The Secret Lair

Image via Wikipedia

Welcome back minions. Today we are embarking on something new, something glorious!

Stop looking at each other like that. No, it’s not another crackpot scheme. No, it’s not another unfortunate synergy! *zap*

There, now you’re all paying attention again…. someone make sure to sweep that up when we’re finished here and contact minion resources to get a replacement minion.

Where were we? Ah yes, the Plan. No, not plan, Plan, capital P. Yes.

For a while now I have been at work on something. A little here, and a little there. I put it in a drawer for a while and on going back to look at it, it’s amazingly near complete and yet at the same time depressingly far from completion.

What is this thing you ask? Why it’s a role playing game! Some of you long running minions will recognize the title: Vegas After Midnight.

Why do I bring this to you now? Glad you asked!

I plan on chronicling the journey, much like Overlord Miller has with his weight loss, of bringing this work from concept to publication. I’ll get into the nitty gritty, the nuts and bolts, the trials and tribulations, of the work and process of everything that goes into the making of Vegas After Midnight ( VAM ). Hopefully, you will be up to giving your mandatory level of interest and enthusiasm, which I will tell you for this project is quite high.

We have to have a starting point, so let me give you that. First though, a little back story.

Several years ago, there was a podcast The House of the Harping Monkey, the proprietor of which was one Mick Bradley. Our own Overlord Miller was a host as well, though he went by “Christopher” or “Chris” back then. Mick is the braintrust behind Vegas After Midnight, the progenitor. On The House of the Harping Monkey, he released a series of short audio clips from one Micky Dylan, a sort of narrator, or bard if you will, of the setting. I was hooked already, but then he said he would be starting up a play by post game on that podcast’s message boards. The hook was set.

When he called for characters, I wrote up a short story of my character hopeful, Vic Dylan. Yes, I had the hubris to try to be Micky’s brother in the setting. Somehow, either my writing, the story, or just the sheer pluck of the idea that Vic was Micky’s brother got me into the game. Unfortunately, as many internet games go, it died before it was truly started.

Fortunately though, the bug in Mick’s brain over VAM wouldn’t let him go. He remembered my story, and we had become friends in the interim, he asked if I would like to partner with him on writing the setting for actual publication. Of course, I said yes.

That was the start of a busy year of email, IM, skype chats, and several cross state trips. In the space of which we hacked on the FATE system, put together the back story behind the setting of Vegas After Midnight, and came up with characters and the groups they belonged to. It was an amazing time.

What happened then? Life. Both of us were drawn into things going on outside of gaming and podcasting. I changed jobs, and was still raising two little ones. Mick had clients to appease and two of his own to attend to.

Fast forward about two years, to Gen Con 2011. There Mick and I got a chance to get together again, and his mere mention of VAM lit the fire in me again, and so, here we are.

I have been getting my files and things together, pulling out my copies of Spirit of the Century, and now Bulldogs, and getting to work on what I like to call my Year of FATE. Things are tougher now for me, since I have other things pulling at me in the rest of my life, but this *will* get done. To help me get there, I need you.

What do I need you for? I need to find artists. I need to find an editor. I need to find writers. Mostly however, I need you to keep me honest and moving. Mostly moving.

So at least once a month, I will be posting my status on the project. I may post more, but only if there is something of substance to post. If I don’t post for a month about VAM, I expect you to call me on it. Do you hear? Don’t make me zap another one of you. Really, don’t make me, the ash is setting off my allergies.

*achoo!*

Unfortunately, the How to Build a Ray Gun, part 4, is postponed for yet another geek mecca, GenCon 2011!

Ambiance

GenCon was held this year in August, from the 4th through the 7th. It happens every year around this time, which is inconvenient if you also want to go to Dragon*Con.

This year, I went down after work on Wednesday and got in late. Not to late to hang out with some fellow gamers, however. I got together with several people who I haven’t seen in at least a year. I won’t list them all here, or else I’ll have a post of just names.

You may remember our earlier talk on the San Diego Comic Con and the CCCLs. Most of the CCCLs might apply to Dragon*Con, but not to GenCon. GenCon is a totally different beast. However, CCCL #4 is definitely one to adhere to. If there are things in the dealer hall, or special guests you would like to meet, plan that out early.

I actually missed the chance to get the new Abney Park RPG, since it sold out quickly. Which, in hindsight, was very good luck for my wallet.

The first night was reconnecting with friends, and getting ready for the rest of the con. Thursday was my first real day at the convention. One thing I was grateful for, was having my badge mailed to me. I still needed to pick up tickets for Shelter In Place that I ordered, but that was a Saturday night game. So I had plenty of time.

The Will Call line on Thursday and Friday mornings were long! Definitely get things shipped to you if you can. It makes for less line waiting overall. Unlike SDCC, GenCon isn’t about the waiting in lines.

Thursday I browsed the convention great hall. The place of merchants of role-playing games, board games, card games, and costuming galore. This year seemed bigger than most others, and my wallet was sadder for it.

Something new, other than games, that they did in the hall was moving the artist alley out into the middle of the hall, and removing the ropes from it. This allowed convention goers to weave up and down the aisles of artists more freely. I’m not sure how the artists liked it, but I sure appreciated the more central location, and it looked like a great deal of patrons did as well.

Gaming at Gen Con

I also met up with some great people from Third Eye Games, makers of Part Time Gods and Apocalypse Prevention Inc. I played in a game of Part Time Gods with the creator, Eloy Lasanta, and had a blast. Given that it was a convention game, it got way over the top, but that endeared it to me even more. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pick up a copy at the time, so it’s on my list of future games.

Friday I played in a session of Hollow Earth Expeditions, with a twist. The twist was the setting, set during the Cuban missile crisis with a dysfunctional version of Johnny Quest’s family, it was an amazing and fun game. To give you some feel for it, I played D.A.W.G., the family robot dog. His personality was described to me as a cross between K-9 from Doctor Who, and Bender from Furturama. … Now that that’s sunk in, you should have an idea for the hijynx that ensued.

Saturday I played in my first game of Lady Blackbird. I couldn’t have asked for a better crew to have played it with. I played with Mick Bradley, Chris Perrin, Amanda Valentine, and Clark Valentine. Daniel Perez ran the game for us. Easily, this was the best game of the con for me (though Shelter In Place is a close second) and I really hope we can continue the adventure next year, or at least play something with the same crew!

The game has so much room to explore, especially when you realize that it’s just seven pages! Get a creative group together and play it, it’s free so there’s no excuse for you not playing. If you find an excuse, take it to one of the re-education rooms and let them explain why you are wrong.

Saturday night, and into Sunday, I played Shelter In Place. I’ve played in LARPs before. I’ve played in LARPs with zombies before. Never have I actually scared about the zombies in a LARP. Shelter In Place changed that. It was an awesome time, and everyone really got into the game. The rules really give a feeling of urgency to the game.

The first act of Shelter In Place, the humans have the upper hand. They can easily kill a zombie one on one, and as long as they move quickly and don’t get caught by a few there isn’t much risk. In act two and three though, the zombies start to get the upper hand. Humans have to think, and have to really help each other in order to survive. If you like zombie movies, and LARPing, you need to get this book. Plus, look at that cover! The inside is beautiful as well.

As you can tell, I didn’t do a whole lot of gaming at the “Best Four Days in Gaming.” Why? I went this year to hang out with friends, and play a few select games. I accomplished that, and look forward to next year. Will I play more games? Probably, but only if I can get crews as good as those I had this year.

 Swag!

When I go to GenCon, I find it impossible to leave without getting something. This year was no different. I was enticed to get several things for myself and my family while visiting the great hall, and even some outside of it.

I’ll give you a list of the things that I bought, and let you all ponder over the reasons for them. Perhaps later I will give you the truth, but for now let your imagination take over.

Games:

• Bulldogs
• Shelter In Place
• Doctor Who RPG
• Agents of S.W.I.N.G.
• Hit a Dude
• Lady Blackbird

Other:

• Pink Cheshire Cat hats (2)
• Music from Marc Gunn
• Star Wars chopsticks

Inspiration

GenCon for me in the last few years has been about friends and energy. It never fails to inspire me year after year. This year was no different.

This Just In From GenCon! is a twice daily podcast that gives people who can’t make it there an idea of what is going on. It has people from the industry on, and there is always something that gets me jazzed for gaming and game design on it.

An old project of mine, Vegas After Midnight (brainchild of Mick Bradley’s), is coming back. Mick Bradley, who some of you out there may remember, and I are going to start it up again. Hopefully we’ll have people playtesting it soon, though when it will be done falls under the mantra of “It’s done when it’s done.”

Next Year?

Am I going next year? I’m not sure, since I have a lot of other travel plans. If I can’t end up going, I will definitely miss it. If I do go, I hope to see you all there!