White Wolf Production

Episode #025 - Tying Up Your Players

2009-11-16T15:15:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/11/16/episode-025-tying-up-your-players/

Episode #025 - Tying Up Your Players

Today's Topic: Chronicle structure/getting your players to be more engaged with their characters

Listener Mail: Requiem: The Movie

CCP News: ICC presentations on YouTube

Wrap-Up: ICC panel audio slowly going up on the blogcast

ICC Panels #3 - Geist Q&A Part 3

2009-11-13T16:19:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/11/13/icc-panels-3-geist-qa-part-3/

ICC Panels #3 - Geist Q&A Part 3

Attendees: Jeff Kramer (AMST Geist), Eddy Webb (developer of Geist products), Ryan Hart (AAMST World), Amanda Spika (GPL Underworld), James Foster (AAMST Rules), Derek Burrow (AMST Dark Places)

The Geist Q&A was primarily centered around how the Geist game will be implemented in the Camarilla chronicle, but there's some bits in there about the development of the game, and a lot of talk about the basics of how the game works. The audience did not have access to a microphone, so their questions might be hard to hear. The panel ran over an hour and a half long, so I've broken it up into three parts.

ICC Panels #2 - Geist Q&A Part 2

2009-11-12T15:11:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/11/12/icc-panels-2-geist-qa-part-2/

ICC Panels #2 - Geist Q&A Part 2

Attendees: Jeff Kramer (AMST Geist), Eddy Webb (developer of Geist products), Ryan Hart (AAMST World), Amanda Spika (GPL Underworld), James Foster (AAMST Rules)

The Geist Q&A was primarily centered around how the Geist game will be implemented in the Camarilla chronicle, but there's some bits in there about the development of the game, and a lot of talk about the basics of how the game works. Note: The audience did not have access to a microphone, so their questions might be hard to hear. The panel ran over an hour and a half long, so I've broken it up into three parts.

ICC Panels #1 - Geist Q&A Part 1

2009-11-11T15:46:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/11/11/icc-panels-1-geist-qa-part-1/

Starting this week, I'm going to be posting audio recordings of the ICC panels that I was involved with (minus the Werewolf/Mage panel, as that was videotaped and should be up on YouTube soon). They're all pretty long, so each of the three panels will be broken up into multiple parts.

ICC Panels #1 - Geist Q&A Part 1

Attendees: Jeff Kramer (AMST Geist), Eddy Webb (developer of Geist products), Ryan Hart (AAMST World), Amanda Spika (GPL Underworld), James Foster (AAMST Rules)

The Geist Q&A was primarily centered around how the Geist game will be implemented in the Camarilla chronicle, but there's some bits in there about the development of the game, and a lot of talk about the basics of how the game works. The audience did not have access to a microphone, so their questions might be hard to hear. The panel rant over an hour and a half long, so I've broken it up into three parts.

Episode #024 - Preparation H

2009-11-02T14:56:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/11/02/episode-024-preparation-h/

Episode #024 - Preparation H

Today's Topic: Preparing for games.

Listener Mail: Some "thank you" letters.

CCP Culture: ICC was a blast.

Wrap-Up

Link:

Darker Days -- http://www.darkerdays.tk/ (Episode 13 is the one I'm referring to in this episode.)

Behind the Lines: Edutainment (#50)

2009-10-21T18:15:00Z

Again, it's been a while. Sorry about that; one of my biggest concerns re: this blog is repeating myself too much. I've already been over a lot of topics, from how games get made to policies on obscenity to just random blather. So it gets a bit tricky making certain I always have something relevant to talk about. I mean, I could always just fill this space with monkey antics to entertain, but that's not particularly what anyone who stops by here is looking for, I reckon. And I appreciate the higher standard, even if I'm sometimes flummoxed by it.

It's a standard we like to hold to in our books, as well. I don't think any developer who's ever been at the company has ever wanted to just plain throw out something entertaining without engaging some higher function of the brain. Most writers don't want to, either. The line may vary a lot from place to place, of course; sometimes you believe so strongly in something you want to beat your readers about the head and shoulders until they take a serious look at what you're saying, and sometimes you aren't really trying to reach an audience save that you let what you believe inform your writing. I admit I'm not one of the most passionate evangelists in game writing, at least compared to some of my co-workers past and present. But even I think that every game book should have some sort of intrinsic value above and beyond entertainment.

It's probably because of the word "book." Technically, we might be writing supplements... but they're also books. They're sold at bookstores. And ever since I was small, I reacted to the idea of a stack of books as repositories of knowledge. This proved to be not universally true, but there's always something to be learned from even the crappiest and least imaginative romance novel (even if that's "someone actually thinks of this as romantic, and perhaps for unhealthy reasons"). That said, the crappy novel, romance or not, is a terribly low standard. We like to have higher standards than that.

Now, the cold reality is that you're not paying us to offer random lessons on whatever we think is important to date. Hence, why we don't want to evangelize or get too textbook on you. It can distract from the things you're paying for, and to be honest, we aren't experts on many of the things we might like to talk about when compared to some of our readers. (Sometimes our lack of knowledge is grievously embarrassing, but I like to tell myself that we're much better than our previous low points.) That said, you never know just what any given reader might or might not be familiar with, so you throw out some fragments of information anyway. At the very very least, we've introduced new words into a lot of vocabularies. A lot more people can use the word "obfuscate" correctly in a sentence these days, for instance! At the most, we've had successes like Charnel Houses of Europe: The Shoah, which said a lot of things that needed to be heard by as many people as possible. And hopefully people have noted the places where we've tweaked history for the purposes of making the supernatural resonate a bit more, and not taken them at face value... and if we just plain got it wrong, we apologize.

But the World of Darkness is a good place to get some education with your entertainment. Check out the recommended sources lists in games. Watch some Cities of the Underworld to learn more about how cities are built and put that knowledge directly to use with your Geist chronicle. Drop some of your favorite real-world history into the background of your favorite vampire. One of the biggest advantages of the World of Darkness as a setting is that it's basically like our own -- and you can't help but learn more about our own world to make things feel more authentic there.

There's piles of things I didn't know about before I read about them in World of Darkness books, or started researching some of them for writing purposes. How about you? Anything stand out as even just inspiration to go learn more?

Episode #023 - I've Been Framed!

2009-10-12T15:46:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/10/12/episode-023-ive-been-framed/

Episode #023 - I've Been Framed!

* Storytelling Advice: The Pitch/The Frame

* Listener Mail: EVE Stuff

* CCP Culture: Moving Around, and "Harden The Fuck Up"

* Wrap-Up: Oral Surgery, but some upcoming podcasts, so stay tuned.

* Sneaky Post-Credits Bit: Sample from "Harden The Fuck Up"

"Harden The Fuck Up" now on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=335347500&s=143441

White Wolf Blogcast Episode #022 - How A Bill Becomes A Law

2009-10-05T13:51:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/10/05/episode-022-how-a-bill-becomes-a-law/

Episode #022 - How A Bill Becomes A Law

* The Process of Making a White Wolf Product

* CCP Culture: Space Crunch

* Changes in the Podcast

White Wolf Blogcast Episode #021 - A Moment To Explain

2009-09-17T16:34:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/09/17/episode-021-a-moment-to-explain/

An informal episode, where I take some time to explain what's going on. I do read one letter about Scion and Geist, though.

Behind the Lines: Let Me Tell You About Our (Corporate) Character (#49)

2009-09-16T18:46:00Z

One of the things about working for White Wolf is that it's just really not like working anywhere else. To paraphrase a description of Food Network's Ace of Cakes, "It's like American Chopper, only they make games instead of motorcycles, and nobody fights." No, wait, that's not right: "It's like American Chopper, only they make games instead of motorcycles, and there's more drinking." There are fights, after all.

Well, it's not a totally unique office culture. After all, it was rather like working at this one company that used to be exclusively out of Iceland. Then the merger happened, and immediately many people started wondering about just how it is that we "sold out" or why we were "acquired." Tragically, so few actually manage to hit on the idea that we merged because we were already practically siblings. The only people I've known who drink as much as my co-workers are now my other co-workers. It's almost as though Atlanta were subject to days with almost no sunlight the same way Iceland was... but in a way, we were, I guess? If only theoretically. You work on a grim and stark depiction of the world all day, you might get a little drinky.

But even that's a stereotype. White Wolf is its own thing, and it always has been. It's been a very hard thing for people on the outside to get, I note. I remember seeing criticism of White Wolf as being all about angst and suffering right about the time I was taking my editing test to join the company. That editing test? The opening fiction to Secrets of Shadaloo, the supplement to Street Fighter: The RPG that would give us boxing, Ler Drit, Muay Thai and, yes, Spanish Ninjitsu.

Lemme say that again: Spanish Ninjitsu.

I even get this a bit at cons. A fellow came up to me last GenCon and started talking about how he "understood" why we created the Storytelling System. "Dumbing it down for the D&D players," he said. He was a little surprised when I asserted (and this is true) that the streamlining was an attempt to make the game better, not dumber. He was doubly flummoxed when I mentioned that we didn't in fact look down on D&D as a whole, but that some of us (gasp) actually played it at the office. These things happen, of course. People see a part of White Wolf and miss out on the whole. In my time at White Wolf I think I've run or played not just a variety of our World of Darkness games, but also D&D, GURPS, Street Fighter: The RPG, Champions, Shadowrun, Star Wars (the West End one), Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Quest, Blood Bowl (hell of a league, too), Talisman and the original Pimp: The Backhanding hand-drawn cards as they were played by Brian's crew back in Virginia. I even got talked into a NERO boffer-LARP one weekend, and helping out with Jen Hartshorn and Ian Lemke's rather more free-form Cthulhu-ish LARP another. Never mind non-fantasy boardgames like Formula De or various video games like Virtua Fighter or the Darkstalkers 3 cabinet. And this was just me. People like Eddy and Russell have probably racked up a list like this in one-fifth the time that I've worked here.

It's not just about the games, either. We've had our share of wrestling geeks, the kind who get PWI and can speak knowledgeably about Puroresu. American football fans? Heck yeah, though hockey seems to be more the popular choice. World football fans? Yes. There are film buffs here. People who read trash novels and people who read Russian literature. Sometimes they're the same people. There are foodies (Brian has two years' worth of chili cook-off trophies on his desk) and pool sharks. Token hippies and token conservatives. Black metal heads and country-western aficionados. We contain multitudes.

One of the nice things about the rise of the Internet as a way to communicate is that it actually breaks past the whole "hive mind" stereotype (if you're listening, that is) and allows individual voices to emerge more. It's another way to engage in dialogue as one person without having to devote valuable book page count to just being chatty, to establishing your personality. If anything, it's allowed us to express ourselves in one forum while maintaining the laser-like focus on good games in the products themselves. And the focus on making good, accessible, evocative games is pretty critical to us. Certainly what's important to any one artist, author or developer will shine through in the final product. But it's awfully nice to be able to devote, say, a blog post to rambling about generalities without having to take out an editorial page in the back of a supplement.

And with luck, it'll help people get us a little better. If you know who we are and what we like, then we can have more meaningful conversations about how to get the most out of gaming, as designers or Storytellers or players. That's the other best thing about the Internet, after all: we can find out more about you, and what you like. Because you also contain multitudes.

(And if anybody knows how to field a halfway decent Vampire team in Blood Bowl, I'm all ears. Fighting against a handicap is fun, but it's more fun if you might actually win a game once in a while...)

White Wolf Blogcast Episode #020 - Your Game Sucks

2009-09-09T17:22:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/09/09/episode-020-your-game-sucks/

Episode #020 - Your Game Sucks

What's Cool: Goblin Markets is now available!

My Thoughts: Playstyle and Genre Fidelity

Letters: WoD Fiction (again). Though, I did forget to mention the Horror Recognition Guide for Hunter, because I'm an idiot.

What's Out There: Two more episodes of the Darker Days podcast, featuring Stew Wilson and Chuck Wendig.

Housekeeping: This Wednesday thing is just a fluke -- it's still really on Mondays. For realz.

Promo: Great Debate podcast

Links:

Goblin Markets: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=64285

Horror Recognition Guide: http://store.white-wolf.com/Horror-Recognition-Guide-P5581.aspx

Darker Days podcast: http://www.darkerdays.tk/

Great Debate podcast: http://rpgdebate.com/

No Monday Meeting

2009-08-31T19:23:00Z

Last Friday was our annual CCP Kickoff, which is a company retreat for all three CCP offices (Atlanta, Shanghai and Reykjavik). There was some business, and then there was some drinking, and then there were some games, and then there was some drinking, and then there was dinner, and then there was some drinking, and then there was some karaoke, and then there was some drinking.

And then there was this:

So, no Monday Meeting today.

White Wolf Blogcast Episode #019 - Where Did August Go?

2009-08-31T16:55:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/08/31/episode-019-where-did-august-go/

Episode #019 - Where Did August Go?

* What's Cool: Night Horrors: Wolfsbane

* CCP Culture: Kickoff

* My Thoughts: GenCon '09 Retrospective

* Mailbag: Letters on collectors, bloodlines, editing and out-of-print books

* What's Out There: FOUR podcast episodes that you might want to check out:

City in the Sand review on "The Basics of the Game": http://jeremiahmccoy.com/2009/08/13/episode-25-the-basics-of-the-game-city-in-the-sand/

My guest spot on "This Just In From GenCon!" (same as last week's special episode): http://thisjustinfromgencon.com/2009/08/15/saturday-5pm-2/

My "interview" with Rob of the Bear Swarm! podcast: http://www.bearswarm.com/episode-72-gencon-eddy-webb-jared-sorensen

Me guest-hosting on the Darker Days podcast "The Ocho": http://www.darkerdays.tk/

* Housekeeping

* Cool GenCon story I forgot

* Promo - RPGPodcasts.com

Chambers of Love: No Chambers, But Much Love

2009-08-26T19:00:00Z

So, when I got back from GenCon, John said something. I don't remember exactly what it was, but next thing I knew I was writing his blog post for him. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I was taking a drink at the time.

Anyhow, I've been asked a million questions about my work developing the upcoming PDF exclusive Glories of the Most High (and by "a million," I mean "three, including one at GenCon.") Essentially, it will be a three-PDF series detailing the Unconquered Sun, Luna and the Maidens. Each will contain a rundown of the Incarna in question, a full write-up of their stats, some of their entourage, some of the observances made to the Incarna, and some awesome new Charms, martial arts, rites, artifacts and other crunchy goodness. All of this brought you to by Exalted writers you may know well: Michael Goodwin, John Mørke and Holden Shearer, with an assist by Neall Raemonn Price.

But what is a "Chambers of Love" blog post without a spoiler? I submit that it would be an inferior thing, indeed. As such, I bring to you a new Charm for both Solars and Abyssals. PLEASE NOTE that this is from the pre-edited text, so there might be some changes between this draft and what finally gets released.

Iron Talon Technique

Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Mirror (Ultimate Inevitability of the Grave)

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Dragon Coil Technique

Once a Lawgiver has laid his hand upon an enemy, his wrath becomes inescapable. Even the Primordials learned this, to their sorrow. This Charm may be used to enhance a roll to maintain or gain control of an ongoing grapple, giving it an automatic threshold of one success more than the Solar’s opponent. If another effect contests this, add (Essence) in extra dice to the resulting roll.

A second purchase of this Charm at Martial Arts 9+, Essence 9+, allows it to be invoked as an inherent ability, which does not count as a Charm activation.

New Abyssal Charm: Ultimate Inevitability of the Grave (Prerequisite: Inescapable Iron Grip). The Abyssal version of Iron Talon Technique has different prerequisites but is otherwise identical.

Thanks to John for letting me squat in his space this week!

White Wolf Blogcast Episode #S04, This Just In From GenCon 09 (Sat, 5pm)

2009-08-26T15:32:00Z

http://eddyfate.podbean.com/2009/08/26/episode-s04-this-just-in-from-gencon-09-sat-5pm/

Way too swamped post-GenCon, so this week I offer up my appearance on This Just In From GenCon, with Ryan Macklin, Ed Healy and Brennan Taylor. I talk a little about Geist, about disgruntled customers, and the GenCon iPhone app. Also, it’s surprisingly hard to stay “family friendly.”