DiceCast Episode 17: D&D Next, "indie" vs. "mainstream" RPGs, and an interview with Stan Sakai

This is our first episode in quite some time. The initial discussion of "D&D Fifth Edition" (now officially known as "D&D Next") was recorded in February 2012 and is thus, dated; at the time, the most current news about it was in an article in the New York Times. Many recent podcasts (particularly ones made after Gen Con 2012) have discussed this topic in greater detail. We include this discussion to offer some perspective: this illustrates the various expectations and speculations that have been made about what will be the newest edition of what was once the most popular roleplaying game on the market, when it released in 2014 (or is projected to be at that time).

Furthermore, we discuss the dividing line between "indie" and "mainstream" roleplaying games. The line is thinner and fuzzier than many people believe and after you hear our discussion, you will have much food for thought.

Finally, we interviewed cartoonist extraordinare Stan Sakai at Montreal Comicon 2011. Mr. Sakai is famous for his work on the Usagi Yojimbo comic and many other fine works.

Other links

• Polymancer main site
• Polymancer corporate web site
• Polymancer on Twitter
• Polymancer on LiveJournal
• Polymancer on MySpace
• Polymancer on Facebook
• RSS feed for DiceCast
• Subscribe to DiceCast in iTunes

DiceCast Episode 13: Dark Dungeons!

In this episode, we interview Andrew and JD from Boolean Union about their recent animated film adaptation of the infamous Jack Chick tract "Dark Dungeons." Their work is a serious adaptation of a work that is inherently funny. It is produced to a very high level of quality. We found Andrew and JD to be as animated as their movie, articulate, and perceptive in our interview. And for the record, they are not in the least bit "anti-game."

In brief, "Dark Dungeons" is a short comic book (called a "tract") about a teenaged girl who gets swept away into the occult from playing a fictitious RPG called "Dark Dungeons" (which, as described, is D&D in all but name). The comic contains a number of amusing misconceptions about RPGs, including the notion that players can start to believe that they really are their characters or that the goal of RPGs is to make people learn how to cast "real spells." It has gained a cult following among roleplayers for its humor value.

Links

• The Dark Dungeons Movie. The producers encourage everyone to link to it and share it with their friends.
  
• Boolean Union's official Dark Dungeons Page.
  
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 meets Dark Dungeons. A famous spoof that contains the original tract in full, and heckling.
  
• The Escapist. Game advocacy web site.
  

Other links

• Polymancer main site
• Polymancer corporate web site
• Polymancer on Twitter
• Polymancer on LiveJournal
• Polymancer on MySpace
• Polymancer on Facebook
• RSS feed for DiceCast
• Subscribe to DiceCast in iTunes
  

DiceCast Episode 10: Interview with Ed Greenwood

Ed Greenwood is the creator of the Forgotten Realms setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. We interviewed him at Fan Expo 2010 in Toronto. He is a friendly, approachable man who, in spite of being one of the living legends of the roleplaying world, is surprisingly humble. In this interview, Ed Greenwood talks about how he created the Realms, how he got into writing, the importance of being an active roleplayer for those who want to work in the industry, and much more.

Links

• Ed Greenwood Biography at Wizards.com
• Ed Greenwood at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Fan Expo