CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER
Vol. 31, No. 10
An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games
October 2022
David Millians, Editor
Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA
millians.david@paideiaschool.org
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Hello All,
Our latest guest was Christopher Winnan. Chris has many interests with expertise in a variety of fields. For the last two decades he has been based in the newest incubator of great ideas: Asia. As a consultant, he travels widely throughout Asia working in Thailand, Korea and China. As a writer, he has established his expertise by contributing to Frommers and National Geographic. Chris has written several books covering such diverse topics as 3D printing in tabletop gaming and the use of board games in education.
You can watch our virtual session on our YouTube Channel. Chris was kind enough to offer these books as free PDFs to our membership: Board Games in Education and 3D Printing for Tabletop Games.
We are currently scheduling interview subjects out to the end of the year. If you would like to be a speaker or have a suggestion, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any other of the board members.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Mike Tresca
CAR-PGA Chair
ARTICLES
A New School Year, An Old Game
By David Millians
I have a another batch of fifth and sixth graders, fifth and sixth graders, and our school year is off and rolling. We’re well into math lessons, writing assignments, science experiments, and history lessons, and we’ve been on a camping trip together. Whew! I am also introducing them to our year-long simulation game of politics at the court of Emperor Wu during the Tang Dynasty. I’m fascinated by this time period, a turning point in ancient Chinese politics and culture, and the kids are excited about the game.
This game, named Zhongguo, is essentially an ongoing 34-person LARP with weekly sessions, though it also shrinks to smaller tabletop play scenes, and it has strong card and board game elements as well. They have group goals and personal goals, and they compete politically, economically, ideologically, and militarily. Will the emperor hold the dragon throne? Will she have the actual power? Who will accumulate the most wealth? Which school of Buddhism will dominate? Will Daoism return to the prominence and influence it had at the beginning of the dynasty? How much effort and coin should we expend guarding the northern frontier against the inevitable large attack by the Turkic nomads? Can anyone invent a better compass or rice mill?
My students do not yet even have their individual characters, and they are already clamoring to play and explore the imaginary environment. I’m excited to see what develops, and I will share more here in coming months.
NEW MATERIAL
FROM DAVID MILLIANS
Ana, Tom (2022 Sep 14) RPGs as therapy: How fictional worlds help vulnerable people explore real-life emotions. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/feature/rpgs-as-therapy-support-workers. Drama, emotions, science.
Barber, Graeme (2022 Sep 25) The Modern TTRPG Battlespace. https://pocgamer.com/archives/1759. What are the challenges and opportunities for smaller game company in light of ongoing expansions and media for D&D?
Campbell, Steph (2022 Sep 7) Teddy the RPG review – a cute and daring teddy bear adventure!. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2022/09/07/teddy-the-rpg-review-a-cute-and-daring-teddy-bear-adventure. Helping someone you love.
Campbell, Steph (2022 Sep 16) 30+ tabletop role playing games for little kids!. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2022/09/16/30-tabletop-role-playing-games-for-little-kids. Review and suggestions.
Campbell, Steph (2022 Sep 30) 17 spooky (but not too scary) tabletop RPGs for kids. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2022/09/30/17-spooky-but-not-too-scary-tabletop-rpgs-for-kids. For Halloween fun and beyond.
Carter, Chase (2022 Sep 30) Kickstarter’s new CEO talks future of tabletop crowdfunding, Gamefound rivalry and blockchain plans. https://www.dicebreaker.com/topics/kickstarter/interview/kickstarter-ceo-everette-taylor-blockchain-tabletop-future. Everette Taylor on plans and challenges.
Davies, Cole (2022 Sep 29) 5 things DMs should copy from D&D actual play shows like Critical Role and Dimension 20 (and 5 to avoid). https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/opinion/rpg-actual-play-dm-tips. Game ideas for home vs public consumption.
Davis, Adam (2022 Sep 15) ADHD&D [Pax West Panel]. https://gametogrow.org/2022/09/15/paxwest2022-adhdnd. ADHD experts discuss positive impact of tabletop gaming .
Dohm-Sanchez, Jeffrey (2022 Sep 14) GAMA Changes Origins Awards’ Categories for 2022. https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/52145/gama-changes-origins-awards-categories-2022. Adding more categories for art and one for game reviews, eliminating digital adaptation award.
Fields, Terril (2022 Sep ) dragon con 2022 review: the return of the iron throne. https://www.blerd.com/dragon-con-2022-review-the-return-of-the-iron-throne. Good vibes, long lines, and a need for more diversity.
Glenhaber, Mehitabel (2022 Sep 5) Tabletop RPGs as Environmental Texts. https://analoggamestudies.org/2022/09/tabletop-rpgs-as-environmental-texts. Exploitation of the environment and the possibility of green games.
Guilford, Arthur (2022 Sep 23) Elliot’s Passion Project. https://gametogrow.org/2022/09/23/elliots-passion-project. High school game club leader discusses the benefits of playing rpgs.
Jeffries, Stuart (2022 Sep 29) From satanic panic to billion-dollar business: how Dungeons & Dragons conquered the world. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/sep/29/dungeons-and-dragons-dnd-film-satanic-panic-to-conquered-world-chris-pine. Finding ourselves in imagination.
Meehan, Alex (2022 Sep 28) D&D, Vampire: The Masquerade to be played at fundraising even for tran-supportive charity. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/news/roll-for-good-mermaids-event. Roll for Good event on October 22, 2022.
Morrissey, Russ (2022 Sep 4) WotC Apologises For Spelljammer Race Descriptions. https://www.enworld.org/threads/wotc-apologises-for-spelljammer-race-descriptions.691242. Offensive depictions of space monkeys.
Mott, Darryl (2022 Sep 4) NuTSR Financial Data Breach. https://www.enworld.org/threads/nutsr-financial-data-breach.691241. Possible sharing of spreadsheets with personal information.
Mott, Darryl (2022 Sep 9) Wizards of the Coast Requests Injunction Against NuTSR. https://www.enworld.org/threads/wizards-of-the-coast-requests-injunction-against-nutsr.691440. Planned publication of Star Frontiers New Genesis.
Peregrine, Andrew (2022 Sep 1) Returning to Gen Con. https://www.enworld.org/threads/returning-to-gen-con.690964. Returning to normal.
Seiler, Zoe (2022 Jul 1) Redevelopment poses new challenge for popular games and comic book store. https://decaturish.com/2022/07/redevelopment-poses-new-challenge-for-popular-games-and-comic-book-store. My local game store tries to hang on.
White, April (2022 Sep 15) Was This Letter Written by Sherlock Holmes?. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sherlock-holmes-letter. Playing the Game and the first fandom, even cosplay.
FROM MICHAEL TRESCA
Tresca, Mike (2022 Sep 5) D&D Tactics: Escape Rooms. https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-tactics-escape-rooms.691198. D&D and escape rooms inform play of one another.
Tresca, Mike (2022 Sep 12) D&D Tactics: Fortnite. https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-tactics-fortnite.691199. The magic of cooperation.
Tresca, Mike (2022 Sep 19) D&D Tactics: Camping. https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-tactics-camping.691458. Fun and challenges to remember for gaming.
Tresca, Mike (2022 Sep 26) D&D Tactics: Hiking. https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-tactics-hikes.691717. Insights from real life in weather, weariness, and nature’s beauty and hazard.
© Copyright 2022 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.
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