IN SHORT: Fantasy Flight Games has just released the Core Set for their new table top game – Star Wars: Armada. Here are my first impressions and thoughts on the core units. GENERAL: The game itself focuses on the big… Read More ›
Games
Dead Space: Scary Space
SPOILER WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for the Dead Space trilogy. You have been warned! The ability to evoke an emotional response is one powerful one, and fear is a very potent emotion. I remember being intimidated by the original… Read More ›
Holo Writing at DragonCon!
CONVENTION TIP: When visiting a convention, even one you’re only going to as a fan, bring business cards. If you have bookmarks or flyers, bring those too. Seriously, you never know who you might strike up a conversation with. Yeah,… Read More ›
Iron Kingdoms – SPLAT!
Jacob Holo: The gobber retrieves four circlets from his bag and places them on the ground in front of you. He handles them with thick leather gloves and uses extreme care. At no time does he touch them directly. The… Read More ›
Dark Souls II Collector’s Edition Guide – Book Review
IN SHORT: A lavishly produced 460-page hardcover tome with everything a Dark Souls II fan could want. WHAT IT IS: Massive and beautifully bound, this collector’s edition guide for Dark Souls II not only includes a great deal of information… Read More ›
Iron Kingdoms – Substitute Teacher, Menoth Style
With an established party of adventurers, substitutions can be tricky. As Dungeon Master, how do you eject a missing player from the narrative on a temporary basis? How do you maintain the balance of challenges versus the party when 25%… Read More ›
Iron Kingdoms – Undead Pirate Facepalm
In RPGs, players play the campaigns. The campaigns should not play the players. There’s a fine line between guiding players and super-gluing them to the plot. Players want to affect the world around them, shape its events, and defeat its… Read More ›
Iron Kingdoms – Kraken Smash!
NPCs are tricky to get right. You can pour hours into crafting what you think is an entertaining and engaging character, complete with intricate backstory, only to have the players not like him. Or ignore him. Or rob him blind…. Read More ›
Iron Kingdoms – Epic Ghost Ship versus Shopping
There are many ways to introduce new characters into a campaign. A memorable introduction can really set the tone for how the other players will interact with the new guy or gal. And sometimes, it’s just fun to have a… Read More ›
Iron Kingdoms – Release the Blood Witches!
Sometimes, you get those players. You know. Those players. The ones that really get into their cold, brooding, greedy assassin character’s skin and just aren’t in the mood to party up. And that’s okay, I guess. That goes along with… Read More ›
Dungeon Master Brings the Pain
When I’m running a campaign, I have a script in mind. I think most dungeon masters do. For me, everything is moving towards an epic final confrontation. Throughout the encounters, the villain is established and shown to be a powerful,… Read More ›
Dungeon Master Writes Novel that Writes Campaign that Writes Novel
Last year, I played Dungeons and Dragons for the first time. My wife got me started on the hobby. I played a character I affectionately remember as the “Burninator”, a wizard whose first response to any problem was to set… Read More ›
Dungeon Master Messes with Player Sympathy
As a writer, I find being the dungeon master of our local RPG sessions to be a challenging and rewarding experience. In a lot of ways, it’s like writing a novel. Yeah, like writing. Heh. Like writing on the fly… Read More ›
Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC – Game Review
IN SHORT: Experience one last hurrah with the characters of Mass Effect 3 as you explore new areas within the Citadel and take down a surprising new foe. WHAT IT IS: A massive amount of new character-based content! Every surviving… Read More ›
Final Fantasy XIII: Please Give This Plot a Pulse!
SPOILER WARNING! This article contains PLOT SPOILERS for Final Fantasy XIII. You have been warned! Final Fantasy XIII is something of a mixed bag. On one hand, it has a fast-paced and innovative combat system that keeps me coming back… Read More ›
Fallout 3: President Eden is a Big Jerk!
SPOILER WARNING! This article contains PLOT SPOILERS for Fallout 3 and its expansion Broken Steel. You have been warned! The world of Fallout 3 is huge, rich, and entertaining. It’s not a game that guides the player through one action… Read More ›
Halo Series: I Prophet of Regret Nothing!
SPOILER WARNING! The following article contains PLOT SPOILERS for the Halo series. You have been warned! Halo was the reason I bought an Xbox, and I played that game to death. It was the first time I really enjoyed a… Read More ›
Bioshock: Would You Kindly Make Sense!
SPOILER WARNING! This article contains PLOT SPOILERS for the first Bioshock game. You have been warned! Bioshock is one of my top ten favorite game of all time (it’s #6). It’s fast, fun, atmospheric, and very well designed. As with… Read More ›
Mass Effect 3’s Ending: Catalyze This!
SPOILER WARNING! This article is about Mass Effect 3’s ending and contains SPOILERS. This article will also have SPOILERS for the endings of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. You have been warned! So, yeah, ME3’s ending. Not exactly what… Read More ›
