Showing posts with label heroes unlimited. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heroes unlimited. Show all posts

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!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Episode 25 - Like an Over-Saturated Super-Sponge

Greetings, Citizens.

Has it been two weeks already? The time really goes by quickly here in the Deadboys Studios.

Anyway, in discussing what to talk about this week, we came up with an interesting topic: what is it with all the superhero stuff? There are good points on both sides of the argument about whether we've got too much or not enough. But for the sake of argument, let's take a deeper look at it.



It's interesting to look at how the culture has come to dominate the media in the last ten or so years, but we should also be asking ourselves whether we're setting ourselves up to just get burned out. Being careful about re-running the same campaign is a given, but sometimes campaigns (especially in a game with a long-standing group) need some spice to them. Take a listen for what we have to say about this, and some good storytelling ideas, as well. As always, this is an interesting topic.

Carry on, Citizens.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Episode 23 - Metahumans Rising and Other Strangeness

Greetings, subjects!

And yes, you read that right. The Coalition has reorganized slightly, and you've all lost your citizenship. the best way to get it back is to back the Metahumans Rising Kickstarter, as it's the fastest and lets the CS know your information. Or we could get it the old-fashioned way. But that involves a lot more bullets, so it's better for all of us if you go look at the Kickstarter.

But today, you're in for a treat. We have with us the creator of said project, and he answers questions and gives insight into what makes Metahumans Rising such a great and unique game. (Spoilers: the mechanics are different than most games out there!) There are a lot of reasons to be interested in this game, and we were pleased to have him on the show.



After letting Dave get back to his normal life, the three of us (again, you read that right. Jeff and Matt are joined today by Matt's player, Lee) discuss different systems that we'd be interested in playing, the various reasons we'd like to play them, etc. In all, I think this is our best episode yet, and I hope you enjoy it!

Also, by way of housekeeping, we're planning on using this episode as this week's release, and resuming two weeks from Friday. That means you can look for a new episode on or very close to July 31.

Carry on, Subjects!

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Short Hiatus and a Kickstarter Project

Hello, everybody.

Well, since today is Saturday, you probably guessed that something's a little off this week. Without getting too bogged down in specifics, let me just say that we weren't able to record an episode for you this week. :( However, we're planning on being back next week, and we're in the process of putting together an interview with the creator of Metahumans Rising, a project that's been on Kickstarter now for a couple weeks.

That's the other thing I wanted to mention in this week's blog--Metahumans Rising can provide players with a lot of similar experiences as Heroes Unlimited and its expansions, but it uses a different system. It focuses on the Bronze Age of comic books, and encourages players to experiment and flesh out their character's backstory with a mechanic called Willpower. This allows characters to do things they couldn't normally do, much like Force/Destiny Points do in FFG's Star Wars game. Another thing that Metahumans Rising offers is what the creator calls a "complete incomplete setting." The world is complete in that it has places and features like North America, full cities, corporations and organizations, but the world is also incomplete because it needs players and characters to function. At the GM's discretion, organizations, people, corporations and anything else can be changed or overlooked to serve the story, and therefore the world can be as broad or as focused as you and your group would like.

Personally, one of the things I look forward to seeing the most out of this game is the character creation aspect. I do like the fact that in Heroes Unlimited there's no beefcake guy out there with a big S on his chest that swoops in all the time. Fortunately, Metahumans Rising looks like it vies for a more balanced approach between external and internal conflict--something the very best comics are able to master beautifully.

If I haven't linked to it enough already, you can go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/housedok/metahumans-rising to pledge support for this project. It's going to be great.

Anyway, that's really all there is this week. As far as Kevin's weekly update, I'm going to assume he was on a caffeine high when he wrote it, since he says he was up until 3:00 A.M. finishing work on Robotech: Expeditionary Forces. That's work ethic right there. However, he also wanted to spread the word about the deadline extension for Christmas in July Grab Bags, now running through Monday. I personally haven't gotten one of these (funding issues), but have been assured that they are AMAZING to get. Therefore, I would encourage each and every one of you that has the chance to take a long, hard look into picking one (or two) of these up.

That's about all I have to say. Carry on, citizens.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Episode 19 - The Ears of a Roleplaying Game

Greetings, Citizens!

It's been fairly busy at Deadboys HQ, what with all the public executions normal things and all. Sorry for getting this to you a little later in the day than normal as a result, but hopefully you like it all the more!



Today, we're pleased to bring you our first Double Feature in a while. For the first topic, we discussed something that is destined to be in every roleplaying game, no matter what the topic, setting, time period or even game designer—if you guessed dice, you're wrong, and we'll invite you to the next round of executions barbecues we have. Naturally, we're talking about the NPC; which, like the ears are often some of the most overlooked parts of the body. Palladium or not, the NPC is going to be a mainstay in any RPG. In our first part of the double feature, we look at things to do and things to avoid when using an NPC. Naturally, if you have suggestions or comments or things we just forgot, please let us know on g+ or in the comments below.

Our second feature is one that we're sure every Palladium player—regardless of how long you've been playing—will love. Ever wonder how to make a workable character in about 15 minutes when the average is three to four hours? Well, Matt is willing and able to give you all the information you need to get that character cranked out. Now, instead of spending those four hours making a single character, you can toss out 16 of them.

In the meantime, behave yourselves, citizens. Take a trip over to Kickstarter and support our friend Howard Tayler. Also, if you haven't checked out his site, go over and read some Schlock Mercenary and get a feel for what it's all about.

Lastly, we're planning on beginning to release Actual Play episodes on the podcast feed next week, so if you've been looking for a place to listen to these adventures you've heard so much about, you'll soon be in luck!

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:


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.