RPG Review #1 Released, Philosophy Conference in New Zealand

[tcpip]

I have released a sixty-four page gaming quarterly, RPG Review #1, with industry news, a review article of D&D 4th edition, a AD&D/D&D3.x high-level scenario, designer's notes from Mythweaver and Cannibal Contagian, a Call of Cthulhu article about the Tcho Tcho, a RuneQuest article on Demiurgy and related scenario, an interview and article by Steve Perrin, a Dragonquest retrospective review, scenario and interview with a NZ group that have been playing the same mutlt-GM campaign for 25 years, a moview review of Dark Knight, a game theory article on bad design, a review of Fatal Frame/Project Zero IV, an article by CAR-PGA and finally words of wisdom from Lord Orcus. Both the feedback and download of the journal over the past thirty-six hours give me cause for great optimism that a lot of people were actually looking for something like this. Also, the wonderful synabetic has added a feed for it rpgreview_rss

In other news, I'm off to New Zealand in December. The Australasian Society for Continental Philosophy is holding a conference in Auckland on "The Post-Human Condition". I have submitted an abstract entitled, "'Lying in Politics' Revisited in the Age of the Internet". This takes up Hannah Arendt's pithy essay on the subject with her equally blunt essay on civil disobedience and compares both the form and content of mass media at the time when these essays were written (during the Vietnam war) and the formation of public opinion via computer-mediated communication. There is, of course, more than a little bit of of Jürgen Habermas' consideration of the public sphere and legimation crisis in this comparison.

Comments

[stlyn.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thanks. I only read the D&D review so far, but it was good. Making sure I got it right...does the combat role thing basically wind up meaning you get to do 2 character classes?

I have never actually played D&D. The only group I could get together liked WoD games more.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

No, you don't get two character classes.. They're basically providing a helping hand for newcomers on what their character should be doing in a tactical sense. So fighters slog it out, rogues sneak about for the killing blow and so forth.

I have a mountain of WoD books but I haven't played it with any degree of regularity for years... Around 1993-1995 I was playing it a lot.. After that, hardly at all. Which is a shame, because there's a lot in it that I like.

Occasionally I dream of an Australian Werewolf campaign using dingos... :)

[stlyn.livejournal.com]

Ah, cool. Thanks.

That campaign would be awesome. :)

[mundens.livejournal.com]

Ah, a Drupal site! :) mr_morgue has already pimped RPG Review on NZ-RAG

Shame your conference isn't a little later, or you could take a side trip to KapCon

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Drupal is my favourite friend in the CMS world. 2008 is the year of Drupal... I'm even giving a conference presentation and tutorial on it this week.

Now colour me surprised that mr_morgue has a livejournal as well, although they do not seem to be making huge use of it.

Would love to go to KapCon... Must remember for next year, sounds like it would be great fun.

Wouldn't care to write a 1-2 page summary of the Con after it happens, would you?

[mundens.livejournal.com]

As you're into Drupal, you may have, or perhaps will, run into taniwha_nz. I also enjoy it, have a couple of sites I manage at present, I just wish it was implemented in something better than php or I could get our clients to use it. Most government departments or corporates won't look at stuff implemented in php.

I believe mr_orgue only uses it for the rare comment on friend's posts and to be able to easily read those of us who do post.

Technically the next KapCon is next year (grin). We normally get quite a few write-ups about Kapcon experiences on peopele's LJs, blogs, or on NZ-RAG, in fact I did one myself this year, so a bit of massaging and padding out for your use should be eminently do-able. :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Most government departments or corporates won't look at stuff implemented in php.

They probably are thinking security, security, security.. But Drupal is very good in providing regular security updates. Other things I like about it is how fast it runs and the incredibly low footprint it leaves (of course, the two are related)..

...so a bit of massaging and padding out for your use should be eminently do-able.

Ahh, I'd be looking for a write-up for the 2009 Kapcon for the Feb issue of RPG Review..

Wow, 2009... am I saying that already?

[gunslingerelite.livejournal.com]

Hearty congratulations, sir.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Why thank ye kindly. Please feel free to promote, discuss or even write!

Looks great

[mtdesing.livejournal.com]

The first issue looks great. I think you accomplished your stated purpose (and then some!) and presented a wide tapestry of RPG-related info. I don't know how familiar you are with the world of comics, but this had the feel of the Comics Journal, which has always (and I assume continues... it's been a few years) to bring a sense of literary analysis and intellectual discussion to comics. I felt the same sensations while reading the first issue of RPG Review, and I look forward to more.

Re: Looks great

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Comparison to the Comics Journal? Wow, that's high praise indeed.

Comics used to be something I was quite into; I have a fairly significant back-collection from the DCs Vertigo line c94-95. These days caseopaya does the buying for me :)

Re: Looks great

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Hey, can I turn this into a letter to the editor'?

Re: Looks great

[mtdesing.livejournal.com]

You may absolutely use this as a letter to the editor.

Mike

Re: Looks great

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

Something else I've noticed is that D&D4th ed. has more than a passing resemblance to Mythweaver, especially with the idea of each level being significant and the attention to power balance.... I wonder if they read MW?

[morrigan77.livejournal.com]

You have certainly excelled :)
If I miss you in November perhaps you may allow me to show you a part of Auckland? Do you know where you will be?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Why thank you m'dear..

Sure, I'd be great to catch up again F2F.. Not sure where I'll stay.. last time I was in the old Auckland railway building which has been turned into quite a delightful set of apartments...

[morrigan77.livejournal.com]

Nice and central! :)
I'll see where I'm at at the time. I'm currently about 15 minutes by bus out of the city (but along the coast which is just gorgeous)... water in site all day :))

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

BTW, I think your email address may have changed over the years :)

Do you want to send me a "Hello I am here" to lev@levlafayette.com ?