Episode 42 - How to Campaign in 90 Seconds!

Greetings, Citizens!

First, to address the elephant in the room, no. We haven't disappeared. You know your coalition government far better than that. That real-life monster reared its ugly head again and prevented me from getting time to edit the podcast. But here we are! Hopefully we can get back on track.

So, we've been asked several times (hi, Dave.) if we could do some more actual roleplaying in our episodes. Naturally, being dumb, I (Jeff) thought that meant y'all wanted some actual play episodes. Now, don't worry; those aren't going anywhere. So if you like the CDAPS episodes, you'll still get those on an alternating basis. But in this episode, we took things in a different direction.

Random character generation, random scenario generation and go! You'll have to listen to the episode to get the full effect, but letting the GM run the scenario with a pair of percentile dice and the players using a d20 for everything? Yeah. It was hilarious. And awesome.



So enjoy this week's episode, How to Campaign in 90 Seconds!

Carry on, Citizens.

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!

Just Say No to Pod-fading!

Greetings, Citizens!

Your friendly neighborhood tyrants here letting you know that we're not gone. Some stuff came up in life that couldn't be avoided. On the upside, I (Jeff) have a new niece!! It's pretty awesome stuff.

That being said, I'm going to try and get Episode 39 edited and uploaded ASAP. I want to get it to you before we do another CDAPS release.

Sorry again!

Carry on, Citizens.

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.

Small Notice for You...

I (Jeff) just wanted to make a small change in the way the Coalition Deadboys Actual Play Series podcasts appear in our archive. We will no longer use the long version, such as "The Coalition Deadboys Actual Play Series: XXXXXX Episode XX." Way too long.

Instead, the Actual Play Series is going to officially shorten to "CDAPS," the acronym for the Coalition Deadboys Actual Play Series. This should be easier on you (less carpal tunnel/tendonitis from typing all that in) and your web browser (you will be able to find all the CDAPS episodes by themselves if you want.

That being said, I'm going to change the ones in the archive to match with this new style, so bear with me for a few hours while I get that squared away.

Carry on, citizens.

You've Probably Noticed Already, but...

Happy Thanksgiving, citizens!

This week, took it upon ourselves to take an unannounced hiatus (sorry about that) from our regular schedule. We're going to try getting it back on track here in the next week or so. But the Holidays being what they are … we'll see what happens.

Anyway, as a special Thanksgiving and Black Friday special, we're going be releasing something special later this afternoon/evening. I think you'll enjoy it. ;)

Carry on, Citizens!

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!

Episode 29 - Crit or Get Off the Pot!

Hello, citizens!

We're here again today to bring you a redux of what Matt learned at Salt Lake Comic Con at the feet of the master, Tracy Hickman. You know, the guy that's done more for the roleplaying hobby than anyone except maybe Gygax, Holmes or Steve Jackson. Essentially, the idea can be summed up as "crit or die," or what I like to call "crit or get off the pot."


We also solicit feedback from you about romance in your games and at your table. What have you noticed works well, not so well, or not at all? What makes things awkward? Do things get weird when a couple comes to the table and a romantic tangent comes along? Let us know what you think.

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!

Episode 28 - Somebody Blew Up Our Recording Studio

Greetings, everyone!

Sorry this is coming out so late. As I explain in the episode, we had to record from the sub-sub-sub basement in a back quadrant of Section D, so you know what that's like. Kind of noisy and we only get mono recording capabilities. But be that as it may, we still wanted to get you something this week!



Realistically, there isn't much going on this week, as I'm still trying to establish a firm communications link with Palladium. As soon as that comes to life, I'm sure we'll be able to furnish you with a lot more up-to-date information and exciting speculation as to what's going to happen in the future. As it is, there are a lot of really fun things on the horizon, all of which will be great to stroke beards (real or imagined) for months to come.

As always, the Coalition States appreciates your time and loyalty. Keep checking back!
Carry on, Citizens.


P.S.: Last week's release of LOT16 is behind schedule due to the D-Bee attack. We've got people working at a fairly quick pace to repair the broadcast facilities so we can get that out, but we may not be able to put that out until a little bit later. Look for it next week, or at least an update as to what's become of it.

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.

Episode 24: Where is Everybody?

Sorry for the late posting, everybody.

This week's episode is quite short, as Matt is away on a family vacation, and I'm sure you don't want me to just ramble on about gaming for an hour. That'd get boring really quick. Plus, I'm personally not in a good position to record a full episode right now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.



Also, an update on the Kickstarter we promoted last time: unfortunately, Metahumans Rising did not reach its goal, but I'm hoping that its creator will tweak things and try again soon, as it looked and sounded like great fun with a lot of great roleplaying potential.

Anyway, there's not much here. Next time, we'll try to have a GenCon Redux and a 25th Episode Extravaganza!! Don't miss it!

Carry on.

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!

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.

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.

Episode 20 - Palladium Open House Redux, then Bob Walks Into a Bar

Greetings again, Citizens!

It's been far too long, I know. However, I hope we'll make up for it this time because we have the Magnificent Maddie along with us!



Anyway, Matt was at the Palladium Open House; and if you were there, odds are you saw him passing out cards with our information on them. Feel free to pass those cards along, and spread the love of Palladium's games. The system may not be the most popular, but hey, they sure know how to create an immersive environment for players, right?

Finally, after an overview of the fun Maddie and Jeff missed, the conversation moved toward a slightly different track: how do you get your players together in the first place? You could have them all get together in a bar, but how cliche is that? Really! Each of us take it in turns to offer ideas as to what can be a good solution to this, but as you know, we're not the ultimate authority on things of this nature. . . . yet. Please offer feedback on g+, Facebook, Twitter, on our email address, or anywhere else you might be able to find us. Seriously, we love doing this show, but we realize it's not just for us, it's for you--so we can share our passion for these games with you.

Also, I want to do two things here. I want to apologize for the terrible sound quality. As I've mentioned many times before, the recording equipment I have is twitchy at the best of times, and downright unusable at the worst. But that also segues wonderfully into the other thing I wanted to mention, and that is a gigantic shout-out to friend of the show, Gilstam, A.K.A. Dave. I also gave you a special mention before the episode started. That's irony for you! You realize that your recording quality is far below where you'd like it to be, then UPS brings you new equipment (and a new book to burn through!

Anyway, I think I've taken enough of your time tonight. Have a relatively safe night, citizens.

Running a Little Behind, and an Announcement

Running a little behind is better than being a little running behind...

With all the action happening in the past week with Matt being at the Palladium Open House and Jeff being at his writing conference, we naturally weren't able to get an episode out. However, that doesn't mean we weren't thinking of you!

First of all, we'd like to thank all those who played in Matt's games during the Open House. Feel free to hop on here and leave feedback about your experience and tell us what you did and didn't like.

Also, we're pleased to announce that Howard Tayler's Kickstarter is finished now, as you can see from the lack of advertisement above. I hope all of you had time to at least take a look at it, if you weren't able to pitch in and support the project. It really looks like it'll be awesome.

Now, you may be wondering what else we could possibly be preparing for you. Fortunately, we have something quite exciting. As previously mentioned, Matt was able to make it out to the Open House, and was able to get at least one interview in during his time there. With whom, you ask? It's with this guy a few of us might have heard of: Kevin Siembieda. We'll post this interview as soon as we can.

Other than that, we just wanted to apologize for the slight delay in getting an episode out, but we promise that one is on its way.

Carry on!

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.

Slight changes to the site...

Some of you may have noticed already, but the Coalition Deadboys site has a couple new features. These odd relics of days gone past are called "Advertisements." We've tried making them as minimally invasive as possible, but I'm sure you have noticed them nonetheless.

The reason for doing this is twofold. First, let me assure you that the ad revenue we earn from this will go toward bettering the podcast, first and foremost through the purchase of better equipment. Neither Matt nor I are doing this for financial gain; we do this podcast because we love the games Palladium puts out and because we want to share that passion with as many people as we can. Second, in the interest of always improving and bringing you the best content possible, we feel it would be great for us to make it out to as many events as possible and try to get interviews with the movers and shakers over at Palladium Books. For example, if we're able to earn enough through ads, one or both of us could attend GenCon and get interviews, get recordings of live plays and anything else you'd want.

Naturally, we're hoping that you'll support us in this. If you have any concerns, questions, comments or snarky remarks to send our way, please let us know either as a comment or in an email to coalitiondeadboys@gmail.com.

Carry on, citizens!

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!