Warm-Up:

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

Our warm up was entirely un-electronic. Zeke yelled at Meg’s neighbors and we had a heated discussion about some posters on our Message Boards.

Icebreaker:

Non RPG’s that we enjoy and the payouts that make us happy.

Race for the Galaxy– great game. Support a great Friendly Local Gaming Store and buy your copy today! With the expansion!

Douchebag of the Week:

The Novelist

Payouts:

Part of our Jargon Series. Part 1 or 2.

What do you like about role playing? What makes you excited? The Payout Model explains why people are different elements to use to fire up your game and players.

1. Character Payouts- Getting stuff for your character
2. Player Payouts- What do you enjoy at the table?
3. GM Payouts- GMs can have fun too!
4. Visceral Reaction Payouts- Gaming feels good!
5. Intellectual Payouts- Gamenugen
6. Creative Payouts- Dra-ma!
7. Scholarly Payouts- Meg loves her drumlins
8. Kinesthetic Payouts- Cosplay= ok. Furries = BAD

Some additional info:

1) This is our first shot at a Trivia Question of the Week.  Submit your answer in the thread about this episode on our message boards!

2) We lowered the quality again on this episode to try and keep the file size manageable.  Let us know if it went too far.

Reminders-

We put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter. Don’t miss out!

Email us at GM@BrilliantGameologists.com

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

November 22nd: New England Fan Experience

Brilliant Gameologists are presenting two panels at NEFE and will be hanging from the Friday night through Saturday night at the con hotel. If you are going, make sure you stop by and say hi!

Where: Hyatt Regency Cambridge, MA

When: November 21-23, 2008

Panels:

10:00 A.M. WILLIAM DAWES B: A Salon on Gameology

8:00 P.M. THOMAS PAYNE A: 7 Words You Can’t Say While Gaming

Check out the full schedule!

December 6th: JiffyCon/ V3: One Shot Game Day

JiffyCon Lowell was rescheduled for December 6 and is now combined with Veni, Vidi, Venatus (I came, I saw, I gamed) led by the PodgeCast. A chance to come and play a new game with other cool folks- including of course, us! The JiffyCon side will feature one shots of indie games- some published, some not, and the Game Day side will feature some more popular traditional games that you haven’t had a chance to try- perhaps some Burning Wheel or 4th Edition D&D for example. There will also be a Board Game Corner so you can be introduced to new and exciting board games you’ve never even heard of! This event is proudly supported by Myriad Games in Salem, NH.

Where: Middlesex Community College- Lowell Campus

When: December 6, 9:00 am to Question Mark!

See This post for information

or contact zeke@brilliantgameologists.com with any questions.

Only a couple of days!

JiffyCon is this Saturday!! Enjoy new, indie games and play with the Gameologists! www.jiffycon.com

Warm-Up:

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

We’ve been watching a lot of Saturday Night Live clips…

• Gov. Palin and Senator Clinton
• Gov. Palin squares off with Couric
• Mark Wahlberg
• Fix it!

Dudes playing chicks/ Playing something you ain’t:

1. Don’t be a douche
2. Be Sensitive
3. Just be the character
4. Don’t have it be the only interesting aspect of the character
5. Don’t constantly talk about being a _____
6. Sex is not the only decision a girl makes

Playing a girl- something different:

• Mother
• Old Lady
• Maiden
• Historical game stereotype
• Intrepid Girl Reporter
• Empty Nester

Other things you ain’t:

• Gays/ Straights
• Philosophically or ethically different
• Kids
• The “Other”
• Crazy
• Elderly
• Disabled
• Bromance

Getting Into Character:

• Stanislavski’s System
  • What is your character’s goal?
  • Aspects of the character?
  • Use your memory “bag”

• Change your voice:
  • Pitch
  • Tone
  • Volume
  • Speed/ Pacing
  • Sayings
  • Laugh

Shout-Outs:

Geek Girls Rule

• After we recorded and called Mickey etc. out for not putting out a show, they went and did. So yes, there is a more recent episode now.

Reminders-

We put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter. Don’t miss out!

Email us at GM@BrilliantGameologists.com

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

In celebration of our second “quarter” we are changing the format very slightly of the shows. Can you spot the difference?

Warm-Up:

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

• Walking on Air
• This is Halloween
  • In Japanese (stumbled on this one)
  • In Russian (we think this is the creepiest. Some of the voices are really scary, especially the creature under the stairs)

Our Fears

• Whale captured on video –Meg admits to her paranoia of whales. This video she had to watch through her fingers.
• Oarfish- They just shouldn’t be. Freaky.
• Parasites- Josh. He’s infected.
• Zombies- Zeke. He’s prepared, are you?

1. Cthulhonic

• Cthulhu Mythos
• Chaosium’s Call of Cthulu
• Meg’s fear of sea creatures comes in here.

2. The Undead

• Halloween (a poster on our forum)’s excellent post about “contrasting for horror”.
• 28 Days Later
• Cell by Stephen King
• Serenity
• Terminator

3. The Siren

• The Mythological Siren
• Dracula
• Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Little Shop of Horrors
• The Firm
• Star Wars

4. Sidhe

• The Celtic Sidhe
• The Borg
• The cenobites
• The Predator
• The Gripping Hand
• Ghosts

5. Nature

• Jaws
• Razorback
• The Perfect Storm
• Killer Bees
• Cujo
• The Happening totally sucked
• Those freaky whales!

6. Technological

• The Ring
• Security Systems gone awry
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Midnight Meat Train

7. Madness

• The Creepy Events Thread @ WOTC
• The Creepy Events Thread @ BG
• Possessions
• Sixth Sense
• Dogs in the Vineyard
• Werewolves

8. Odd

• Parallel Worlds
  • Sound of Thunder
  • Sliders
  • Knee Penises
• Stepford Wives
• The Matrix
• The Lottery
• Lost Boys

9. Primal Horror

• Jersey Devil
• Windigo
• Kelpie
• Spring-heeled Jack
• The Black Dog

Bonus!

• We each list our scariest creatures that weren’t mentioned.

Reminders-

We put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter. Don’t miss out!

Email us at GM@BrilliantGameologists.com

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

• Probably the Funniest Cat Video You’ll Ever See –Hilarious. Thanks to Dan2 on our boards for linking it in this thread!

News:

• Couple of days left for the Secret Code Contest! Get your entries in by October 17th!
• We make an apology of sorts for one of the items listed in the “7 Things We Hate” episode.
• JiffyCon! We meant to have a news item about this and … oops. But at least it’s written! JiffyCon is almost here- we’re still looking for another GM or two, specializing in little known or Indie Games, and of course would love to see anyone who can make it to come! We’ll help you… nay… guarantee you’ll have a good time!

Icebreaker:

• Josh went to Providence Anime Conference and rubs it in our face. Won some cool (and sexy) prizes including one for being voted “Biggest Whore”

Douchebag of the Week:

• The Sycophant

Main Topic:

Rule Zero

• Rule 0 etymology and definition
• Oberoni Fallacy
• House Rules used to mean:
  • Game Design
  • Modding
  • World Building
  • House Rules
• Corner Cases
• Fudging Rolls
• GM= God?
• Cows… From… Space!

Commercial Break

The Brilliant Gameologists’ Message Boards are sure to cure whatever ails you!  Did you know we have areas for:

• Talking about the Show including giving ideas for future episodes
  
• Off-Topic Fun (including Media, Cons, and politics)
• Min/Maxing!
• Non- RPG tabletop games
• Mature Topics
• Play by Post

Almost better than Porn!

Random Plugs:

Oberoni Fallacy- as originally stated:

Originally posted by Oberoni on the D&D general board July 23, 2002:

This my my take on the issue

Let’s say Bob the board member makes the assertion:

“There is an inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue with Rule X.”

Several correct replies can be given:

• “I agree, there is an inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue with Rule X.”
• “I agree, and it is easily solvable by changing the following part of Rule X.”
• “I disagree, you’ve merely misinterpreted part of Rule X. If you reread this part of Rule X, you will see there is no inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue.”

Okay, I hope you’re with me so far.
There is, however, an incorrect reply:

• “There is no inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue with Rule X, because you can always Rule 0 the inconsistency/loophole/mechanics issue.“

Now, this incorrect reply does not in truth agree with or dispute the original statement in any way, shape, or form.

It actually contradicts itself–the first part of the statement says there is no problem, while the last part proposes a generic fix to the “non-problem.”

It doesn’t follow the rules of debate and discussion, and thus should never be used.

Simple enough.

Reminders-

We put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter. Don’t miss out!

Email us at GM@BrilliantGameologists.com

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

Warm-Up:

This episode is our response to Radio Free Hipster’s “September is Drunken Podcasting Month”.  Therefore, our warm-up included:

• 4 22-oz beers
• Lots of Rumplemintz
• Several Meghan-tini’s
• Jagermeister
• Eagle Reserve Whiskey

We attempted to have this be Drunken Podcasting, not wasted Podcasting, but one of us utterly failed.  (Hint- it was Meg)

As a result, before listening, read the following warning:

This episode is NOT a normal episode.  There is actually VERY LITTLE gaming discussion and an overabundance of hanky-panky talk.  The subtitle of this episode should be “Jesus Likes Anal”.  If that turns you off, you may not want to listen.  Fair warning.

Also, this show has little editing.  We left in some of the mistakes and re-records on purpose.  A LOT was cut though.  Mostly because it was just TOO off topic but also a lot more that was far too sexual and personal.  We may put those clips together or the full thing for some secret bonus prize at some point.  If you’d like to hear the entire thing, let us know!

Icebreaker:

Our favorite fake holidays:

• Festivus
• Steak and BJ Day
• Feb 14th (Reimagined)
• Indian Fighting Day
• World Wide Wing Night

Before recording we had planned to talk about Talk Like a Pirate Day as it too was in September but … well… drunk, remember?

Main Topic:

Drinking while Gaming.  This is the first 1/10th  of the conversation.  We started to talk about drinking at conventions but didn’t really get anywhere with it.

Random Plugs:

• The Accidental Survivors. Sorry guys!
  
• The drunk thread Meghan was posting to while recording
  

Reminder- we put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter. Don’t miss out!  She twittered while recording as well so go back and check them out!

Email us at GM@BrilliantGameologists.com

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is explicit! It is NOT work safe.

Warm-Up:

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

• The Easter Bunny Hates You –Hilarious. Thanks to bhu on our boards for linking it in this thread!

Icebreaker:

• Since we’re doing a contest with 4 other podcasts, we thought it only appropriate to introduce you to them! And what better way to meet them than by a gameshow. Introducing the first episode of “Who Wants to Date a Gaming Podcaster?” with your host, Chaz!

Douchebag of the Week:

• The Boardtard

Main Topic:

The 7 Things We Hate About the Gameosphere

1. Douchebaggery
2. Ed Greenwood
3. Video “Gamers”
4. World of Darkness
5. Gaming Reviews
6. Fear the Boot
7. … you’ll have to listen to find out!

Random Plugs:

• The Bad Astronomer debates Joe Rogan about the Moon landing
  
• This Modern Death
  

Reminder- we put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter. Don’t miss out!

Email us at GM@BrilliantGameologists.com

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is roughly PG-13′ish rated. Our usual episodes are Explicit but we tried to stay “clean” with this one, though it still may not be work safe.

What do Atomic Array, Brilliant Gameologists, Ogre Cave Audio Report, The Podgecast and The Tome Show have in common besides all being gaming podcasts? They are all offering fabulous prizes from Noble Knight Games!

Listen to the Secret Code Episode of each episode (releasing on or around September 26th) and get the code disclosed in the episode. When you have all 5, send your entry to secretcodes@moonstew.com by 17 October 2008 along with your full name and contact information. 10 correct entries will be randomly drawn and will win a $25 gift certificate to Noble Knight Games.

Participating Shows:
Atomic Array episode 006: New Gods of Mankind

Brilliant Gameologists episode 23: 7 Things We Hate About the Gameosphere

Ogre Cave Audio Report episode on September 12: Ogre’s Choice 2008

The Podgecast episode 11: Professional Min/Maxer (Check out the special guesthost for this episode- hint- it’s Meg!)

The Tome Show episode 85: Wyatt at GenCon

Spread the word and enjoy!

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

• Gaybar by Electric 6 for 2 reasons. 1) We love Electric 6 and are stocked about going to see them (again) on Fri 11/21in Cambridge MA at the Middle East. 2) Hotpants. It reminds us of one of the Brilliant Fanologists at Gencon who wore hotpants for Meg. Thanks Woodrow.

Icebreaker:

• DragonCon recap. Meg represented the Brilliant Gameologists at DragonCon and the Parsec Awards. Big thanks to Adam from the Podgecast for offering up hotel space and to Cam Banks from Margaret Weis Productions for a great conversation and Jamie Chambers, also of MWP, for socializing even though we trashed your game.
  • Listen to Meg talk about DragonCon during the con on the Podgecast DragonCon Recap!

Douchebag of the Week:

• +1 Guy

Main Topic:

Don’t be the 7 Dwarfs

1. Sleepy
2. Sneezy
3. Bashful
4. Dopey
5. Grumpy
6. Happy
7. Doc

Plugs

• Misspent Youth by Robert Bohl
  
• DragonCon TV
• New England Browncoat Yahoo Group

Reminder- we put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter. Don’t miss out!

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

We talked about quite a few products in this episode:

Favorite Publishers:

Cam Banks and Jamie Chambers from Margaret Weis Productions

Pelgrane Press with Robin Laws for the Gumshoe System

Fantasy Flight Games for Grimm

Paradigm Concepts for Witch Hunter: The Invisible World

McNeil Designs for Reader’s Digest vocab game

Dark Matter for Epic RPG

Interesting Buys:

Mispent Youth by Robert Bohl

Factions at War by Other Court Games

Cool People:

Luke Meyer from The Podgecast

Daniel Perez from The Gamer Traveler and The Digital Front

Rob and Fraser from The Accidental Survivors

NPH

The Brilliant Fanologists!

The ENies:

We gave the prepared statement:

“The ENnies need to make serious format changes if they’d like to be taken seriously as an award.”

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread and find out how you can get your very own boob-curve business cards!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

We’ve been home from GenCon for 6 days and are still recovering…

It didn’t help that we each had very heavy-duty weeks IRL. This past week is one of the busiest for me professionally, Josh had a killer week at work playing

catch up, and Zeke moved. So we haven’t really had time to pause and recap GenCon.

But we are set to record our Post-GenCon show this week! So stay tuned!

Also, if you haven’t checked it out, we each Twittered our experiences and have kept up with some folks we met and the “afterglow”:

• www.twitter.com/bg_meg
• www.twitter.com/bg_josh
• www.twitter.com/bg_zeke

We picked up some new games and hope to review some others in the next couple of months. Stay tuned for that as well.

I also have a whole rant about the ENnies… let’s see if that ever goes anywhere.

We have our own pictures we’ll upload at some point. Not a ton, but hopefully enough to show some highlights. The Penthouse Suite upgrade was a huge highlight of the trip.

This GenCon was the year of Bears vs. Robots. We made 1000 postcards and handed them to everyone we came in contact with. At the last minute I needed a design for the front, and made an extremely silly picture and the rest is history.

If you didn’t get a postcard yourself, bask in the glow here:

In other news…

As soon as we returned, we found out that Brilliant Gameologists was nominated for a Parsec Award in the Best Gaming Podcast category! Super cool! We weren’t planning on attending, but this was just enough of an excuse to make it happen and Meg will be at Dragon*Con Saturday-Monday. If you are going, send a message her way! This is her first time at Dragon*Con and her first time going to a con alone in general, so some friendly faces are high in order.

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

• Listened to a couple of songs- Mirah’s The Garden and Robyn’s Cobrastyle.  Have nothing to do with anything, but they got us in the mood.
  

Icebreaker:

• The Olympics!  We’re big fans and discuss our favorite events.  Meg reminds everyone she has a vag.

Review Guidelines:

Good, Bad, Wintry Mix

• Good:
  • Elegant
  • Fuckin’ A
  • Fiddly Bits
• Bad:
  • Idiot
  • Full of Crap
  • Asshole

Our rating scale is:

• 1= If you are only going to buy 1 book, get this one.
• 3= If you are going to buy 3 books so you have a “main game” plus a fun pickup, this is the book for you
• 10= If you are going to get 10 books for a bit more variety, get this one
• 0= Don’t buy it.

Best Writing:

Nominees:

• Changeling: The Lost, White Wolf Publishing
• Monsters and Other Childish Things, Arc Dream Publishing
• Two-Fisted Tales, Precis Intermedia
• Grimm, Fantasy Flight Games
• Trail of Cthulhu, Pelgrane Press
  • Honorable Mention:  All Tomorrow’s Zombies!, Eden Studios

The Good:

• Trail of Cthulhu: Elegant, Fuckin’ A writing, and some really good Fiddly Bits.  Rating: 1
  
• Grimm: Fuckin’ A.  Rating: 3
  

Wintry Mix:

• Monsters and Other Childish Things: Some Fuckin’ A, but Full of Shit too.  Rating: 10
  

Bad:

• Changeling: The Lost: Idiot, Full of Shit, and Asshole.  Rating: 0
  

Can’t even Review:

• Two-Fisted Tales: This should not have been in this category.  Not good nor bad.  Just like the writing in every other book. Rating:10

Best Rules:

Nominees:

• Aces and Eights, Kenzer & Company
• Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition, Wizards of the Coast
• Witchhunter:  The Invisible World, Paradigm Concepts
• Epic Roleplaying Game Manual, Dark Matter Studios
• Trail of Cthulhu, Pelgrane Press
  • Honorable Mention:  Traveller, Mongoose Publishing

Good:

• Aces and Eights: Fiddly Bits.  So so so many fiddly bits. Rating: 1
• Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition: Fuckin’ A and Elegant. Rating:1

Wintry Mix:

• Witchhunter:  The Invisible World: Fuckin’ A, Fiddly Bits, but also Asshole. Rating:3
• Trail of Cthulhu: Wish the game had been “completed”.  Fuckin’ A, Fiddly Bits, but also Asshole. Rating:1

Bad:

• Epic Roleplaying Game Manual: Needs refinement and an overhaul.  Not fair to review at this time. Rating:10

Best Game:

• Aces and Eights, Kenzer & Company
• Og, Firefly Games
• Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition, Wizards of the Coast
• Monsters and Other Childish Things, Arc Dream Publishing
• Witchhunter:  The Invisible World, Paradigm Concepts

Good:

• Aces and Eights: Fuckin’ A, Fiddly Bits, Elegant. Rating:1
• Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition: Elegant, Fuckin’ A. Rating:1

Wintry Mix:

• Witchhunter:  The Invisible World: Elegant, Full of Shit. Rating:3
• Monsters and Other Childish Things: Fuckin’ A, Asshole. Rating:10

Bad:

• Og, Full of Shit, Asshole. Rating:10

Product of the Year:

• Aces and Eights, Kenzer & Company
  • Josh and Zeke hope this wins.  Rating: 1
• Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition, Wizards of the Coast
  • Meg hopes this wins: Rating: 1
    
• The Savage World of Solomon Kane, Pinnacle Entertainment Group
  • Rating: 1
• Grimm, Fantasy Flight Games
  • Rating: 3
    
• Witchhunter:  The Invisible World, Paradigm Concepts
  • Rating: 3
    
• Monsters and Other Childish Things, Arc Dream Publishing
  • Rating: 10
    
• Changeling:  The Lost, White Wolf Publishing
  • Rating: 0
    
• Pirate’s Guide to Freeport, Green Ronin Publishing
  • Didn’t get the product in time to review
• Pathfinder #8: Seven Days to the Grave, Paizo Publishing
  • Didn’t review.  Didn’t get enough “notice” to deserve this category
    
• Traveller, Mongoose Publishing
  • Not interested.
    

News:

1. Reminder: The Brilliant Gameologists are leading 3 seminars at GenCon! If you’re going, you won’t want to miss it.

Gamers in the Press: Blogs, Podcasts, and Print at GenCon

http://www.pulpgamer.com/gencon/

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

While we’re at the con, we will be updating on where we are and what we’re doing on our twitters:

• www.twitter.com/bg_meg
• www.twitter.com/bg_josh

We’re staying at the Embassy Suites and our general schedule is:

Wednesday:

Our plane arrives at about 7:00. Hoping to meet up with some friends Wed night and hang out.

Thursday:

• 10:00-11:00 AM: Introduction to Podcasting - (Westin Congress Rooms)
  • Zeke is on this panel led by Ethan Parker of The Gamer’s Haven Podcast
  • Full Description
• 2:00-3:00 PM: How to Talk: Podcasting, Marketing Yourself, and Selling your Product (Embassy Suites Chancellor 3 room)
  • Meg, Josh, and Zeke lead this panel with special guest Luke from The Podgecast (was formerly on Fear the Boot)
  • Full Description
• 6:00-7:00: A Salon on Gameology (Embassy Suites Coronation I)
  • Meg, Josh and Zeke will lead this roundtable discussion.
  • Full Description

Friday:

• 10:00-11:00 AM: Setting Up The Studio (Westin Congress Rooms)
  • Meg is on this panel led by Ryan Macklin of The Master Plan Podcast
  • Full Description
• 11:00-12:00 PM: The 7 Words You Don’t Say While Gaming (Embassy Suites Coronation I)
  • Meg, Josh, and Zeke lead this panel with special guest Luke from The Podgecast (was formerly on Fear the Boot)
  • Full Description

Saturday:

• 10:00-11:00 AM: Content is King (Westin Congress Rooms)
  • Josh is on this panel led by Ryan Macklin of The Master Plan Podcast
  • Full Description
• 7:00-9:00 PM: Media Meet & Greet - (Westin Congress Rooms)
  • Meg, Josh and Zeke will join all of the podcasters and fans for networking, socialization, and miscellaneous Meeting and Greeting

We also have a lot of panels we’re looking forward to attending and of course, spending time in the dealer room. This year we have Press Badges so we’re hoping to get a good look at some new games and a deeper look at some favorites. Then of course there is the obligatory eating, drinking, and socializing.

If you’re going to Gencon, stop and say hi!

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

• Purely awesome fight scene
  

Icebreaker:

• TV character that would suck to play with

Douchebag of the Week:

• The Secret Keeper

Main Topic:

4 Steps in the 12 step Healing Process

Strategies for healing a diseased group, or to build cohesion in an already healthy group

1. Choosing the Right Game

• D&D 4th Edition
• Spirit of the Century
• Dogs in the Vineyard
• Bad Choice: Burning Wheel

Side conversation:

The 4 roles in D&D 4e compared with the 4 Ninja Turtles:

• Leader: Leonardo
• Controller: Donatello
• Striker:Raphael
• Defender: Michelangelo

2.  Making a Cohesive Character

• Force a backstory
• No secrets
• Plug: Misspent Youth

3. Running the Game so everyone plays nicely

• DM= Part Facilitator, part Antagonist
• DMPC’s- usually bad, but if you’re gonna, do it right
• Take time to practice the mechanics so everyone can fight together before it comes up for real

4. Playing the Game so everyone gets along

• Buddy System
• Appropriate Behavior
• Why are we together?
• Think Win-Win

News:

1. Reminder: The Brilliant Gameologists are leading 3 seminars at GenCon!  If you’re going, you won’t want to miss it.

Gamers in the Press: Blogs, Podcasts, and Print at GenCon

http://www.pulpgamer.com/gencon/

2. We are slowly but surely joining the full ranks of Web 2.0.  Check out Meg’s Twitter.

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

Check out the “Promote” Page.  A “clip show” has been added for your listening enjoyment.  Share with your friends and use it to introduce new folks to the Brilliant Gameologists Podcast!  It’s a 10 minute segment that includes clips from 3 of our shows in “Year 1″- August 2007-April 30, 2008. Enjoy short clips from:

• Episode 5: Game Balance- listen to a typical Ice Breaker which we use to start each show
• Episode 10: Who Do You Owe- hear an introduction to a main topic and
• Episode 9: Min/Max Basics- Experience our banter and witty remarks.

Play like you have to!

Each time we record, we watch a video or find a picture to get us in the mood for the episode. It doesn’t always have anything to do with the episode, but frames our minds, so we’re going to share so you can be appropriately framed as well.

• YouTube Video- 30 minutes of 90’s Cartoons

Icebreaker:

• Favorite TV show opening songs and scenes.

Douchebag of the Week:

• The Braggart

Main Topic:

Scope and Boundaries

• How wide or deep should you go?
• Meg’s analogy: Establishing Shots from movies/ TV
• Kinds of groups you can be in an RPG
• Published Campaign worlds
• Media Worlds (Star Wars and Superheroes)
• Historical Settings
• The problem with Forgotten Realms
• What to do with this huge world setting

Promos:

Gamers in the Press: Blogs, Podcasts, and Print at GenCon

http://www.pulpgamer.com/gencon/

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Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit and is Not Work Safe. It is intended for adult audiences.

Salon: An 18th Century term meaning “A periodic gathering of people of social or intellectual distinction.”

Gameology: The study of games and the people who play them.

The Brilliant Gameologists Podcast: Educated type folks who talk about the science of games, gamers, and gaming.

If this sounds of interest to you, join the hosts of the in a facilitated “roundtable” discussion about gameology, the industry, and nerd-a-rific, jargon-tastic fun. (Doesn’t hurt that this is during Embassy Suite’s “Happy Hour” which includes free snacks/ drinks downstairs for guests- of which the BG’s are, so good chance this will start in the official room and move down if there is room.

When: 8/14/08 6:00-7:00 PM

Where: Embassy Suites Coronation I

Quantum Mechanix who does movie replicas, has partnered with Dark Horse to have a Firefly-themed give away.  Spreading the word:

Ever wanted to hit a “big haul” like Malcolm Reynolds did in the first issue of Serenity: Better Days? Well now you can.

A huge pile of Alliance cash and other prized Serenity collectibles will be awarded in the Serenity: Better Days Big Haul Giveaway from co-sponsors Quantum Mechanix Inc. (QMx) and Dark Horse Comics. Inspired by the piles of cashy money seen in the first issue of the Dark Horse comic, the Serenity: Better Days Big Haul Giveaway features one-of-kind Serenity items including a whopping one million in official Alliance credits, a signed prototype Kaylee maquette, a Malcolm Reynolds stunt pistol replica with card signed by Nathan Fillion and much more. No purchase necessary.

The promotion runs from June 30, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2008. No purchase is necessary. Enter by downloading, printing and mailing in a completed entry form, available at www.qmxonline.com/bighaul, or by visiting the QMx website at qmxonline.com. Limit one entry per household; void where prohibited.

Is wung a word? Winged?

In this episode we discuss Gaming at Conventions. Well, that and a LOT of just banter. (This is what we’re like when we are just hanging out but this time happened to have a mic capturing it all. And only Josh had been drinking! Also, the dog did actually chew through Meg’s headphone cord so the whole experience was fairly surreal and much less organized.)

NEWS ITEM: Brilliant Gameologists chosen to lead GenCon seminars

PROMO: (A real one!) Gamers in the Press- Blogs, Podcasts, and Print Seminars (http://www.pulpgamer.com/gencon/)

Discussion Topics:

• Gaming at GenCon: GenCon Indy
• Gaming at Small Conventions: Arisia
• Gaming at Indy Game/ Ashcan Venues: JiffyCon
  

Games we played at JiffyCon:

• It’s Complicated
  
  • Story/ Pass-the-stick game where everyone has an internal struggle and some visible manifestation.
• Traveller
  • Old-school. Terrible system but Zeke had a ton of fun regardless.
• Caper: A Game of Pros and Cons
  • Pull off a criminal caper. Josh’s group tried to steal Jerry Seinfield’s cars.
• Misspent Youth
  • Meg’s dream game. Dystopian young-adult type scenarios. Game involves building the world. The Ashcan version will be available at GenCon at the Play Collective booth. The early non-official review gives this a 3 on our scale.
• Red Sky A.M.
  
  • Play Space Marines and their loved-ones back home.

Just Announced!

The Gameologists will help organize JiffyCon Lowell- November 8, 2008 @ Middlesex Community College, Lowell, MA.

Other stuff from this Train-Wreck:

Wrong Hole Montage

Independent Insurgency Podcast from Rob Bohl

Discuss this episode on our message boards!