Posted by Jason on February 23rd, 2009 — in Check this out dude, Conventions, Fiasco, Grey Ranks
I’m back from Dreamation, which was really fantastic this year. I had a great time. Big thanks to Ryan Macklin, Michael O’Sullivan, Lowell Carson and Eric Tage Larsen for tearing it up in Fiasco, weaving a bleak tale of obsessive revenge in a southern town that shall remain nameless. Of the five characters, four ended up dead (one bludgeoning, one gunshot, one self-inflicted, one eaten alive by Mexican mafia pit bulls) and the survivor, after a stay in prison, ended up turning tricks in Atlanta. It went a little dark and I learned a lot. Ryan, who blindtested the week previously, promised me some “compare and contrast” notes as well, which he better deliver.
Grey Ranks went well, although I was really feeling the pain of the convention four hour format. Still, everyone brought it, and I got to play with Arturo which was great. He played a sniveling, power-obsessed monkey, and the game took a surprising turn – after chapter seven, all five characters were in corners and thus written out of the story. A Total Crew Kill, something I’ve never seen.
Frederik Jensen’s Montsegur 1244 provided the best convention game experience I have ever had. I’ve been singing this game’s praises based on the manuscript, and now I can back it up with some actual play. It is brilliant and I cannot wait to turn my local peeps loose on it.
I also played great games of carry, In a Wicked Age and Trial and Terror (Trial and Terror is ridrunkulous) and good games of Ganakagok and Spirit of the Century. I didn’t have a sub-par game at all, and my only regret is missing out on the numerous Jeepform offerings. Remi didn’t, and now he’s raving about the form, and we are going to make some things based on our collective experience and a very fruitful conversation with John Stavropolous and Paul Tevis about the liminal sweet spot between LARP and tabletop.
Dreamation was lovely, and I really felt a pleasant and loving sense of community this year. Thanks to everyone who made it so fun. Also: One Cool Thing I Saw.
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Posted by Jason on February 13th, 2009 — in Design, Grey Ranks
We’re revising Grey Ranks, adding some clarification and streamlining a bit. There will be no major changes, but I’m considering small rules tweaks. For example this:
Acting Your Age
If your character is fifteen, always lower your personal scene die down by one size and raise your mission scene die size up by one. If your character is seventeen, always lower your mission scene die size by one and raise your personal scene die size up by one.
Has this rule been religiously enforced in your games? I know I’ve completely forgotten it at times without any ill effect. I’m thinking of re-writing it to make it an optional trick players of 15 or 17-year-olds can selectively employ. Or maybe getting rid of it entirely – I think age differentials inside the Crew get played up without any mechanical incentive. What do you think?
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Posted by Jason on September 19th, 2008 — in Check this out dude, Grey Ranks
We just played my Grey Ranks demo and it went great! I need to tweak a couple things and then I’ll do it again.
The Grey Ranks module is here, thanks to Brennen Reece. Playing synchronously-but-at-a-remove is freaky. I rely so much on nonverbals.
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Posted by Jason on August 18th, 2008 — in Check this out dude, Grey Ranks
Pop Matters “In the Field” column at Gen Con. I wrote Glenn McDonald and was all “dude! I so don’t sell my game out of my living room! Also, Wolfgang Baur!” But it’s a fun piece and Glenn’s very nice.
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Posted by Jason on July 17th, 2008 — in Check this out dude, Grey Ranks
It’s no Radio Lightning, but Polish Radio’s External Service interviewed me this morning about Grey Ranks. And I found out we’ve been added to the bibliography page at a really good Warsaw Rising site. We sent the Warsaw Rising Museum (which Frederik Jensen just visited – he says it’s excellent) a copy and they are looking it over, which I’m pretty excited about. I’m hoping for a laundry list of errors and a lot of enthusiasm, but we’ll see!
