Stronghold and the Sandbox

Hello Internet. I know it’s been a while since my last blog, but in the interim I graduated college, moved across the US, got a part time job, and prepared to launch a ton of communication channels for The Pox Box. Through all this I was also trying to find some focus on which project I would begin pursuing once the dust settled. As always, it won’t be just one project. However, the focus that has come to the surface is the sandbox.

For a long time I have focused on studying games, game communities, and the economics of these platforms, both in their design and their operation. In all of my travels through the world, the Internet, and my own imagination, I am always pulled back to games which allow for immersive and emergent elements. Because of this, my company looks to become a developer and supporter of these platforms, namely:

- EVE Online through Infernal Creations, a US/EU PvP corp dedicated to good fights and good profit through any and all means available in the game (Industry, Incursions, Trading, Mining, Ratting, and Missions.) We’re aiming currently to provide a consistent schedule of alliance (DNS Alliance) and open events where people can count on a good time, as well as opportunities to learn and grow in their EVE experience.

- Minecraft through The Carver Club, a server moderated by my good friend Rak. It’s a tough place to live, with a focus on a challenging PvE environment and open PvP. The Rak server follows a safe creation policy in which structures and other things created by players are strictly off limits to the creator’s rivals. Just remember, breaking a block doesn’t mean you constructed the blocks around it! Miners beware…

- D&D Next through the creation of a campaign setting code named “Stronghold.” The campaign setting itself is going to be free to the public through a wiki, while associated works such as adventure modules, stories, novels, and other supplemental materials will be available through your favorite online retailers. We’ll be giving fans of our setting an opportunity to submit their own modules, stories, and other materials. Approved works will become part of our stores, and the creators will receive the majority of the profits!

Stay tuned for more updates, more tips, and more sandbox fun with The Pox Box!

Infernal Creations on EVEGate: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=323921&p=1

Infernal Creations Forums: http://infernalcreations.prophpbb.com/

Infernal Creations Killboard: http://zkillboard.com/corporation/98292949/

The Carver Club Server Info: http://www.reddit.com/r/mcservers/comments/2664vl/the_carver_club_smp_semivanilla/

Bards, Traders, and Commoners: Turning Gaming in to Commerce

After spending some time interacting with the community, it seems like there is this universal sentiment that making money through developing a game, role-playing system, or associated art, is inherently evil. There are the haves and the have-nots, and those in the latter category can’t imagine themselves as a money-grubbing sellout. My mission has been and continues to be one that helps to break down this misunderstanding, and show how with modern technology this doesn't have to be the case.

In a classical publishing model, large companies capable of handling demand for physical products scour the landscape of starving artists to find one that will play by their rules. There are production schedules, contracts, and obligations that must be met in order for the gears of the big publishing machine to turn. The writer or designer is just a small part of a huge value chain which has the potential to reach the entire target market.

Most gaming writers and designers I am in contact with couldn't imagine operating in this framework. They are independent, self-motivated, and will create when they are inspired instead of feeling forced by a contractual obligation to produce. Many I know wouldn't even want to write or create full time, but most share the urge to attract others to their personal game sessions or systems of choice.

What’s the solution? I want a company that has no vested interest in specific game platforms, play styles, or artists beyond a positive, open market relationship. As a neutral platform, I will incentivize my company and community to support all gaming projects and their associated art with fervor, showing no underlying bias for one game or another. Employees and owners alike would be encouraged to support their favorite projects through their votes and their dollars, but no matter your position, you have one vote. The market will decide who is popular, who is not, and for what period of time they are relevant.

The barrier to entry for even allowing someone to put up a creation on the Google Play store and other similar platforms is criminal. I want to pursue a model where anyone can put up any of their creations up for sale, while having a system in place to ensure the quality of a project and highlighting those who have submitted for approval. Although the endorsement by our company would not be required, it would definitely be worth it for designers to assure the quality to an adequate level before spending their money on a mostly unknown and untested game or piece of art.

This philosophy will also extend over to our tournament organization, management and retail platforms. We will strive to have exciting, large scale tournaments for every game possible, grouping smaller communities together if needed to still allow for efficient use of resources. There are also some amazing non-profit initiatives with gaming at their core, such as Child’s Play and the SDA (Speed Demos Archive) community and their charity marathons. These initiatives deserve to have their efforts recognized by an even larger audience, and we will drive more awareness and donations to those organizations with pride.

Gamers United!

Cavin “Pox” DeJordy

Child’s Play: http://www.childsplaycharity.org/

SDA Charity Marathons: http://marathon.speeddemosarchive.com/

Tavern Keeper: Hospitality at Its Finest

It is a common fantasy role-playing trope for the bar or tavern to be a center of strategy and planning for countless adventuring parties. For game leaders and those character’s controllers, the paperwork and record keeping involved can always be a challenge to keep updated and organized. Why not collaborate with your Tavern Keeper and let him do the mundane so you can focus on the story?

On Sunday, Kristi and Bill Centinario held an open Q&A for Tavern Keeper, a campaign advertising platform for game leaders with bookkeeping and game session support. I had an opportunity to learn more about their current beta version, as well as their Kickstarter plans, stretch goals, and licensing opportunities with game designers and producers. The passion for their product is evident, and they've already laid the groundwork with initial product development and community outreach. A Tavern Keeper is out of work without a tavern to work in and happy, engaged, and repeat customers. Fortunately, their initial users who have listed their games on the beta website are these first few happy patrons, proof of concept, and will be the first to enjoy the improvements as this project is funded and developed.

Currently, Tavern Keeper Beta is a solid backbone on which all of the functionality will be built. There are already plenty of games being advertised through the system, and the generic character sheet is still a great start for rules light systems like FATE and Numenera. The functionality I’m most excited for is their plans for Dynamic Character Sheets, which would allow the sheets to derive and look up all of the stats and bonuses associated with base stat, race, and class choices (ex. D&D stat modifiers, Initiative, Attack Modifiers, etc.). They also talked about some great ideas for a game leader display which would make finding any system information a snap.

One of the toughest things I've found about my new venture is that I’m trying to do everything and anything to improve gaming experiences. This is overly ambitious, and without a more narrow focus, is doomed to suffer feature bloat and countless delays. Luckily there are plenty other entrepreneurs in the Google+ community who are spearheading the development of complimentary products to my own. I’m looking forward to working with the Centinario's and Tavern Keeper in the future as we both help enhance the experience of our role-playing customers.

Gamers United!

Cavin “Pox” DeJordy

Tavern Keeper: https://www.tavern-keeper.com
Discussion: https://www.tavern-keeper.com/#discuss

From Digital to Dice: Neon Burn Playtest Review

When I think of an anti-gravity racing league my mind goes back to fond memories of games such as Wipeout, F-zero, and Star Wars: Pod Racing. There are other terrestrial contributors to this futuristic, super-fast sub-genre of racing such as Extreme G, POD, and Kinetica. All of these games have one thing in common: they are all video games. Neon Burn aims at bringing the excitement and speed of a futuristic racer in to the story driven and strategic realms of traditional RPGs. This is no small feat, but from what I experienced last night, Neon Burn is definitely on the right track.

In its present iteration, the game focuses on a cooperative model based around different character classes (Such as Driver, Publicist, Coach, Pit Crew) narrating off track scenes to generate Spark. When characters do things that relate to their character’s Passions, they are rewarded with Spark. This is used to activate player abilities which can be used in these scenes or during the race to modify rolls. The type of scene also determines what else you can gain from it, whether you are Moonlighting to make some extra Credits, Buying/Selling equipment, or setting up an Afterburn, which is a special kind of tension with rivals or other events that will affect the game in future scenes or during the race.

Once you've finished framing all of your off track scenes, which is determined by a race Start Time (real world time you transition from Scenes to the Race) it’s time for the race. The game has rules to help you generate a custom track, whether random or piecemeal. The track sections have a Width (max assignable dice) and Difficulty (minimum roll to get an Even result), as well as the preferred stats for vehicles in those sections. Vehicles can give or take a number to the Driver’s dice according to their stats, and after dice are rolled they are placed in a grid based on the max Width of the Section. Higher value successes trump lower values, and same values cancel each other out completely. The game’s dice system focuses around a d6 base with (+) or (-) modifying the dice size (ex. d6 with a (-) turns in to a d4) The Driver rolls dice for the team, while others roll dice for the Field and any Rivals or Drivers that are other drivers with stats and personalities. All of the players can use their Spark to modify rolls beforehand, allow for re-rolls, cancelling a Failure, or making modifications to what stats are affected by certain roll outcomes. There are many more nuances to Neon Burn’s rules, but I have outlined the most central components of the current system.

Overall, the game has married a very free-form storytelling system with a crunchier and tactical racing system. Personally, I feel like this is a great success. Neither side of the system feels neglected, and apart from a little lack of rolling for a couple of our players, was engaging and exciting. Craig and I discussed some possible solutions for giving players in the support roles a little more to do during the race. Other than that, the system is deep and flexible. Being in an early stage of development there are some glaring imbalances, but nothing that is rooted in the core mechanics. Class attributes can be balanced through Spark cost or redesign, and the competitiveness of Rivals, Drivers, and the Field can be adjusted through giving them some default uses and pools for their own Spark or similar roll modification system.

To me, the most exciting thing about this game is how fresh the idea of a racing system is in the RPG game system space. I’m sure there have been parts of systems for races in the past, but I have never seen one that could elevate a racing experience, which in itself would be hard pressed to leave the board game realm. The system already includes rules for many different types of Leagues, whether they are stock or custom, weaponized or pacifist, and single race or a long sustained Circuit over many play sessions. Another great aspect is that the system’s core allows for the addition of source material for all types of racing-centric eras and sub-genres. Anything from Roman chariot racing, fantasy beast racing, sci-fi tank racing (suggested by one of our playtesters), or something that even resembles modern day stock car racing would be supported. Could this be the system to allow NASCAR fans to live the dream of being part of a big time stock car team? I sure hope so.

Gamers United!

Cavin “Pox” DeJordy

Craig Judd’s Blog: http://powerframe-rpg.blogspot.com/

Neon Burn Information: https://plus.google.com/events/cm79rb0kdd0v6pvpa09ug9f655o

Stronghold: A Company By Gamers, For Gamers

Design and organization is seldom appreciated for the amount of work required. For most of us, art, experimentation, and exploration all come from a personal need to express ourselves, along with the need to collaborate and innovate with others who share our same passion. Even after all of that hard work there are plenty of regulatory and communication hurdles to overcome to make your mark in the entertainment industry. My aim is to offer many more opportunities to showcase talent, facilitate artist collaboration, as well as bring together a community that is ready to vote with their feet and their wallet on the project’s success.

Modern gaming is still an emerging market, especially when it comes to gaming competition and performance. Where previous artists worked in oils or clay, gaming artists work in the medium of Counterstrike, or Madden, or Dungeons & Dragons. This presents a host of challenges and opportunities which I aim to tackle with my new venture.

Over the next few days I will be writing a series of articles outlining my plans for creating a company which focuses on helping designers, writers, and performers meet, get their projects up and running, funded, and showcased on a digital stage that was built with interactive entertainment in mind. Everyone and anyone is invited to participate, contribute, and comment on this monumental undertaking.

Gamers United!

Cavin “Pox” DeJordy

What’s On The Shelf: New Show, Great Format, Endless Opportunity

This Saturday I had the privilege of watching What’s On The Shelf, presented by Brendan Conway, an Indie+ affiliate. Using the Hollowpoint RPG system, Brendan and his fellows acted out a supernatural scene that would have made Constantine proud. Aside from the excellent story told during the session, which I encourage you to experience for yourself, I’d like to discuss the format of the show and take this opportunity to talk about my vision for a new use for roleplaying sessions.

The show is broken up in to:

     An introduction of:

o   The Players

o   The System

o   The Setting

·         Character creation

·                   A play session

·                   A period for reflection with show format specific questions, such as:

o   What was your least favorite thing about the system

o   What was the most interesting thing about the system

o   Why would this game be on your shelf?

This is a great format for introducing people to a new school RPG system, as well as showing the whole process of learning the game from square one. As a person that dedicates lots of time to learning new systems, this broadcast allowed me to add a new game to my mental bookshelf without having to do a ton of digging on the Internet for rules and examples (thank you Fair Use limitation.) I can see this show also following the Tabletop show factor. As the show gains popularity, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a marked increase in the download and sale of the systems shared in this show.

When I watch sessions like this I often ask myself “Why isn’t someone taking these stories to the next level through comic, animation, or multimedia mediums?” My only answer is that it’s because most gaming groups don’t have the required talents or knowledge to make that happen. Part of my mission is to use role playing sessions as the seed which can bring forth new intellectual properties such as the settings, characters, and stories explored by artists which partner with the players.

As anyone in the entertainment industry can tell you, or by looking at the massive walls of credits at the end of a feature film, it takes massive collaboration and coordination to pull off what I am proposing. I think that every group’s situation will be unique, and that the art created could be something as simple as a few pages of a comic, to a full-length feature film. My real vision is to do my best in bringing all these pieces together and create a New Fiction Renaissance, fueled by RPGs both new and old.

Do you think your game would translate in to amazing entertainment? Leave a comment if you're interested in getting in touch with others to make some magic happen.

Gamers United!

Cavin “Pox” DeJordy

WotS: Hollowpoint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM_E9PSyQ0o

Tabletop (Geek & Sundry) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mxPFHBCfuU&list=PL4F80C7D2DC8D9B6C

Breaking the Fifth Wall

This post is going to be very personal. I think it’s important to express my experience and views as openly as possible so that my audience can know the real me.

 My name is Cavin DeJordy, and I am a gamer. My life has been a tumultuous one, to say the least. I have lived from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to Groton, Connecticut, and eight other locations all around the United States. I have been married, divorced, in the military, worked in an office, a warehouse, at a restaurant, in retail, and am well on my way to a business degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Cincinnati. I have spent countless hours sitting in hobby stores, running or playing in games, and questioning the shop's owners, employees, and customers. Every day I try to make time to learn about a new game, or dig deeper in to a complex one. I have lived in many worlds, from MMO, to Virtual World, to only those which exist in my mind and the minds of my Players and Game Masters. I have done all this with one singular purpose: to know the experience of as diverse a swath of humanity as I possibly can so I can, in turn, produce and direct compelling entertainment experiences and design the systems needed to support those experiences.

From all this travel, networking, inquiry, and analysis I have determined some universal truth. We all share a plane of existence, but not two of us live in the same world. We can all use our senses to reach out and experience our shared space, but our observation of those spaces is shaped by our past experiences, which not even the most identical of us share completely. Once I came to this realization, my whole life changed.

When I was growing up, I wanted everyone to be like me. As a kid who enjoyed reading encyclopedias, constructing things out of building toys, doing statistical analysis, mastering web research, and crafting role-playing modules, that wasn’t necessarily a realistic expectation. Once I learned to accept and study other people instead of trying to convert them, I have been a much happier and open-minded person.

To me, creativity has no bounds. I analyze multimedia games, board games, RPGs, collectible games, and other forms of art with an open, inquisitive mind. My goal is to revolutionize the way we all play, compete, and collaborate, and I will participate in any playtest, panel, discussion, or observation thrown my way. The Fifth Wall, in my opinion, is the wall that separates creative people from each other, and I am to provide the wrecking ball that opens a floodgate of art on to the status quo of the gaming community at large.

So here I stand, at the table of the Internet, ready to make a business out of supporting creativity, performance, and community interaction. In future posts I’ll be talking about Stronghold, my embryonic business, and my experiences with real life and online gaming communities. I look forward to feedback and collaboration in the future with some of the more established bloggers and Internet personalities. Also, if you live in the Cincinnati area and are interested in forming or allowing me to join your semi-monthly or monthly gaming group, be sure to contact me. If you would like to share your own story, please respond to this post and I will not hesitate to break the ice.

Gamers United!

Cavin “Pox” DeJordy