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

 Announcements  Comments Off on The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero(point)One!
Jul 222014
 

This week we discuss old school FPS’s, Risk of Rain again, and DOOMBOTS!!!! (whatever those are) Plus we dive deep into the Yogsventure! debacle and Doom….BOTS!!!!

What’s the state of the podcast?
Things are still ramping up! We’ve bought some new equipment to sound better but unfortunately our internet connection was not the greatest this week. Bummer. Video wise you’ll notice it’s like watching a slide show. Audio dips more often than wanted and Kyle M’s mic gain was a little high. But that’s why this is Episode Zero(point)One and not Episode One. Technical issues aside this is a beefy episode that’s packed full of conversation. So sit back, enjoy, and let us know what you think!

What’s on the horizon?
We plan to record again this Sunday so if you want to watch us live and chat check Google+ or my Twitter to find out when we will record. Kyle and I are working diligently to improve the show by trimming the fat (conversations that drag on) and tweaking the format so that there is less awkward silences and more coherent and meaningful conversations. As far as quality, I unfortunately can’t make my connection any better during high bandwidth times but if doing this over Google Hangouts on Air becomes too troublesome, I guarantee we’ll find a better way to do this. That aside I hope you’re enjoying the show and we can’t wait to give you more!

Cheers!
-Kyle

The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero!

 Announcements  Comments Off on The Extra Lives Show: Episode Zero!
Jul 152014
 

Tonight we test our new podcast over Google Hangouts, talk early access, pre-order bonuses, Rise of the Triad, Risk of Rain, You Don’t Know Jack, and much more!!

What is Extra Lives?
Extra Lives is an all new video game podcast brought to you by Kyle McCauley and Kyle Penrod (formally of The Backwards Compatible Podcast) where we get down to the nitty gritty and absolute fun that is the wonderful world of games.

Why Episode Zero?
Great question anonymous stranger! While we’re frothing at the mouth to start this podcast, we don’t quite have everything we need just yet. So we figured why not release a half baked product in it’s place until we are ready! When everything is said and done we’ll be recording every week (probably Saturday evenings) via Google Hangouts On Air and releasing both a video version (similar to the one above) and a tired and true audio version of the podcast via our website (forthcoming) and of course at the ol’ CarpeGM.net because we love those guys! Until then feel free to join us in the chat while live on the air (via Google+) every week and let us know what you think!

Cheers!
Kyle

Feb 092014
 

lModiphius Entertainment Announces “MINDJAMMER
From Mindjammer Press

Mindjammer Press and Modiphius Entertainment are delighted to announce their partnership to produce the new edition of  Mindjammer – The Roleplaying Game , a transhuman science-fiction roleplaying game using the  Fate Core system, written by ENnie Award-winning RPG and fiction writer Sarah Newton (Mindjammer, Achtung! Cthulhu, Monsters & Magic, Legends of Anglerre, Fate Core – Burn Shift, The Chronicles of Future Earth ).

If you would like to review Mindjammer please reply and we’ll send you the pre-release PDF! As usual if you post anything please let us know so we can link to you from our Twitter, Facebook and Modiphius.com press page as thanks!

If you are a fan of the adventure Diablo ll classic and Expansion has to offer you (read more about those games on https://www.yesgamers.com/info/diablo-2-classic-vs-expansion-lord-destruction/) then grab your blaster, thoughtcast your orders to the starship sentience, and fire up the planing engines – come and defend the light of humanity’s greatest civilization as it spreads to the stars!

Have you always wanted to play a modern science-fiction roleplaying game – with consistent yet futuristic science, virtual realites, sentient starships, realistic aliens, and mysterious worlds, yet action-packed and filled with adventure? Mindjammer is your answer. It’s a tabletop roleplaying game about heroic adventurers in the galaxy of the far future. With its hyper advanced technology humankind has spread to the stars, discovering ancient lost colonies and mysterious alien worlds. Using the popular and award-winning Fate Core rules,Mindjammerlets you play hardened mercenaries, cunning traders, steely-nerved pilots, intrigue-filled spies and culture agents, aliens, divergent hominids, artificial life forms, and even sentient starships.

Mindjammer – The Roleplaying Game is a 496-page hardback with gorgeous artwork and astrography by industry stalwarts such as Jason Juta, Eric Lofgren, Andreas Schroth, and Ian Stead. It’s a standalone game with everything you need to play, including innovative new rules for alien life, planets, and star systems, organisations, culture conflict, hypertech, starmaps, background material, virtual realities and techno-psionic powers, and much more.

It’s the Second Age of Space – the transhuman adventure is just beginning!

“We’re really excited to be releasing Mindjammer – The Roleplaying Game,”said Sarah Newton, co-owner of Mindjammer Press and author of the game.“Chris Birch (Modiphius) and I have worked together on many titles, including the ENnie-award winning Achtung! Cthulhu and first edition Mindjammer, and the ENnie-nominated Legends of Anglerre. It’s great to be teaming up now to bring Mindjammer – The Roleplaying Game and its line of supplements and fiction to a wide and discerning audience, using Modiphius’s proven industry expertise and excellent track record. We’re looking forward to a regular release of Mindjammer products with Modiphius, beginning with the core rulebook this May.”

“Mindjammer was first introduced as an incredible supplement for the enormous Starblazer Adventures RPG and it’s fantastic that Sarah has now developed the universe into such an incredible setting and brought it bang up to date with the Fate Core ruleset. I know Fate and sci-fi fans are going to find one of the best and most comprehensive roleplaying games at their fingertips.” Said Chris Birch, Publisher of Modiphius.

You can pre-order Mindjammer  The Roleplaying Game right now from theModiphius webstore and download the Thoughtcast Edition 496-page PDF immediately. The hardback version of the game is expected to ship in late March, and hit the shelves in May. A free preview is available from

Mutant Chronicles Kickstarter is Now Live!

 Announcements  Comments Off on Mutant Chronicles Kickstarter is Now Live!
Jan 282014
 

Mutant Chronicles Kickstarter!!!

MUTANT CHRONICLES RPG KICKSTARTER NOW LIVE!

Finally after a year of hard work the much anticipated return of the Dark Legion is here as we unveil the Mutant Chronicles 3rd Edition RPG Kickstarter!

We’re already over 72% funded (£8k of £11k) as I write this after only two hours and we have a ton of books, miniatures and accessories to fund for you with lots of new material, storyline, artwork to bring the world of Mutant Chronicles to vivid life.

Prodos Games are creating a load of new roleplaying focused villains and adventurer miniatures for the Kickstarter, and we’ll be showing them off in the coming days and weeks.

You can be sure of a wild ride ahead!

We’ll be running until 8pm on Sunday March 9th

Here’s some graphics, banners and Avatars if you’d like to support us.

As you may know, Kickstarters take an enormous amount of work to run so any help in spreading the word is so very much appreciated.

Modiphius

Modiphius Announces the SILVERSHIELDS Community Team!

 Announcements  Comments Off on Modiphius Announces the SILVERSHIELDS Community Team!
Dec 022013
 

  Modiphius Launches SILVERSHIELDS Community Team!

 

Modiphius Entertainment has announced the SILVERSHIELDS Program and two community managers;Dan Whorl and Dave McAlister to lead the teams in 2014.

 

Inspired by Alexander the Great’s veteran warriors the Silver Shields, who gave courage to the younger soldiers in his army and helped hold the line at the direst of times, the new community team program is designed to reward all levels of involvement in supporting Modiphius’s games.

 

 

Chris Birch is passionate about getting everyone involved not matter what they feel they can do, “Whether it’s sticking a poster up in a game club, taking flyers to local stores, running demo games in store, at a club or convention, promoting the games on Facebook, Twitter or just chatting about Modiphius on forums – there’s so much people can do to help out and we plan to reward that with an exciting membership that rewards every member of the team for their efforts.”

 

The SILVERSHIELDS program is signing up members from all over the world to support Modiphius’sflagship games; Achtung! CthulhuMutant Chronicles 3rd EditionPaolo Parente’s DUST Adventures,Cogs, Cakes & Swordsticks and much more! You can sign up herehttp://www.modiphius.com/silvershields.html

 

Based on the level of their support, active members can expect to receive an awesome Modiphius TeamT-shirt, a SILVERSHIELDS badge, and credit towards Modiphius products.

 

Dave McAlister is heading up the UK SILVERSHIELDS. Dave has been roleplaying for over 30 years, with a big love of the espionage genre. So much so that in 1999, he started Modus Operandi and joined the Sarbreenar “Living” campaign team as their plotline controller before moving across to the Living Spycraft campaign team (as UK Regional Branch Director) in 2003. 2003 was also the year that Dave founded UK Role Players as well as co-writing World Militaries and consulting on both US Militaries and Battlegrounds, all for Spycraft. Since then, Dave has concentrated on supporting the UK gaming scene. He has organised and run several small, one-day, events and was the RPG Area Manager for Gen Con UK in 2004. He is currently the webmaster for the Conception and Con-Quest conventions as well as UK Role Players. His current favourite systems are Savage Worlds and Cinematic Unisystem.

 

 

Dan Whorl is the leading the US SILVERSHIELDS. A 33 year old step-father of 4 and a lifelong tabletop gamer. His interest run the gamut of games from Euro board games to Ameri-trash, collectible card games to family and party titles.  However, his heart lies in table top RPGs.  25 years ago, Dan discovered Dungeons and Dragons and his life changed forever.  Having since played every system he could get his hands on, as well as creating more than a few homebrews, Tabletop RPGs have become a cornerstone of Dan’s creative outlet as well as favored pastime of his family. For the last year and a half, Dan has been the Host/Moderator of the popular gaming podcast “The CarpeGM Gamecast” and the owner/webmaster of CarpeGM.net, a website that houses a community dedicated to the enhancement of social event gaming, it’s culture, and the support of those help to shape it.

 

More team managers will be announced for Europe and abroad soon.

 

If you know someone who loves Savage Worlds, Call of Cthulhu or you think would love to demo the new systems from Modiphius Entertainment please forward this message.

 

For more information contact Modiphius Entertainment (or reply to this email) http://www.modiphius.com/contact.html

 

Modiphius

The Oleg Story

 Announcements  Comments Off on The Oleg Story
Aug 072013
 
The Oleg Story: Survival - Live on Kickstarter NOW!

Hammer-wielding Mafia hit men, Russian spies, Racists, shivs, and cigarettes……….

Just another Friday night in Cell Black A!

The Oleg Story: Survival - Live on Kickstarter NOW!I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Nail Adam, the head of a new game design studio called “Latest Pursuit”

Latest Pursuit’s latest pursuit is a Kickstarter campaign for a board game with a very neat concept:

You’re in a maximum security prison for international criminals, and gangs run the show.

The object of the game is not to escape, not to take over the cell block……

but SURVIVE!

There are no “Get Out of Jail Free” cards here…..

You’re just hoping to not get out of jail DEAD!

The game itself takes about 2 hours to play.  Its broken down into 20 minute rounds that begin and end with all characters in their respective cells.  You may ally with other gangs in an effort to take down a competitor, but don’t trust them.  They may be coming for you next!

The production  for The Oleg Story is mostly complete, and it looks great!

It comes with :

  • 4 Tile Map board (Board game)Check out The Oleg Story: Survival - Live on Kickstarter NOW!
  • The Oleg Story™: Survival Back Story DVD
  • 6×40 Attack Cards
  • 6×40 Defence Cards
  • 1×40 Mission Cards
  • 1×40 Special Cards
  • 1×6 Gang Cards
  • 1×60 Commodity Cards
  • 24 Miniature Figures
  • 12 Dice
  • 2 Shuffle Pouches
  • 24 & 21 Prison Cell draw cards
  • Guide Book
  • 1 Poster

All items have a high production value and the game is complete but for a print run. That’s where we come in.

The Oleg Story: Survival is on Kickstarter now.  With a campaign that includes DVDs, more gangs, custom miniatures, and more, this is definitely one prison I want in on!

 The Board!

“LIGHTS OUT!”

-Dan Whorl

Edu-Larp

 Announcements, Dan Whorl  Comments Off on Edu-Larp
Aug 052013
 

As you all know, I’m a HUGE advocate for gaming in education.  My  experiences with my children opened my eyes to the reality of RPGs as a curriculum tool.

Currently, Seekers Unlimited has a very interesting Kickstarter campaign going that is taking this idea to the next level.  I have attached the press release.

Please give this a look!

Thanks!

-Dan

Edu-LARP Comes to Kickstarter!!!

Contact: Rosalind Helfand

Phone: 310-869-5749
Email: rozhelfand@gmail.com
Web: http://seekersunlimited.com

Revolutionary New Learning Tool “Edu-LARP” Goes to Kickstarter

Teachers and Students in Los Angeles and Nationwide Will Benefit from This Game Changing Campaign
LOS ANGELES, CA—July 26, 2013—While communities across the United States mourn the state of education, the non-profit Seekers Unlimited is changing the very nature of education for the better with Live Action Role Playing games or LARPs. Seekers Unlimited has been testing its educational LARPs in classrooms in Los Angeles for over a year. Now Seekers wants to bring six of its “edu-LARPs” to the nation through a game changing Kickstarter campaign. People who believe that kids should love learning and succeed in school are helping Seekers to reach its goal of raising $8,000 by August 30, 2013.

Live action role-playing, or play pretend, has been around since the dawn of humanity, but only recently are people realizing that it’s a powerful learning tool. Edu-LARPs invoke the power of play pretend to teach subjects like math, history, and science. What’s more fun: reading about Benjamin Franklin or being Benjamin Franklin for a day? Kids get out of their chairs and interact with one another as they become characters in stories with goals that require them to solve problems, collaborate, and retain information.

Seekers Executive Director Aaron Vanek believes that edu-LARP will reinvigorate the traditional classroom, stating, “Seekers Unlimited plays to excite education like punk rock motivated music.

Past Seekers edu-LARPs include “Hit Seekers” where students used math to make it in the music industry, and “Mesopotamia” where students became ancient Mesopotamian characters like governors, merchants, and priests to gain a deeper understanding of the “Cradle of Civilization.”

Now Seekers has developed six classroom tested science themed edu-LARPs. Seekers donates most of its services since schools have little or no funds for innovative learning activities. By supporting the Kickstarter campaign, donors will make it possible for Seekers to share these new edu-LARPs with the nation and continue its work.

Improving education is not easy nor simple, but it is imperative that we press on. With people’s help, we can lift mountains,” Aaron continues.

The science edu-LARPs to be funded for distribution by Kickstarter include:

* The Great Phlogiston Debate: Students role-play scientists active at the end of the Age of Enlightenment.
* Noir: Students role-play detectives, forensic scientists, and suspects in a series of possible crimes.
* Element Heroes: Students stop villains with super powers based on the elements.
* Monster Maker: Students learn chemistry in a Dr. Frankenstein scenario.
* Be Your Own Planet!: Students create their own star systems and protect them from interstellar dangers.
* Balloon Race: Students learn about forces and gravity through racing balloons.

Educators, game designers and community members are speaking out about the difference that edu-LARP can make to education if people pitch in.

Sarah Lynne Bowman, Ph.D., is the author of  The Functions of Role-playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve Problems, and Explore Identity .  Bowman, who also serves on the Seekers Board of Directors, strongly believes in edu-LARP, stating, “LARPing has changed my life in all facets: professionally, personally, socially, academically. Role-playing allows us to explore unfamiliar concepts and portray new roles that transcend our normal reality. I want to share the transformative power of LARP with the next generation.

Graydon Schlichter, co-designer of numerous LARPs and Director or Publicity for Evertide Games says, “Teachers are pressured to prepare students for tests rather than educate them, or even better, open their minds and invite them to educate themselves. Seekers Unlimited, through the edu-LARPs it creates, gives educators additional tools to reach students, further exposing them to the reality that there is more to learning than bubble-tests and vocabulary sheets.

Besides the great feeling contributors will get for helping to bring edu-LARPs to the nation, Seekers Unlimited is offering a number of perks to its Kickstarter donors.

The perks include experiences like:

* LARP Design 101: A four-hour seminar with our LARP designers to help you design your own LARP.
* Name Branding: Name a character, thing, or place in one of Seekers’ edu-LARPS.
* Basic Larper: Copies of original LARPs “Secret Ante” by Aaron Vanek and “Exodus 22:18” by Michael Tice.
* Edu-LARPs: Receive one or more of the new science edu-LARPs.
* Your Own Custom Designed and Produced LARP
To donate to Seekers Unlimited’s Kickstarter campaign, visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/160286787/creating-educational-live-action-role-playing-game. Seekers is also available on Facebook and Twitter @SeekersUnLtd. More information about Seekers Unlimited and how you can get involved is also available at http://seekersunlimited.com/

Tiny Super Heroes!

 Announcements  Comments Off on Tiny Super Heroes!
Jun 122013
 

Empowering kids one cape at a time! Indiegogo campaign ENDING 

Seattle, WA — (SBWIRE) — 06/13/2013 — TinySuperheroes, a small organization led by Robyn Rosenberger, seeks to empower children with special needs. “We donate capes to Extraordinary TinySuperheroes who exemplify strength and determination as they overcome great adversity,” Robyn says.  “Our Indiegogo campaign is ending and we need your help”.  Donate today at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tinysuperheroes-empowering-extraordinary-kids-one-cape-at-a-time.

These Extraordinary TinySuperheroes are then featured on the TinySuperheroes blog  “in hopes of giving them a voice, their illness or disability a face, and the world the opportunity to stretch.”

In the summer of 2012, Robyn created something she never knew would be life-altering to children and families all over the world. She feels like TinySuperheroes just started out all by itself. “I dusted off my sewing machine and made a superhero cape for my nephew’s second birthday,” Robyn recalls. She then made another one for her son. At that time, she was following the blog of a girl named Brenna, who was born with a very rare and severe skin disease. Robyn soon realized that Brenna needed a cape too and that there are other kids out there who were indeed TinySuperheroes.

Robyn gave Brenna a cape in January 2013 and featured the child’s story on her blog to help raise awareness about Brenna and her condition. Immediately, her blog was flooded with other extraordinary kids with their own remarkable stories. She started giving out capes to a dozen of these children. Within four months, Robyn was able to empower over 500 new TinySuperheroes in 35 states and 5 countries.

In her TinySuperheroes website, Robyn says, “See, we give these TinySuperheroes capes, but they give us (all of us) SO much more than that. Everyday I am more and more convinced that it’s no joke—these kids really are TinySuperheroes.” Robyn also says that the capes are more than just fabric. These capes help change the lives of children who are fighting illness and disability.

Then, by sharing the stories of these children and their extraordinary families, these TinySuperheroes can help raise awareness. “Raising awareness brings funding, funding leads to more research, and research brings cures for these incredible kids,” Robyn believes.

In the next 12 months, Robyn hopes to empower 1,500 TinySuperheroes from all over the world by bringing them capes and a message of hope and strength. Robyn and the TinySuperheroes need funding in order to complete this mission. Her Indiegogo campaign aims to raise funds to help them buy fabric, sew, personalize, and ship each cape. The proceeds will also help them write and share the stories of these kids to the world.

Contact:
TinySuperheroes
3213 W. Wheeler St. #83
Seattle, WA 98199
Email: we-empower@tinysuperheroes.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tinysuperheroes
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tinysuperheroes

Tsunami Quarterly Review

 Announcements, Dan Whorl  Comments Off on Tsunami Quarterly Review
Jan 302013
 

Hey all!

Our good friends at Prismatic Tsunami Publishing have released the first Tsunami Quarterly Review.

I managed to write an article, as well as some of my favorite hosts from other podcasts.  Please help support the community!

For only $1:

 
In the first issue of Tsunami Quarterly Review, you will find the following great features:

RPG Crucible: Told by the Victor: Advice on building backstory that leaves room for suprises!

Are Game Masters Playing Too?: A philosophical look at the GM’s role in the game.

Tsunami City Project: Fourteen fantastic city locations discussed on Metagamers Anonymous and the Tsunami forums, plus an additional location found only in this publication!

In the Commander’s Chair: One man’s journey into the world of his latest video game excursion.

A Few Words on Insanity: A retrospective look at the application of insanity in your RPG experience.

 

Help support the Prismatic Tsunami community and the popular Metagamers Anonymous RPG podcast!

 

 

 

Free Stuff!

 Announcements  Comments Off on Free Stuff!
Nov 142012
 

The publishers on DriveThru RPG and their sister sites regularly put out free material, games, books, comics, and the like.

I want to make sure that our readers are aware of these great games, so when I receive them,  I make them available to you.

I do this hoping that you’ll find something that you like, a publisher, a game, etc, and will then support it by purchasing something.

Here’s what’s new this week:

[cc_third_col background_color=”141314″ radius=”6″ shadow_color=”000000″ height=”425″]


FREE THIS WEEK!
EPOCH: Fever Pitch
EPOCH: Fever Pitch

[/cc_third_col] [cc_third_col background_color=”141314″ radius=”6″ shadow_color=”000000″ height=”425″]


FREE THIS WEEK!
Earthbound Dossier
Earthbound Dossier

[/cc_third_col] [cc_third_col_right background_color=”141314″ radius=”6″ shadow_color=”000000″ height=”425″]


FREE THIS WEEK!
Tactical Assault: Fantasy Cards™ Core Rules
Tactical Assault: Fantasy Cards™ Core Rules

[/cc_third_col_right]

These items can also be found on the left sidebar if this post is not at the top of the blogroll.

Look around! If you decide to buy something, please use the links found on our website, as we get a little kickback if one of our subscribers makes a purchase! Every little bit helps!

[cc_facebook_like]