In the meantime- check out Part 2 of the Geek Girls Rule Roundtable.  Not as structured as part 1, but Meg announces a “secret”…  wait for it… wait for it…

Reposted from Mickey’s site.  Enjoy!

***********************************

Geek Girls Rule! Podcast 9, Part II – Attack of the Girl Gaming Podcasters

Attack of the Girl Gaming Podcasters – The final chapter.

Kristin of This Modern Death, Meg from the Brilliant Gameologists, Jenn from the Trapcast and myself finish our conversation from Part I.

Gamestorm:  http://www.gamestorm.org/
Confessions of a Part-time Sorceress
Magic the Gathering
Wizards of the Coast
Burning Wheel
Prime Time Adventures
Ryan Macklin
GenCon
Babeland
Valerie Strangiato
Charlie’s Kids Evolution Map
Skepticality
Skepchick
Pharyngula
DragonCon
Bad Astronomer
George Hrab
Twitter
Design Toscano

Mickey from the podcast “Geek Girls Rule” had me, Kristen from This Modern Death and Jenn from TrapCast on to talk about Gaming Girl Sterotypes.  We recorded over skype, so excuse the quality, but it was a blast to nerd up with some other ladies.

This is just a repost of Mickey’s show.

*********************

Geek Girls Rule! Podcast #9 Part I – Attack of the Girl Gaming Podcasters

Ok, so this is part one of the Girl Gaming Podcasters Podcast hosted on Geek Girls Rule!  Kristin from “This Modern Death,” Meg from “The Brilliant Gameologists” and Jenn from “The Trap Cast” joined me via Skype for over two hours of giggling chaos.

In this half of the podcast, we discuss how we got into gaming, bad gamer girl stereotypes, the health of my hedgehog Wash and other critters, and what we’re currently playing, as well as pimping our separate podcasts.

Brilliant Gameologists – Meg
This Modern Death – Kristin
The Trap Cast – Jenn

Dungeons & Dragons
Little Fears
Grimm
Unhallowed Metropolis
GURPS
Warhammer
Burning Wheel (don’t let the front page fool you)
Shadowrun
Faery’s Tale
Bad Female Gamer Archetypes
Bad Male Gamer Archetypes

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.

• T-Pain’s song Apple Bottom Jeans
• We went through our favorites at Failblog. Got a kick especially out of this one:

Icebreaker:

Strange places we’ve gamed:

• Josh had fun in the blackout party!
• Zeke played in a schoolbus.
• Meg played at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico.

The Grid:

Miscellaney

1. The answer to last episode’s trivia question is contained! Think you know the answer to this week’s? Post on the thread about this episode here.
2. A challenge to next to V3 event. Many will enter. One will win.
3. Submit your board game fanfic to GM@BrilliantGameologists.com!

Reminders-

• We put show updates and random goodies on Meg’s Twitter, Josh’s Twitter and Zeke’s Twitter.
• Lots of good stuff on our Facebook Page!
• Join our Facebook Group!
• Email us at GM@BrilliantGameologists.com

Discuss this episode on our Message Boards in THIS thread!

Warning: This episode is tagged Explicit. It is intended for adult audiences.

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 this episode we look at the peritextual elements of quite a few books– all of the things that aren’t the content– and how they relate to the feel of the book and our impressions about it.

The links all show example pictures to help illustrate the point.  There are a few still to come, but this is a pretty comprehensive list as is!  Some of the pictures are from the publisher and some I took myself.

Size and Shape

D&D 4th Edition- The standard in gaming. Hardcover, 8.5×11 inches. 4th Edition’s difference is that the 3 books come in a handy-dandy sleeve.

Hero 5th Edition Revised- The same shape as D&D but text-book thick.

Burning Wheel- 5×7 and softcover. Still has same number of pages as D&D, but they are mini pages. Makes the book much more portable.

Savage Worlds: Explorer’s Edition- Also softcover, but a bit longer and wider than Burning Wheel (which means neat, orderly shelving will be screwy).

Star Wars Saga- A square. Made to fit on bookstore’s shelves.

Covers

Rifts- Pretty picture, shows action, clear title, publisher, and author, and of course, boobies.

Paranoia XP- comical, funny, bright colors and the back cover entirely in the style of Paranoia. Draws in new people but also provides a callback to previous players.

The Savage World of Solomon Kane- Only a few words, but great illustration and the glossy and matte finish make Meg happy.

Cover opened to see front and back together

Dread- Extremely simple but sets the stage beautifully. A bloody thumbprint? What’s not to love?

Burning Wheel- Red on Red. Hard to see, confusing, boring. Doesn’t say anything about the game.

The Trail of Cthulhu - Green on green, but spooky, mysterious

GURPS: Alpha Century- cover of book is cover of Sid Meier’s video game. Good marketing if you like the video game (which we did).

Front Matter

First few pages of a book before the content actually starts. Can include publication information, credits, acknowledgments, table of contents, and introduction

• Pastedown- the page pasted to the inside of the cover (hardcover only)
• Flyleaf- the page opposite the pastedown

Spirit of the Century- has fun with the credits

Grimm- Pastedown and Flyleaf are at least red. Introduction WAY too long (download full introduction).

Deadlands Reloaded- Personal acknowledgments, Font in table of contents very appropriate and there is “white space” so text doesn’t feel claustrophobic. Introduction is a old-timely newspaper format. Back Cover

Dark Heresy, Warhammer 40,000- Pastedown and Flyleaf show an illustration of a star map

Borders:

Are illustrations confined in a border to make it feel like you are looking as an voyeur, or do the touch the edge of the page to draw you in?

• Bleed- when the illustration touches the edge of a page
• Full Bleed- when all illustrations touch all edges

Deadlands Reloaded- full bleed

d20 Future- Standard. Page number in border (on side)

GURPS- Transhuman Space- Dark border with white boxes with text. Dark borders give it a space theme.

Grimm (download of first chapter)- Very appropriate, very approprite. Page numbers in spider body and intricate

Expeditious Retreat: Magical Society of Ecology and Culture and Savage Worlds Explorer’s Edition- Old timey paper feel to border.

Interesting Content

Cyberspace. Almost whole book in table or chart. Lower corner of each page gives extra material to book in terms of a year-by-year timeline.

Nightbane- Very first thing in book is a warning to prevent claims of Satanism.

Earthdawn- All peritextual elements completely vanilla (written in 1995) except two full pages of punch-out cardstock cards.

Illustrations

Pictures in books should show you things you may play, things you may fight or goals or ideas you may have as well as set the stage for the book. The feel also needs to be consistent throughout. The media used can change, but don’t mix styles!

D&D 4th Edition- Player’s Handbook has detailed pictures of the types of characters you are going to play (Person), the Dungeon Master’s Guide shows places you will go (Place), and the Monster Manual shows the things you are going to fight (Things).

Mutants and Masterminds- Very comic book feel to illustrations, some complete with speech bubbles. Very consistent throughout.

Dark Heresy, Warhammer 40,000- Extremely detailed, dark, gritty illustrations.

Rifts- almost entirely black and white inking. Art very evocative of the world, but not enough of it and the color plates in the middle of the book don’t match.

Serenity- Beautiful cover, but almost all of “illustrations” are screen caps from the movie. Says not, “We’re trying to adapt the movie” but “We’re trying to make the movie.” Borders are good except top of every page says “Serenity the Role Playing Game”. Seems too self-congratulatory and constantly reminds us it is “official“.

Star Wars Saga- nice mix of screencaps and illustrations, but again, too much of a mix of styles.