Should ENworld keep stroking itself?

The little picture at the top right was the icing on the cake... or perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back.

There's a small chance that Russ Morrissey was referring to +Kasimir Urbanski (RPGpundit) and this post.  However, it's far more likely that Russ Morrissey was talking about +Erik Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern fame.  Last week, Tenkar posted this, this, and this.

If I'm right and Russ was referring to Erik as the "abusive personality" than things are even more dire than I feared.  Erik is a lot of things, but he is not abusive.  Oh, the thieves, scoundrels, malcontents, and idiots occasionally consider him abusive - that's because he pops the balloons of delusion those people cling to.

Here's what this is all about: ENworld posts a lot of RPG news on its front page, big splashy, colorful press releases - news and advertisements all rolled into one.  ENworld also has a few people on the payroll who either create or vet these puff pieces for gamers to look at and discuss in comments below.  They must not vet them very hard because I can't remember seeing any criticism or negative commentary anywhere on ENworld's front page.  Unless you count the user comments who are not being paid by RPG companies and/or ENworld.

I'm a little biased.  I'll admit that upfront.  +Sean Patrick Fannon had some shitty things to say about me and my sleazy space opera RPG Alpha Blue when it got temporarily removed from the virtual shelves of DriveThrRPG/RPGNow.  And I've exchanged words with Morrus on many occasions, and pretty much every time he's been either dismissive or condescending.

So, now that Russel Morrissey is expanding his RPG line with O.L.D., N.O.W., and the latest N.E.W. (Really?  And they sell even with those titles?), ENworld is suddenly inundated with in-depth analysis and several people chiming in about how awesome it is - including Russ Morrissey himself.

It's also been one of Sean's Picks of the Week.  Sean Patrick Fannon is a staff writer, reviewer, press release sifter for ENworld.  And even he admits that there's "...a fine, fuzzy line between news, promotion, and outright advertising."  Though, it looks like ENworld has crossed the line.

You might think that such false advertising (by that I mean - no disclaimer) has a negligible effect on sales; however, I just looked at DriveThruRPG and N.E.W. was uploaded on August 19th and is already a Best GOLD Seller.  Compare that to a fairly successful but small independent self-publisher like myself.  Alpha Blue was uploaded onto DriveThru on December 18th of 2015 and is currently sitting pretty (well, I think she's pretty) at Best ELECTRUM Seller.  For those of you who've never played AD&D, gold is better than electrum.

Basically, this blog post is boosting the signal for RPGpundit and Erik Tenkar, as well as, a chance to ask the gaming community some hard-hitting, philosophical questions.  Real big picture stuff.  Here goes nothing...

• Does this kind of thing (payola) bother you?
• How susceptible are you to hype, advertising, promotion, and the like?
• Do you prefer to only hear about games from big companies with lots of advertising dollars behind them? 
• Why are labels, brands, and officially authorized/licensed take-your-pick important to the average RPG consumer?
• Would you agree that creating a sense of immersion is a high priority in RPGs?
• Would you also agree that rules-light RPGs are more immersive because they present less obstacles, procedures, and time devoted to looking things up?
• Since crunchy and rules-heavy games are three times less likely to bring in new roleplaying blood than simple and rules-light games (yeah, I just made that statistic up - but it seems legit to me), why continue to support the former over the latter?
• Is authority more important or valuable than autonomy?  

Thanks for reading,

VS

Adventures in the Forbidden Zone

Holden:  Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about... your childhood movie watching habits.

I must have been about 10 when Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone reached premium cable.

I remember seeing it a lot - probably 20 or even 30 times once it hit HBO, even though before today, I couldn't give you any more than scant details.  Maybe not even that much.  It was borderline scary at times and even though it could never match the awesomeness that was Star Wars, I enjoyed it immensely.

I watched it over and over again just as I did with The Beastmaster, Ice Pirates, Flash Gordon, Conan the Barbarian, and Blade Runner.  But not necessarily from beginning to end.  The majority of viewings must have come in just before or after the sail barge train battle scene.

Because seeing it again today after 33 years, I didn't recall anything of the first 10 minutes.  You know, the part that kind of sets up the rest of the movie.

This review does a good job of summing up the plot while noticing the sleazy aspects that make it a weird time-warp kind of anomaly that could only exist right around 1983.

There's a Mad Max kind of feel to it, as well.  Not so much cyberpunk as I envision it, unlike the linked review above, but definitely a high-tech / low-life aesthetic.  Not too long ago, Cyborg was screened at one of my monthly pizza/movie nights.  Spacehunter reminded me of Cyborg, too.  Especially, the brunette android.  But there was more to it than that - a world gone to seed.  A post-apocalypse of trash, a wasteland of dirty nomads looking for flesh.

The whole thing seems to have a bigger budget than I would have guessed.  The alien planet looks kind of like an alien planet.  Not sure whey they filmed those outdoor scenes, but it's realistic while also being unfamiliar.  Likewise, the "garbage chic" costumes and "rust tech" machines are equally impressive.

The pacing is also excellent.  It feels like a long journey even though the audience never grows bored.  Interesting things are happening all the time and in between, we get the emotional journey of the good guys.

Which brings me to my favorite aspect - because it's a rare commodity these days, like some kind of mineral used for making particle beam weapons that can only be found on planet SK-9 in Terra Quadrant.  Sleaze!

Like Starchaser: the Legend of Orin, there was a sexist kind of masculine vibe that I enjoy, that feels right to me, even though in today's culture of twitter wars and social issue outrage would surely be described as "toxic."

The protagonist, Wolff, obviously uses his pretty android engineer for sex.

When the three human women are captured by the antagonist's henchmen, they're obviously going to be used for sex or to satisfy some carnal appetite.

When Wolff meets the girl tracker, Nikki, who helps him find the captured women, there's definitely some adult expectation subtext going on.  Later, when Wolff gives her a bath and finds out she's about 16, he takes on a fatherly role, leaving behind a possible romantic relationship which Nikki assumed would happen.

Mid-way through the movie, Wolff and Nikki encounter a tribe of underwater amazons.  The amazons voice their interest in Wolff as breeding stock.  That doesn't sound like a bad idea to Wolff, however, when they put Nikki in danger, he decides to get out of there rather than have sex with many strange and beautiful (and probably dangerous) women.

You don't get stuff like that in a "kid's movie" these days.  1983 is long behind us, and so when a forgotten cult classic like this emerges from our distant cinematic past, I feel we should embrace it.

Obviously, there are a few problems or missed opportunities with the movie.  The antagonist goes by the name Overdog?  Yeah, it's no Star Wars.  But then neither is Ice Pirates, and that also deserves a 2nd or even 3rd viewing if it's been over a decade since you've seen it.

The standalone Spacehunter DVD seems to be out of print and therefore more expensive than it should be; however, after a little searching, I discovered that Walmart sells a Krull / Spacehunter combo DVD for around $5.  Doesn't get any better than that.  Well, neither film has any extras - not even the ability to select chapters.  But the movies are the main event, so yeah... buy it.

It should go without saying that Alpha Blue is the perfect vehicle for a kind of Starhunter RPG experience.  Pick up the bundle if you want both sourcebooks included in one low price.

Thanks,

VS

A Threesome of Space Opera Sleaze

I just created this DriveThruRPG bundle at 20% off each of the three products:  Alpha Blue, Girls Gone Rogue, and Universal Exploits.

Those on the fence, hesitant about spending their hard earned money on a humorous soft core sci-fi shameless ripoff of dozens of popular and obscure franchises can check out the previews, read the reviews, and (if you like what you see) get a deal on everything at once.

Combined, these three books are like How to Game Master like a Fucking Boss, except for sci-fi and space opera RPGs.  There are multiple, short essays on GMing in the genre of blasters and starships.  The entire series is full of adventure hooks, evocative artwork, 1970's & 80's nostalgia, and high-res maps you can take to a local printer or use in a virtual tabletop.  You simply would not believe how many random tables are included in order to facilitate an infinite space sandbox for years of campaigning.

Even though Alpha Blue and both its sourcebooks are firmly in the old school style, I've provided ultra-neo innovations that make it easy to try this game with your non-gamer friends.  One-shot character creation takes as little as 5 minutes; short campaigns about 15.  It's all pick-and-choose or rolling on random tables... no number crunching, no min-maxing, and best of all - NO BORING!!!

I hope you take a chance on these books that I've put my heart and soul into creating the past year and a half.  In my opinion, it's the best of Kort'thalis Publishing and if you don't mind getting a little screwball and raunchy with your thermal detonators and photon torpedoes, I believe it'll soon become your new favorite RPG.

VS

p.s.  And here's a fun little bonus on the house!

It's all about the exploits!

This blog post focuses on Universal Exploits, my latest creation.

Reviews have been favorable.  Some say, it's the best thing Kort'thalis Publishing has ever put out.  Here are reviews one, two, and three.  Additionally, a fresh review of Alpha Blue herself.

Below is a video walk-thru or visual preview of Universal Exploits.  Even at 9 minutes or so, I feel like I barely scratched the surface...

If you've had a chance to check out the book, I hope you also consider writing a review and telling people what you think about Universal Exploits.  Actual play reports are awesome, too!

Curious about any aspect of the game or its sourcebooks?  Just ask, I'd be happy to provide info or run a short demonstration for you.

Remember, if you purchase UX from Amazon or CreateSpace, email me for the PDF (just send invoice, receipt, proof of purchase, etc.) so you can get those high-resolution files of starships, Grabba the Butt's palace of perversity, and custom character sheets.

Enjoy,

VS

p.s.  This is where to find the previous maps/PDFs.  Oh yeah, and here are the new custom character sheets for Alpha Blue.

Universal Exploits in Print!

For those who don't know, Universal Exploits is the 2nd sourcebook for my sleazy space opera RPG Alpha Blue.  Yes, I merged R-rated, NC-17, and even XXX stuff with 1970's sci-fi.  You're welcome.  ;)  

It feels old school, even though its system only vaguely resembles D&D, Star Wars, and Traveller.  The vast majority of content is system-neutral, but the engine runs on d6 dice pools (usually the most you'll be rolling is 3 or 4d6 - you won't need 15d6 for anything!)

You've heard the expression - give a man fish and he'll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he can feed himself for a lifetime?  Well, a good random table is like teaching a man to fish.  It'll serve him a hundred times over, maybe even a thousand.

All three books - Alpha Blue, Girls Gone Rogue, and Universal Exploits have more random tables than 3.5 had feats!  This is pure space sandbox roleplaying with adventure hooks galore.  Combine these three books with whatever sci-fi / space opera RPG you're already using.  Make it edgy and dangerous - make it dirty!  Three times the laughter, three times the fun, three times the retro weirdness among the stars!

Universal Exploits is now in print over at CreateSpace - that's Amazon's print-on-demand service.  If possible, get it there.  Otherwise, you can get it at Amazon itself (they take a larger royalty, in that case).

Regardless of how you get it, definitely email me with some kind of confirmation or receipt so I can get you the PDFs that come with it!  There's the book PDF with new custom character sheet, maps of new starships, and a layout of Grabba the Butt's palace of perversity!  All high-resolution for printing out and using in your Alpha Blue game.

Here's my email:  Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

A print version will also be available on DriveThruRPG soon, but their printer is slower and more finicky.

Even though I've been doing this awhile, I'm still very much the underdog, the outsider, the little guy going door to door asking gamers to take a chance on gonzo space smut.

This is currently the best kept secret of the DIY/OSR scene.  Aside from the Kickstarter backers who originally funded it and are now beginning to enjoy their rewards, almost no one knows about Universal Exploits.  So, please mention it when you can, blog about it, review it, help me get the word out!

Thanks,

Venger As'Nas Satanis
High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing

Universal Exploits PDF is live!

Only three months ago, I launched the Kickstarter for Universal Exploits, the 2nd sourcebook for my sleazy sci-fi RPG Alpha Blue (1st sourcebook was Girls Gone Rogue).

It successfully funded awhile ago.  Now, the first exploitation fruits can be tasted and enjoyed!  Here it is (PDF only, until I can check out the proof) on DriveThruRPG.

As I've mentioned before, the time/energy I have for RPGs (running and writing) is dwindling.  My wife will be giving birth to twins this fall.  I hope to be active again a year from now, but we'll see.

That's why I wanted to go all-out with this book.  107 pages (8.5" x 11") worth of supplementary material, every nook and cranny stuffed to the gills with game-able content and gorgeous artwork (some of it NSFW).

Approximately 90% of Universal Exploits is system neutral.  Use it with your White Star, Machinations of the Space Princess, Traveller, Stars Without Number, Star Wars, Star Trek, Starfinder, Rifts, Thousand Suns, X-plorers, Starships & Spacemen, Encounter Critical, Metamorphosis Alpha, Warhammer 40K, and countless other sci-fi and space opera RPGs that could use a little gonzo grindhouse.

VS

Alpha Blue: Making a Character

The following are three video tutorials.  Each one goes into detail about Alpha Blue's system, setting, and character creation...

If you have any questions, please ask!

VS

Progressive Gaming Coalition

I don't know about you, dear blog reader, but I've had enough.  Call them social justice warriors, left-wing fascists, swine, story gamers, the outrage brigade... I don't care what they're called in your neck of the woods.

What I do care about is their interference, their agenda, their attacks, their lies, and most importantly, their attempts to censor and silence creators.

To me, it seems that they hope to stand on the shoulders of giants only to piss all over everyone from their undeserved lofty height.  What they do is definitely easier than actually creating something of substance.

Their latest contribution to the gaming community was to get +James Desborough's Hentacle card game banned from One Book Shelf.  Unfortunately, OBS doesn't plan on re-instating Hentacle after its peer review, unlike Alpha Blue.  I appreciated all the vocal support I and Alpha Blue received after it was temporarily pulled from OBS.  And I want to offer my organized support to similar creative people who are unnecessarily targeted - keep reading.

I suppose that's because "play rape" with tentacles is somehow too close to actual sexual assault in the real world?  I did remind OBS that play rape between consenting adults is an actual, albeit minority, form of sexual expression, preference, and identity.  It's perfectly legal for consenting adults to pretend about rape.  Just because it makes a few individuals uncomfortable shouldn't keep it off the virtual shelves.  To do so would be like banning games involving homosexuality.  Except that gay sex gets an auto-pass because homosexuality is more outspoken and popular.

This next violation is on a much lesser scale.  How to Game Master like a Fucking Boss was given a one-star review on DriveThruRPG in Polish by Andrzej S.  Now, you might be thinking - a bad review, big deal.  While I take feedback and criticism to heart, it was the apparent disingenuous nature of this particular review that got me curious about the motives behind the review.  In this g+ thread he finally admitted that he had a secret agenda for dragging my book through the mud.

because advices like lipstick +1 are not only useless, but also horribly wrong. You shouldn't treat girls playing rpg like some kind of dolls. And that's one of many advices which shoudn't be there.

Yes, it's disgusting, and they won't stop.  I realize this now.  They won't ever stop.  It may seem like a conspiracy to many reading this, but I have seen the evidence, the gradual, subtle influence upon our beloved hobby.

I've decided to organize a new group called the Progressive Gaming Coalition.  There are no memberships cards, dues, code of conduct, laws, tenants, criteria for belonging, or even an overriding belief system.

All the Progressive Gaming Coalition will do is keep watch, looking out for shady behavior, and say something rather than keeping silent.  I'm sure many are afraid to fight, are afraid to voice their concerns as individuals.  Well, the Progressive Gaming Coalition can provide you with backup.  It will bring more eyes, more voices, and more pressure upon those who wish to destroy the RPG community from the inside.

Contact me about becoming involved in the Progressive Gaming Coalition - because we all have the right to make progress within the roleplaying game community and industry.

Sincerely,

Venger As'Nas Satanis
High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing
Progressive Gaming Coalition

p.s.  From now until H.P. Lovecraft's birthday (August 20th), my guide to GMing will be on sale.

It's Harmon's world... we just game in it

I've only recently been introduced to the madness that is the Rick and Morty animated TV show. I've only seen 2 episodes so far, but just purchased both seasons on DVD based on the strength of those two episodes. They should be arriving this week.  

It was that good. It reminded me of Alpha Blue... and then I remembered a recent player mentioning something about a show called Rick and Morty after a session of Alpha Blue.

[Update: I've seen the entire first season]

So, yeah... it's a bit like Alpha Blue. But what else is it like?
It's sort of a cross between Heavy Metal (we're not worthy!) and that Futurama show (not really a fan, though I can see why some find it enjoyable). Plus, Dan Harmon is behind it! I know him from Community and that was pretty much it. Community was a comedy TV show with a lot of hilarious episodes, including a couple that focused on D&D.

Well, I've also now been exposed to a long-running podcast called HarmonTown. The most interesting aspect of HarmonTown is a segment where they started to play D&D. That spawned a partially-animated spin-off show called HarmonQuest where Dan Harmon and friends play a fantasy RPG that feels old school and is Game Mastered by Spencer Crittenden, who was just an average geek and GM living in California who decided to attend a live taping of HarmonTown.

I've now watched the first season (10 half-hour episodes) of HarmonQuest, and it's good. It won't necessarily resemble the games you play at home. About 20% of their adventuring feels ironic, but the remaining 80% is pure nerd bliss! Having an audience makes it seem more important somehow. I think this could catch on...

There's also a documentary on Dan Harmon and company as he takes HarmonTown on the road, appearing in comedy clubs and such. I've watched it since beginning this blog post a week ago. Even though it's about an hour and 40 minutes, it feels short. I definitely wanted more!

Lastly, for the entire month of August, Alpha Blue will be on sale (PDF and softcover). I anticipate the latest AB sourcebook to be available in September. It's called Universal Exploits and will contain so many fucking random tables that it will be virtually impossible to "sandbox fail." #sandboxfail

Keep gaming,

VS