Greetings, Citizens!
This week's topic is a beefy one, and one we know we'll not get to the end of in just one episode. So, we're going to break it up into several different parts. The trick is that we don't know when those other parts will come (Click the "archetypes" tag for the others as they become available).
Thieves. Tanks. Gandalf-ey wizards. Luke Skywalker. What do they all have in common? They're all based on a sort of archetype. In this episode, we start to scratch the surface of what archetypes we like and why we like them. Also, Matt gives us a good idea of what O.C.C.s and R.C.C.s are great fits for the type of character you might want to play. Well, as long as you tend to play along the same lines as Maddy and Jeff…
Carry on, Citizens!
The official site of the Coalition Deadboys Podcast. Join us as we discuss all things related to games from the universe of Palladium Books!
Showing posts with label feedback. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feedback. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Episode 40 - The Savage Rifts in Our Broadcasting Schedule
Hi, Citizens.
We really blew it last month, didn't we? I suppose it was inevitable, what with the end of the school year and all, plus trying to coordinate the schedules of three very busy people. Fortunately, Matt gets to do the coordinating. I (Jeff) just bring the computer and recording equipment.
Regardless, I'm sure you heard the news about the Rifts for Savage Worlds Kickstarter, which successfully funded (with over 54 times what they were aiming for). To be sure, it's an amazing time to be a fan of Rifts or any Palladium Books game.
Basically, we just spend a good share of the time geeking out about the fun times we've had in Savage Worlds systems, and things like that. It's a total nerdfest. But hey, that's what makes us fun, right? And Maddy's here, so she keeps Matt and I under control. Mostly.
Carry on, citizens!
We really blew it last month, didn't we? I suppose it was inevitable, what with the end of the school year and all, plus trying to coordinate the schedules of three very busy people. Fortunately, Matt gets to do the coordinating. I (Jeff) just bring the computer and recording equipment.
Regardless, I'm sure you heard the news about the Rifts for Savage Worlds Kickstarter, which successfully funded (with over 54 times what they were aiming for). To be sure, it's an amazing time to be a fan of Rifts or any Palladium Books game.
Basically, we just spend a good share of the time geeking out about the fun times we've had in Savage Worlds systems, and things like that. It's a total nerdfest. But hey, that's what makes us fun, right? And Maddy's here, so she keeps Matt and I under control. Mostly.
Carry on, citizens!
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Episode 38 - The Heat of Battle!
Greetings, Citizens!
Question: What happens when your favorite Deadboys don't manage to post an update to their blog for a freaking WEEK AND A HALF?
Answer: Two updates in a day! Woo hoo!
This topic is one we've been asked several times to address. What do you do to speed up combat?
Let's be honest, we all want the hot intensity of a Gorge R.R. Martin battle scene or some climactic battle from Brandon Sanderson, but sometimes the excitement of the scene falls apart because of a really slow pace. But that's not actually your fault, nor is it that of your players! Even the system isn't completely to blame. The real issue here is how you can work within the existing framework of the game to allow for the fast-paced, exciting battle you want.
Granted, we're not experts in … well, pretty much anything, but we've got some experience. We this episode will hopefully give you a few tips and tricks to speed up combat and make it more exciting while still maintaining the epic, heroic feel you're (probably) aiming for.
Carry on, citizens!
Question: What happens when your favorite Deadboys don't manage to post an update to their blog for a freaking WEEK AND A HALF?
Answer: Two updates in a day! Woo hoo!
This topic is one we've been asked several times to address. What do you do to speed up combat?
Let's be honest, we all want the hot intensity of a Gorge R.R. Martin battle scene or some climactic battle from Brandon Sanderson, but sometimes the excitement of the scene falls apart because of a really slow pace. But that's not actually your fault, nor is it that of your players! Even the system isn't completely to blame. The real issue here is how you can work within the existing framework of the game to allow for the fast-paced, exciting battle you want.
Granted, we're not experts in … well, pretty much anything, but we've got some experience. We this episode will hopefully give you a few tips and tricks to speed up combat and make it more exciting while still maintaining the epic, heroic feel you're (probably) aiming for.
Carry on, citizens!
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Episode 37 - History Lessons!
Greetings, Citizens!
Yes, I'm late. I know. I'm flaying the skin off my own back in penance right now. Again. I promise it won't happen for at least three more hours.
Anyway, we have a fun-filled episode for you today, and that's partially because it was left up to the Fates. Some of you (many?) have asked us to talk about some of Matt's previous games and flesh out the story lines and other things about the campaigns. Well, today's your lucky day!
As you can probably tell, we really enjoyed making this episode. You can probably also tell that we only scratched the surface with this one, so we're considering making it an occasional feature. That'll also make it so you can understand what's going on in our CDAPS episodes if things get too … rowdy.
Until next time,
Carry on, Citizens.
Yes, I'm late. I know. I'm flaying the skin off my own back in penance right now. Again. I promise it won't happen for at least three more hours.
Anyway, we have a fun-filled episode for you today, and that's partially because it was left up to the Fates. Some of you (many?) have asked us to talk about some of Matt's previous games and flesh out the story lines and other things about the campaigns. Well, today's your lucky day!
As you can probably tell, we really enjoyed making this episode. You can probably also tell that we only scratched the surface with this one, so we're considering making it an occasional feature. That'll also make it so you can understand what's going on in our CDAPS episodes if things get too … rowdy.
Until next time,
Carry on, Citizens.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Episode 35 - Reiterating, Chauvinism is NOT Cool
Greetings, Citizens!
Now, you may have read the title and read a little snark into it. I'd be lying if I (Jeff) said I didn't intend any, especially with the chosen intro and outro music this episode. That being said, it isn't our intention to downplay or justify the overt (and sometimes not so overt) chauvinism and objectification of women within nerd culture. A Chainmail Bikini is NOT equal to an actual suit of armor!! Recently, with such projects as The Hawkeye Initiative, this issue has gained a wider audience, but there's still a lot of ground to make up.
The Coalition States have long been held up as the standard for bigotry and inequality. But this podcast is going to make that leap and take a stand against the objectification of women, especially in "nerd culture," where it seems to be so pervasive. Another article you can take a look at is this one on the Artifice. Don't be intimidated by how long it seems--most of the page is made up of comments.
Please comment on this post. I know we didn't ask for any responses on this topic within the recording, but this is an issue that affects each and every one of us in the hobby. Whether you love or hate the scantily-clad images of post-apocalyptic females, your opinion on this matter is one that really can make a difference in the way people see our subculture.
Carry on, citizens.
Now, you may have read the title and read a little snark into it. I'd be lying if I (Jeff) said I didn't intend any, especially with the chosen intro and outro music this episode. That being said, it isn't our intention to downplay or justify the overt (and sometimes not so overt) chauvinism and objectification of women within nerd culture. A Chainmail Bikini is NOT equal to an actual suit of armor!! Recently, with such projects as The Hawkeye Initiative, this issue has gained a wider audience, but there's still a lot of ground to make up.
The Coalition States have long been held up as the standard for bigotry and inequality. But this podcast is going to make that leap and take a stand against the objectification of women, especially in "nerd culture," where it seems to be so pervasive. Another article you can take a look at is this one on the Artifice. Don't be intimidated by how long it seems--most of the page is made up of comments.
Please comment on this post. I know we didn't ask for any responses on this topic within the recording, but this is an issue that affects each and every one of us in the hobby. Whether you love or hate the scantily-clad images of post-apocalyptic females, your opinion on this matter is one that really can make a difference in the way people see our subculture.
Carry on, citizens.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Episode 30 - Getting Back Together with Nate
Hello, Citizens!
Well, Nate is fresh back from the gaming show in Vegas, and he's here to tell us all about it.
Unfortunately, I wasn't in on this one, so that's all I can say. I'll be just as surprised as you while I listen.
Carry on, citizens!
Fixing Old Stuff and Posting New Stuff...
Okay. Here's the deal.
You probably noticed the wonkiness of the last month. No worries! The Deadboys aren't living up to their namesake. Even if we were, there are plenty more to take our places. Heck, the bereavement pay for surviving relatives alone makes it worth the crazy crap you see when you leave the 'Burbs. Or even in the 'Burbs, for that matter. I saw a Juicer the other day that's going to be in my nightmares for a while. Yikes.
Anyway, I'm going to take down Episode 29, because I've heard that it's not working right. Credit goes out to Dave Folmsbee for pointing out the problem--for some reason, the link only a few seconds of audio. I tried to fix it, but it's not working in my podcast aggregator, either. So, yeah. I'm going to take that down and put it back up as soon as I post this, as well as Episode 30.
That's all the news for now. Carry on, citizens!
You probably noticed the wonkiness of the last month. No worries! The Deadboys aren't living up to their namesake. Even if we were, there are plenty more to take our places. Heck, the bereavement pay for surviving relatives alone makes it worth the crazy crap you see when you leave the 'Burbs. Or even in the 'Burbs, for that matter. I saw a Juicer the other day that's going to be in my nightmares for a while. Yikes.
Anyway, I'm going to take down Episode 29, because I've heard that it's not working right. Credit goes out to Dave Folmsbee for pointing out the problem--for some reason, the link only a few seconds of audio. I tried to fix it, but it's not working in my podcast aggregator, either. So, yeah. I'm going to take that down and put it back up as soon as I post this, as well as Episode 30.
That's all the news for now. Carry on, citizens!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Episode 22 - The Players of Atrophy
Greetings!
Today, we're back to our standard--just Jeff and Matt on this one, but we actually did a good job of it!
There were a lot of S.D.C. items this week, but the weekly update came out after we recorded, so we weren't able to analyze that. We also address listener mail before launching into the topic of conversation for the week.
The topic this week is simple, but it's one that not a lot of GMs want to discuss: players who aren't causing enough disruption to get themselves kicked out of the game, but enough of a ruckus to slow and stop the game in progress. Matt cites three specific archetypes he's seen, and we discuss the pros and cons of having each kind of player in your game, as well as some actual-play stories we remember from back in the day.
Anyway, that's it for this week. I hope the delay of a couple hours wasn't too onerous for you, fair listener.
Carry on, citizens.
Today, we're back to our standard--just Jeff and Matt on this one, but we actually did a good job of it!
There were a lot of S.D.C. items this week, but the weekly update came out after we recorded, so we weren't able to analyze that. We also address listener mail before launching into the topic of conversation for the week.
The topic this week is simple, but it's one that not a lot of GMs want to discuss: players who aren't causing enough disruption to get themselves kicked out of the game, but enough of a ruckus to slow and stop the game in progress. Matt cites three specific archetypes he's seen, and we discuss the pros and cons of having each kind of player in your game, as well as some actual-play stories we remember from back in the day.
Anyway, that's it for this week. I hope the delay of a couple hours wasn't too onerous for you, fair listener.
Carry on, citizens.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Episode 18 - Story Time!
Greetings, Citizens!
It's good to be back in the adequate glow of the Burbs with you, just as we're sure you're glad to be back here.
One of the most common questions I (Jeff) get asked as a writer is where I get my ideas. Oddly, one of the more common questions GMs can get is the same. In this episode, we look at the question of scenarios and stories. After all, we're all in it for a good story, right? Let's start off with a picture:
It's good to be back in the adequate glow of the Burbs with you, just as we're sure you're glad to be back here.
One of the most common questions I (Jeff) get asked as a writer is where I get my ideas. Oddly, one of the more common questions GMs can get is the same. In this episode, we look at the question of scenarios and stories. After all, we're all in it for a good story, right? Let's start off with a picture:
This can pretty much sum up the GM/Player dynamic during a scenario, but it doesn't have to. Today, Matt and I go into what makes a good scenario, one idea of how to build one and we even build one for you. Nothing's too good for you!
Until next time, keep the feedback messages and comments coming--soon, we may have a mailbag episode and read your messages on the show. So if you have anything to say, please don't hesitate to send us an email and ask a question, tell us how you deal with a certain situation or anything else you might want to mention. Also, don't forget that any exposure you can give us through a rating on -iTunes is greatly appreciated. While we appreciate 5-star reviews, give us as many (or as few) as you think we're worth, and tell us how we can improve! We always want to improve the show, and are always trying to find new ways to do it.
Carry on, citizens!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Episode 16 - It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a One-Off Adventure!
Greetings once again!
Fellow citizens, a listener pointed out something important to us recently: we talk about Rifts a lot. But what about the other games within the Megaverse? Well, to that I say, look, up there in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's Heroes Unlimited!
Heroes is probably one of the first systems most Palladium gamers learned, and it's still one of the most popular—and for good reason. And with the current environment regarding superheroes at box offices everywhere, the system has the potential to take itself to new heights!
But naturally, we can't shut ourselves up there. Another question we wanted to answer in this episode is what to do about one-off adventures; that is, for those of you just coming into the RPG world, an adventure you run in a single session. A lot of people have trouble thinking of a "small campaign" to create, because they think they're wasting a good storytelling opportunity. Well, Nathan will set you straight this week. He's run a lot of one-off adventures, and knows what he's talking about. If you're keen to learn how to make the most out of your superpowers, how to run better one-offs or to combine the two and make the most out of your superpowered one-offs, have a listen!
Carry on, citizens.
Fellow citizens, a listener pointed out something important to us recently: we talk about Rifts a lot. But what about the other games within the Megaverse? Well, to that I say, look, up there in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's Heroes Unlimited!
Heroes is probably one of the first systems most Palladium gamers learned, and it's still one of the most popular—and for good reason. And with the current environment regarding superheroes at box offices everywhere, the system has the potential to take itself to new heights!
But naturally, we can't shut ourselves up there. Another question we wanted to answer in this episode is what to do about one-off adventures; that is, for those of you just coming into the RPG world, an adventure you run in a single session. A lot of people have trouble thinking of a "small campaign" to create, because they think they're wasting a good storytelling opportunity. Well, Nathan will set you straight this week. He's run a lot of one-off adventures, and knows what he's talking about. If you're keen to learn how to make the most out of your superpowers, how to run better one-offs or to combine the two and make the most out of your superpowered one-offs, have a listen!
Carry on, citizens.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Episode 15 - Cross-classing, but with Logic Included
Greetings, citizens.
Although it's a couple days late, I like to think this week's episode is jam-packed full of greatpropoganda information and discussion for you to take to the proverbial bank.
Because we ran a little long on this episode, you can expect the Palladium Travel Agency, Creature Feature and Job Fair next time when we can do each segment its due attention.
That's all for now. Carry on, citizens!
Although it's a couple days late, I like to think this week's episode is jam-packed full of great
Because we ran a little long on this episode, you can expect the Palladium Travel Agency, Creature Feature and Job Fair next time when we can do each segment its due attention.
That's all for now. Carry on, citizens!
Friday, February 6, 2015
Episode 13 - Hitting the Forums
Greetings, citizens.
Well, you asked for it. Here it is. In this episode we discuss one of the hottest topics on the forums: what can Palladium do better? What are some ways the company can make their games better? After all, as players and fans of the Palladium Megaverse, we have an investment in the company, whether that means a financial investment or just a psychological one.
We also have a triple-threat this time. We took time for a Palladium Travel Agency, Creature Feature and a Job fair of sorts—that is, we kind of smash them all together to feature the Coalition States. In lieu of the episode that never was, we felt it was about time to give you at least a brief overview of what makes this Megaversal presence what it is.
As always, here's the link:
You can also download the episode from here, from iTunes or from your favorite podcatcher. But wherever you get it from, please be sure to take just two minutes and leave a rating and a comment. Even if it's not all that good, it'll start a trend. It'll help the podcast get noticed, and soon we'll have more Palladium fans and players than ever. After all, that'll give us all more chances to game, right?
Until next time, carry on, citizens.
Well, you asked for it. Here it is. In this episode we discuss one of the hottest topics on the forums: what can Palladium do better? What are some ways the company can make their games better? After all, as players and fans of the Palladium Megaverse, we have an investment in the company, whether that means a financial investment or just a psychological one.
We also have a triple-threat this time. We took time for a Palladium Travel Agency, Creature Feature and a Job fair of sorts—that is, we kind of smash them all together to feature the Coalition States. In lieu of the episode that never was, we felt it was about time to give you at least a brief overview of what makes this Megaversal presence what it is.
As always, here's the link:
You can also download the episode from here, from iTunes or from your favorite podcatcher. But wherever you get it from, please be sure to take just two minutes and leave a rating and a comment. Even if it's not all that good, it'll start a trend. It'll help the podcast get noticed, and soon we'll have more Palladium fans and players than ever. After all, that'll give us all more chances to game, right?
Until next time, carry on, citizens.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Format and Schedule Moving Forward
Hello, Citizens!
Matt and I have discussed the issue, and our schedules haven't been all that kind to us this week. Therefore, we will not be recording this week (which has already passed anyway), or next week (November 28). Ideally, we'll be able to sit down and record again on December 5 and I'll be able to release the episode a week later so you can have more current news and analysis than you've been getting. I have to apologize for that. I was not getting you the episode quickly enough that we could give you the most up-to-date information Palladium had available. But I'm planning on changing that from now on.
In other news, I have a question. I know everyone who responded to the poll on Google+ thought a Google Hangout or some other sort of get together would be a good idea, so I thought I would ask another question. Do you like the update frequency as it stands, or would you like to see more (or less) content? We can write two or three quick updates each week, one each week including weeks we release an episode, or just on the weeks we don't release an episode. Or we can just keep the status quo. If you have a preference, please leave a comment below and let us know. Otherwise, I'm just going to do it whenever I want, and that might get a little annoying for people out there.
Again, leave a comment and let us know how we're doing, and let us know how often you'd like us to pop up in your RSS feeds.
Carry on, citizens.
Matt and I have discussed the issue, and our schedules haven't been all that kind to us this week. Therefore, we will not be recording this week (which has already passed anyway), or next week (November 28). Ideally, we'll be able to sit down and record again on December 5 and I'll be able to release the episode a week later so you can have more current news and analysis than you've been getting. I have to apologize for that. I was not getting you the episode quickly enough that we could give you the most up-to-date information Palladium had available. But I'm planning on changing that from now on.
In other news, I have a question. I know everyone who responded to the poll on Google+ thought a Google Hangout or some other sort of get together would be a good idea, so I thought I would ask another question. Do you like the update frequency as it stands, or would you like to see more (or less) content? We can write two or three quick updates each week, one each week including weeks we release an episode, or just on the weeks we don't release an episode. Or we can just keep the status quo. If you have a preference, please leave a comment below and let us know. Otherwise, I'm just going to do it whenever I want, and that might get a little annoying for people out there.
Again, leave a comment and let us know how we're doing, and let us know how often you'd like us to pop up in your RSS feeds.
Carry on, citizens.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Episode 7 - Social Contracts Players Sign
Hello, and and happy Halloween to you, human-enough subjects!
Real life seemed to try conspiring against us this time, but we showed it who was boss.
Anyway, I know I've said this before in a post, but I think this is one of our best episodes yet. Up to this point, we've been talking a lot about what a GM needs to do to engage players and things like that, but today, Matt had a great idea. What does a player need to do to fulfill their part of the social gaming contract? What is the social contract when it comes to gaming, and how does it even break? What are the effects if someone breaks it?
And somehow, we came back to talking about rules lawyers. What is it with those guys?
Anyway, we're glad to be back on track with our schedule. Sorry the Episode 6 came out so early—that was a mistake on my part, but one I'm not planning to repeat. Also, because real life played such havoc with the editing schedule, I wasn't able to include the additional feature in this episode. BUT, in lieu of that, we have a fun little section where we learn that Matt's dice really are cursed.
Sound effect provided by Raccoonimator on freesound.org.
Real life seemed to try conspiring against us this time, but we showed it who was boss.
Anyway, I know I've said this before in a post, but I think this is one of our best episodes yet. Up to this point, we've been talking a lot about what a GM needs to do to engage players and things like that, but today, Matt had a great idea. What does a player need to do to fulfill their part of the social gaming contract? What is the social contract when it comes to gaming, and how does it even break? What are the effects if someone breaks it?
And somehow, we came back to talking about rules lawyers. What is it with those guys?
Anyway, we're glad to be back on track with our schedule. Sorry the Episode 6 came out so early—that was a mistake on my part, but one I'm not planning to repeat. Also, because real life played such havoc with the editing schedule, I wasn't able to include the additional feature in this episode. BUT, in lieu of that, we have a fun little section where we learn that Matt's dice really are cursed.
Sound effect provided by Raccoonimator on freesound.org.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Episode 5 - The House Rule Strikes Back
Hello, human subjects!
This week's episode comes in response to an email we received a while back.
Just how do you play your games? Are you a by-the-book kind of person, or do you try to be flexible like the proverbial willow? House rules can breathe a special, unique life into a game that might have grown stale. Think about playing Monopoly: do you put $500 in the middle of the board so Free Parking helps your bottom line? Or do you read the instructions and follow everything it says?
This week, Matt and Jeff discuss their views on running games, and we've even sweetened the pot: but I don't want to give it away. Let's just say that We want everyone within the sound of our voice to choose a side, and leave comments.
In this episode, we're even more organized than we've been in the past--meaning, we included all the segments we'd hoped to: S.D.C. News, M.D.C. News, Discussion, Creature Feature and the Palladium Travel Agency (not a comment on the local PTA, though).
We also wanted to give a few shout-outs to some folks specifically. First, Pioneer Book is a local bookstore that both of us love. Although it doesn't directly deal with gaming, it's an amazing store. If you can find a recent picture of their store, you're in for a treat. Second, Blue Table Painting, which produces some of the best painted miniatures...well, anywhere. Finally, we'd like to mention Dragon's Keep. We both get a lot of our gaming material from there, and it's gotten to the point where the shelves are starting to make things a little crowded!
As always, please let us know what you think about the show. We're always eager to make the show better, but we can't do anything if we don't hear from you! You know how to get in touch with us.
Carry on, citizens.
This week's episode comes in response to an email we received a while back.
Just how do you play your games? Are you a by-the-book kind of person, or do you try to be flexible like the proverbial willow? House rules can breathe a special, unique life into a game that might have grown stale. Think about playing Monopoly: do you put $500 in the middle of the board so Free Parking helps your bottom line? Or do you read the instructions and follow everything it says?
This week, Matt and Jeff discuss their views on running games, and we've even sweetened the pot: but I don't want to give it away. Let's just say that We want everyone within the sound of our voice to choose a side, and leave comments.
In this episode, we're even more organized than we've been in the past--meaning, we included all the segments we'd hoped to: S.D.C. News, M.D.C. News, Discussion, Creature Feature and the Palladium Travel Agency (not a comment on the local PTA, though).
We also wanted to give a few shout-outs to some folks specifically. First, Pioneer Book is a local bookstore that both of us love. Although it doesn't directly deal with gaming, it's an amazing store. If you can find a recent picture of their store, you're in for a treat. Second, Blue Table Painting, which produces some of the best painted miniatures...well, anywhere. Finally, we'd like to mention Dragon's Keep. We both get a lot of our gaming material from there, and it's gotten to the point where the shelves are starting to make things a little crowded!
As always, please let us know what you think about the show. We're always eager to make the show better, but we can't do anything if we don't hear from you! You know how to get in touch with us.
Carry on, citizens.
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