Ryan talks with Seth Ben-Ezra on his latest game, A Flower For Mara. It's one of a new trend in the independent RPG scene, of taking ideas from the Nordic tradition of Jeepform and merging that with a Forge style. It's the first of a two-part interview, this half focusing on what Jeepform is and how this game came to be. Afterward, Jonathan Walton tells us a little bit about Bleeding Play, and Ryan talks a bit about submitting ideas for future episodes, October's Sponsor Quote, and an article on Kobold Quarterly.

Seth Ben-Ezra:

• Dark Omen Games
• A Flower for Mara
• Dirty Secrets

Other Jeepform:

• Jeepform
• Doubt
• The Upgrade!
• Under My Skin by Emily Care-Boss
• Knutepunkt (Nodal Point) LARP conference (wikipedia)

Other Mentions:

• Bleeding Play
• Theory from the Closet
• Game design podcasts on RPGPodcasts.com
• Canon Puncture
• "Passionate about Gaming? Listen to Podcasts" on Kobold Quarterly

Running time: 24:25 / File size: 16.8M

Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=41

On a very late, very tired Sunday evening of GenCon, Paul Tevis & Ryan Macklin sit down with the ever-present Ken Hite to talk about the hobby, culture, GenCon, and all that good stuff.

• [02:24] The banter has just begun
• [04:29] Ken gives a brief on the vibe coming into & at GenCon 2008
• [07:30] Talking about the Forge Diaspora, retailer numbers & casual gamer acceptance
• [09:40] Throwing yourself into GenCon
• [12:09] Ken's pinnacle moments, the ENnies & Where the Deep One's Are
• [13:40] Ryan's pinnacle moments, playtesting
• [15:45] Welcoming Ken to the extended IPR family
• [16:03] Paul's pinnacle moments, Star Wars PTA
• [16:50] Seeing people at GenCon & being inspired
• [18:29] Paul is back in his wheelhouse
• [20:02] Paul asks Ken the traditional "What'd you see?"
• [20:23] Ken comments on the Mongoose Traveller
• [21:04] ...and on It's Complicated
• [22:37] Gamers and the Olympics
• [25:15] Ken comments on Hot War
• [26:12] ...and Sweet Agatha
• [26:47] Tobias Wrigstad, Jeepform & American Jeepform: Under My Skin & A Flower For Mara
• [27:44] Vincent Baker's In a Wicked Age... and Poison'd
• [28:33] Ken on Don't Lose Your Mind
• [28:50] Ryan on meeting Benjamin Baugh
• [29:20] Ken on Qin
• [30:18] The Atlantean Age for HERO
• [30:51] Beating Sturgeon's Law
• [31:30] Catalyst, Shadowrun & Classic Battletech
• [32:50] Ryan on How to Host a Dungeon
• [35:05] Ryan & Paul on This Just In...From GenCon!,Ken on the podcasting medium
• [36:35] Ryan on The Continuum
• [37:18] Ken further on podcasting as a medium, and on what to look for in RPGs, and the values of books that we might not play
• [38:36] Hi, Jerry.
• [40:20] Your gracious hosts ask the guest about his recent Tour de Lovecraft
• [42:15] The trend of non-fiction gaming books
• [47:21] Now, we're done

Links:

• GenCon
• This Just In...From GenCon!
• The Forge
• Indie Press Revolution
• Play Collective
• Ashcan Front
• Design Matters
• ENnies
• Trail of Cthulhu
• Where the Deep One's Are
• Out of the Box
• Primetime Adventures
• Mongoose's Traveller
• It's Complicated
• Hunter: The Vigil
• Changeling: The Lost
• Baron Munchausen
• Hot War
• Cold City
• Sweet Agatha
• Jeepform
• Pelgrane Press
• Under My Skin
• A Flower For Mara
• In a Wicked Age...
• Poison'd
• Don't Lose Your Mind
• Don't Rest Your Head
• Qin: The Warring States
• The Atlantean Age for HERO
• Shadowrun
• Classic Battletech
• How to Host a Dungeon
• Mutant City Blues
• The Continuum
• Scion
• Tour de Lovecraft
• Atomic Overmind
• Hobby Games: The 100 Best
• Things We Think About Games
• Knutepunkt (Wikipedia)
• Q Workshop
• First Person
• Second Person
• Gaming as Culture
• Push: Vol 1
• GURPS
• HERO

Running time: 48:02 / File size: 33.8M

Discuss this episode on the forums: http://www.hmfy.com/masterplan/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=40