Midwest GameFest This Week

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I will be a guest at Midwest GameFest later this week in Independence (Kansas City), MO. I’ll drop by Thursday evening, but will be running games on Friday evening (Twilight Imperium Embers of the Imperium / Genesys), Saturday evening (Star Wars), and Sunday morning (Paranoia). Saturday’s game is currently full, but you never know if everyone will show up. Plenty of other events as well from RPGS to table top to seminars and more of the usual convention offerings.

Details at midwestgamefest.org.

Dice in Mind Podcast Interview

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The Dice in Mind podcast released a new interview with me a few days ago. We discuss my RPG and cartography freelancing, as well as some other subjects along the way. It is Episode 99: Sterling Hershey and FFG and Edge Studio, and can be downloaded here from Apple or Podbean.

They interview a lot of different individuals involved in gaming and/or the gaming industry, and take a broader view at times. A few previous interviews readers of this…periodic…blog might be interested are listed here for Podbean, but should also be on Apple.

Star Wars Wednesday - Tom Veitch, RIP

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It has been far too long since I’ve posted a Star Wars Wednesday. I doubt I’ll get back to a weekly schedule any time soon, but hopefully I can become a bit more active.

Star Wars Dark Empire Triliogy Cover

Unfortunately, my reason for posting now is the passing of Tom Veitch. I never met Tom in person, and the last time we communicated was almost 30 years ago. Looking back, I think he was the first Star Wars Extended Universe creator I met or had a discussion with outside of West End Games staff and freelancers. It was definitely a unique time for Star Wars discussion via computer networks.

In the summer of 1992, I was active on the FidoNet Star Wars Echo. The internet wasn’t mainstream and browsers weren’t a thing yet. It was DOS, dial up, and the realm of the BBS. An echo was basically a BBS message board (an early forum) that had its posts copied and periodically transmitted by dial up to another BBS that participated in the network. The discussions were wildly out of order at times as multiple people might respond to a post on their local BBS and then those would get combined as the echo was updated at a later time or date.

Ad-hoc networks like FidoNet were early (semi-)centralized online discussion systems, carrying a wide variety of topics. The Star Wars Echo was the first time that I know of where you could discuss Star Wars with people across the country. What was particularly cool was that early EU creators became involved and discussed aspects of Star Wars that pertained to their current and sometimes future work. Tom Veitch was one of those creators. The Dark Empire comic series was a huge deal when it released, and everyone was still getting used to the EU.

I wasn’t a published freelancer yet. My first Star Wars RPG adventure Milk Run would be the official Star Wars adventure for the RPGA at Gen Con a few months later. I had some contact with WEG, often via GEnie, which was a completely different computer system.

So, getting a chance to see comments from Tom and others was great. It was exciting to become part of the discussion and field questions directly. Keeping text files of the conversation was challenging in the DOS days, but I managed to keep ASCII text files of some of them. What I have is very incomplete, but looking back at them confirmed a couple of things, and reminded me of others.

The first one I found, and had quite forgotten about, was a brief discussion about the concept of the issue of droid rights, which I somehow remembered at the time was mentioned in the original Star Wars novel. Tom was interested in coming up with a future droid liberation story, though not right at that moment. I wonder what he thought of Solo, so many years later.

There was an interesting discussion about cyborgs and the Force. Specifically, can a cyborg use the Force to directly control a computer it was hooked up to. I was providing info from the RPG and several people were part of the discussion.

Finally, the one I remembered, was a detailed discussion about how long distance communication works in Star Wars, and how much of that might be through hyperspace to get around the speed of light issues. Again, I was referencing the RPG and in particular the Imperial Sourcebook. Tom didn’t always agree with approach taken by the RPG, but the merits were discussed.

Just how early was this discussion for the EU? In 1992, we were using the first edition of the d6 system. Second edition had been announced, because it was noted in the messages, but not close to release.

The last messages I found were in July ‘92. After that would have been a trip to Gen Con. From there, I flew directly to Denmark to start my study abroad year, and didn’t have much computer access (or at least that kind of access) overseas. I think by the time I got back, Tom likely had moved on, and keeping up with the Echo was much harder due to its popularity. I also had my own freelance work to worry about by then.

Tom’s daughter has set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses, for anyone who might bet interested in contributing.

Gen Con Online 2021 Events

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I am running events for Gen Con Online again this year. It was a fun if different experience last year, and we had some international players, too. This time I’m running a new (unofficial) Star Wars Edge of the Empire convention game called Project Deflect. It’s set in The Mandalorian time frame, and new players are certainly welcome. I’ll be using Roll20 for the tabletop, and Discord for audio and video (video is not required). The provided pregenerated PCs include some Mandalorians and other characters. Gen Con Online badges are free, but there is typically a cost for each event.

Here are the event times and IDs:

RPG21197450 Project Deflect Sep 17th (Fri) 8:00 pm 4 hrs Cost: $2

RPG21197451 Project Deflect Sep 18th (Sat) 8:00 pm 4 hrs Cost: $2

RPG21197452 Project Deflect Sep 19th (Sun) 10:00 am 4 hrs Cost: $2

Your band of inexperienced bounty hunters must retrieve a combat gear engineer who was forced to flee a corporate testing facility within a New Republic/Imperial warzone.

I won’t be attending Gen Con in person this year, for the first time since skipping 2000 due to travel out of the country. 2020 doesn’t count, plus I participated in Gen Con Online. Along with other factors, my wife and I thought it was too soon to risk such large crowds over so many days. Gen Con is trying to balance running the event versus safety, updating their rules as needed. We’re vaccinated (and highly encourage everyone to do so), but the skyrocketing delta variant has made things worse then we imagined. Beyond a potential breakthrough infection, the travel risks include a random accident sending someone to an overloaded emergency room or hospitals at capacity during the trip. We had to make an emergency room trip in a normal year, and it wasn’t fun then.

Hopefully things will improve next year. Whether you’re going or not, stay safe.

Genesys Android Systems & Servers Released on Genesys Foundry

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I’m happy to announce my latest release. Systems & Servers is now available on the Genesys Foundry on DriveThruRPG.com for the Genesys RPG and Android Shadow of the Beanstalk science fiction setting. Systems & Servers features a wide variety of typical network and server layouts ready for a Game Master to drop into any online encounter, complete with ice protecting the sub-systems. Network layouts feature role specific layouts for commercial, megacorporation, government, military, satellite, and spaceship computer systems. Server layouts break down a specific server into individually protected functions. The networks and server layouts can be used individually or together depending on the encounter complexity desired by the Game Master.

The 38 page supplement brings new options for network encounters. New ice and icebreakers expand the threats and tools used by sysops and hackers. Code exploits enhance storytelling and roleplaying aspects of hacking and provides guidance for modifiers to the dice pool. New sysop adversaries are included to protect many of these new systems, or used in other adventures.

Former Fantasy Flight Games roleplaying and miniatures game designer and producer Max Brooke provided editing and rules development services. Most of the graphics elements I used to create the cover and system layouts were from Eric Trautmann’s Fedora Monkey Studio vector stock art offerings.

Here is the Systems & Servers back cover description, with a few more details:

Systems are targets.

Runners need target systems. Game masters need options. Systems & Servers has you covered with a variety of common networks and servers, complete with layouts and protective ice, ready to use on demand. Sysops gain new ice for their systems, and runners get new icebreakers. New opportunities and trouble await for everyone online in the Android universe.

This expansion includes:

• 9 new ice for sysops to use to protect their servers.

• 8 new icebreakers for runners to wreak havoc with.

• 8 new code exploits to inspire creative hacking.

• 18 new common network layouts with multiple servers.

• 6 new common server specific layouts.

• 10 new typical sysop adversaries for defending systems.

Here are examples of one network and one server layout:


Star Wars Wednesday - End of 2020

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The end of 2020 is finally upon us. Here’s hoping for a better year in 2021, though it looks like it will be a slow start and slow progress. Hopefully there will be more progress. It has been difficult here as well, though we could be much worse off. As for Star Wars Wednesday, you would think with more time and a great supply of new Star Wars content that I would have been posted more often. This might be the least I’ve done in a number of years, but I’m not going to check. So, here are are a few notes to end the year, and we’ll see how things go next year.

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Genesys Initiative Tabs Updated with KeyForge

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My Genesys Initiative Tabs on Genesys Foundry now includes Keyforge: Secrets of the Cruicible themed tabs and accessories. Previous purchasers may download updated files from their accounts on DriveThruRPG. This product achieved Silver best seller status relatively recently. Thanks to those who picked it up already. For anyone interested in doing so, you can find it here.

Images of the new pages are below. The updated file also includes a few formatting corrections to the form fields, and switched the italicized Android status tabs to vertical to avoid an annoying PDF printing bug affecting some PDF software and printer combinations…like mine.


Star Wars Wednesday - Catching Up, Sort of.

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I have been long remiss in updating this blog. The days really run together. Like many, I’ve been working from home for an extended period of time, not that that seems to help in this instance. I didn’t even note the various Genesys RPG and related Gen Con news, of which there was some. I’ll blame part of it on often running an online game session on Wednesday nights, but that’s not really an excuse either. So, on with it.

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Kantcon Online 2020 Events

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As with most conventions this year, Kantcon was cancelled and is hosting an online version July 17-19, 2020. I’m running a pair of events - Star Wars Edge of the Empire (The Sandcrawler Gambit) and Genesys Android (Solar Storm). Both are adventures I created, though The Sandcrawler Gambit has been a regular con event for me for a while, including a previous Kantcon.

Kantcon registration information.

Gen Con Online 2020 Events

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With the unsurprising cancellation of Gen Con 2020 came the news that there would be an online version this year. The events list was released this week, and I’m running a couple of sessions of Star Wars Edge of the Empire (The Sandcrawler Gambit) and a couple of sessions of Genesys Android (Solar Storm). Both are original adventures by me, though I’ve used Sandcrawler Gambit as a convention regular for a while now. I’ll be running them via Roll20.

Gen Con Online registration is free, but some events including mine have a small fee ($2 for most RPGs). There are a lot of free events, though, and a fair number of seminars etc. using a variety of online resources like Twitch or Zoom or other virtual tabletops. More events are being added. At this point, when you select a game or event, it goes to your wishlist. All wishlists get processed in about a week to give people a chance to get into at least some events. People selecting events after the wishlists are processed can get tickets to events that still have openings.

Gen Con Online registration and information.

My Gen Con Online events.

Star Wars Wednesday - FFG and RPG Update

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It is no news to anyone by now that life has taken a drastic turn with covid 19 wreaking havoc with health and and everything else. Like many, I’m working from home for my day job. My part of the world is just beginning to see cases appear and increase. However, my company works and travels worldwide, though I have not needed to do so, and won’t be anytime soon.

In a bit of good news, Asmodee and FFG have revealed more about their recent moves and future plans, including their various Star Wars games and the RPG.

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Star Wars Wednesday - A New Hope...for the RPG

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At my rate of posting this year, I ought to change the name of this series to Star Wars Monthly….but I won’t. It has gone on too long and maybe I’ll get back to a more regular schedule. At least there is some positive news on the Star Wars RPG / Genesys RPG front. The games will continue to be printed and produced, by a division of Asmodee, but not by Fantasy Flight Games.

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