Podcast
Chris, Mike, and Oren discuss how themes are a common part of worldbuilding. They describe worlds with memorable themes, contemplate how worldbuilders can add themes to their settings, and mention the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. Read more »
Mike, Chris, and Oren discuss extended conflict rules in roleplaying games. They describe the differences between simulated combat systems and mini games, before they’re drawn into a debate about their weaknesses and strengths. Finally, they cover what encounter mechanics in general can add to a game, versus what risks they pose. Read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike discuss TV shows that get noticeably better or worse during their run. They describe the origins for these two tropes, and analyze why shows succeed or fail when they change direction. Read more »
Oren, Mike, and Chris discuss how to handle misbehavior during a roleplaying session, particularly when removing troublemakers isn’t an option. They provide tips for dealing with players that bully, argue, or cheat, and preventing problems before they happen. Read more »
Oren, Mike, and Chris discuss the work that goes into preparing a story. They question how much worldbuilding is too much, and caution against stuffing details from the preparation into the story. Read more »
Mike, Oren, and Chris discuss the effect technology has on horror stories. They describe how technology can both hinder and facilitate the loss of control horror relies on, and list common themes in technology-focused horror stories. Read more »
Chris, Oren, Mike, and special guest Sarah Gould discuss roleplaying games with mechanics for building a story. They describe the challenges of building stories from games, rant and rave about their favorite and least favorite narrative games, and listen to Oren complain about GM-less games … read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike talk about captains in futuristic space settings. They discuss how captains make effective protagonists, list their favorite and least favorite captain characters, and ask why so many space captains are obsessed with antiques. Read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike discuss how black and white morality is built into worlds, particularly through magic systems. They examine how good and evil are represented in different stories, and question the difference between light and dark magic. Read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike rant and rave about romance stories in speculative fiction. They discuss the problems with one-offs, love at first sight, and characters written only as love interests. They gush about couples that are unconventional, and cringe over romances that are creepy or … read more »
