* Donating your old game books to your local library.
* Luke gets outed.
* Dan's view on capital ship combat! Ok, just kidding. We actually talk about house rules. Here's the command-prompt Portal game John was talking about.
* Since it's Halloween, we get Luke's insight on running a horror game. We talked him up during episode 45, so now we get it straight from the source.
* Spoof winner #1: Meg, Josh, and Zeke from Brilliant Gameologists. Meg doesn't have any speaking parts since we don't currently have a female on the cast.
* Spoof winner #2: Forum user, Tim White, who is also the composer of our current theme music.
With DM of the Rings coming to a close, Fear the Boot is proud to announce Chainmail Bikini, a new RPG-oriented web comic coming to our site, developed by Shamus Young and Shawn Gaston!
Like all Fear the Boot bonus episodes, this show is neither edited nor
on our usual subject. So if this is your first time here, we recommend
checking out a regular episode first. Also, excuse the jingling in the background. Two of my dogs were wrestling throughout the entire episode.
As for the episode, the title says it all! This show is about the pitfalls and success stories of internet dating!
* A brief request to treat the ENnie staff with courtesy, even if you disagree with them.
* We spent the weekend at Archon, so we record a round-up of the con. Excuse the sound quality as we're in a hotel meeting room, and Dan is losing his voice from speaking so much at panels.
* What we did at Archon.
* Phil's annoyance with 10-year-olds in the gaming room and us feeling old.
* Power 16 update. Votehere and check the bracket here.
* A call for commission artists that will do custom art (for pay) in a realistic style. Please send emails with samples, etc, to feartheboot(at)gmail.com.
* Jim in Buffalo's Baron von Badass theme song can be found here.
* Favorite video game based on a tabletop RPG.
* Knowing when to update or not update your roleplaying game collection.
* Don't forget to vote for us in the ENnie Awards if you haven't already! And if you already have, pass it on to your friends or family members. Voting ends on July 29th.
* Determining rank in an RPG.
* Little things Game Masters can do to ruin a roleplaying game.
* Reminder of the Gencon reception on Saturday from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. Dan will also be on two panels at 11:00am and 5:00pm on Saturday.
* Fear the Boot nominated for an ENnie award! Don't forget to vote for us from July 16th to July 29th. You can find the ENnie site here.
* Some changes at Fear the Boot.
* Using electronic aids to help with voluntary player isolation.
* Nazi Zombie Bugbear contest is over! The song by GoOrange can be found here and also heard at the end of the show. The winning picture by Angstboy can be found here.
* The Beatles version of Lord of the Rings?! Also, here's the song with Leonard Nimoy singing about Bilbo.
* Power 16 update. You can see the bracket here. And be sure to vote on the next round here.
* Fictional religions in a roleplaying game.
* Real religions in a roleplaying game.
* Religion versus RPG culture. Here is a link to the Chick tract we keep talking about. And here's a link to the profile of the guy that hosts the Gamers of Faith forum. Send him a PM if you want to get more info on joining it.
* A report on the Ziggurat Con donation drive. You can find more details on the forums here.
* Fear the Boot will be attending a general reception for the gaming podcasters and listeners at Gencon on Saturday, August 18th, from 7:00pm - 9:00pm.
* An update on the World of Warcraft and Everquest II guilds.
* Gamers and sports.
* Balancing a game for setting accuracy versus fairness.
* How electronics can be used to enhance the roleplaying experience rather than damage it.
Like all Fear the Boot bonus episodes, this show is neither edited nor
on our usual subject. So if this is your first time here, we recommend
checking out a regular episode first.
This episode is a review of Anime Central, which was attended by Adam and Melina. Adam also put together a short film, which you can find here.
While there's no profanity or explicit material in this episode, it does deal with some sexual themes, so please use discretion when playing it.
* Dragon and Dungeon magazines shutting down, redux. The voice mail we're discussing can be found here, should you want to hear the whole thing. You can check out Carl's own podcast over here.
In this interview we talk with Shamus Young, author of the web comic, DM of the Rings, a parody of Lord of the Rings, presented as if the movie was the plot of an RPG.
Though we've gotten out of the habit, we want to do something different every 10th episode. Since episode 50 falls pretty close to our one-year anniversary, we spend this show looking back on the first year of the show.
I assure you this is not a highlight reel of clips from previous shows, nor do we rehash old topics. Instead we talk about the things that have happened off mic, the phases the show has gone through, and how it's changed us as people.
If you're interested in the gaming talk, but not the show itself, this is probably not an episode for you. Skip over it and catch up with us again on episode 51. Otherwise, stick around for a look at what it's like to make Fear the Boot.
* Though it will have minimal impact on the show, we've changed our recording date from Saturday to Monday. Release will still be on Wednesdays.
* We're accepting donations to prepare gaming kits that will be sent down to Ziggurat Con, a gaming convention for soldiers in Iraq. You can donate using the "Make a Donation" button at the top of our site. If you prefer to send a check or other donation via postal mail, please send an email to Dan. All donations must be in by noon Central time on Saturday, May 12th. Our forum discussion on the effort can be found here. If you'd like to play a promo on your own show for the fund drive, you can find a 60-second MP3 here.
* Planning has begun for World Wide Wing Night 2. It will be on Friday, May 18th. Details can be found here.
* The single favorite RPG of each individual host and why we picked those games.
* A discussion on which actor made the best Batman.
* Tips for running a roleplaying game in the Western genre.
Fear the Boot joined the Groovy Gamer podcast for an episode about remote play (play-by-post, play-by-email, etc) roleplaying games. Please stop by and check it out!
* Chris Engler is joining a charity bowling contest that will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters. If RPG podcast listeners will pledge enough money, several companies (including Highmoon Media and Sword's Edge) have pledged to give away a ton of RPG-related prizes. You can find the details on his website or in our forums.
* A Bloodbowl League is forming, using a Java client so you can play online for free. You can find information in our forums and on the league's page.
* Congratulations to Zanian0 for winning our Chad: The Travesty contest. You can find his entry here.
* A discussion on Command & Conquer 3 leads into a longer discussion on strategy video games.
* Dealing with cliches when running a genre-based RPG. The Inspector Gadget joke John makes is in reference to this Robot Chicken clip.
In the second interview episode, we talk with Mike West from Lionhead Studios. Mike contributed to script development for Fable and is currently the lead script developer for Fable 2. Our conversation focuses on storytelling in video games, but also includes discussion of the relationship between video games and tabletop games, the future of the video game market, and the chances of small shops succeeding in the industry.
The resource document for this episode will be rather extensive, so it won't be up along with this episode, but it should be posted by the end of the week.
* John's date report.
* Chad's comments on gaming in the window of a shop in the mall.
* Why Mike hasn't GM-ed in years, and whether GMs make the best players.
* Considerations when designing character creation for a new roleplaying game.
Since starting this podcast, Fear the Boot has made contact with quite a few professionals in the gaming market. Rather than let these opportunities go to waste, we decided to start a new interview series. For our kick-off show, we chat with Ryan Dancey about his experience working for Wizards of the Coast, the data he's seen on the gaming population, and the future of the hobby.
If you'd like to hear more from Ryan, be sure to check out his blog!
During the show, we make a few jokes about an "oooooh" noise. During the show I said I would link the video that comes from, so here it is. Please be aware it includes foul language.
* Katie, I can't understand the email address in your voicemail.
* A writer's critique group is running on our forum. To join, send a private message (on the forum) to Tony, who both heads up the critique group and is a host of the Fanboy Smackdown, movie review podcast.
* The new FTB banner page can be found here or under the "Banners" link at the top of the page.
* The FTB store can be found here or under the "Store" link at the top of the page. It features FTB 9000 Compliant, Baron von Badass, and show logo gear.
* Why do gamers all enter the hobby with the same preconceptions?
* Is it possible to bring what we enjoy from tabletop gaming into video games?
* Designing the economy and itemization for your new roleplaying game.
Like all Fear the Boot bonus episodes, this show is neither edited nor on our usual subject. So if this is your first time here, we recommend checking out a regular episode first.
This particular episode is primarily about "gamer shame", meaning the embarrassment most gamers feel about their chosen hobby. However, before we get into that, we spend a few minutes talking about turn-based strategy games and waning attention spans.
* Our take on Wizards of the Coast's D&D club sponsorship program. You can find the article we're discussing here.
* Based on some feedback we've gotten, we return to the subject of RPG art. The RPG publishers we mention are Highmoon Media and Sword's Edge Publishing.
* We continue the game design series with a discussion of social rules for your roleplaying game.
This episode was intended to be a warm-up for Mike, a new host we're bringing on at FTB to help out with several new efforts we're preparing to launch. However, true to form, we spend most of the show chasing tangents, the largest of which is a discussion on pipes and cigars.
Mike was a bit nervous behind the mic, but that's alright. Off the mic he's just as belligerent as the rest of us, so I know he'll be a great addition once he's more at ease.
Before I get to the show notes, a listener asked us to mention an upcoming gaming con. I didn't get the note in time for the recording, so I'll mention it here instead. The con is Chattacon in Chattanooga, Tennessee, January 26 - 28. You can find more information at Chattacon.org.
With that done, on to the show...
* The future of the gaming industry. The Ryan Dancey article we mention can be found here.
* Art for your new roleplaying game.
* Skies of Glass Q&A. The Gamer Traveler show we mention can be found here.
WARNING: This episode of Fear the Boot deals with handling sensitive subjects in your role-playing game. While it maintains the usual rating of a Fear the Boot episode, it includes candid discussions of social issues such as race, religion, politics, and violence. If you are bothered by such discussions or playing this show in the presence of anyone this content would be inappropriate for, please exercise proper discretion.
* World Wide Wing Night
* TV shows we miss.
* Too much versus too little micro-setting in a roleplaying game.
* Handling sensitive subjects when designing a new RPG.
There are two resource documents for episode 31. I'm still putting the finishing touches on them, but they should be up by the end of today (Wednesday).
To save myself the weekly struggle of presenting our show notes in prose form, I'm going to start using a more traditional, bulleted format. This episode continues our series on RPG design.
* A big thanks to our listeners for their support during the episode 30 problems.
* Guilty gaming habits.
* The best character Chad has ever made.
* A misunderstanding about Skies of Glass, regarding its balance of combat and non-combat rules.
* Creating back story on the macro level for your new roleplaying game.
* Planning the future plot progression of your new roleplaying game. While discussing this topic, we mention a previous show on campaign design. You can find that show here: http://feartheboot.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=97832
To follow-up on our open letter in the previous episode, we're happy to announce the show is back on track and doing well! However, based on the suggestion of several listeners, FTB will now be released on Wednesdays instead of Mondays.
Continuing our game design series, we spend most of this episode talking about the role player-characters will assume in your game. We also talk about Christmas parties and our current contests, as well as giving a Skies of Glass Q&A.
One of our forum users, Crafterofcode, sent us a box of Australian candies. We spend this bonus episode sampling the candy and discussing international food.
We also bring Tex back via Skype, since he spent several years living in Europe. This was a great opportunity for us to test recording with Skype, which is something we may use for interviews in the future.
Before the bonus episode itself, I take a few minutes to address the listeners with an open letter we posted on our forums. It explains why the design series has been running behind and what we're doing to address the problem.
