Gen Con Day 4
For the second year in a row, I started the last day of the show with an appearance on the brain-dead Sunday morning edition of Ryan Macklin's This Just In From Gen Con podcast. I teamed with my erstwhile death match companero John Wick in the guest chairs, while Pulp Gamer's Derek Rex co-hosted. My brain death quotient was supplied when I not just repeatedly but determinedly mangled the name of Paul Tevis' a penny for my thoughts. We talked about the impact of the recession of the show (not so much for exhibitors or most attendees, but palpable with the indie crowd) and reviewed our shout-outs.
A late-breaking shout-out tackles a topic near and dear to my heart, tribal fantasy roleplaying. This isn't exactly a bursting niche, so it's great to see Ganakagok, Bill White's story game in which you play Inuit-inspired tribesmen struggling for survival on a fantastic ice island. The digest-format game comes with a set of Tarot-esque cards used to resolve story situations. Thanks to Bill for dropping it by, and to simonjrogers to acting as tipster.
I was also happy to receive the new edition of Rogue Games' Colonial Gothic. It's a clearly spiffier version. I'm glad to see Richard Iorio and his crew going great guns with this. Revolutionary-era America is underused in both gaming and in pop culture at large.
Also from Rogue Games is Thousand Suns, the latest fusillade in James Maliszewski's old school revival project. Here he goes back to the past of the future, delivering his take on the golden era of space gaming. I am reliably told that you don't die during character generation, though. The Thousand Suns book most catching my fancy is Transmissions From Piper, which reprints three classic H. Beam Piper stories and then supplies source material for the game inspired by them.
And now it's all over and done with for another year. Too much, too fast, as usual. Thanks again to everyone who stopped by to say hi. In the end it's all about the people who play the games, and without you, my efforts the other 51 weeks of the year would be pointless. Catch you next time, I hope.