Once again, I would like to point out the S7S wiki, here:

http://s7s.wikidot.com/

Please add to the 7 Skies -- whatever thrills you, buckles your swash, makes you happy.

That is what is it there for.

Tags: asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming, mad rpg theory, pdq, philosophy, s7s, sf&f, silly

Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies has been nominated for two 2009 ENnie Awards:

Best Setting and Product of the Year!

Other fine product nominees, for each category, include:

Best Setting
* The Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor, Arc Dream Publishing
* Hot War, Contested Ground Studio
* Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting, Paizo Publishing
* Slipstream, Studio 2 Publishing

...and...

Product of the Year
* Dark Heresy: Disciples of the Dark Gods, Fantasy Flight Games
* Don't Lose Your Mind, Evil Hat Productions
* Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Players Handbook, Wizards of the Coast
* Hunter: The Vigil, White Wolf
* Mouse Guard, Kunoichi/Archaia
* Scion: Ragnarok, White Wolf
* A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, Green Ronin
* Starblazer Adventures, Cubicle 7 Entertainment, Ltd
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Wizards of the Coast

As ever, it is an honor to be nominated.

Full list of nominees in all categories here.

Voting begins on July 24th!

Tags: asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming, pdq, s7s, vitamin u

Paul Tevis -- that is, ptevis -- is a magnificent bastard. A glorious magnificent bastard.

You see, I just received my hardcopy of A Penny for My Thoughts.

And I read it. All of it.

You're not getting an Underkoffler's Overview on this puppy until I play it.

WORD.

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', evilhat, game design, gaming, mad rpg theory, philosophy, podcast, underkoffler's overviews, wang, wtf?

Had an interesting discussion post-Nerdly with macklinr and drivingblind, and at least one IM-chat with lcdarkwood, on an intriguing (to me) topic.

I've been holding off on posting this, because it felt a little indulgent. With luck, I've rephrased the question so it's not totally all about me. ;)

To wit: Did/does a writer/designer's work in the more "traditional" end of the game industry pool -- like my work on games like GURPS and Unknown Armies -- matter to you when you consider purchasing and/or playing their self-published/indie/small press games?

FWIW, here's my most recently-updated pub lists...

Pen & Paper (current thru early 2006)
http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=1559

Rage's Pages (current thru early 2007; Geocities page; may vaporize)
http://www.geocities.com/chadu/pubs.html

(Dang. P&P was so freaking useful for tracking pub info. I need to update my Pub-list with a bunch of stuff... though I don't know if I should add System Design credits for all the 3rd Party PDQ-based stuff... I've lost track of them!)

Tags: asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming

After some discussion in the comments on the previous post on Space Opera Dogfighting, and some discussion on the S7S Yahoogroup, I am in the middle of rethinkery on SpOp Dogfighting.

Your comments desired; genre/media analysis and game design ( behind the cut... )

Thoughts, questions, comments, examples?

Tags: asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming, mad rpg theory, pdq, s7s, sf&f, spop

Master Plan #48: Chad Underkoffler on Setting Design, Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies

On this episode, Ryan sits down with Chad Underkoffler about designing setting (and, in some respects, writing in general) with his latest release, Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies. They touch on how the setting for this setting-rich book was conceived, fleshed out, and trimmed down to aim the right information at the play group. Afterward, Ryan tells you to check out Paul Tevis' A Penny For My Thoughts, because he's frankly damned proud of the work and thinks it makes for a great case study for one school of thought in design.

Direct download at http://media.libsyn.com/media/masterplan/masterplan_48.mp3

(Taste the Macklin!)

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming, mad rpg theory, pdq, philosophy, podcast, s7s, vitamin u, writing

Some continuing thoughts on tweaks and adjustments for PDQ# Space Opera (which, as noted previously) will probably be my go-to concept for convention and pick-up games)...

While most of Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies can easily be reskinned from swashbuckling to space opera (Nationality to Planet, Mystical Gifts to Psychic Powers, mild adjustments to Setting the Dials, etc.), there is one element that is very different between these related genres: Vehicle Combat.

In a word: Dogfighting.

Here's a first assay -- in outline/bullet point format -- at handling that issue; I'd love your thoughts on the topic.

( rules behind the cut )

These rules might even be back-portable into S7S. Hmmm.

Thoughts?

(Additional info on the PDQ# SpOp game played at Camp Nerdly 3 in this thread on Story-Games.)

Tags: asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming, mad rpg theory, pdq, s7s, sf&f, spop

This past weekend was Camp Nerdly 3.

Short form: Had great conversations, played fun games, drank regional sodas (Cheerwine and Dr. Enuf FTW!), and made silly faces at well-behaved babies. An all-around win.

Also, for the vid-inclined, Jason Morningstar's One Cool Thing I Saw At Camp Nerdly 3 on YouTube.

Otherwise, the ( long day-by-day breakdown behind the cut... )

SUMMARY: Had oodles of fun. Will try to go again next year!

Tags: asmp, batman, cartoons, conventions, dc-metro, evilhat, firefly, flash, freelance, game design, gaming, mad rpg theory, mental health, pdq, s7s, silly, spop, trip, vitamin u, work journal

Two fantastic Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies reviews now up:

Its a big book, and my only concern and hesitation in trying to run this is that it is a large amount to digest. Its hard to see how the book could or should be trimmed down for the purposes of running it, though. Chad does a comprehensive job.

I want to run this. I could have wished for, perhaps, a players version of the book like Trail of Cthulhu does, so that I can more easily infect the enthusiasm I have for the game on potential players.

Possibly, this game could do for the swashbuckling genre what Spirit of the Century did for the pulp genre.

— Paul Weimer (full review)

---

Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies offers fast paced, cinematic combat thanks to a small number of rules that do a great job of creating a swashbuckling play experience.

[...]

When the scenes are really shining, it’s because all of the participants are joining in. S7S has clear guidelines on who gets to narrate at different times. It’s definitely a traditional game in that it uses a GM, but the way narration is handed off enables more descriptive action sequences as players explain why their characters succeeded or failed at an action. Combined with good GM advice and a ton of wonderful setting material, S7S does everything it can to assist in creating great play at the table.

— Christopher W. Richeson (full review)

Go check these out: both are long, detailed, and very fun to read!

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming, pdq, s7s, vitamin u

Posted here:

http://www.stargazersworld.com/2009/04/23/interview-with-chad-underkoffler/

Check it out!

Tags: asmp, evilhat, game design, gaming, interviews, pdq, s7s