Savage Worlds – Wargaming Recon #294

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16:16 — 64.2MB)

In this episode Jonathan is joined by Peter Saloom. You might remember Peter since he was on recently and was talking about growing community at Redemption Rock Brewing in Worcester, Massachusetts. Peter is a published writer with the Stingers & Spores setting in the Savage Worlds RPG ruleset.

Peter starts off by describing the Savage Worlds rules and what about them drew him to using those rules for his own adventures.

Peter walks us through his writing process and where his ideas and inspirations come from. Jonathan asks about what adventures he loves and what makes them special for him. Peter moves on to the adventures that he has written, which ones have been published and how people can get them on DriveThruRPG.

Peter is published through Twitchy Butcher Studios LLC; and Calvin Thomas is the owner and creator of their products.

If you want to stay up to date with Peter you can find him at the following:

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Toxicity in Gaming – Wargaming Recon #293

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Robert Dunn

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:02:58 — 281.5MB)

In this episode Jonathan is joined by counselor, author and professor; Dr. Allan Hunter. He has written 12 books including The Sanity Manual (affiliate link), Life Passages: Writing Exercises for Your Life Journey (affiliate link), and From Coastal Command to Captivity: The Memoir of a Second World War Airman (affiliate link).  Dr. Hunter has a PhD in Literature from Oxford and Jonathan had him as a professor in college.

Last time he was on the podcast they talked about how tabletop gaming can help those living with anxiety and depression. See: Episode 245. This time they talk about toxicity and and what it looks like.

Jonathan and Dr. Hunter cover some of the notable examples of toxicity in the tabletop gaming community. The big three that they cover are the Satine Phoenix incident; the Wizards of the Coast potential change to the Open Game License; and the Wyrmwood Gaming allegations.  They will discuss the negative catalysts of each and healthy ways people can move forward having lived through such awfulness.

The will then talk about how, and if, trusting them again would be possible. There is even talk about forgiveness and how it can help with healing and if it is right for someone to consider forgiveness.  It is highly likely that all these incidents are are not unique, and Dr. Hunter offers some potential red flags to look for in order to protect yourself.

If you would like to contact Dr. Allan Hunter; you can find him at the following locations:

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Huzzah Con 2023 – Wargaming Recon #292

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:25:53 — 196.6MB)

In this episode Jonathan is joined by Robert Dunn to talk about Huzzah! Con 2023.  Huzzah was held in South Portland, Maine during the weekend of May 19-21, 2023. Robert writes the show notes for each episode over the past few years.  He is an invaluable member of the team and a friend.

Robert and Jonathan talk about Huzzah! Con and give some details about the convention for those who might be interested in attending in the future.  Jonathan had some medical issues and sadly was unable to attend at the last moment.

Thankfully Robert was there and reports back on the games he played.  He shares his thoughts about this year’s convention. The pair even spend some time talking about the hotels and local food options. This leads to a few issues that have not fully been cleared with the ongoing supply chain issues.

Robert talks about some of his convention purchases and what games he is playing currently.

If you attended Huzzah this year and have any other thoughts or comments about your experience then share them with Jonathan and the rest of Wargaming Recon community on any of the below listed social media links.  Robert does not really use any social media, but if you want to reach out to him you can reach out through Jonathan’ email address, also listed below.

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Katana-Ra & AI Art – Wargaming Recon #291

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:19:01 — 66.8MB)

This week Jonathan is joined by Kos, the CEO of W.R.K.S. Games. W.R.K.S Games is the publisher of Jordenheim, and now Katana-Ra.

The pair jump right in to talking about their new game Katana-Ra and what it is; and the development behind it.  Katana-Ra is a Japanese inspired cyberpunk RPG and Kos talks about the inspiration and how it is different from other games in the genre like Cyberpunk and Shadowrun. Kos talks about the different formats available once the game is released and where to find it.

W.R.K.S Games also creates accompanying video games to their games. Kos talks about the status of BloodBond Into the Shroud for Jordenheim and where you can get a copy. He them moves over to talking about the game Shinobi Rising, and how it will be associated with Katana-Ra. This game is not our yet; but you get a sneak peak from Kos.

Kos and Jonathan get involved in quite the talk about AI art and how it is being used currently and how W.R.K.S. is using it, as opposed to traditional art assets. Kos and Jonathan do talk about controversy around AI created art.

If you would like to follow W.R.K.S. Games you can find them at the following places online:

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Growing a Gaming Community – Wargaming Recon #290

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:02 — 51.1MB)

In this episode Jonathan is joined by Peter Saloom. Peter helped found a gaming community at Redemption Rock Brewing in Worchester, Massachusetts; and he is also the president of a 2nd generation family business.

Peter talks about his gaming origins and how it has led him to building his local gaming community.

The pair talk about community building and why it can mean different things to different people. They also talk about why it is important and how it can benefit the everyday gamer. One of the obstacles encountered is gatekeeping. Gatekeeping can exist in any aspect of gaming and it can be imposing and can feel impenetrable. Peter gives his advice on how to prevent the formation of; and how to dismantle any existing gatekeeping.

New players are the lifeblood of any group. Jonathan and Peter discuss the real or imagined barriers that exist when trying to join a gaming community. Jonathan recalls Jonathan’s experience with the fact that many gamers may view new social experiences as challenging and what can be done to make the community more accessible to new players.

Even though a group may be very welcoming and open for new players; the location still has a massive impact on how the group functions. Peter and Jonathan discuss what places are great for finding or building a gaming community. And why the list goes beyond the game store.

In an effort to help out Peter’s local gaming community, there is Redemption Convention at Redemption Rock Brewing Company. Peter goes over the all the details and tells you why you should attend.

If you want to stay up to with Peter, his club and Redemption Con you can find out more at the links below:

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