CAR-PGa Newsletter October 2021

 CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER

Vol. 30, No. 10

An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games

October 2021

David Millians, Editor

Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA

millians.david@paideiaschool.org

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Hello All,

When Dom Zook joined the CAR-PGA, I thought his name was familiar. I associated him with Kickstarter, but couldn't recall why. After having Dom on as a guest for our virtual panel, I solved the mystery!

It was June 2014 when Dom created a Kickstarter to support the launch of Saving Throw, an instructional web-series and website, designed to teach you not only how to play but why. The first series covered Paizo's immensely popular Pathfinder role-playing game but soon branched out to other systems. Seven years later, and things have come full circle. Dom was a guest on our video stream about his video stream. You can view our interview here. 

There's a reason I backed Saving Throw seven years ago. Back then, Saving Throw was beginning of a wave of instructional and how-to videos, followed by YouTube juggernauts like Critical Role, which launched a year later. People didn't understand how role-playing games work and video was the solution. Dom knew it before the rest of us did.

Dom's been busy since that Kickstarter, as you can see from his extensive filmography on the Saving Throw wiki. You can help Dom out by following Saving Throw on YouTube, support the show on Kofi, and follow Dom on Twitter. 

We are currently scheduling guests for the next three months to the end of the year. If you're interested or have someone in mind you'd like to be a guest, let me know at miketresca@gmail.com.

Thank you for joining and I look forward to catching up next month!

Sincerely,

Mike Tresca

Committee Chair

Convention Report:   DragonCon 2021

By Ted Skirvin

DragonCon took place Labor Day weekend as an in-person event. There was also a virtual convention that ran concurrently. In 2020, the entire event was virtual. I had volunteered to run RPG sessions in the non-campaign section this year. I signed up to do five sessions, so that meant I got a free convention badge. Before the pandemic, the con was said to have an attendance from 80,000 to maybe 100,000. This year we had probably half of the old attendance.

Since I ran five game sessions and each one was four hours long, I did not get a chance to see much of the convention. I did manage to see a few discussion panels. I saw the art show, but it had about 25% fewer artists than before COVID. I heard that the film festival had been cancelled for this year. I did get to the dealer's rooms, and it seemed like there were just as many vendors as in the past, but there were far fewer customers. I heard that they did stage the DragonCon Parade this year but did not allow spectators on the sidewalks. Perhaps the world will have recovered enough next year so that the con will get back to pre-COVID attendance levels, but I kind of hope not. It was nice not having to deal with excessive crowds.

The con seems more diverse each year. I would estimate the male/female ratio (and I do realize that is a loaded concept nowadays) to be about 60/40. There were a few folks that I presume to have been trans. The ethnic/racial mix was probably something like 70% white, 20% black, 5% Latino and 5% Asian.  

NEW MATERIAL

FROM DAVID MILLIANS

Bidaux, Thomas (2021 September 1) State of Kickstarter and games – mid-2021 update. https://medium.com/icopartners/state-of-kickstarter-and-games-mid-2021-update-132964d2c523. Still growing through Covid and beyond.

Carter, Charles (2021 Sep 3) The Broken Token CEO steps down after laying off over half the company’s staff. https://www.dicebreaker.com/companies/the-broken-token/news/broken-token-ceo-steps-down-firings. Background and statement from the company regarding sexual assault allegations.

Carter, Charles (2021 Sep 3) Indie initiative SideQuest bookends the year with a second zin-focused TRPG event. https://www.dicebreaker.com/topics/sidequest-2021/news/sidequest-rpg-zine-collective. November festival of collaboration and support.

Carter, Chase (2021 Sep 17) Nigerian board game company Nibcard has won the Diana Jones 2021 award. https://www.dicebreaker.com/companies/nibcard/news/diana-jones-winner-2021-nibcard. Support for growing tabletop movement in West Africa.

Carter, Chase (2021 Sep 28) Brazilian TRPG designer calles attention to the relative invisibility of games from the Global South. https://www.dicebreaker.com/companies/kickstarter/news/tabletop-games-global-south-invisible. Language, markets, Kickstarter, and more limit access and exposure.

Chancey, Tyler (2021 Sep 15) TGG CEO Banned from GenCon, Loses Support. https://techraptor.net/tabletop/news/tgg-ceo-banned-from-gencon-loses-support. Jeff Bergren and his company continue to experience setbacks from accusations of white supremacy imagery in a game.

The Diana Jones Award (2021 Sep 29) The Lost Trophy. https://www.dianajonesaward.org/the-lost-trophy. The physical trophy is officially missing in the mail.

McCluskey, Megan (2021 Sep 28) The Board Game Business Is Booming, But the Global Shipping Crisis Could Be Disastrous. https://time.com/6096497/board-games-shipping-crisis. Price and availability drive crisis in production and income, especially for the smallest companies.

Rimmels, Beth (2021 Sep 17) NERDS Play Dungeons & Dragons. https://www.enworld.org/threads/nerds-play-dungeons-dragons.682643. Wizards of the Coast partners with candy company to create six small adventures to introduce D&D to new players.

© Copyright 2021 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.

CAR-PGa Newsletter September 2021

 CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER

Vol. 30, No. 9

An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games

September 2021

David Millians, Editor

Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA

millians.david@paideiaschool.org

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Hi All,

We're back! And by “back.” I mean we're not just back from vacation and back to school and work, but the pandemic is back in full force (in some parts of the world, it never left), and a lot of the plans to play inside with large groups of people are no longer advisable. Or rather, we all know we should wear masks, get vaccinated, and socially distance, but the overall tolerance for these behaviors is much lower than it was before. 

You'll recall that we released an infographic back in March 2020. We've learned a lot about the coronavirus since then, about what's risky (for the most part, it's much less of a risk sharing rulebooks/miniatures/dice than we thought) and what precautions we should take (don't play if you're sick and with no more than 10 players). All of this advice was subject to regional guidance by state and local authorities, of course. 

The one piece of advice that wasn't on the infographic at the time is a common discussion point these days: wear a mask. But that focus ignores a multilayered mitigation strategy that applies to every activity, including opening businesses like restaurants and sending kids back to school. 

Generally speaking, this multilayered strategy consists of appropriate distancing, mask-wearing, and proper ventilation/filtration. The problem is that not every venue can provide all three, so the potential risk increases depending on where you play. If you really want to see what your risks of catching covid from a game session, there are several online self-assessments that gauge how risky it might be. It's worth noting that when you fill out the form, tabletop gaming ticks several boxes for risk (2-5 hours indoors while "talking, eating, drinking, singing, shouting, or yelling" -- at least, that's how my games run!). 

Your risk tolerance will certainly vary based on your personal experience. I visit my elderly parents regularly, one of whom is in an eldercare facility. My daughter is too young to be vaccinated, although we hope to address that soon. So for us, for now, we're still gaming virtually on Sunday nights. 

On a lighter note, we're resuming our virtual panels this month with our newest member Dom Zook on Thursday, September 16 at 7 p.m. ET. You can us at: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82225045647?pwd=UlJ4QWsyWTBxK013WSsxeGZFTTU1UT09 

• • Meeting ID: 822 2504 5647
• • Passcode: 647733
• • +13017158592,,82225045647#,,,,*647733# US (Washington DC) 
• • +13126266799,,82225045647#,,,,*647733# US (Chicago) 

Look for an invite in your mailboxes soon. We can't wait to speak with him!

Whatever venue you choose and whatever game you play, I hope you stay safe. 

Sincerely,

Mike Tresca

Committee Chair

NEW MATERIAL

FROM DAVID MILLIANS

Alzrius (2021 Aug 6) Webbed Sphere, Inc. acquires long time game publisher Flying Buffalo, Inc. https://www.enworld.org/threads/webbed-sphere-inc-acquires-long-time-game-publisher-flying-buffalo-inc.681877. Holding company’s plans unclear.

Appelcline, Shannon (2021 Aug 16) Giants of the Industry: Steve Perrin. https://www.rpg.net/columns/advanced-designers-and-dragons/advanced-designers-and-dragons54.phtml. Retrospective and obituary for creator of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Runequest, and much more.

Carter, Chase (2021 Aug 4) Field Guide to Memory co-creator Jeeyon Shim wins 2021 Diana Jones Emerging Designer Program. https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/field-guide-to-memory/news/diana-jones-emerging-designer-jeeyon-shim. Winner of first such award designed to spotlight creators from marginalized communities.

Curran, Chris DM (2021 Aug 10) Three Things DM’s can Learn from Teachers, Episode 2. https://dumpstatadventures.com/guest-writers/three-things-dms-can-learn-from-teachers-episode-2. Start simple, build trust, Be positive and gentle, Listen.

Doctorow, Cory (2021 Aug 14) Provocateur copyrights a Magic: The Gathering Deck. https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/14/angels-and-demons/#owning-culture. Deep dive into legal definitions and repercussions.

Morrissey, Russ (2021 Aug 12) Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters. https://www.enworld.org/threads/million-dollar-ttrpg-kickstarters.678540. Avatar Legends breaks five million dollars with three weeks still to go in its fundraising campaign.

Nicoll, James Davis (2021 Aug 20) Steven Perrin’s Worlds of Wonder Changed the Game for RPGs. https://www.tor.com/2021/08/20/steve-perrins-worlds-of-wonder-changed-the-game-for-rpgs. Seminal multi-genre system.

TTRPGkids (2021 Jul 28) How TTRPGs have helped my kid and me – a review from ages 2.5 to 3 ages. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2021/07/28/how-ttrpgs-have-helped-my-son-and-me-a-review-from-ages-2-5-to-3-years-old. Gaming and development.

© Copyright 2021 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.

CAR-PGa Newsetter August 2021

 CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER

Vol. 30, No. 8

An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games

August 2021

David Millians, Editor

Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA

millians.david@paideiaschool.org

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Hi All,

We're still on hiatus for this month's virtual panel, but in the meantime I thought it was worth putting in a plug for CAR-PGA member Hawke's RPG Research and RPG Museum. RPG Research is a 501(3) non-profit charitable research and human services organization of international volunteers performing research studies on the educational and therapeutic aspects of participation in role-playing games and community programs improving lives using music and RPGs. As Hawke explains, "We are helping people heal & improving the quality of life for diverse populations around the world by providing accessible & inclusive collaborative research-supported programs using music and role-playing games."

Check out the latest video summarizing RPG Research here and donate at http://www.rpgresearch.com/donate. 

I hope you have a safe, fun summer, and we'll catch up again in September!

Sincerely,

Mike

Committee Chair

FROM THE EDITOR

As Mike says in his words above and exemplifies in his article discussing his own games with scouts, linked at the end of the New Material section, the gaming energy we expend—we, Mike, Hawke, you, me—to grow the hobby and its many positive impacts on the lives of others should continue, grow, and inform the efforts and possibilities in new games and stories and lives.

I’m getting my school haircut today, though it’s not clear if I’ll be in my classroom or online again when classes start in a couple of weeks. There is so much to prepare in this time of uncertainty, and that’s as true for everyone as for teachers and gamers. We can’t predict well our exact needs within the next month, much less beyond. In Atlanta, where I live and teach, every ICU bed is full, vaccinations are still lagging far behind, and the kids I teach are all too young to receive a shot and start building their immunity to Covid-19. As summer began, everyone began to feel more comfortable gathering, and many new projects began. Only two months later, we’re looking at shutdowns and lockdowns once again.

I’ve been running RPGs of various kinds with students in my classroom and after school for many years. During the spring and summer of 2020, these moved online, and though many tired of one Zoom session after another, these games were so important for many of my kids, a space to play, be themselves, socialize with one another, joke, win, fail, keep going, imagine. I’m not in your class, but can I join the game? Can you open another game, so more kids can play? Can we keep playing next term, next year? Can you help us set this up in the middle and high school? Yes! It was sometimes a big load on top of my normal teaching, home, and the strange pressures of Covid Times, but it grew wonderfully and gave many kids and families something different, something new. Many want to play more, run their own games, explore other expanses of imagination.

I’m running a summer game for the next two weeks, and then I start the next games in class and beyond. I hope it never stops growing.

Keep on playing!

David

NEW MATERIAL

FROM DAVID MILLIANS

Game Manufacturers Association (2021 Jul) GAMA Horizons Fellowship. https://www.gama.org/page/Horizons. GAMA announces program of mentorship and peer coaching, access and space within GAMA and GAMA Expo 2022, and financial support for creators from historically underrepresented communities.

Genius, Jean (2021 Jul 6) How visionary comic book artist Moebius inspired a new wave of weird tabletop RPGs. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/feature/moebius-inspiration-tabletop-rpgs. Keeping it imaginative and strange.

Griepp, Milton (2021 Jul 16) Hobby Game Sales Over $2 Billion in 2020. https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/48827/hobby-game-sales-over-2-billion-2020. RPG sales grow by 31% year-on-year, breaking $100 million for the first time.

Hall, Charlie (2021 Jul 22) D&D’s Drizzt books were built on racist tropes, R.E. Salvatore wants to change that. https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/22585687/dungeons-dragons-r-a-salvatore-drizzt-black-controversy-race-interview. Expanding and diversifying the drow.

HarperCollins Children’s Books (2021 Jul 6) HarperCollins Children’s Books Partners With Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast on Exclusive Dungeons & Dragon Middle Grade Publishing Program. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harpercollins-childrens-books-partners-with-hasbro-wizards-of-the-coast-on-exclusive-dungeons--dragons-middle-grade-publishing-program-301324235.html. Novels of several kinds coming to the primary school bookshelf.

Hughes, Gwyndaf (2021 Jul 4) Covid-19: ‘Dungeons and Dragons got us through lockdown’. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57636378. Mental health, family time, and widening acceptance.

Knox, Kelly (2021 Jul 17) A Sweet Adventure from Nerds X Dungeons & Dragons Arrives. https://nerdist.com/article/nerds-dungeons-and-dragons-candy-adventures. Candy company and Wizards of the Coast create scenario sequence and characters.

Maria, Anna (2021 Jul 1) The Black creatives of Dimension 20’s ‘Misfits and Magic’ are redefining inclusivity in tabletop gaming. https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/dimension-20-misfits-and-magic-inclusive-tabletop-gaming. Challenging traditional narratives and storytelling.

Oloman, Jordan (2021 Jul 12) Gaming is entering its fashion-forward phase. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/07/12/video-game-fashion-esports-streetwear. Fashion and video gaming culture.

Peck, Mark (2021 Jul 4) Panzers, Beans, and Bullets. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/04/war-in-the-east-2-wargame-russia-stopped-hitler. Review of War in the East 2 and the importance of logistics.

Perkins, Chris (2021 Jul 29) D&D Canon. https://dnd.wizards.com/dndstudioblog/dnd-canon. Defining relevant material for D&D 5E in order to increase accessibility for new dungeon masters.

Sam the Educational DM (2021 ) How to Make Friends and Succeed at Your Persuasion Check. https://dumpstatadventures.com/guest-writers/how-to-make-friends-and-succeed-at-your-persuasion-check. Gaming for social interaction and development in an age of lonely children.

Starchild, Tiffie (2021 Jul 15) . https://blacknerdproblems.com/black-fae-days-melanated-magic-continues-at-sankofa-solstice. The importance of imagination for Black folks.

Stitch (2021 Jun 25) D&D Renaissance Could Usher in More Accessibility, Inclusivity in TTRPG Fandom. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/dungeons-dragons-accessibility-inclusivity-ttrpg-fandom-fan-service-stitch. New media and players confront and weaken old stereotypes of gamers and within fantasy traditions.

Ward, Bill (2021 Jul 9) Jack Vance’s Influence on Dungeons & Dragons. https://goodman-games.com/blog/2021/07/09/jack-vances-influence-on-dungeons-dragons. Vance’s concepts and stories and sense of play informed earliest forms of published RPGs.

FROM MIKE TRESCA

Tresca, Mike (2021 Aug 2) Camping and D&D: Actual Play. https://www.enworld.org/threads/camping-and-d-d-actual-play.681703. Gaming as a social icebreaker for scouts new to camping.

© Copyright 2021 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.