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.