OgreCave Audio Report

With Mike, Allan, and guest Lee Valentine of Veritas Games Company.

We start out (at 1:55) discussing our general impressions of the D&D 4e Game System License. There’s some vaguery of language, some seemingly sweeping restrictions, and generally discouraging rules in the GSL. We swing ‘round to the fact that D&D Insider is just barely starting to show a portion of its potential (7:58), but still doesn’t help sell the game, particularly. At (11:40), Mike has played Keep on the Shadowfell a bit, Lee has a lengthy review of the Player’s Handbook for us (over in our Reviews section), and we debate proper pricing for 4e products. A few brave and bold companies out there, including Goodman Games, are going ahead with 4e products, and we talk

In other news, Fantasy Flight’s Mutant Chronicles CMG has dropped the “C” part, which we find interesting. Some retailers feel otherwise. (20:04) OgreCave listeners who follow our main news feed have weighed in on this already.

Days of Wonder products are now exclusively distributed by Alliance. We discuss briefly, making the apt comparison to comics distribution. If you don’t know why this matters, Lee lays it out for you. (25:45) Musing on other DoW products eventually winds down this topic.

Currently Playing arrives at (32:30). Allan starts, having played his weekly D&D game (still firmly 3.5, due to lack of demand for otherwise). Red Dragon Inn (Slugfest Games) dominated one of his boardgaming group’s sessions, but also allowed time for You’ve Been Sentenced, and Cave Troll: Second Edition.

Mike chimes in (35:24) with a mention of blending D&D 4e with Universalis. He’s also played Dungeonquest, Elkfest, Aquarius, and a little gem called I Win. He also compares Carolus Magnus to Power Grid, favorably.

At (39:30), Lee’s been deeply embroiled in playing and reviewing D&D 4e, but managed to get some other games in. He played Ticket to Ride: Switzerland and Ticket to Ride: 1910 – Big Cities, then got his ego handed to him by his cable system in Reversi, but fared better in Sudoku. He’s also planning to review Ticket to Ride: The Card Game soon.

Thanks to Lee Valentine for joining us again, and for hammering away at detailed reviews for us. Be sure to leave your comments here.

With Mike and Allan.

We’re joined this show by special guest Aldo Ghiozzi of Impressions Advertising & Marketing, the company behind Free RPG Day (coming up June 21st). We ask how the event has changed for its second year, and what to expect. (1:02) Aldo tells us about specific goodies to look for that a wide range of game companies have offered up. (6:27) At (9:55) we talk a bit about the event’s international angle this year, and at (15:38) we try to make Aldo cry by bringing up the thought of customizable Free RPG Day product boxes for retailers.

Mike asks the D&D 4e question, and Aldo gives his preliminary thoughts. (22:05) We also hit him up for his Currently Playing summary, where we heard about the Red Dragon Inn sequel by Slugfest Games, and Senji by Asmodeé. (25:07) A discussion of climbing game prices ensues, and the reasons they aren’t likely to come down soon. (26:47) It all comes back around to supporting retail stores with promo events like Free RPG Day, a great note to end on.

Get out to your local participating store for Free RPG Day 2008 this coming Saturday, June 21st! Thanks to Aldo Ghiozzi for coming by and giving us the scoop on this year’s event. Be sure to place all comments over here.

With Mike and Allan.

Can you tell work and vacations have delayed us? This show, recorded just prior to the release of D&D 4e, shows our respective frames of mind regarding the launch preparations. With that in mind, Mike checked in with our old co-conspirator Chris Hanrahan to get his thoughts on the new edition. (2:43) A final pass is made through the general failure to properly hype the Fourth Edition launch, both with Chris at (7:40), and with Allan and Mike at (17:10). Toward the end of our D&D discussion (23:34), Mike asks if conversion from one edition to another has been a big deal in the past – Allan’s not that worried. Note the rumor mongering at (34:32).

We talk briefly of the recent Upper Deck layoffs at (35:25) – note the great discussion on our main page – and how some former UD employees already have other projects underway. At (37:29), we are impressed and intrigued once again by the latest Fundable drive by Pagan Publishing and Arc Dream Publishing to get Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity.

Barnes & Noble wants to buy Borders – does this affect gamers much? Actually, it could. (43:51)

From the random musings department, we wonder how an Indiana Jones RPG would do if released today. (45:50)

At about (48:00), Currently Playing kicks in. Allan gives his initial impressions of Dragon Lairds by Margaret Weiss Productions. He also played Lord of the Fries: Third Edition from Steve Jackson Games; 10 Days in Africa, and The Mother Load of Sticky Gulch from Dogtown Games.

Mike played Safari Jack (Cheapass Games), Bohnanza, Power Grid, and ThunderRoad.

Thanks to Chris from for talking 4e with us. Be sure to leave your comments here.

With Mike, Allan, and Steve.

This episode, we take a longer look back at the GAMA Trade Show 2008, and all the product announcements we could possibly recall. Staying on topic as much as we can, we start with boardgames (2:06), ramble our way into card games (13:45), then crash headlong into miniatures (30:52) and a bit of roleplaying. (36:28) The category system breaks down toward the end, but we try not to sound too random when we call out a few other goodies seen at the show.

The Currently Playing segment follows, as usual. At (43:27) Mike played Prime Time Adventures, and relearned the lesson it already taught him; at (44:48) Steve got some Bacchus’ Banquet in, and found it quite tasty; and at (45:48) Allan managed to get in a bit of 10 Days in Asia, Chez Geek: Block Party 3, Zombie Fluxx, Tom Jolly’s Cave Troll, his first game ever of Formula Dé, and Spree!, as well as his usual weekly D&D game.

The classic Robobumper of Robotech fame plays us on, and reverses us out. Make sure to leave your comments here.

With Mike, Allan, Steve (in the Paizo interview), and special guest Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games.

We launch right into hearing what Joseph learned in his meeting with Wizards of the Coast about D&D4e plans and problems. (0:50) Apparently, merely defining the current boundaries of the OGL has proven rather troublesome. At (11:25) we give our first, ultra-preliminary impressions of the 4th Edition books shown off at GTS last week. In addition, Joseph and I both heard a rumor that WotC won’t be at Gen Con Indy (15:20), but that seems unlikely… we hope.

At (16:10) we stray into random goodies seen at the show (which we’ll do more of next show as well). A little Star Wars Miniatures Game talk, a mention of the Song of Ice and Fire RPG, and a tease of an upcoming licensed fantasy RPG from Goodman Games. Allan goes down the list of Fantasy Flight Games highlights (17:30) – the Gears of War Boardgame, the Anima RPG (soon. No, really.), starters of Mutant Chronicles CMG, figures from Dust: Tactics, and others.

Mike mentions Spirit of the Season from Evil Hat Productions (21:00). Talk of Hunter: the Vigil follows, but instantly becomes discussion of the recent White Wolf Player’s Handbook for Exalted trade-in promotion. (22:08)

Then at (24:30) we play our GTS ’08 interview with Erik Mona of Paizo Publishing. Allan and Steve talk with Erik a bit about recent WotC announcements, then hear about Paizo’s Pathfinder RPG, which is poised to become “the bedrock for the Open Game movement”. (30:10) We also hear about the immense Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting and the Second Darkness Campaign Path, both coming in August. (32:20) Erik tells us the origin story of Yetisberg, then mentions the fiction anthology Worlds of Their Own; an organized play program called, fittingly, the Pathfinder Society; and Falling: Goblin Edition. (33:24) After talking of the many potential entry points to the Pathfinder line, Erik mentions how the loss of the Dragon and Dungeon licenses hasn’t turned out that badly for Paizo, after all. (37:30)

After the interview, we get into the meat of Goodman Games’ upcoming releases (42:40) – an upgrade to the Dungeon Crawl Classics look-&-feel, a Free RPG Day giveaway, a massive online map, some new partnerships, a line of “high-end dungeons”, and more. Then Joseph is cool enough to let OgreCave post previews of the cover art from the first three 4th Edition compatible Dungeon Crawl Classics modules. Click through to enjoy the splendor.

Finally, we get into Currently Playing (51:18) – Joseph played Star Wars Miniatures, and at (52:30) Mike played Bliss Stage and Dragons of Kir. At (53:20) Allan tried AE-WWII from Darkson Designs at the show, looked at Valley Games’ Titan, Upper Deck’s World of Warcraft CMG, Privateer Press’ Monsterpocalypse, and regurgitated everything else he could think of here and here.

Thanks to Erik Mona of Paizo Publishing for sitting down with us at GTS, and to Joseph Goodman for coming on the show despite a nasty case of Con Crud. Next show, Steve will lend his thoughts on GTS ‘08 to give us a retailer POV, and we’ll discuss other things from the show. File all comments here.

Note: today’s EN World post sheds even more light on the impending 4th Edition GSL situation.