Kickstarter Preview – Vegas Wits and Wagers

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Sep 062017
 

Kickstarter Preview :

Vegas Wits and Wagers

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While stumbling around GenCon this year, I found a little piece of Las Vegas at the North Star Games booth. The geographical anomaly was due to Vegas Wits and Wagers, the newest expansion in the line.

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Wits and wagers is a juggernaut in the trivia, betting, bluffing, party game section of the gaming market.  Over the last decade or so it’s racked up more awards and accolades than the Mohave desert has gangster bones.

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Because of this, you aren’t reading a review of Wits and Wagers, per say, but a review of the currently Kickstarting expansion pack that makes the newest edition so…

Well…

…Vegas

A brief overview –

Vegas Wits and Wagers is the limited run expansion pack for Wits and Wagers Party that contains a large (like, really big) neoprene, double sided play mat, new, high quality, cardboard chips with larger denominations including $500 and $1000(for that big, “No Limit” feel), another betting card, marker and pair of player chips allowing the game to be played by 7 people, and  two “closed” betting covers (also high quality neoprene).

However, the real commodity on the table is the presence that this game brings when you lay it out.

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A little deeper –

As well as the new components, there are now more betting options. For the skittish, there are now “safe bets,” betting on the red or black side of the board for a lower pay out. However, in true Vegas fashion, there are now “long shot” bets that pay out 10-1 where you can bet on an individual player before their answer is revealed. This comes in handy if you have reason to believe that Johnny happens to be an expert on toilet paper advertisements from the 1950’s. Lastly, the game is played in seven rounds with the stakes raising each round. With these new options and mechanics, every question is potentially a game changer. That said, as I mentioned before, it’s the game’s presence that is truly astounding. The art, the colors, the mood, all blend beautifully with the mechanics making it a spectacle worthy of its name.

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The Kickstarter –

The Kickstarter ends at 11:00 PM, September 7th. As of the posting of this review, they’ve raised $50,000+ and have exceeded the goal by more than $20,000.

What’s the buy in?

For $25 you get the Vegas expansion. This is everything that I outlined above but does not include Wits and Wagers Party. You’ll need this in order to play the Vegas version of the game. If you have older versions, however, the back of the neoprene mat is printed with the original layout so you can still utilize it.

For $40 you get the Vegas expansion as well as Wits and Wagers Party, which is everything you need to set the stage for your gaming extravaganza!

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Stretch goals?

Several stretch goals have already been unlocked. Every $5,000 over the goal unlocks a new themed pack of all new trivia questions. So far, packs about the Ocean’s movies, Las Vegas trivia, music, television, and celebrities have been unlocked with several more goals slated to be announced. xe88

As of this posting, there is a little more than two days left in the Kickstarter. If you’re interested, don’t waste time. You’re not going to want to miss this.

Kickstarter Link – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/northstargames/vegas-wits-and-wagers/description

If, for some reason, a pink van full of Elvises and aliens pulls up and drags you away from your internet connection before you’re able to pledge, don’t fret. North Star Games is planning on releasing Vegas Wits and Wagers to a store near you in the Fall of 2018. The only problem is, while the boxed version will have all of the
new options and rules of the limited edition, the gorgeous neoprene table mat, and cover slips, etc, will be made of the more familiar felt or cotton materials found in previous versions, thus making it just a little less…

Well,

…Vegas

Final Thoughts – 

Wits and wagers has been a favorite in my household for many years now. Even before the newest expansion, it played quite a bit like Trivial Pursuit had a love child with a craps table and left Las Vegas on the fastest flight back to Maine. I’m truly pleased to have been able watch that child grow up,

put on the cape and jumpsuit,

and steal the show.

To me, this is a brilliant and exciting thematic step in the right direction for a fantastic party game.

But then again, this is just my humble opinion.

-Dan Whorl

(CarpeGM.net Game Reviews)

Full Disclosure –

A review copy of Vegas Wits and Wagers was given to me by the game developer for an honest review of their product.  No money or further compensation changed hands or has been promised for a good review.  They earned it!

 

Syrinscape Now Integrated with D20Pro

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Feb 232016
 

With the growing popularity of RPG’s utilizing a virtual table top, This is BIG news!  I received this press release yesterday and pass it on to you now…

For additional information, contact Jenny Bendel.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYRINSCAPE AND D20PRO ANNOUNCE NEW INTEGRATION FOR PLAYING ROLEPLAYING GAMES FASTER, BIGGER, AND ANYWHERE,NOW WITH SOUND

Award-Winning Syrinscape Sound App Now Compatible with D20PRO Virtual Tabletop

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (February 22, 2016) – Syrinscape, creator of the award-winning apps that put the power of custom, movie-like sound effects, soundscapes, music, and audio solutions at the fingertips of the gamer, and D20PRO, the Virtual Tabletop that takes roleplaying games from around the table to gamers around the world, are thrilled to announce today the two products are now compatible, creating a dynamic gaming experience for roleplaying gamers everywhere.*

D20PRO comes with the complete rules set for OGL 3.5, 4E and thePathfinder Roleplaying Game systems. However, the powerful tools ofD20PRO work for any game system that utilizes maps, combat on or off a grid, and even games that rely on “theater of the mind.”

“Syrinscape has been one of our most requested integrations, and we are so pleased to make that a reality,” says Tobias Drewry, CEO of Mesa Mundi. “Now game masters running a campaign with D20PRO can easily incorporate Syrinscape’s incredible library of music and sound effects to set the perfect mood for their games.”

With this integration, D20PRO Game Masters will be able to control Syrinscape remotely on the systems of their players. Game Masters will be able to embed objects within D20PRO that can be used to ‘click’ buttons inside Syrinscape, without needing to bring Syrinscape into focus, or having to navigate through any of its menus.

“Now every spell, every location, and every hideous monster roar is right at the finger tips of D20PRO Game Masters,” says Syrinscape creator Benjamin Loomes. “And yes… most importantly, that includes the Wilhelm Scream!”.

D20PRO has created real-time video with an introduction demo on how to incorporate Syrinscape into D20PRO games, using Syrinscape in 3rd-party mode, how to add sound triggers inside D20PRO, and how to configure virtual audio settings.

D20PRO Virtual Tabletop is available to try free with a 30-day Trial License to build campaigns, adventures, and encounters in no time. To start a free 30-day trial, visit, www.d20pro.com/getd20pro/.

The award-winning Syrinscape apps bring fantastic, realistic sound to tabletop gaming. Each is available to try for free, can be completely unlocked for free for 30 days at Syrinscape.com/freetrial, and includes 2 free SoundSets to keep after the trial. To download the free Board Game Player, Sci-Fi Player, or Syrinscape Fantasy Player, visit Syrinscape.com.

*At this time, Syrinscape integration is Windows only, with Mac OS and Linux integration coming soon.

About D20PRO
D20PRO is a Virtual Tabletop (VTT) that takes roleplaying games from around the table to gamers around the world. Experience all the elements of roleplaying while optimizing your play with the powerful D20PRO rules engine–speed up combat, roll a natural 20 on integrated dice, explore vast maps, and bring character sheets to life. No matter what kind of game you’re running,D20PRO is the VTT desktop solution your gaming group needs. Campaign with players throughout the world, and you’ll never miss game night again. Run smooth, accurate combat with D20PRO’s suite of built-in tools ensuring that every bonus, feat, and twist of the rules is accounted for. D20PRO ©2016 Mesa Mundi, Inc. (www.mesamundi.com)

About Syrinscape
Using a powerful audio engine and complex algorithms to produce ever-changing soundscapes and rich encounter-specific music, Syrinscape conjures every aural landscape imaginable, from ethereal forests and stony shorelines, to dank, vermin-filled dungeons, to the spooky depths of the underdark. Designed by accomplished composer and tabletop gamer Benjamin Loomes, along with the developers at the Interaction Consortium, Syrinscape builds on more than 8 years of prototyping and community feedback. Syrinscape is based in Australia. Syrinscape is available for a wide range of devices, including PC, Mac, Android Tablets and phone, iPhones and iPads, and the players can be downloaded via syrinscape for free.

* * *

Conan RPG Kickstarter

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Feb 172016
 

Our good friend Chris Birch is at it again. This time he’s bringing the big guns…a Conan RPG!

You’ll want to get in on this as I’m sure that it’s going to be HUGE!

Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures In An Age Undreamed Of  Kickstarter has LAUNCHED!!!
 
 
We are almost HALFWAY through the first goal and counting!
We have one of the biggest line ups of major artists ever for a roleplaying game. Each book is a beautiful high quality hard cover book featuring a major commissioned cover art by one of the legendary names we have assembled along with truly authentic and evocative content by industry veterans and newcomers. Please check it out!
…all under the watchful eye of world-renowned Conan experts and scholars including  Jeffrey Shanks, Patrice Louinet and Mark Finn, working together to bring you the most authentic Conan roleplaying experience yet, focusing exclusively on Robert E. Howard’s original stories.
Thanks so much for your support and patient as we prepared this incredible project!
 
Chris, Modiphius

What!? Weird War One – Savage Worlds!!

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Feb 172016
 

Ok, Those of you who follow me know how much I absolutely love Savage Worlds.  Those of you who are new to the site…

I absolutely love Savage Worlds!

This Kickstarter looks fantastic!

Make sure you look at the contribution levels because, as usual, Savage Worlds has positively nailed the price point!

This one’s only going for two weeks!  Don’t waste time.

Press release follows:

Pinnacle Entertainment Group, award-winning makers of Savage Worlds, Deadlands, and many other games, launched a two-week-long Kickstarter for the historical horror setting for World War I, Weird War I. It has already funded and passed the first stretch goal.
 
Pinnacle Entertainment Group is the creator of Savage Worlds, an award-winning tabletop roleplaying game system.

Pinnacle Entertainment Group Announces Weird War I Kickstarter for Savage Worlds

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Chandler, AZ February 16, 2016 – Pinnacle Entertainment Group, award-winning makers of Savage Worlds, Deadlands, and many other games, launched a two-week-long Kickstarter for the historical horror setting for World War I, Weird War I. It has already funded and passed the first stretch goal.

 

Kickstarter link here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/weird-war-i-savage-worlds/description

 

Weird War I is the latest entry in Pinnacle Entertainment Group’s Weird Wars series. The Twilight Legion has so far marched across the battlefields of Rome, Vietnam, and World War II. Now our intrepid soldiers, sailors, airmen, and even civilians must endure the mud and trenches of what would become known as World War I.

 

The Kickstarter for Weird War I includes PDF and print options for a Player’s Guide, War Master’s Handbook, War Master’s Screen with Raid on Fort Douaumontadventure, and two map sets. Also available are specialtydice, Bennies (poker chips), and a vintage-style canvasmessenger bag. Backers also have the opportunity toadd Weird War I to the entire Weird War line forSavage Worlds in the top tier Twilight Legionnaire reward level.

 

Supporters recently unlocked a stretch goal giving all backers the complete map sets in digital format. Other stretch goals within easy reach include pregenerated archetype characters with paper miniature figure flatsfor civilians and the French, and a second Plot Point Campaign, In Vino Veritas, giving the players a chance to play the German side of events and deals with an ancient power aroused by the carnage of the Great War.

 

The Kickstarter ends on Thursday, March 3rd at 8 pm Eastern. Reward levels begin at $15 for players and $35 for game masters. Don’t miss out—back it today!

 

About Pinnacle Entertainment Group

 

The award-winning Deadlands and Savage Worldstabletop RPGs were created by Shane Lacy Hensley, owner of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. For more information, visit www.peginc.com or contact Jodi Black, COO and Managing Editor for Pinnacle, at PEGJodi@gmail.com.

 

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Copyright © 2016 Pinnacle Entertainment Group, All rights reserved.

Gen Con Pre-Registration In One Week!

 Announcements  Comments Off on Gen Con Pre-Registration In One Week!
Jan 152016
 

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time again… Gen Con 2016!

Once again, we at CarpeGM.net are planning to attend the biggest four days in gaming August 4th,through 7th.

Below, I bequeath unto you the press release with all pertinent information.
Gen Con 2014: Level Up!
Reminder: Badge and Housing Registration Opens in One Week
It’s almost here! Badge Pre-Registration begins one week from today, starting on January 22 with Housing Registration opening at noon (Eastern) on Sunday, January 24. Gen Con will be here before you know it!Please note: a valid 2016 badge is required to take part in housing registration.The Gen Con team would like to stress again that it is important to note that demand for downtown hotel rooms vastly outstrips the available supply. Not everyone interested in downtown housing will have access to these rooms. Suburban housing inventory typically is available throughout the convention, however. As mentioned last week, Gen Con again will randomize each customer’s access to the Gen Con Housing Portal to book lodging. If you have questions about housing, you can get them answered at the Housing Q&A forum page or by emailing customerservice@gencon.com. Please don’t wait until the last minute to get your registration questions answered, as customer service will become very busy during the opening of Badge Pre-Registration and Housing Registration.When you participate in Housing Registration, you will need to go the “My Housing” page located on gencon.com under your username after you sign-in. When housing registration opens at noon (Eastern), you will be assigned a random access time, if you have purchased a 2016 badge. When your countdown time expires, your page will refresh and provide you with a button to “Make Reservations.” Housing registration countdown times may last up to three hours. Once you are granted randomized access, you can book your housing from the remaining choices.Have more questions about housing? You can check out the newsletter from earlier this week that covers some specific badge and housing questions at this link. There is also a web page atgencon.com covering Housing & Travel, as well as a web page with information on getting your badgefor 2016.

Official 2016 Charity Partner

Earlier this week, Gen Con announced its selection of The PourHouse as its Charity Partner for 2016. Each year, Gen Con partners with one charity, local to Indianapolis, hosting events intended to create donations for the partner organization. Opened in 2004, The PourHouse provides street outreach and peer advocacy for individuals experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis. You can read more about this partnership through Gen Con’s Charity Page or via the official press release.“Gen Con gamers have found a way to extend their creative reach into the streets of their host city, and The PourHouse is honored to have been chosen as the Official Charity Partner of Gen Con 2016”, said Andrea De Mink, Executive Director of The PourHouse. “Your generosity will provide opportunities for housing, healthcare, and restoration of lives.”Last year, Gen Con’s programming generated more than $40,000 for the convention’s 2015 Charity Partner, The Julian Center. Since moving its convention to Indianapolis, Gen Con has raised more than $200,000 for local charities.Want to learn more about The PourHouse? You can LIKE their Facebook page or FOLLOW their account on Twitter. Interested in learning more about their mission? You can check out the following video from The PourHouse.
Gen Con’s mailing address is:

Gen Con LLC

120 Lakeside Ave #100

Seattle, WA 98122
Copyright © 2016 Gen Con LLC, All rights reserved.

Extra Lives: Let’s Play some Quake!

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Aug 302014
 

Kyle sits down for some quality Quake time having never played before. Quake is Love. Quake is Life. — You can watch more livestreams from us in the future over at www.twitch.tv/extralivesshow. Once the stream is finished I will usually post it to our YouTube so stay on the lookout for more content!!

 

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QUAKE

Quake is a first-person shooter video game, developed and published by id Software in 1996. It is the first game in the popular Quake series. In the game, players must rage through 32 single player levels and 6 deathmatch levels of sheer terror and fully immersive sound and lighting. Arm yourself against the cannibalistic Ogre, fiendish Vore and indestructible Schambler using lethal nails, fierce Thunderbolts and abominable Rocket and Grenade Launchers.

The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero(point)Four!

 Announcements  Comments Off on The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero(point)Four!
Aug 122014
 

This week the Kyles discuss Half-Life 2, World of Warcraft, EA Access and Playstation Now. Plus is Valve ramping up for a new Source engine and maybe a Half-Life 3? Let’s find out!

State of the Podcast?

FULL STEAM AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!
-Kyle

The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero(point)Three

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Aug 072014
 

Tonight Kyle and Kyle and special guest Ken Maxey discuss the mind boggling Fez, how long is too long for a game, DOOM 3’s 10th Anniversary, and look to play another 10 year old classic in the coming weeks. All this and more (Risk of Rain)!

State of the Podcast
We’re looking buying new cameras for the live stream so the video quality will hopefully improve. We’ll most likely have two more Zero(point) episodes and then roll out official episodes complete with audio only versions if you prefer to listen to the show that way. Not much else is new this week, so enjoy the show and don’t forget to join us next week!

Cheers!
-Kyle

The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero(point)Two!

 Announcements  Comments Off on The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero(point)Two!
Jul 292014
 

Join the Kyles this week as we talk more DOOM, kickflips in OlliOlli, how to pronounce Anachronox, Google’s cool billion spent on twitch, and of course Risk of Rain. All this and MORE!!!!!

State of the Podcast
Things are coming along nicely. Kyle and I have loosened up a little bit and are starting to have fun with everything (not bad for the third show!). Video quality is still lacking though. If this persist, we have decided that we will either find a better video format or go to strictly audio. What that will mean for interacting with us live i don’t know but we’ll see. Also because this is recorded live, between 39:00 and 45:00 we take a break so that I can tend to an upset child. if only I had a technical difficulties slide i could throw in there……

On the Horizon
We record next week so be on the lookout if you’d like to join in and chat. Kyle and I plan to record a video of some Risk of Rain. and release it soon. Overall, I’d say maybe a few more of these “Zero(point)” episodes and we’ll be ready to go full blown live. Hope you’re enjoying them because I know we sure are!

Cheers!
-Kyle

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