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I'm a fan of pen-and-paper RPG's and board games. That's what you are going to find on this site. Sometimes there might be a blurb about the Secret World MMO, my latest DMing project, or a new game that our family has picked up. The focus here is my drifting through Wisconsin's gaming communities. Links will be added as cons are visited, games are played, and authoring is published. Wander around. Grab a tankard. Relax and immerse yourself into polyhedron geekness, Wisconsin style!

Monday, December 8, 2014

Era V: 2013: Retro retro retro! Get yer RETRO here!!!

Jordane Thiboust of Beenox criticized the term "action RPG", saying that it does not represent what core experience the game offers to the player. He claimed that "action RPG is not a real subgenre" but "the current marketing slang for [...] 'RPGs that are cool to play with a pad'", so as more and more RPGs are marketed as "action RPGs", the label becomes increasingly useless. He also pointed out the danger of creating false consumer expectations, as "action RPG" describes mainly what type of combat to expect in a game but says nothing about the overall player experience (narrative, sandbox, or dungeon crawl) it has to offer.

Punk
Shadowrun HC / Special Edition by Catalyst Game Labs using the Shadowrun 5 system. This is the 14th and 15th editions of the 1989 game.

Sci Fi
Fading Suns by Holistic Design, Inc. This is the GM’s guide Revised Edition of the space opera game.
Traveller 5e: Reproduced from the earlier editions to create a consistent whole.
Star Wars: Age of Rebellion by Fantasy Flight Games using the Age of Rebellion system.
Foreign Element by Mystic Ages Publishing using the Mark System. The Great Blackout has halted human expansion into the stars. It is up to you to discover why.
Hulks & Horrors by Bedroom Wall Press using a generic system. Explore uncharted space as a scavenger.

Modern / Last Century
The Esoterrorists by Pelgrane Press. This second edition of battling occultist’s intent on tearing the fabric of the world asunder.
The Climb by Evil Hat Productions. Climb to a virgin peak in the Himalayas.
The Day After Ragnarok by Atomic Overmind Press using the Fate Core 1 system. Set in 1948 after Truman’s atomic fire has slain the Midgard Serpent..
1%er- The Outlaw Motercycle Game by Creepy Doll Studios using a custom system. Yep, play a biker ala Sons of Anarchy.
Cover Ops by DwD Studios using the D00Lite system. Espionage! Paramilitary! Rules lite.
Classified by Expeditious Retreat Press using a James Bond 007 retroclone system.

Historic-esque
Hillfolk by Pelgrane Press. An Iron Age saga using the DramaSystem.
GURPS Locations: St. Georges Cathedral: Part of the fictional settings set of design.

Horror / Thriller
Cryptworld by Goblinoid Games using the Pacesetter system. A retroclone of the 1980’s Chill game.
Blood and Smoke: The Strix Chronicle by White Wolf Pub using the Vampire: The Requiem 2 system.
One Foot in the Grave by Creepy Doll Studios using a custom system. Zombies in the assisted living facility!
Bath Salts by Creepy Doll Studios using a custom system. You play a CSR trying to survive your 8 hours in a call center.
Dude, Run! by Creepy Doll Studios using a custom system. Play a reality show member where mundane events are mis-interpreted as supernatural occurrences.

Humor / Toon
The Monster Hunter International Employees Handbook and RPG by Hero Games using the HERO 6 system. The first words out of my mouth was “Really? That’s the title?” A Ghostbusters clone.
Cartoon Action Hour: Season 3 by Spectrum Games using the Cartoon Action Hour system. Using ‘cartoon logic’ of the 1980’s cartoon era.

Anime
Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine by Jenna Moran is a slice-of-life game as well as an adventure game. 2013 A warm-hearted diceless slice-of-life adventure game.
Golden Sky Stories, a Japanese heartwarming, non-violent role-playing game uses resource pools, called Wonder and Feelings, rather than dice.
Tenra Bansho Zero by Kotodama Heavy Industries. A ‘hyper-Asian’ magic / tech anime game.

Science Fantasy
Volant – Kingdoms of Air and Stone by Flying Mice. was released on March 29, 2013. Volant is set on a world where some types of stone float, the mountains tear themselves out of the ground and fly through the air, people ride giant birds through the sky, with sailing ships built from floating stone, and monsters inhabiting the earth below.
Dark Heresy 2e by Fantasy Flight Games using the Dark Heresy 2 system.

Fantasy
Lords of Gossamer and Shadow uses no randomization, but has Good Stuff and Bad Stuff to influence circumstances of chance. This is a spiritual successor to the Amber Diceless system.
Bleake Rebellion by The Houseless Hills, UK using the Sortition system. Set in a fantasy / low-historic 18th century Europe.
Spears of Dawn by Sine Nomine Publishing. African-inspired fantasy iron-age landscape.
Arrows of Indra by Bedrock Games using a D&D retroclone system. Hindi-D&D world with a caste system and reskinned classes.
Atlantis: The Second Age by Morrigan Press using the OMNI system. This version has been purchased by DiLaGames.
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG by Goodman Games using another D&D retroclone system.
Shadows of Esteren by Agage Editions using the Sahdows of Esteren system. A dark fantasy world based on a French RPG system.
Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok by Pendelhaven using the Runic Game System 0 system.
13th Age by Pelgrane Press using the d20 system.
Swords & Six-Siders by Vanishing Leviathan using the Swords & Six-sider system.
Mazes & Perils by WG Productions using a retroclone D&D system.
Blueholme Prentice Rules by Dreamscape Design using a retroclone D&D system.
Age of Arthur by Wordplay Games using the Fate 3 system. Aruthurian fantasy set after the fall of Rome.
Fantasic Heroes & Witchery by Dice of Might using the OSR and OGL system.
Pits & Perils by Olde House Rules using a generic system. Formed off of the old war-games-turned-RPG concepts of the 1970’s.
Sojourner’s Quest by R.C. Ellis using generic AD&D system.
For Gold & Glory by J. Brown using a D&D 2e retroclone system.
Whitehack by C. Mehrstam using a retroclone d20 D&D system.
Grey Matter by Leonaru using the OD&D system. A retroclone of D&D.
Heroes & Other Worlds by Christopher Brandon  using a generic system. Medieval D&D-esque game world.

Child oriented
Mermaid Adventures by Third Eye Games. In this children’s RPG, take on the roll of a resident of submerged Atlantis.
Thimble by Third Eye Games. A children’s RPG where you get to adventure as a Squelk who lives in the walls of a house. Beware the car, the barking dog, and the stealthy cat!
Little Wizards by Crafty Games. This is a re-release of the French version of the children’s game of the same name.
Camp Myth by Third Eye Games. A children’s game where you get to go to summer camp with the mythical creature of your choice.

Generic / Non-genre
Risus 2.01 by Cumberland Games & Diversions using the Risus 0 system.
Bandits and Battlecruisers by Underworld Kingdom using a generic system.
Fate 4e is produced by Evil Hat Productions.
Narratives Unlimited D10 by A Maher using a D10 generic system. This is a meta-system that allows for virtually any story type.
Valiant Girls by Night Sky Games. A nano game, taking one session to play, using a card system.
Dawn of Fate by TRPG CLUB. Urban fantasy multigenre modified FATE system game.

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