The Independent Insurgency

01:12 am - [Independent Insurgency] Episode 014: Ben Lehman on XXXXtreme Street Luge

In this episode I talk with Ben Lehman of These Are Our Games (aka TAO games). We touch on his game about the lives of microcelebrity extreme athletes, XXXXtreme Street Luge, while conducting a wider-ranging discussion about microcelebrity of another kind, playtesting, ashcanning, and "what's wrong with the indie game design community, and what's always been wrong with the indie game design community." Warning, this one gets a mite prickly.

This episode is 56.5 MB big and 1:01:43 long.

03:39 pm - Me and Misspent Youth on Brilliant Gameologists

The cool folks at Brilliant Gameologists did a snippet about me and Misspent Youth on their latest episode. It was really nice of them. Even if they describe it as the "worst episode ever."

Hopefully I can come to their iteration of JiffyCon in November.

09:56 am - A break in the podcast schedule

Hey folks,

I don't ordinarily do this for my show (I have this silly pride in not breaking the fourth wall), but at the moment I don't have any shows banked that I can use and things are a little hectic, finishing up my game (Misspent Youth). If you're a game designer and you wanna do an interview and you're reasonably close to NJ (I only do face-to-face interviews for the show), maybe you can help me avoid missing Thursday's show-coming-out-failure.

Anyway, it might be a little while for my next show(s), but I promise I'll get back on the stick.

10:17 am

In this episode, I talk with Jason Morningstar of Bully Pulpit Games about Grey Ranks. Grey Ranks is a game about the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis in World War II (not to be confused with the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising). In the game, you play teenage kids (roughly the equivalent of the Boy Scouts) to fight (to ultimate futility) to defeat the Nazis. I get very verbally fumbly at the end, discussing the status issue. Hope you enjoy the show.

This episode is 52.8 MB big and 57:35 long.

01:08 pm - [Independent Insurgency] Episode 012: Anna Kreider on Thou Art But A Warrior

In this episode, I speak with Anna Kreider about her supplement for Ben Lehman's game Polaris, Thou Art But A Warrior. Thou Art But a Warrior is a game where your Muslim knights seek (ultimately, in good Polaris style, in vain) to fend off Christian crusaders. We recorded this on the first night of Camp Nerdly 2 in the woods of Triangle, VA. Hope you enjoy it.

This episode is 77.9 MB big and 56:45 long.

05:03 pm - [Dresden Files] PoliCon session 2

The Game Master Show has released the second episode of the AP recordings I made of my Dresden Files playtests at PoliCon. This is the full 3 hour and 48 minute recording.

Thanks, guys.

11:11 am - Dresden Files AP on The Game Master Show

The Game Master Show just released an episode where they played AP recordings I made of my Dresden Files playtests at PoliCon. I'm not sure whether this episode has one of the two sessions I ran in its entirety or if this is an amalgamation of the two sessions I ran with excerpts. It's three hours and 18 minutes long.

(PS: Thanks to Phil for letting me know about this.)

EDIT: I just listened to some of this and it sounds like it's going to be the complete audio of the first of two sessions I ran on that day.

01:41 pm - Dreamation 2008 designer's roundtable

The Sons of Kryos's latest episode is the second half of the Dreamation 2008 Game Designer's Roundtable. I talk about Misspent Youth at about the 45 minute mark.

10:43 pm - [Independent Insurgency] Episode 011: Kat & Michael Miller on Serial

In this episode I talk with Kat and Michael Miller about their upcoming game, Serial. Serial, which will be published by Incarnadine Press, is a game based on true crime investigations of serial killers. The game is careful to focus most of the interest on the victims of these crimes rather than the cops or the killer. In fact, no one plays the killer. It's an exciting and interesting game that I enjoyed playing.

This episode is 80.9 MB big and 58:55 long.

Closing song is Skinhead Boi by the Hub City Stompers
Logo courtesy of Daniel Solis: http://danielsolis.com/

05:59 pm - [Misspent Youth] AP on Virtual Play podcast

Mel White has an excellent Actual Play podcast (the only one I listen to) called Virtual Play. I was delighted to learn that in episode 28, he chose to include some AP from the Misspent Youth session he played with me at PoliCon (last month?). It was great to hear how the game plays outside of my own head and I'm really excited that clips from this game were used in this particular episode, since it was about making other players awesome. The fact that my game is relevant for that topic means that at least one of my design goals has been satisfied.

In particular, this focuses around the use of The Tag, which is a thorny bit of mechanics that I have at times considered dropping from the game because for some reason people have been resistant to it. Listening to this piece and hearing what Mel said about the mechanic helped firm my confidence in it.

The Misspent Youth stuff comes in at the 25:34 mark but I encourage you to listen to the whole (33 minute) show. It's quite interesting and he does a great show.

Thanks Mel!

09:16 pm - [Independent Insurgency] Episode 010: Vincent Baker on kill puppies for satan

In this episode, I interview Vincent Baker of Lumpley Games about his first published roleplaying game, kill puppies for satan. This was kind of a silly one, as many of the questions I'd ordinarily ask a little weird in this context. You'll see.

This episode is 01:01:48 long and 84.8 MB big.

Closing song is Bridge Over Troubled Squatter by the Hub City Stompers
Logo courtesy of Daniel Solis: http://danielsolis.com/

12:10 am - Episode 009: Michael O'Sullivan on Criminal Element

In this episode, I talk to Michael O'Sullivan of Full Motor Productions  about his heist game, Criminal Element (whose development version is  currently available as a free download). This is the first show I've done  from my home and I was very grateful to Michael for coming up to see  me and talking with me about his game.

This episode is 1:03:51 long and 87.7 MB big.

11:59 pm - Episode 008: Brennan Taylor on Mortal Coil

In this episode, I speak with Brennan Taylor of Galileo Games about his game, Mortal Coil. As Brennan is also a co-owner of Indie Press Revolution, we also discuss a bit about how that business works and what implications there are for him as a client and owner of IPR. 

This episode is 78.2 MB big and 56:55 long.

Closing music is WTFIU? by the Hub City Stompers

Logo courtesy of Daniel Solis: http://danielsolis.com/

01:07 pm - [Independent Insurgency] 007: Evil Hat on SOTC (+ some Dresden Files)

On this show I interviewed Rob Donoghue and Fred Hicks of Evil Hat Productions about Spirit of the Century. We also touch on some previewey stuff for the Dresden Files RPG as well.

This episode is 93 MB big and 1:07:40 long. 

Closing music is Skins Don't Cry by The Hub City Stompers.

Logo courtesy of Daniel Solis: http://danielsolis.com/

05:23 pm - [Independent Insurgency] Episode 006: Joshua AC Newman on Shock:

In this episode, I interview Joshua AC Newman on his game, Shock: Social Science Fiction. Joshua's a great graphic designer, so in addition to the interesting things he has to say about his game and the design process, he's particularly instructive with regard to the production phase of putting your game out there.

This episode is 91.4 MB big and 01:06:34 long.

Closing music is Chatterbox by The Hub City Stompers.

Logo courtesy of Daniel Solis: http://danielsolis.com/

04:59 pm - Episode 005: Epidiah Ravachol on Dread

In this episode, I speak with Epidiah Ravachol of The Impossible Dream about Dread.

This episode is 57.5 MB big and 1:02:52 long.

Closing music is Tocatta and Droog by The Hub City Stompers.

Logo courtesy of Daniel Solis: http://danielsolis.com/

12:25 am - [Independent Insurgency] Ep 004: Meguey Baker on 1001 Nights

01:14 pm - [The Independent Insurgency] Episode 002: Vincent Baker on In a Wicked Age...

In this episode, I talk with Vincent Baker of Lumpley Games about his upcoming game, In a Wicked Age, which will be released at Dreamation 2008, in late January. I was so excited, I couldn't wait for my preproscribed deadline this Saturday.

The show is 01:10:38 long and 64.6 MB big.

EDIT: Vincent pointed out I failed to provide a link.