been typically portrayed as humorless, this was fun.
The other character was a Fighter/Mage/Thief I played in a Living Forgotten Realms campaign. The main character was a fop who investigated troubles with his brave companions, but who fled when the going got tough and let his "bodyguard" take care of all the meaningless little things like combat. This character required buy in from those who played in my group who had to separate character knowledge from player knowledge. Some tried to "cheat" to discover my secret or demonstrate that they "knew" my secret, but most of them discovered it made for better role playing moments -- humorous and dramatic -- to play along. Thus some of those who once "knew" my secret eventually "forgot" as well when they discovered how much fun ignorance could be.
The Forgotten Realms, where Erik Scott de Bie's 2009 novel Downshadow takes place, is another story entirely. The setting began as the brainchild of game designer and author Ed Greenwood long before there was a Dungeons and Dragons. The Forgotten Realms was Ed Greenwood's fantasy world, a world he wrote stories for and for which he eventually wrote several articles in Dragon magazine. Eventually, the Forgotten Realms became one of the major core settings for D&D and has had tens of thousands of pages devoted to its characters, its unique rules, its mythology, and its history. One can easily get lost perusing the Forgotten Realms wiki.
The Forgotten Realms is a rich and well developed setting that has endured for decades and has a devoted following.
Downshadow takes place in one of the major cities of the Forgotten Realms world, a city called Waterdeep. Since the God of Murder and Strife (Cyric) killed the Goddess of Magic (Mystra) over one hundred years ago, the Realms have been a place of chaos and despair. With Mystra's death, the Weave of Magic that surrounded the world shattered and much of it fell to the world infecting the world and its residents like a disease in an event called the Spellplague. This event -- and others -- changed the world forever. Many of the great heroes who once protected average citizens have died or been driven mad in the ensuing years. Waterdeep, a once great and wondrous city, was as greatly affected by the Spellplague. Both in terms of physical destruction and in becoming a refuge for those who were cursed by the Spellplague. These cursed individuals now live in a part of the city called the Downshadow, a city that lives under the city of Waterdeep. Strange and dangerous things lie all around the Downshadow in the form of monsters and traps of ancient magic, but strange and dangerous things live in Downshadow as well. Where there is civilization, there is crime and where the shadows are deep the criminal element is even more powerful.
The city watch of Waterdeep has formed a special Guard unit that is given the duty of protecting the citizens of Waterdeep from the dangers of Downshadow and with protecting the citizens of Downshadow, but even they cannot do enough. Aiding the brave members of the watch is a troubled vigilante named Shadowbane -- the main character of Downshadow. Shadowbane was once a beggar, thief, and murderer who had been both blessed and cursed by the Spellplague. He heals faster than most people and has near superheroic strength, agility, and stamina. He used these abilities for evil purposes in the city of Luskan until he met a Paladin who gave him faith in a higher purpose and who provided the young man with a legacy. Shadowbane went from a dark stalker on the edge of society and transformed into a shadowy vigilante who used his knowledge of how the criminal elements operate to combat them where they hide.
As one can imagine from the description above Downshadow is a combination Fantasy and Superhero adventure tale that owes a good deal to many prior stories. Reading the novel one can see the influence of Zorro, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and Batman. Like the tales of these heroes, Shadowbane hides his real identity from many of those he loves and strives to balance his bloodthirsty nature against his need to provide justice for and not vengeance to those he hunts. The Spellplague has given him power, but it is also slowly killing him and removing his ability to feel physical sensations. This phenomenon is symbolic of his own growing emotional distance from those around him. Shadowbane must learn to love and protect, it is not enough to hide and avenge. And it is in the narrative of Downshadow that Shadowbane must make this choice.
The story of Downshadow is fairly simple. There is a criminal mastermind in town who wishes to stir up chaos in the aristocracy of Waterdeep and expand his influence. To do this he uses his provocateur protege Fayne to create scandalous situations and reveal the secrets of those who wish secrets kept. He also hires an assassin named Rath to eliminate those he cannot ruin. He seeks to ruin the High Priestess of Sune and to destroy Shadowbane whose vigilantism interferes too much with his machinations. Shadowbane must do his utmost to oppose the plans of the mastermind while discovering who he really is and what his true purpose will be. Into this struggle enters a mysterious young woman named Myrin. Myrin appears out of nowhere and has no memory of her own past, but it seems that she too has been touched by the Spellplague (or has she) and given abilities she cannot truly control.
Can Shadowbane stop the plans of the mysterious mastermind? Can he protect those he loves? Can he keep his secret hidden? Can he meet his destiny?
These are the questions that work themselves out in the novel, and the answer to the above questions isn't always yes.
Erik Scott de Bie meets the challenge of writing a compelling story while working within the constraints of a media tie-in novel. Though the tale is based on a D&D world, one rarely sees game mechanics leak into the storytelling. A major challenge a writer in a D&D novel faces is making the magic and action feel like the D&D setting without making it seem too much like a reader is reading mechanics out of a users manual like the Player's Handbook. de Bie demonstrates a deep knowledge of the Forgotten Realms setting and infuses the narrative with bits of history and mythology where necessary. Reading Downshadow, I very much felt that the story was taking place in a larger world that had a rich history. de Bie was able to convey information about Shadowbane's heretical Paladin order and the origins of the Spellplague without the information seeming overly expository. The exposition is presented narratively and only when necessary. The story is compelling and the outcome open enough to compel a reader to desire more. Shadowbane himself is a bit of a cipher, but his character does grow as the story progresses. He starts as a generic superhero, but by the end of the book readers are beginning to see the personality behind the mask. I am eager to see the character develop further. Many likable characters die in the story and there is a cameo or two from other Forgotten Realms tales that provide nice Easter Eggs.
The only flaw with the novel is that the narrative sometimes jumps from one scene to another in a mildly awkward way that caused me to double back and reread past passages to make sure I didn't miss any information. Given the breakneck pace of the book, these slight speed bumps interrupted the flow of the story. That said, I eagerly await the next novel in the Shadowbane series Shadowbane which is being released as an e-book exclusive this September.
POST REVIEW MUSINGS IN WHICH I TELL YOU ABOUT MY CHARACTER
The Shadowbane character is based on either the Shadowbane Inquisitor or Shadowbane Stalker class from the Complete Adventurer book for the 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons, though there are some significant differences.
Shadowbane's sect is heretical because it believes that the essences of two dead gods are still active in the world, rather than the opinion that one god has taken over the "portfolios" of the dead gods.
Shadowbane reminded me of a fusion of the only two characters I have ever played in Forgotten Realms campaigns. The first was a 2nd Edition AD&D Paladin of Tyr who had the Swashbuckler kit from The Complete Fighter. How could one not want to be able to specialize in 4 weapons?! I have always been a fan of Zorro, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and the Three Musketeers, so I really wanted to play a happy go lucky swashbuckling Paladin. Since Paladins had been typically portrayed as humorless, this was fun.
The other character was a Fighter/Mage/Thief I played in a Living Forgotten Realms campaign. The main character was a fop who investigated troubles with his brave companions, but who fled when the going got tough and let his "bodyguard" take care of all the meaningless little things like combat. This character required buy in from those who played in my group who had to separate character knowledge from player knowledge. Some tried to "cheat" to discover my secret or demonstrate that they "knew" my secret, but most of them discovered it made for better role playing moments -- humorous and dramatic -- to play along. Thus some of those who once "knew" my secret eventually "forgot" as well when they discovered how much fun ignorance could be.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Marketing is Hard: Paul Rudd Pitches "Our Idiot Brother"
Since Clueless, Paul Rudd has been among my favorite comedic actors. He has a great sense of timing, is a good writer, and a very likable personality. In this Funny or Die skit, Rudd pitches potential marketing campaigns for his upcoming film Our Idiot Brother.
"What if we put our Trailer in the Middle of the Movie?!"
HT: Anne Thompson's Essential "Thompson on Hollywood!"
Allie Goertz is Better than Rebecca Black -- D&D Tonight is Better than Friday!
The internet is filled with many wonders and perils. It is a place where one can find beauty and horror, and one doesn't even have to look to far to find either. It is also a place where a person can inexplicably go from moderately talented high school student to pop music sensation in nanoseconds.
The most famous case of this phenomenon is Rebecca Black, whose Autotuned voice can be heard singing two songs that are so cliche that they border on being a parody of modern pop music. One can listen to Rebecca Black's song "Friday" back to back with Katy Perry's pop hit "Firework" and wonder where the real difference is. Both are products of a pop-industrial machine that produces things that have a pleasant sound, but are almost completely lacking in "heart" -- even when they are attempting to be inspirational.
While Rebecca Black has been successful in promoting herself on the internet, she has also been the target of much scorn. This is partly due to envy, and partly due to the trivial and formulaic nature of the songs she sings. It is also because there are people of greater talent, but less exposure, who put forth their artistic creations on the internet in the hopes that others will appreciate their efforts. We aren't talking about people seeking to make a dollar, rather those who wish to share their creations. It takes a lot of courage to promote yourself on the internet -- this applies to Rebecca as well -- it can be a cruel place.
While I was flying toward that wonderful -- and geeky -- annual celebration of hobby gaming called Gen Con, another young voice was being uploaded to the internet. It is a wonderful voice. Where Rebecca Black's song is formulaic with industry-esque production values and Autotuned vocals, this new artist's song is recorded by a microphone attached directly to the computer with a video recorded by a webcam. Where Rebecca Black's song was written by professionals and sounds as if it were programmed by a "pop song writing machine," the new artist wrote her own song about something she enjoys.
That new artist is Allie Goertz. Her voice sounds like a combination of Xenia and Dia Frampton of NBC's "The Voice." Her lyrics combine her own love for Hobby Gaming with a touch of Tom Lehrer.
So give a listen to Allie Goertz's song "Tonight." She's an artist so humble that she apologizes for sounding too pretentious when she says the word "essentially." Though I think that's just her being a little "punny" regarding the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
I am Now Officially a Game Designer!
Every game master is a game designer at heart. Every game session GMs make little decisions regarding player actions that seem to lay just outside the parameters of the rules as written for the game at hand. We're used to making these decisions, but we don't often think of these things as formal game design. That doesn't stop almost every game master from dreaming about becoming a professional game designer. I imagine that most Fantasy Heartbreakers got their origins in the mind of a game master turned game designer.
(I have my own thoughts about the current trend to use Fantasy Heartbreaker derogatorily, but that is another post entirely.)
For years, my own design itch was scratched by game play and on line forums. I spent a long period of time scouring Greyhawk texts for minutiae and discussing them with fellow fans on the AOL Greyhawk boards. I also spent time on the various DC Heroes boards arguing about rules and coming up with new "fixes" for things within that rules set. Anyone who doesn't think of DC Heroes as an "effects based" game should hunt down those old boards in the wayback machine -- sadly many of theme were lost when the "alt dot" archives faded away. My participation in these boards eventually led to me contributing to the <em>Blood of Heroes</em> roleplaying game where I had written some rules contributions in a couple of the powers -- Superspeed is one of them if I remember correctly. While this initial contribution might have led some to leverage participation in one product into a career, it didn't have that effect on me. Graduate school, work, and adjusting to living in a new city (Los Angeles) took up the majority of my mental focus and dreams of being a designer faded into the background.
That all began to change about a year and a half ago when I started soliciting opportunities to playtest new games. I have a regular gaming group made up of some very imaginative and thoughtful gamers, and I thought to myself they would be the perfect sounding board for new ideas and games. How right I was. I began playtesting a number of games, some of which are listed on the right hand column of this blog, and have had a great time doing it. In fact, this playtesting has caused me to begin to feel very comfortable with the concept of designing games and I have begun reaching out in that direction recently.
One of the opportunities that emerged as I began reaching out was George Strayton's <em>The Secret Fire</em> project. I was initially invited in to write some flavor text for some sections of the rules -- in fact my some of my flavor text is among the quotes praised in the RPG.net forum praising/dissing the game -- but my role quickly evolved into rules development itself. I was involved in discussions of game mechanics, balance, intentions, combat, spells, etc. and it was a great time. The game was recently formally announced and is now available on Lulu, though it will soon be available from a variety of sources. George was a great lead developer to work with -- his credits include <em>Star Wars d6</em> -- and he allowed me to play devil's advocate and to offer seemingly random ideas. He turned game design into a sand box of joy.
The experience has inspired me and you will definitely be seeing more game design from me in the future. I am currently putting together a pitch for the first <em>The Secret Fire</em> expansion, a couple for Super Genius Games, some for Victory Point Games, and my own company -- Twin Suns Entertainment LLC -- will be designing a number of games in the coming years.
Friday, August 05, 2011
IT'S MARVEL!!! --- Margaret Weis Productions Announces New RPG License
For the past few weeks, Margaret Weis Productions has been hinting that they were making a HUGE announcement regarding a new RPG license they had acquired and how excited they were about producing this particular product. Questions were being asked..."Is it Glee?" "Is it CSI?" "Is it Star Trek?" "Is it GoBots?"
Most of the questions focused on games that players assumed would fit within the Cortex+ mechanic, with the understanding that Cortex+ focuses on relationships and not "crunchy combat."
Today, Margaret Weis Productions made the announcement at 1pm Eastern. Their new license is...
HULK SMASH!!!
While many gamers might believe that the "relationship driven" mechanics of Cortex+ might seem an odd fit for a Superhero rpg, this is a true match made in heaven. The grand innovation that Marvel Comics added to the comic book superhero genre was the blending of heartbreak dating comics with superhero action. Think about Spider-Man during the Ditko/Lee era. How many superheroes were worried about getting a date before this book came out? How about the Fantastic Four and their family dynamics?
MWPs Smallville game was a sea change in game design mentality, and one that will have significant affect on the industry. Instead of having a character's success in an action being determined by how "uber" he or she is, that character's success is determined by how the character's relationships with others are affected by the action. Instead of a Paladin's skill fighting devils being represented by a high combat score, it can be represented by a high dedication to protecting innocents and his or her relationship to individuals or communities. The mechanic ensures that players interactions with nemesis characters matter, and the mechanics aid players and GMs in the creation of exciting and engaging narratives.
A Marvel game based in interactions and relationships harkens to what is great in comic book storytelling -- remember the Claremont/Byrne era of the X-men? It has some epic battles, but it also has engaging tales of relationships. When Sabretooth attacked the mansion trying to kill Psylocke (in a beautifully illustrated issue) it was Wolverine's concern for her safety -- and hatred of Sabretooth -- that fueled the issue. A similar discussion could be had of the Juggernaut vs. Colossus fight issue. The relationships are what make it work.
MWP plans to release 16 products within 15 months for the game structuring the expansions around major comic events. The first product will be a Basic game, which has everything you need to play, and the first event will be Marvel's "Civil War" -- a perfect playground for relationships. Each "event" line will have two editions an essential edition which merely has the campaign advice and an edition that includes a copy of the basic rules. The events will be supported by three support products, and then it's on to the next event. All of the products will be designed to be shelved with the trade paperbacks covering the same event.
This is big people!
Most of the questions focused on games that players assumed would fit within the Cortex+ mechanic, with the understanding that Cortex+ focuses on relationships and not "crunchy combat."
Today, Margaret Weis Productions made the announcement at 1pm Eastern. Their new license is...
HULK SMASH!!!
While many gamers might believe that the "relationship driven" mechanics of Cortex+ might seem an odd fit for a Superhero rpg, this is a true match made in heaven. The grand innovation that Marvel Comics added to the comic book superhero genre was the blending of heartbreak dating comics with superhero action. Think about Spider-Man during the Ditko/Lee era. How many superheroes were worried about getting a date before this book came out? How about the Fantastic Four and their family dynamics?
MWPs Smallville game was a sea change in game design mentality, and one that will have significant affect on the industry. Instead of having a character's success in an action being determined by how "uber" he or she is, that character's success is determined by how the character's relationships with others are affected by the action. Instead of a Paladin's skill fighting devils being represented by a high combat score, it can be represented by a high dedication to protecting innocents and his or her relationship to individuals or communities. The mechanic ensures that players interactions with nemesis characters matter, and the mechanics aid players and GMs in the creation of exciting and engaging narratives.
A Marvel game based in interactions and relationships harkens to what is great in comic book storytelling -- remember the Claremont/Byrne era of the X-men? It has some epic battles, but it also has engaging tales of relationships. When Sabretooth attacked the mansion trying to kill Psylocke (in a beautifully illustrated issue) it was Wolverine's concern for her safety -- and hatred of Sabretooth -- that fueled the issue. A similar discussion could be had of the Juggernaut vs. Colossus fight issue. The relationships are what make it work.
MWP plans to release 16 products within 15 months for the game structuring the expansions around major comic events. The first product will be a Basic game, which has everything you need to play, and the first event will be Marvel's "Civil War" -- a perfect playground for relationships. Each "event" line will have two editions an essential edition which merely has the campaign advice and an edition that includes a copy of the basic rules. The events will be supported by three support products, and then it's on to the next event. All of the products will be designed to be shelved with the trade paperbacks covering the same event.
This is big people!
2011 Gen Con -- An Experience to Remember
Each summer tens of thousands of gamers take over a Midwestern American city to experience the “Best Four Days of Gaming,” the Gen Con gaming convention. Comic book and pop culture fans have San Diego’s Comic Con, Hobby gamers have Gen Con. In 2001, the convention became so large that outgrew Milwaukee’s large MECCA convention center. For the past nine years, Gen Con has been held in Indianapolis’ large Indiana Convention Center and they have been filling it to the brim. Since last year the Indiana Convention Center has doubled in size. But like the freeways of Southern California, the increase in accessible flow space has quickly been filled with excited gamers.
Gen Con LLC won’t release official attendance figures until Sunday night, but those who had pre-purchased attendance badges with the expectation of quickly picking them up were in for a surprise. Both the night before the formal festivities began, and the first morning of the convention, the line to pick up badges extended for blocks. Wise where those who had their badges Fedexed to them before the show.
The event is filled with PR panels where publishers announce new product, industry pros discuss breaking into the industry, game auctions, two awards celebrations, and game design workshops. Oh...and there is a ton of game playing going on as well.
In short, it's like Comic Con before Hollywood descended onto the occasion. It's an event for Hobby Gamers and by Hobby Gamers. Peter Adkinson, the Owner of Gen Con LLC, is a long time veteran of the gaming industry who says that "in recent years I've hungrily devoured many of the games that might be labeled 'indie RPGs' because I love how their designers are turning upside down so many traditional notions about how RPGs 'have to be.'" This veteran's quote hits on something amazing. In a downturned economy, the gaming industry is booming. While sales figures for many games may be below record levels, there has never been a greater variety of excellent gaming product available for play. What's more, the Indie Games are growing in their audience and pushing new demographic ground as well as new mechanical ground.
Speaking of Indie Games -- Wednesday Night, the Diana Jones Awards awards celebration was held. The Diana Jones Awards are an annual award that is won by something that represents "excellence in gaming." It's a broad award criteria that has allowed for a broad array of prior winners. People have won the award for their contribution to the community, conventions have won for their charity work, websites have won, and yes games have won. This year, the excellent Indie Game "Fiasco"
by Jason Morningstar took home the prize.
Fiasco is inspired by cinematic tales of small time capers gone disastrously wrong – inspired by films like Blood Simple, Fargo, The Way of the Gun, Burn After Reading, and A Simple Plan. You’ll play ordinary people with powerful ambition and poor impulse control. There will be big dreams and flawed execution. It won’t go well for them, to put it mildly, and in the end it will probably all go south in a glorious heap of jealousy, murder, and recrimination. Lives and reputations will be lost, painful wisdom will be gained, and if you are really lucky, your guy just might end up back where he started.
Fiasco is a GM-less game for 3-5 players, designed to be played in a few hours with six-sided dice and no preparation. During a game you will engineer and play out stupid, disastrous situations, usually at the intersection of greed, fear, and lust. It’s like making your own Coen brothers movie, in about the same amount of time it’d take to watch one.
There is much more to report, but I am getting ready to head out to a panel hosted by Margaret Weis Productions where they will be announcing their new game license. They say it is a HUGE license.
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