We kick this show off with an explanation of how making a podcast is like running a roleplaying game.  The hosts are introduced, and then John and Chad tell us their tongue-in-cheek (?) vision of a roleplaying game with just one character stat.

The product we review this show is very close to home: our own podcast.  We go over the critiques our listeners have sent us and talk about the changes we've made over the past several episodes.

The advice portion covers the art and science of creating solid characters, with special emphasis on background and personality.  We also explain the virtues of intentionally writing in weaknesses.

Hosts: Adam, Chad, Dan, John, Kevin, Tim

I wrote a review after episode 1, giving my take on what we did right and wrong.  I'd like to do that again for episode 2.

I'm not sure if these posts will become a permanent tradition of mine, but I'd like to do them for at least the first five episodes.  Why five?  Almost every source I've read agrees it takes about five episodes to get the format and creative voice of a podcast straight.  Sure, you need to improve all the time to stay on top of your game, but your first several episodes is when you have to work the hardest to get things right.  You can research yourself silly, but some things just come best through trial and error.

Before I dive into my comments on episode 2, I'd like to thank everyone that's been giving us feedback.  Some of the things you guys said just confirmed what we already knew, while some was completely new information to us.  Regardless, all of it was important since it's hard to notice these things from our side of the mic.  So please keep the compliments and concerns coming in!

On to the review...

I hoped episode 2 would be a big improvement over episode 1, and without a doubt I got that.  We made a few improvements to the sound quality, implemented a new outline for the show, and covered some good material.  There's also broad agreement in our feedback that we have a great mix of personalities, making the show fun to listen to.

Despite these leaps forward, we still have things to fix for episode 3.  I think we need to be a little more informational, especially during the review and advice portion of the show.  I'd also like for us to balance our perspectives with more positive affirmations.  Sure, like most gamers we're pretty cynical, but let's talk more about what we like and what works, not just the things that annoy us.

We're going to kick off episode 3 with a discussion of the feedback we've been getting, followed by some tips on character creation.  I have the show notes in front of me right now, and this is shaping up to be an awesome episode.  I look forward to making it!

One last tidbit before I sign out. A few paragraphs up, I mentioned we have an outline for the show we started using in episode 2.  It worked well, so we'll likely stick to that for many episodes to come.  In case you're wondering, that outline is... 

a. introduction of hosts and topics (1 - 2 minutes)

b. thoughts of the day (5 - 10 minutes)

c. product review (5 - 10 minutes)

d. gaming advice (15 - 30 minutes)

For the next several episodes, we'll be using a mock Shadowrun game to walk you through the do's and don'ts of roleplaying games.  In this podcast, we talk about the first step a group should take when starting a game: creating a group template.  We explain what group templates are, why to build one, and how to make them effective.

Before digging into that, we take a look back at our first gaming experiences, followed by a discussion about gaming in hobby shops and other public places.  There's also a brief chat about the changing definition of what's "dorky" and a review of Shadowrun's previous editions.

Hosts: Adam, Chad, Dan, John

With episode 1 now live, I've had some time to scrutinize our work and think about the things we've accomplished. 

Before we started this show, we spent weeks reading books and browsing forums to learn everything we could about podcasting.  We were excited about the effort, but knew very little about the hardware and software involved.  We came a  long way, and considering this was our first attempt at podcasting, I'm very pleased with the quality of our first show.  I think we found a solid creative mix and discussion format, and the recording itself sounds good.

However, some things just come from experience.  We learned a lot about the compressor and sound editing software as we made this recording.  There are some rough edges in episode 1, particularly in regard to volume balance.  I may go back and fiddle with the recording at some point in the future, but for now I'll let it be.  I don't want to risk over-editing, damaging the show as I attempt to straighten out relatively minor flaws. 

I think we also spent that episode just getting comfortable behind the mic and testing our interpersonal dynamic.  I want to shift the show to be a bit more informational in the future, though without losing our wit.

I'm very excited about recording episode 2 this weekend.  Armed with everything we learned from making the prior episode, I'm confident the next one will be just as entertaining, while having an even higher polish. 

I hope to catch you all then!

After a conversation about why roleplaying game stories are so terrible to listen to, we move on to the types of gaming groups and a debate about resolving situations where players have a social wit their characters lack (and vice versa).

Hosts: Chad, Dan, Kevin

This podcast is an introduction to our show, explaining what we'll talk about: tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs), product reviews, industry news, and related topics.

Hosts: Dan