Master Plan

Ryan sits down for another episode, this one kicking off a series about pacing mechanics. To start off, he talked about there being some broad, different types of pacing mechanics, and focuses on one in particular: the "refresh scale" mechanics -- those that happen then resources are expended in order to regain them. This idea traces back to old school D&D, but people have done interesting things with it since -- including the recent edition of D&D and Dirty Secrets. To end, he talks a touch about a pitfall with designing these mechanics that he ran into when working on Mythender and urges others to consider avoiding. Games Mentioned: A Penny For My Thoughts by Paul Tevis Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Dirty Secrets by Seth Ben-Ezra The Shadow of Yesterday by Clinton Nixon The Solar System by Arkenstone Publishing Other Mentions: Who are those Narrative Control guys? This episode is sponsored by RPGNow.com. Running time: 25:45 / File size: 17.7M Discuss this episode on the forums

On this episode, Ryan sits down with Chad Underkoffler about designing setting (and, in some respects, writing in general) with his latest release, Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies. They touch on how the setting for this setting-rich book was conceived, fleshed out, and trimmed down to aim the right information at the play group. Afterward, Ryan tells you to check out Paul Tevis' A Penny For My Thoughts, because he's frankly damned proud of the work and thinks it makes for a great case study for one school of thought in design. Chad Underkoffler: Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies The Zorcerer of Zo Truth & Justice Dead Inside Other Mentions: A Penny For My Thoughts by Paul Tevis Open Design Podcast This episode is sponsored by RPGNow.com. Running time: 29:59 / File size: 20.6M Discuss this episode on the forums

After an unintended hiatus, Ryan's back with an episode about something near and dear to his heart -- thinking about the tangible qualities that mechanics have. He talks about how people should be looking at what their mechanics are causing players to do with their hands, because it's in that space where some people are better able to connect with the game. After giving an overview of the idea, he discusses four games and how they use this idea in their mechanical design. Games Mentioned: Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium Polaris by These Are Our Games Don't Rest Your Head by Evil Hat Productions Dirty Secrets by Dark Omen Games This episode is sponsored by RPGNow.com. Running time: 26:40 / File size: 18.4M Discuss this episode on the forums

On this episode, we continue the discussion with Josh Roby about making epic-scale games, with the third of three points: respect, from the point of view of a game respecting its own epic conceit and NPCs respecting epic-scale PCs. Josh also gives an interesting answer to Ryan asking about how his previous master plan is coming along. Afterward, Ryan talks about "the power of names" -- exploring an idea that the names we give terms in our games have a dramatic impact to how well they're understood, illustrated by two counter-examples he's recently come across in other games and one in Mythender. Josh Roby: Kallisti Press Agora: how shall we live? Thread on Story-Games about Agora Sons of Liberty Full Light, Full Steam Part 1 of this interview Other mentions: Mythender Dogs in the Vineyard The Shreyas mentioned in the interview is Shreyas Sampat, designer of Mist-Robed Gate Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Dirty Secrets by Dark Omen Games Actual Play thread by Jesse Burenko for Dirty Secrets This

This week, Ryan talks with Josh Roby about designing games that support & address epic-scale play -- that is, games that have a grand, dramatic scope as a main part of their premise. The interview ran long, as they covered three points they felt were core by contrasting Josh's new game in playtest, Agora: how shall we live?, with Ryan’s current project, Mythender. In this half, they talk about the scope & pacing of the game, and how their two very different games support their own sense of "epic" with those tools. Afterward, Ryan talks about Daniel Solis's cover creation videos and War Pig Radio. Josh Roby: Kallisti Press Agora: how shall we live? Thread on Story-Games about Agora Sons of Liberty Full Light, Full Steam Josh's previous Master Plan appearance, #17 on Playtesting Other mentions: Mythender Daniel Solis on A Cover is a Promise (Part 1, 1A, 2) Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple Liz Hooper War Pig Radio Atomic Array RPG Countdown This episode is sponsored by RPGNow.com. Running

Still in the post-Dreamation afterglow, Ryan responds to a question asked by friend of the show Remi Treuer, where he asks to hear more about Ryan's playtest process in light of seeing it in action at Dreamation. What he comes up with is something he calls his "Rules of Playtesting" -- things he calls "Rules" because he has to constantly, consciously remember to apply them rather than things that come easy. The five rules he mentions: The Rule of Consideration, The Rule of Conceit, The Rule of Frontloading, The Rule of the Drawing Board, and The Rule of Keeping My Mouth Shut. Afterward, Ryan gives you some Sponsor Quote action, with an anectode that will at most amuse five people. Good times. Remi Treuer: Durham 3 Podcast Post about One Bad Egg's The Purifiers, for which Remi did some awesome art Remi's thoughts about the Mythender playtest he particiapted in This episode is sponsored by RPGNow.com. Running time: 24:21 / File size: 16.8M Discuss this episode on the forums: http://masterplanpodcast.n

Right before heading off on a bi-coastal convention adventure, Ryan serves up the second half of the interview with Crafty Games. In this half, they talk about collaborating as a team and their main hurdles in revisiting their system & making Fantasy Craft & Mastercraft -- along with, naturally, their own personal master plans. Afterward, Ryan tells you that he'll be at OrcCon and Dreamation this month, and gives a shameless plea to donate to the show. Crafty Games: Fantasy Craft Spycraft 2.0 Running time: 21:29 / File size: 14.8M Discuss this episode on the forums: http://masterplanpodcast.net/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=46

Ryan starts 2009 off with the first of a two-part interview with Alex Flagg, Scott Gearin & Patrick Kapera from Crafty Games. They talk about their upcoming product, Fantasy Craft, and how they retooled their award-nominated Spycraft system both for streamlining the rules (for their new Mastercraft base system) and for working with a different genre. After the first part concludes, Ryan talks about a game & a content that has hit his radar, and figures it's worth other people knowing about. Crafty Games: Fantasy Craft Spycraft 2.0 Other mentions: Sexy Deadly Game Design Company Game Design Challenge (Story-Games.com) This episode of Master Plan is sponsored by RPGNow.com Running time: 25:19 / File size: 17.4M Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=45

To truly close out 2008, Ryan records one last show on Christmas Day. Inspired by a post from Rob Bohl (of the Independent Insurgency podcast), Ryan talks about more thoughts on advancement: as a way to flesh out a character post-creation, as a world-changing element rather than a character-changing one, as a ritual for marking points in time, and as a way to keep the game feeling fresh from a tactile perspective. They're short thoughts on this solo episode, but ones worth noting. Afterwards, he talks about some podcasts he's been on recently, the fact that he's now a part of the Dresden Files RPG team, and the game design book he's working on. Finally, you're treated to a unique sponsor quote. Happy holidays, Masterminds. Links: Master Plan #40: Luke Crane on Advancement Rob Bohl's post on Story Games Judd Karlman's post on RPG.net, "Changing the Century" Dresden Files RPG Post on my blog about my game design book Stabbing Contest Canon Puncture Amagi Games Running time: 21:04 / File si

On this year-end episode of Master Plan, Ryan publishes an interview he did with Luke Crane back at GenCon. They talk (or as much as one can talk when it's 8am & ones voice is completely shot) about thoughts on building advancements systems in games. Luke shares his thoughts on the subject with his building of Burning Wheel, and they drift to related topics like Failure & Reward Cycles. Luke, frankly, has a lot of interesting stuff to say, provided you don't mind the profanity & poor audio quality. Also, it's the second anniversary of Master Plan. It's been two good years. Here's to a third. Luke Crane: Burning Wheel Mouse Guard RPG FreeMarket Interview with Luke on The Voice of the Revolution, about Mouse Guard My previous interview with Luke Running time: 27:25 / File size: 18.9M Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=43

On this episode, Ryan & Seth finish up their interview on A Flower for Mara and designing an "American Jeepform" game. Due to necessity, Ryan's forced to be brief & only quickly mentions the Endgame 7th Anniversary party he'll be at and quickly congratulates Shaun & Kristin from This Modern Death. Seth Ben-Ezra: Dark Omen Games A Flower for Mara Dirty Secrets Seth's A Flower for Mara videos on YouTube A Flower for Mara post on Cultures of Play Other Games:: In a Wicked Age... by Lumpley Games Other Mentions:: Endgame's 7th Anniversary Party on November 8th, 2008 This Modern Death podcast Running time: 18:05 / File size: 12.5M Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=42

Ryan talks with Seth Ben-Ezra on his latest game, A Flower For Mara. It's one of a new trend in the independent RPG scene, of taking ideas from the Nordic tradition of Jeepform and merging that with a Forge style. It's the first of a two-part interview, this half focusing on what Jeepform is and how this game came to be. Afterward, Jonathan Walton tells us a little bit about Bleeding Play, and Ryan talks a bit about submitting ideas for future episodes, October's Sponsor Quote, and an article on Kobold Quarterly. Seth Ben-Ezra: Dark Omen Games A Flower for Mara Dirty Secrets Other Jeepform: Jeepform Doubt The Upgrade! Under My Skin by Emily Care-Boss Knutepunkt (Nodal Point) LARP conference (wikipedia) Other Mentions: Bleeding Play Theory from the Closet Game design podcasts on RPGPodcasts.com Canon Puncture "Passionate about Gaming? Listen to Podcasts" on Kobold Quarterly Running time: 24:25 / File size: 16.8M Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?Discu

On a very late, very tired Sunday evening of GenCon, Paul Tevis & Ryan Macklin sit down with the ever-present Ken Hite to talk about the hobby, culture, GenCon, and all that good stuff. [02:24] The banter has just begun [04:29] Ken gives a brief on the vibe coming into & at GenCon 2008 [07:30] Talking about the Forge Diaspora, retailer numbers & casual gamer acceptance [09:40] Throwing yourself into GenCon [12:09] Ken's pinnacle moments, the ENnies & Where the Deep One's Are [13:40] Ryan's pinnacle moments, playtesting [15:45] Welcoming Ken to the extended IPR family [16:03] Paul's pinnacle moments, Star Wars PTA [16:50] Seeing people at GenCon & being inspired [18:29] Paul is back in his wheelhouse [20:02] Paul asks Ken the traditional "What'd you see?" [20:23] Ken comments on the Mongoose Traveller [21:04] ...and on It's Complicated [22:37] Gamers and the Olympics [25:15] Ken comments on Hot War [26:12] ...and Sweet Agatha [26:47] Tobias Wrigstad, Jeepform & American Jeepform: Under

On this solo episode, Ryan talks about this thing he calls "Play Style" -- with respect to design, that's how people are interacting together in a particular medium. This idea comes primarily from a conversation he's had with Daniel Solis regarding his game in development, Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple. Ryan talks about the different things people get out of a game that's akin to rehearsing a play versus one that is more akin to telling stories around a campfire. He also shares a pet theory (which means it's probably wrong) about why more roleplaying games take the former approach even though the latter is an older method of storytelling. Finally, Jerry "J-Nasty" Grayson provides us with yet another sponsor quote, forming what might be the first sponsor quote narrative on Master Plan. Games Mentioned: 1001 Nights Darkpages Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple Dungeons & Dragons The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen FATE: Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment Mythender (My blog) A

In this last episode before GenCon 2008, Ryan talks about a problem he's recently encountered in his own and other people's projects -- that we spend too much time on mechanics and not enough on situation. He talks about why we likely run into this problem, what "situation" is (opposed to mechanics or setting), and an exercise he did in order to get his head out of mechanics and into situation. Jared Sorensen's blog post on Game Elements. Running time: 26:07 / File size: 18.0 MB Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=38

This week, Ryan talks with Chris Birch of Cubicle 7 Entertainment about two licensed properties they're working with: Starblazer Adventures & the Doctor Who RPG. The two licenses are radically different, and Chris has a background in working with the intellectual property of others due to his clothing company, Joystick Junkies. They talk about some of the issues around and advice with licensing, as well as touch on why he chose to also license a game system as well for Starblazer Adventures. Afterwards, Ryan gushes about how much of a nice guy Chris is, and Jerry "J-Nasty" Grayson provides us with July's Sponsor Quote. Chris Birch & Cubicle 7 Entertainment: Starblazer Adventures Check out the 40-page preview of Starblazer Adventures Doctor Who RPG (in production) Joystick Junkies Jerry Grayson of Khepera Publishing Running time: 28:51 / File size: 19.8 MB Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=37

On this episode (which is my longest yet), Fred Hicks and I kick off the long-awaited series on mechanics with a discussion about "points of tension," relating both to Don't Rest Your Head's Exhaustion mechanic and Mythender's Mortality mechanic. Fred starts with a wacky assertion -- that conflict is underutilized in RPGs -- and goes from there. Afterwards, Ryan brings up three things: the now-in-preorder Don't Lose your Mind (which he's proud to be the editor of), Levi Kornelsen & Amagi Games, and a new podcasting project with Paul Tevis called This Just In From GenCon. This time, he remembers the Design Watch bump. Specific Mentions: Don't Lose Your Mind by Evil Hat Productions (pre-order) Amagi Games This Just In From GenCon (also available through our sponsor, DriveThruRPG.com) GenCon 2008 Podcasting Track (Pulp Gamer) Games & Other Mentions: Don't Rest Your Head by Evil Hat Productions Hero's Banner by Tim C Koppang The Game Master Show episode with Fred Hicks Requiem Chronicler's Guide

On this episode, Ryan talks with Clint Krause of KNRPG Productions about his early game, Roanoke, for the Designing from Other Games series. Clint released this game some time ago, derived from the Wushu system. They talk about issues Clint had to deal with, which given how light the base system is, meant more dealing with establishing tone & genre conventions that systemic hacking. They also talk briefly about thoughts on historical-based games and endgame mechanics. Afterwards, Ryan brings back the Design Watch segment to talk about some things Brennan Taylor has mentioned in the last few days. Clint Krause, KNRPG Productions: KNRPG Productions Roanoke (IPR) Bizenghast Adventure Game (IPR) Brennan Taylor, Galileo Games: Galileo Games How We Came to Live Here Contact information for emailing about Mortal Coil Other Games: Burning Empires by Luke Crane Conspiracy of Shadows by Keith Senkowski (Google Books) Grey Ranks by Bully Pulpit Games Mutant City Blues by Robin Laws Wushu by Daniel Bayn Running

Ryan talks with gaming luminary Robin Laws about his upcoming game, Mutant City Blues. Mutant City Blues is the latest GUMSHOE game, this one not focused on the horror genre but on police procedurals & super-powers. They talk about designing this game from the original GUMSHOE framework, what was changed to make the game focused on the new premise, and overall the experiences of making this game. Throughout the show, Robin also talks a bit about moments in GUMSHOE's design in general. Robin Laws & GUMSHOE: Mutant City Blues (You can get the Quade Diagram here) The Esoterrorists Fear Itself Trail of Cthulhu by Kenneth Hite Other mentions: Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium Campaign Cartographer by ProFantasy Software Running time: 30:34 / File size: 21.1 MB Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=34

On this episode, Ryan takes a moment from is current interview track to make a dreaded solo episode about some of the lessons he's learned lately as a designer. Specifically, he talks about some things he's been dealing with regarding one of his current projects, Mythender. He talks about some of the inspiration elements and how he re-evaluates them periodically to make sure they're still relevant, about looking closely at the player role in a game as well as the GM role, about having to defend his ideas from critical friends & not letting your friends' desires cause you to make the game you don't want. Then he finishes up with this month's sponsor quote from Fred Hicks. Running time: 26:04 / File size: 18.0 MB Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=33