CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER
Vol. 28, No. 1
An international network of researchers
into all aspects of role-playing games
January 2019
David Millians, Editor
Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue,
Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA
ARTICLES
Report from the Chairman
Hello
All,
As you
may know, I was recently named a successor to M. Alan Thomas II as Committee
Chair. I’d like to thank Alan for all the work he put into CAR-PGA and all his
help in transitioning the Chair to me.
Additionally, Paul Cardwell resigned from his roles as a Board member
and Archivist. Please join me in thanking Paul Cardwell for his longstanding
contributions. Paul is the living history of CAR-PGA, and the organization
wouldn’t be where it is today without him.
Our
new board includes me, Ted Skirvin and David Millians. We’re planning on having
board meetings quarterly via Skype. Here’s what we discussed in our Q4 meeting:
·
Broaden our mission: CAR-PGA was established to advocate
for role-playing games. As tabletop gaming has increased in popularity, that
advocacy has taken on more relevance. Important work is being done on
inclusiveness and diversity to encourage people from all walks of life to join
us at the gaming table and the CAR-PGA should be part of that conversation.
·
Engage our membership: Google Groups (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/car-pga)
is the most popular platform for the membership after the web site. With
Google+ going away, its future is uncertain. We already have a LinkedIn group
run by C.J. LeBlanc, which you can find here https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4439688/. Whatever platform we choose, we need more
folks to engage with it, so you’ll see us referencing it in other
communications.
·
Relaunch the web site: As of today, our web site (http://www.carpga.org)
isn’t working. This has the unfortunate effect of making us invisible to the
general public. We’re working on getting access to fix that and hope to have it
up soon.
·
Engage the public with social
media: To ensure
we have a public-facing page, I’ve launched the CAR-PGA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pg/The-Committee-for-the-Advancement-of-Role-Playing-Games-202255190722747)
and encourage you to like it. We earn our shorter redirect of http://facebook.com/carpga
after 25 likes! We’d like to have one member publish an article about their
advocacy efforts each month.
·
Find a home for our archives: The history Paul has collected
over the decades is invaluable. We want to find it a permanent home as well as
a means to digitize it all, so we can share it with the public for future
generations.
·
Welcome more members: We need a broader, more inclusive,
and more active membership. Once we get our basic digital hygiene down, we can
start actively recruiting new members.
And
last but certainly not least, we need to hear
from you. CAR-PGA’s success depends on its membership. David will be
contacting each of you in turn to get your feedback about everything I outlined
above and the CAR-PGA in general.
That’s
a lot to take in, and I welcome a dialogue around the topic. You can reach me on the aforementioned Google
or LinkedIn groups, or contact me privately at miketresca@gmail.com.
I look
forward to a productive, engaging 2019 for the CAR-PGA!
Sincerely,
Mike
NEW MATERIAL
FROM
BILL WALTON
Camillo,
Alberto (2018 ) D&D @ the office: how role-playing games can help building
excellent teamwork. www.terem.com.au/blog/dd-office-role-playing-games-can-help-building-excellent-teamwork.
Encouraging creativity, cooperation, problem-solving, empathy, strategic
planning, and communication.
Chan,
Goldie (2018 December 11) 8 leadership lessons you can learn from ‘Dungeons
& Dragons’. www.forbes.com/sites/goldiechan/2018/12/11/8-leadership-lessons-dnd/amp.
Forbes looks at compassion, assertiveness, weirdness, mirroring, welcoming,
trustworthiness, listening, cooperation in D&D.
D&D
Beyond (2018 December 11) Using D&D to Treat Depression, Anxiety and to
Combat Bullying. www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=OTynipvVz8M&app=desktop.
Todd Kenrick talks to experts about treating patients with D&D.
Heller,
Emily (2018 ) D&D children’s books teach ABCs and 123s through the world of
role-playing. www.polygon.com/2018/12/10/18125540/dungeons-and-dragons-childrens-books-abcs-123s.
Interview with writer Ivan Van Norman and illustrator Caleb Cleveland.
Kwan,
Daniel (2018 December 10) Level Up Your Classroom with Tabletop RPGs. gnomestew.com/educationalrpgs.
Suggested RPGs for math, history, science, and social skills.
FROM
DAVID MILLIANS
BBC
(2018 December 10) Fornite: Gamer charged with assault during live stream. www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46504204.
Other players hear violence through player’s microphone, and police arrest him
for assault.
Brendan
(2018 December 9) OSR Survey Participation. www.necropraxis.com/2018/12/09/osr-survey-participation.
Analysis of those participating in poll about OSR players.
Brendan
(2018 December 13) OSR survey: meaning. www.necropraxis.com/2018/12/13/osr-survey-meaning.
Analysis of participants’ definitions of OSR.
Brendan
(2018 December 20) What about the R?. www.necropraxis.com/2018/12/20/what-about-the-r.
Survey participants’ meaning of the R in OSR.
Brown,
Evan Nicole (2018 December 7) How Myst Taught a Generation of Gamers How to
Explore New Worlds. www.atlasobscura.com/articles/exploring-myst-25-years-later.
Twenty-five year old game of imagination and tension.
Bullock,
Kate (2018 December 24) Ten Lessons from 2018: Becoming a Better Gamer. www.bluestockings.ca/2018/12/ten-lessons-from-2018-becoming-better.html.
Play with awareness and love.
ButterflyProj1
(2018 July 11) The Ugandan Village Boardgame convention 2018. cyen.org.uk/the-uganda-village-boardgame-convention-2018.
Development of the convention, many events, gifting games, and more.
Chadwick,
Bob (2018 December 9) No move is a good move for the Guardian columnist 63
years in post. www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/09/leonard-barden-chess-columnist-guardian-online.
Leonard Barden and the rising popularity of chess.
Duffy,
Owen (2018 December 20) The seven best board games for Christmas 2018. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/dec/20/the-seven-best-board-games-for-christmas-2018.
Luxor, Word Slam, Blue Lagoon, Troll & Dragon, Gizmos, Keyforge: Call of
the Archons, and Wildlands.
Gore,
Karoline (2018 ) Critical Success: How Role Playing is Vital for Your Child’s
Mental Development. columbiagames.com/critical-success-role-playing-vital-childs-mental-development.
Confidence, learning, and becoming another person.
Hanlon,
Bunny (2018 December 5) Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play. ineeddiversegames.org/2018/12/04/women-in-gaming-100-professionals-of-play.
News release about a book of women in the gaming industry.
Mazzanoble,
Shelly & Greg Tito (2018 December 14) WA State Senator Steve Hobbs on
D&D in Government. dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/wa-state-senator-steve-hobbs-dd-government.
Dragon Talk podcast episode includes interview with legislator.
Pobuda,
Tanya (2018 December 2) Assessing Gender and Racial Representation in the Board
Game Industry. analoggamestudies.org/2018/12/assessing-gender-and-racial-representation-in-top-rated-boardgamegeek-games.
Our hobby is not representative of our communities.
Sabbath,
Zak (2019 December 3) Roleplaying Games as Degenerate Art. dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2018/12/roleplaying-games-as-degenerate-art.html?zx=d96cdb2694f55621.
Limits on creativity.
Schoonover,
Ethan (2018 December 27) Running a School RPG or D&D Club. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu3WHJRFKX8.
Step by step from initial pitch to expanding the club.
Valentine,
Rebekah (2018 December 5) 84% of teen girls in the UK play video games in their
spare time. www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-12-05-84-percent-of-teen-girls-play-video-games-in-their-spare-time.
Gaming has become the number one hobby for teenage girls.
FROM
HAWKE ROBINSON
Robinson,
Hawke (2018 December 25) Happy Holidays & Upcoming New Content from RPG
Research. www.rpgresearch.com/blog/happy-holidays-2018.12.
Large update on many successful events, publications, and experiments and much
more in 2019.
FROM
M. ALAN THOMAS II
The
New York Times Retro Report (2016 June 7) Dungeons & Dragons: Satanic Panic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATUpSPj0x-c.
Overview of events in 70s and 80s, as well as the place of imaginative play in
the twenty-first century.
CONVENTIONS
New listings this month were provided by Paul Cardwell and Lou
Zocchi. Others are urged to submit information. If you attend a convention, be
sure and check the conventions table and let us have a copy of the fliers (or
at very least the when, what, where, and contact information) for upcoming
conventions available there. CAR-PGa is international, so this includes
anywhere in the world.
Dates, precise venue, contacts' URLs or phone numbers, and other
information, where missing from this list, would be particularly appreciated.
If we have missed any, send the information to plcardwell@gmail.com
Convention reviews should be sent to millians.david@paideiaschool.org
"[LARP]" means only LARP events as many RPG cons
include at least some LARP, as likewise applies to the mention of specific game
systems. The same bracketed information applies as well to game systems when
the con will have only those games present.
In an attempt to get more face-to-face meetings of the
membership, we list who will be going to what convention, if they will tell us.
Lou Zocchi will be at Pensacon on February 22-24; Gary Con on March 7-10; and
Tupelo Con on May 7-10. Get this type of information in at least two
months before the convention itself, so we can run it at least once. Support
your local cons by helping in the staff. It is a good way to promote RPG and
you generally get in free for the brief time spent helping.
A review of any attended convention afterwards for the
Newsletter would be appreciated too. These reviews should include demographic
data such as attendance, percentage male/female, white/ethnic minorities (or
whatever is the majority/white/others), games in addition to tabletop RPG, and
more subjective matters such as unusual events, quality of games and dealers'
room, encouragement of new gamers, and whatever seems worth reporting. We need
to work to restore CAR-PGa's reputation as the media's go-to on gamer
demographics, especially since the media are still citing a study that cut off
all those over 35 - at a time when that was the median age of gamers - it is
closer to 40 now - which indicates we also need to work on recruiting younger
players, although some increase in college age players at conventions has been
noted.
January 2019
4-6: Wizard World Comic Con New Orleans, Morial Conference
Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA: wizardworld.com
10-13: Anime Los Angeles, Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E
Convention, Ontario, CA; animelosangeles.org
10-13: Midwinter Gaming Convention, Hilton City Center, 509 W.
Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI; midwintergamingconvention.com
12-13: Festival des Jeux, Salle de l'Atelier,
Rue des Kardomers. Villefranche sur Saônes; festovaldesjeux.fr
18-20: Siege of Augusta, Augusta Doubletree, Augusta, GA; siegeofaugusta.org [mainly
mini wargaming]
18-20: Vermincon, University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark St,
Vermillion, SD; vermincon.wordpress.com
25-27: GCOM Winter Games Fest, VFW Glen Burnie, 2597 Dorsey Rd,
Glen Burnie, MD; winterquest.gamesclubofmd.org
26-27: Pow! Con, Best Western Gregory, 8315 4th Ave, Brooklyn,
NY
February 2019
7-10: Rapier, Jacksonville Airport Doubletree, Jacksonville,
FL; rapiercon.com [mostly
board and miniature]
9: Spaghetti ConJunction, Geek Retreat, 38 The Priory Queensway,
Birmingham, W.Mids; ukroleplayers.com
15-17: Anachrocon, Hilton Airport Atlanta, 1031 Virginia Ave,
Atlanta, GA; anachrocon.com
[alternate history]
15-17: London Anime & Gaming Con, Rocket Complex, London
Metropolitan University, London; londonanimecons.com
15-17: Williamsburg Muster, Clarion Hotel, Williamsburg,
VA; hamptonroadsgamers.org [mostly
wargame]
21-24: Hoop and Stick Con, Ravenwood Castle, 65666 Bethel Rd,
New Plymouth, OH; ravenwoodcastle.com/hoopandstick
22-24: Fire and Ice Convention, Manitowoc County Expo Center,
4921 Expo Dr, Manitowoc, WI; fireandiceconvention.com
22-24: Kami Con, Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, 2100
Richard Arlington Blvd N, Birmingham, AL; kamicon.net
22-24: Marmalade Dog, Bernhard Center, Western Michigan
University, 1903 W Michi Kalamazoo, MI: marmaladedog.org
22-24: Wizard World Comic Con Portland, Oregon Conventrion
Center, 777 NE MLK Blvd, Portland, OR; wizardworld.com
March 2019
7-10: Garycon, Geneva Ridge Resort, W4340 State Hwy 50, Lake
Geneva, WI; garycon.com
[Zocchi seminars]
8-10: Fogcon, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N Main St, Walnut
Creek, CA; fogcon.org [primarily
writer workshop]
8-10: TN Game Days, Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, 700 Cool
Springs Blvd, Franklin, TN; tngamedays.com
9: March to Oblivion, InterAction School of Performing Arts, 228
Germain Street, Saint John, NB; impossiblerealities.com
14-17: Emerald City Comicon, Washington State Convention Center,
Seattle, WA; emeraldcitycomicon.com
15-17: GameExpo, Hilton San Antonio Airport, 611 Northwest Loop
410, San Antonio, TX; thegamexpo.com
16-17: SwampCon, Reitz Student Union, 686 Museum Rd, University
of Florida, Gainesville, FL; swampcon.com
18: HerdCon, Marshall University Student Center, 1 John Marshall
Dr, Huntington, WV; facebook.com/herdcon
16: Fandomonium, Alachua County Headquarters Library, 401 E
University Ave, Gainesville, FL; allevents.in/gainesville/gamesvile
21-24: Lexington Comic Con, Lexington Convention Center, 430 W
Vine, Lexington, KY; lexingtoncomiccon.com
22-24: PlatteCon, Ullsvik Hall, 1 University Plaza, University
of Wisconsin Platteville, Platteville, WI; plattevillegaming.com
22-24: Who's Yer Con, Wyndham Indianapolis West, Indianapolis,
IN; whosyergamers.org 22-24:
Zenkaikon, Lancaster County Convention Center, Lancaster, PA; zenkaikon.com
29-31: International Steampunk Symposium, Crowne Plaza Blue Ash,
5901 Pfeiffer Rd, Cincinnati, OH; thepandorasociety.com/symposium
29-31: Planet Comicon, Kansas City Convention Center, 301 W 13th
St, Kansas City, MO; planetcomicon.com
29-31: Sci-fi on the Rock, Sheraton Newfoundland, 115 Cavendish
Square, St. Johns, NF; scifiontherock.co
30-31: Terminal City Tabletop Convention, Croatian Cultural
Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC; terminalcitytabletop.com
April 2019
11-14: Ambercon, Embassy Suites Detroit-Livonia, 19525 Victor
Pkwy, Livonia, MI; ambercon.com [Amber
diceless only]
12-14: CodCon, Turner Conference Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell
Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL; codcon.com
26-28: Hydra, Brookfield Scout Camp, Rd 1 562 Moore Valley Rd.,
Wainuiomata, Wellington, NZ; www.geekeventsaustralia.com/event/hydra [LARP]
26-28: JordanCon, Crowne Plaza Atlanta, Perimeter Center Pkwy at
Ravinia, Atlanta, GA; jordancon.org
26-28: Koboldcon, Chapel Hills Event Center, 1710 Briargate
Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO; koboldcon.com
©
Copyright 2019 by the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games
(CAR-PGa), ISSN 1071 7129. The CAR-PGa Newsletter is a monthly publication. For
more information contact David Millians, Editor, Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de
Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA, phone (404) 808-1070, fax (404)
377-3491, e-mail millians.david@paideiaschool.org.
Back issues are available. Contributions of material from the membership are
urged, and the byline is responsible for content. Deadline is the last weekday
of the month, email preferred. Permission is granted to copy anything in the
Newsletter, provided we get a credit line in the publication copying it, and it
doesn't have someone else's copyright on it. Information, including details on
joining CAR-PGa, can be obtained on the Internet at car-pga.org.
