Lavishness is often the way, as exhibited by The Great Gatsby both in film and in Fitzgerald’s words from so long (and not very long, after all) ago. There is something to be said for sublimity. For letting a thing just be, in its space. There’s a bravery found in its nakedness, for just letting a thing be what it is without any garnish or garishness or distractions. Form following function in the proper order of things. While this can serve one well in game design, it also follows that extrapolating it outward enables one to create a resonance in [...]

I am still diligently working away on the tremulus materials. I’m enjoying developing it immensely, but am saddened by the delays. The bomb ticks. The guilt rises.  This is likely something I shouldn’t be sharing with you. However, I am. As much as I want to move swiftly through the materials (to better get them into your hands), there is a certain amount of thought and research necessary to pull some of this stuff together. I don’t want to shortchange anyone with my efforts, just want to give you a heads up. If there are moments when I talk about [...]

I’ve been a blissfully content user of Windows for a very long time, but with getting an iPad and then an iPhone, I decided I wanted to simplify some components of my life as much as possible, so getting an iMac would be the step in the right direction. I know the pros and cons of each system, certainly, and I’ve got a solidly technical background, so the issue wasn’t so much being able to deal with system issues as they arose, as with actually avoiding technical issues altogether. The reason I went isn’t one of elitism or anything of [...]

As more and more playbooks roll out for tremulus, there is a greater potentiality for variance within party composition as well as a responsibility for the Keeper and the players to establish what type of stories they want to tell, as this can potentially avoid potential frustrations on the part of any particular player. While all the playbooks are designed to work within Ebon Eaves, particular home brewed frameworks and future playsets may make certain characters feel like a duck out of water, and that’s okay. Hopelessness is part and parcel of horror. There is a different between perceived ineffectually [...]

As much as I love a well structured plot, there comes a time when randomness rules the day, and you have to throw in obstacles which have little rhyme and reason and let the players help you make sense of them all. Before I present my examples, I’d be curious to hear any tales you may have to tell of doing this yourself (and how things worked out). Until next time, I bid you, dear reader, adieu!

Hello All! I hope you’re having a great week. For myself, it’s been crazily busy. Got the new iMac up and running, data migrated, and have been puling double-duty to catch up on stuff. Today, I dabbled in some brainstorming on some Agents of Oblivion, discussed a few unannounced projects, did some tremulus layout, and finished my editorial pass of Karthador, not forgetting to do some promotion for the brand, spankin’ new Ravaged Earth: Second Edition! Since everything seems to be stable (for the moment), I look forward to diving deep into tremulus for the time being. I’ll talk more [...]

Today has been bone-crushingly weary. It was not entirely a bad day. In fact, parts of it were very, very good, if not downright outstanding. Yet, some of the other parts, dragged me down. I’ve been pulled in a lot of different directions, pulled off of center, pulled off my default setting of creator, and more into the role of technician, and administrator, and forced to dust off hats not worn in this capacity in some time. The reason? There is just some stuff I have to do myself, whether I really want to our not. Technical stuff, I generally [...]

This week has been chaotic and exciting on multiple levels. The new computer. The new OS. Revealing the tremulus proofs. Getting Ravaged Earth (electronically) out the door. But there is always more to be done. And other parts of life get in the way. We often say REAL LIFE gets in the way, but let’s face it. For myself, and other creative types, this is our real life. It’s glorious, and ugly, and fascinating. And a dozen (or more) words cannot even hope to capture a fraction of who any of us really are. As someone who works largely in [...]

Or something like that. I’m blasting a music medley of MTV’s first day of visual and audio assaults from back in the day (courtesy of ShareMyPlaylist and Spotify). Life is strange. I’m largely doing what I’ve done since my preteen years–messing around with computers, gorging on pop culture, reading randomly with a purpose, writing in all the in-between times. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Sure. Some things have changed. Friends have drifted away. New bonds have been forged. Technology presses on. Instead of 8 tracks and cassette tapes, we have discs (for a while, yet) and streaming everything. I recall a conversation [...]

How’s that for truth in advertising, folks? The long awaited, REVISED SECOND EDITION of Ravaged Earth is now available. We have a PRINT+PREORDER BUNDLE available on our site or, if you just opt to pick up the PDF now, you’ll be able to get the Expanded Edition, including 18 pages of material which will not be available in the general release later on. Click here for all the details. Best, Sean