Rogue Games Tabbloid -- March 24, 2009 Edition

24 March, 2009

Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

ROGUE FEED

involves epic length phone calls where the two of us talk through the things nagging at our thinking).

Another Cool Map MAR 24, 2009 05:01A.M.

What we are doing with this game is giving everyone options. By this, like Thousand Suns, Shadow, Sword & Spell, is going to be a toolbox. GMs, and players, have a lot to choose from when running their games. These options are not just setting options, but rules options as well. By this, if you want more lethal combat, then you choose the options facilitating this. If you want a less lethal combat, you choose others. Case in point, here is an example from the Action & Combat chapter. This is

Jeff Rients recently reminded me of the awesome map of Minaria from Divine Right (a game I never owned but wish I had). Another terrific map is the map of Arduin.

still rough, but it is perfect in showing what I am talking about: Armor Wearing armor is an effective means for a Hero to defend themselves against damage. All armor has an Armor Value (AV), which a number is telling you how much damage your armor absorbs when attacked. For example, your Hero is wearing chain mail (which has a AV of 35). Any damage your Hero takes below this AV 35 is absorbed by the armor, anything above this value is passed to the hero. For example, your Hero is hit by an attack causing 50 points of damage. The armor absorbs 35 of this, and the remaining 15 is passed to the hero.

I never owned this either, but I keep going back to the Emperor’s Choice website and considering buying it now. I have no idea why, since I don’t think I could be called a fan of Arduin. Well, I do know why: I’m a sucker for fantasy cartography and the Arduin map simply looks nifty. Still, I doubt I can justify spending $20 on a map for a setting I’d never use in my own gaming. Maybe when I win the lottery ...

Option This option makes combat a little more deadly, and Armor behaves the same way as above. The only change is that any Dramatic Success has the damage pass the armor and go directly to the hero. Option

ROGUE FEED

This option, if your Armor takes damage over it’s AV, the AV is reduced by a number of points equal to the overage, and stays this way until repaired.

[Shadow Sword & Spell] Options & Combat

There is more details to come, but the guts of this is important. By choosing from the offered options everyone can decide on how they want to play the game. There is no “right” way with this, and this for us is important. Every game of Shadow, Sword & Spell is going to be different, though all these games run on the same rules. Mixing and matching options allows you to really make the pulp fantasy game you want, and this, for me, is very cool.

MAR 23, 2009 11:23P.M.

Work on Shadow, Sword & Spell is going well. James is busy working on his sections dealing with tone, setting and character backgrounds. For me, I am working on a lot of the rules and gears driving the game. There is still a lot to do, and like any project that is being worked on by us, I am still waiting on James to finish his thinking. (An aside: this thinking

Posted in Games, Rogue Games Tagged: © 2009 Rogue Games, design

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

24 March, 2009

Since last week, Rogue Games has been a part of Scribd, and I have since uploaded a lot of content to the site. We joined Scribd becasue it is a great tool in how it handles PDFs. As game publishers, James and I look for ways to make using our games easier. Right now a lot of the freebies and samples that are on the website are now on Scribd. In addition some things that were too large to post on the website are there as well. To access the site you can simply visit http://www.pdfcoke.com/roguegames.

notes, SS&S, thoughts

ROGUE FEED

The Game Master Show is one of the podcasts I make it my business to

When visiting there, you should also notice something called Rogue Games Tabbloid. So what is this? Everyday James and I blog about various things (and no, I am not counting my Twitter output), about games, gaming, and various sundry topics. James, more than me, is downright scary when it comes to blogging. With this output it might be hard keep tabs on all of it. So what I have done is begun tracking the blogs, and compling the posts via http://www.tabbloid.com/ in PDF form. So now, if you want to refer back to something James and I have written, you can simply download the daily Tabbloid. In the weeks to

listen to when I can. The last three episodes have a really good listen due to them playing Colonial Gothic.You can listen to them here:

come, this will be a tool that will see a lot of use. Why? Well, let’s keep that a secret for awhile longer.

Listen to some Colonial Gothic At Play MAR 23, 2009 10:46P.M.

• The Game Master Show Ep 69 (ap) Colonial Gothic character creation

Since I am embracing technology in all forms, you might have noticed a few changes to the Rogue Games website. Namely two new boxes on the right hand side. One is my Twitter feed, but the other is more important, Rogue Dispatches: Rogue Feed. This is cool, and this is a super RSS Feed using Yahoo! Pipes. What I have done is taken the various feeds, and created a new RSS Feed that pulls in the various blogs James and I do, and put the entries in one place. Also, this superfeed has made compiling the daily Tabbloid a breeze. (BTW, if you want to subscribe to the superfeed in your favorite newsreader, here is the link).

• The Game Master Show Ep 70 (AP) Colonial Gothic pt 1 • The Game Master Show Ep 71 (AP) Colonial Gothic pt 2 It is strange listening to these. After running this game as long as I have, and working on it both in the orginal version and the Revised version, it is strange listening to other play the game.

So why all of this? The easy answer: Why not? Yet, this is not always something satisfying to hear. All of the above is a means for James and I to share what we are doing with Rogue Games with as many people as possible. For us, in the end, it is about games. James and I want people to play our games, read our words, and we want to facilitate this as much as we can. To this end, the more we can embrace new communication tools, the better. Hence, Scribd, superfeeds, Twitter, and the like. It is about giving as much information as we can in as many formats as we can.

Anyway, give them a listen when you have the time.

ROGUE FEED

“All the news that’s fit to print.”

In the case of Scribd, this is a platform making the sharing of PDFs a breeze, and allows us to give more tools and handouts away. Case in point, the maps for The Defeated Dead. When Jeff did the maps, he did them in color. They are gorgeous, but the file size would have killed the Rogue Games website. Now, with Scribd, we can put these up and make them available for everyone to use.

MAR 23, 2009 10:23P.M.

The above subject line first appeared February 10, 1897 and is the slogan for the New York Times. I’ve always wanted to use that slogan, but when you design games, there is very little chance too. When an opportunity presents itself, I choose to jump at the chance.

Technology, for us, is important. It makes what we do easier, and allows more options for all. In the case of a small game company it makes it possible for use to do things we might not be able to do.

So what does this have to do with Rogue Games? Or, am I just merging my Twitter mindblasts here to the blog?

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

24 March, 2009

Here’s some “from the horse’s mouth” information you can pass on to your readers concerning my future publications.

To pull down old houses, and dig the canal, To build and destroy, Be this your employ, In the day-time to work at our fortifications, And steal in the night from the rebels your rations. The king wants your aid, Not empty parade; Advance to your places, ye men of long faces, Nor ponder too much on your former disgraces, This year, I presume, will quite alter your cases.

The fourth Imaro novel will soon be published by Sword & Soul Media, and, like the third one, will be available via printon-demand. The fifth Imaro novel is in the pipeline, as is a collection of Imaro short stories that were not blended into the novels. The collection will also include three brand-new

Attend at the call of the fifer and drummer, The French and the rebels are coming next summer, And the forts we must build Though tories are killed. Take courage, my jockies, and work for your king, For if you are taken, no doubt you will swing.

ROGUE FEED

Imaro Update MAR 23, 2009 08:02P.M. Charles Saunders emailed me and offered some details of interest:

Imaro stories I wrote in 2007-08.

If York we can hold, I ll have you enroll’d ; And after you re dead, your names shall be read, As who for their monarch both labor’d and bled, And ventur’d their necks for their beef and their bread.

At present, I am working on a new Dossouye novel. After I finish it, I have some other ideas I want to pursue.

,Tis an honor to serve the bravest of nations, And be left to be hang’d in their capitulations. Then scour up your mortars, And stand to your quarters, ‘Tis nonsense for tories in battle to run, They never need fear sword, halberd, or gun; Their hearts should not fail em, No balls will assail em; Forget your disgraces, and shorten your faces, For ‘tis true as the gospel, believe it or not,

And there you have it. As I said in my original post, now’s a good time to give these novels a try. If you enjoy them, as I do, there’s lots more in store for you over the next few years.

ROGUE FEED

Who are born to be hang’d, will never be shot.

Invitation to the Refugees, 1779 MAR 23, 2009 02:17P.M. Also known as Sir Harry’s Invitation it was written by Philip Freneau and was printed on a ballad sheet.

ROGUE FEED

THE INVITATION

MAR 23, 2009 02:11P.M.

COME, gentlemen tories, firm, loyal, and true, Here are axes and shovels, and something to do! For the sake of our King, Come labor and sing. You left all you had for his honor and glory, And he will remember the suffering tory. We have, it is true, Some small work to do; But here’s for your pay, twelve coppers a clay, And never regard what the rebels may say, But throw off your jerkins and labor away.

This firsty appeared in the New Hampshire Gazette, with the following printer’s note: ” By inserting this in your next paper, you will oblige one of your country subscribers.”

The Present Age, 1779

THE PRESENT AGE. OF all the ages ever known, The present is the oddest; For all the men are honest grown, And all the women modest. Nor lawyers now are fond of fees, Nor clergy of their dues;

To raise up the rampart, and pile up the wall,

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

24 March, 2009

No idle people now one sees, At church no empty pews.

Where all are rich and none are proud, Oh! these are glorious times.

No courtiers now their friends deceive With promises of favor ; For what they made ‘em once believe, Is done and done for ever.

Your characters (with wondering stare Cries Tom) are mighty high, sir; But pray forgive me, if I swear, I think they re all a lie, sir.

Our nobles — Heaven defend us all ! I’ll nothing say about em; For they are great and I m but small, So muse, jog on without ‘em.

Ha ! think you so, my honest clown? Then take another light on’t; Just turn the picture upside down, I fear you ll see the right on’t.

Our gentry are a virtuous race, Despising earthly treasures ; Fond of true honor’s noble chase, And quite averse to pleasures. Visit Rogue Games on the web: www.rogue-games.net

The ladies dress so plain indeed, You’d think ‘em Quakers all, Witness the wool packs on their heads, So comely and so small. No tradesman now forsakes his shop, For politics or news; Or takes his dealer at a hop, Through interested views. No soaking sot forsakes his spouse, For mugs of mantling nappy; Nor taverns tempt him from his house, Where all are pleas’d and happy . Our frugal taste the State secures, Whence then can woes begin? For luxury’s turn’d out of doors, And prudence taken in. From hence proceeds th’ abundant flow, Of plenty through the land; Where all provisions all men know, Are cheap on ev’ry hand. No pleasure-chaises fill the streets, Nor crowd the roads on Sunday So horses ambling thro’ the week, Obtain a respite one day. All gaming, tricking, swearing, lying, Is grown quite out of fashion; For modern youth’s so self-denying, It flies all lawless passion. Happy the nation thus endow’d! So void of wants and crimes;

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