The Call of the WILD

I've been a bit quiet and cagey about what I've been up to over the last few months, and I'm sorry I'm going to continue that caginess for now. But I've been busy, with a combination of work, writing, more work, not sleeping, stress and more. However, in amongst all that, when I'm actually trying to wind down, usually trying to get some sleep, my mind is drawn back by the call of the WILD. The WILD RPG I've been talking about and working on for the last three years...

Last night was no exception. There I was, trying to sleep after a long-assed day at the shop, and my mind started down a road. No. Not a road. A freaking rollercoaster.

It started with thinking about a Kickstarter. A friend of mine in games writing emailed me last week to see if I'd "be a stretch goal" - write just a few hundred words, only really a page, to contribute to his Kickstarter. I immediately said yes, not only because I thought the project sounded cool, but also because I've always liked this writer's work.

That got me thinking. I know a lot of people in the games industry. I could do the same thing! Offer to pay them (which would be fine if I Kickstarted the game) a little to write a few hundred words (if that) - maybe detailing a dream they'd had, and imagine how it would work as a scene or scenario that could inspired GMs to use it in their WILD game.

Then I started thinking, if the game did that well, I could package them all up in their own supplement at a certain stretch level.

So there's a supplement sorted. Though I'd always hoped if the game did well from a potential Kickstarter, that I'd split the section of the rules that dealt with card interpretation off into their own book, so it'd be easier to access for reference. So, that's two books after the core.

Cool.

And then there's the fiction. I don't know if it's any good, but the three books of fiction I had planned serves as a backstory to the game setting. Why and how the dreamshare technology exists in the real world. What's going on with the company that created it while the MD is "lost in the WILD". What happens to the real world once the technology becomes available.

So there's that.

And a Kickstarter would pay for some cool illustrations. Though part of me is such a control freak I'd want to to it all myself, but I'm just not gifted in the art department. And cool artists, like Eric Canete or David Despau, cost money. Lots of money because they are filled with so much talent!

But then, a cool and eye catching cover would sell the Kickstarter...

It's a never ending circle that one.

And I had ideas of making videos. A video a bit like the opening of the fiction, explaining where the tech came from and the nightmarish visions our heroine is trying to escape. And I had the urge to make a video that looked like a corporate instructional video from Apple or something, showing you how to use the dreamshare technology - how to put on the headset and program the machine, etc.

Then I started thinking about the graphic design for the books, and wanting it to have creative and interesting layout like 2nd Edition Kult or House of Leaves, but then I realised that I needed a better layout program than Pages on the Mac. Hell, I can't even do facing pages in that any more...

Then, of course, by the time I've gone through this cycle, I'm in a restless sleep, ready to start another day back to reality.

I'll find time to continue WILD somehow. It keeps calling me...

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Thirtyone: Best Advice You were given?

And here we are on the final day of #RPGaDAY2016. It's been a blast, and first of all I must thank Anthony Boyd and the rest of the RPGBrigade for doing such a fantastic job of hosting #RPGaDAY this year, spreading the word of the initiative further than I could ever do alone. And I must also thank them for hosting while I was a little busy, just when I thought we'd have to skip #RPGaDAY altogether this year.

I'd also like to thank Will Brooks again for his awesome graphic design skills and patience in producing this year's #RPGaDAY image that has been seen far and wide.

And finally, I'd like to thank everyone who has taken it upon themselves to join in this year - who answered the questions in status updates, tweets, and images, right up to extensive blog posts and detailed videos. #RPGaDAY would be nothing without the participation of gamers everywhere, and with so many of you joining in this year it has become a significant success. Thank you.

Who knows, maybe next year it'll be even bigger!!

And so, onto the final question. What is the best advice you've been given about a game?

Initially, the advice I'd immediately recall was back when I started playing. Going to my first few gaming sessions I spent a lot of time simply observing, seeing how the game worked, and only chiming in when I was asked directly what my character was doing. It wasn't long before I was advised to just leap in, get involved, and not to be afraid to try something.

The other advice is more me giving advice from what I'd learned. After attending a couple of Dragonmeet conventions, I remember a great panel about indie games a couple of years ago that really opened my mind to different games. Being an oldie, I was brought up with the classics and it was a real revelation to see just how varied and exciting some of these indie games are, and just how revolutionary some of the game design is.

So, my advice, based on that I've been given, is give it a go, try new things, and free your mind.

Thank you again for joining in with #RPGaDAY. I'm sure it'll be back next year!

Until next blog post, stay multi-classy!

#RPGaDAY Day Thirty: Your Ideal Game Room

Day Thirty of #RPGaDAY asks what your ideal gaming room would be like if budget was no option. I have to admit, I've stopped playing at the big, traditional table, preferring the more relaxed atmosphere of sitting in bigger comfy chairs. We have smaller tables if we need to roll dice, but the relaxed feel lets us get into character better.

I guess, if budget wasn't a problem, then the bridge of Enterprise D is a great start. If the front chairs swivelled around to face the others, that'd be great. Or it'd be ideal for running Star Trek - the GM could be where the viewscreen is...

Until tomorrow, for the final day - Peace, and Long Life...

#RPGaDAY Days 25-29: It kinda got away from me...

Yeah, time got in the way again. So let's catch up on the questions before we head into the final stretch!

Day 25: What makes a good character?

It's all down to the player. I've seen some really interesting characters get created at the table, and they just haven't been played very well. You have to like the character you have as well. If you don't like the character you've generated, you really can't get into the game and it takes you out of it.

I'm not saying I'm super immersive or anything - far from it. But you have to at least like the character you have. Too many times as a kid I generated D&D characters I didn't like and just didn't enjoy playing them... finding myself putting them at risk needlessly until it wasn't long before I was cracking open the rulebook to create another character.

Day 26: What Hobbies Go Well with RPGs?

You mean you have time for hobbies as well? Jeez, I must be doing something wrong. I guess that as RPG gaming is quite imaginative and creative, suitably creative hobbies probably go best, such as writing, art, crafting... Making stuff!! Make art, be it words, visual or more! Just do it!

Day 27: Most unusual circumstances or location you've gamed?

That'll probably echo back to the 6th response, raising money for the local church roof with a marathon RPG session. The last place you'd expect a 90 hour game of D&D to be played, especially in the 80's, would be a church hall. I'm sure that place was haunted as well...

Day 28: Thing you'd be most surprised if a friend hadn't seen or read?

It still surprises me when someone hasn't seen Star Wars. Any of them. What's wrong with you?

Day 29: If you could game anywhere on Earth, where would you choose?

That one's easy. J K Rowling's house. I'd run a game at J K Rowling's house to show how RPGs work - to prove that a game can be fun, exciting, creative and imaginative without changing or harming the source. I'd get her to join in on one of our current Star Wars games - a massive amount of fun, excitement and drama that doesn't lessen Star Wars at all. Doesn't destroy canon, doesn't ruin the films or the books, and hopefully, by the end of the game, she'd let me write the official Harry Potter RPG...

We can dream, can't we?

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Days 19-24: Previously, on #RPGaDAY

There was a good reason why I didn't try to run #RPGaDAY this year, and it's a good job I did. Things got on top of me, dayjob, writing, and more... so I'm a little behind. That, and there are some questions this year that I really have no idea how to answer. Let's try to catch up ready for the final week...

Day Nineteen: Best Way to Learn a New Game?

When I first started playing RPGs, I played in other people's games. First of all it was JR's Traveller game, then Pete's AD&D and Runequest. The advantage there was that I was joining a game that other players already knew how to play, and they could guide me, help me with the rolls, and bring me up to speed.

The first game I bought to run was Star Frontiers, and by then I was more game savvy and after reading the rules multiple times before trying to run the game. But nothing actually beats playing. Playing gives you a real sense of how everything works.

I'd really like to experience FATE and how it works in play. It's all fine reading the rules over and over, but I haven't experienced it in action to see it actually underway. I think the only solution to that is watching "actual play" videos on Youtube.

Day Twenty: Most Challenging but Rewarding system you learned?

I guess the most challenging game has to be Nobilis. It really took a while to grok what was actually going on in the game, and it sat on the shelf for ages with me taking the "great white book" off of the shelf every so often to give it another try before giving up again with a resounding "I have no idea what's going on..."

Then I read the examples of play, and everything really clicked into place. While I still haven't played Nobilis, the realisation of how it works was excellent and really opened my eyes to a different way of playing games. One day, I hope to experience it in action.

Day Twenty-One: Funniest Misinterpretation of a Rule in Your Group?

That one I have no answer for. I don't think we've ever misinterpreted a rule and had a funny result. We've usually just realised that something wasn't making sense and ignored it, getting on with the game.

Day Twenty-Two: Supposedly Random events that keep recurring, and
Day Twenty-Three: Share one of your best "worst luck" stories.

I've merged these ones together, because the most recent "worst luck" story is mostly due to a "supposedly random event". We tried our hand at The One Ring recently, so that our usual Star Wars GM could get up to speed for running it at GenCon. However, I think were was something wrong with my set of dice for the game. Considering we must have rolled about 10-20 times each evening, easily over 50% of the time we were rolling the "Eye of Sauron" on the d12. Bad, bad, bad...

Especially in combat with a bunch of brigands.

Which brings us to today...

Day Twenty-Four: What is the game you are most likely to give to others?

The game I'm most likely to give to someone is going to be Conspiracy X 2.0. I loved that game, and very happy with how the new version came out. And, thanks to Eden, I have multiple copies as the author / line developer. It's a great example of a neat, compact, portable RPG book with everything in a series of small books.

Game I'd LIKE to be able to give to others, would probably be the old WEG Ghostbusters, or Eden's Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG. Probably the finest examples of accessible and cool RPGs ever produced.

Right, that's it! I'll try to keep up for the last week!

Until then, LLAP and Stay Multiclassy!

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Eighteen: What Innovation could RPG groups benefit most from?

Completely and utterly stumped on this one. I may have to pass today...

Be interested to see what everyone else says...

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day 17: What Fictional Character?

What Fictional Character would you like to have join your group? That's another weird one, but at least I have a few answers for that. Especially as a lot of the gaming I do is based on licensed settings.

How about Mulder and Scully joining in a game of Conspiracy X?

Jar Jar Binks coming along to our current Star Wars game (that would be fun!).

Jacob the Pathfinder (from the movie Ink) to help playtest WILD?

The Doctor, joining in on a game of Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space?

No, I think the one I'd have to go for would be Rupert Giles, playing the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG. See how long it takes for him before he gets knocked out in a fight... Bloody priceless.

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Sixteen: Historical Person you'd like in your group?

And what game?

No idea. I guess an interesting one would be Carl Jung, to come over and playtest WILD for me. Be interesting to see what he'd have to say about the use of Tarot and the dream imagery in the game.

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Fifteen: Best source of inspiration

Day Fifteen of #RPGaDAY 2016 asks what the best source of inspiration for my games? Definitely movies. I came away from watching Inception with a bizarre desire to write an RPG that captured the surreality of dreams. That allowed characters to use technology to dreamshare, and to experience each other's inner thoughts and conquer their personal demons.

Though it could be said that a lot of what came later to WILD was actual dream experiences, which would come a close second on the inspiration charts...

One day, I'll finish the WILD RPG.

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Fourteen: Dream Team

Dream Team of people you used to game with. That's an easy one. I'd love to get the old band back together. We were The Eight. We were the Yorkshire equivalent of the Losers Club in a Stephen King novel. Together we could take on the world.

The Eight, or at least seven of us. Mole, Milo, Me, Bragi, Coop, JR and Fordy, at one of our reunions
(real names not used to protect the innocent)
(Ironically, missing two, John and Pete)

I haven't gamed with them since the early 90's, so it'd be interesting to see how gaming with them would compare.

Otherwise, I'd love to get the two groups I am in at the moment together. To see how the players of Star Wars and Changeling would work as a whole. They're all excellent gamers, and I'm sure it'd be amazing.

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Thirteen: A Successful Campaign?

Day Thirteen of #RPGaDAY 2016 is about what makes a successful campaign? Personally, I have no idea, but I think a major contributing factor is the player's relationship with their characters. If the players really enjoy playing the characters, as I've found in a couple of games, it really seems to come together. If they can "get into character", the campaign planned can be almost completely improvised, as the characters themselves will lead the story with only a little guidance from the GM.

I remember a great Kult game we were playing, and I'd just bought a new supplement (The Judas Grail). The players remained in character, and they went off and did their own thing, dipping back into the plot of the scenario from time to time just to keep the story running. But, rather like a good serialised story, the characters and their relationships were what kept the players coming back week upon week, building an epic story that we remember even now, many years later.

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Twelve: What Game Next?

So, finishing off the first column of #RPGaDAY is "What game is your group most likely to play next? Why?"

Tricky, and the simple answer is "I have no idea". We seem to be pretty happy with the Star Wars game we have going at the moment, but I guess if we were to try something else I'd be tempted to suggest going back to our roots. The game group formed playing Mage and Kult, so I guess I'd suggest the new edition of Kult, or possibly Invisible Sun, which is very intriguing...

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Eleven: Which gamer most affected the way you play?

I have no idea.

I'm going to go and change the question a little to be "which gamer changed the way I look at gaming?" so I can address Wil Wheaton.

Up until recently, I'd been a real "old school gamer". Not in the grumpy only-plays-1st-edition-D&D way of being an old school gamer, but more in the style of play. Then, I saw Titansgrave - The Ashes of Valkana. There was a moment early on where our team of intrepid adventurers find some treasure, and instead of rolling on a table, or looking it up in an adventure, the GM (Mr Wheaton) turns the tables and asks the players - "What do you find?"

What the hell? I mean, trusting your players with that kind of decision was a real revelation. My old gaming group when we were kids would have been - "Well, I find a +5 holy avenger, or a full set of magically enchanted full plate armour."

Certainly changed the way I looked at running a game.

#RPGaDAY 2016 - Day Ten: Largest in-game surprise?

Going to have to be boring and refer to a couple of events that occurred during games this year, and ones I've already mentioned this #RPGaDAY.

Second biggest surprise has to be in the Changeling: The Lost game we've been playing, spotting someone at a crowded railway station in Victorian York who strangely looked exactly like one of our characters. We gave chase and I managed to catch up with her, only for her to fall into the path of a train that was coming into the station. It wasn't going very fast, but she shattered on impact like glass, which I think left all of the players sitting stunned for a bit, confused and surprised by what had happened. Very cool, but a bit wiggy as we used to say back in my hometown.

Biggest surprise came during our FFG Star Wars game - it was all going so well, playing apprentice Jedi during the Clone Wars. We'd been sent off (in completely the wrong direction thankfully) to track down some artefacts that General Grievous was looking for, and to find a missing group of apprentices that had been given the same mission. It was obviously going to be dangerous, so the Republic had sent us with three ships of clone troopers.

One ship was damaged and had to stay in orbit, but we landed with forty troops. Twenty stayed at the ships, and twenty came with us on the mission - which was a success. We found what was left of the previous group, and the dark Jedi that was causing the problems. However, on the way back to the ships, a message came over the communicators to the clone commander - Execute Order 66.

We were beaten, bruised, shot at, and knackered, only to have to fight the troops who had been assigned to protect us.

Needless to say, it was a tough fight, but we survived and escaped. Went into hiding and we've teamed back up again a year later to start the fight to take down the Empire.

Awesome. But Order 66 was a hell of a surprise to pull in the game.