Greetings, Substack Denizens of the RPG Persuasion (an introduction)
Setting up a tent here, talking about what kind of essays to expect
This is my long due transition to Substack. I’ve been blogging at that other place for close to 15 years now (not so much lately, however). The algorithm wasn’t kind, so I was thinking about moving on for some time now. This is the day. Let’s make a proper introduction, shall we?
You are here:
All right, I’ll start with a couple of words about what I bring to the table. I’ve learned to be a book seller by trade and got some additional training as a digital publisher. I’ve written and published … a lot. The old blog alone is 15 years of lengthy musings about rpg design. As my biggest project to date, I’ve written, designed, layouted and published a complete science fiction rpg (think a contemporary 1984 as a Black Mirror like anime series). Had it lushly illustrated, too. Take a look, if you will.
I know my way around publishing software in general, but mainly use Scribus and Inkscape (BIG fan of the Open Source movement). Recently, I started looking into using AI for publishing workflows. Not for the writing or designing (I can do that myself, thank you), but for project management and so on. I’ll use AI art for some projects, but I’m also working with artists and I will go into the public domain without fear. AI is one of the most impactful innovations the world in publishing, so it needs to be addressed, imho.
In short, I have been around the block, and I’m willing to share my thoughts about it.
A little history:
I caught the bug to write about role-playing games in 2011, when the original OSR was just past peaking. Back then we’d been playing a little D&D RC campaign and due to the CONSTANT influx of ideas and impulses from the OSR blog-o-sphere, I changed the game to a degree that our group Asperger got nervous every time he got a new e-mail from me. Good times. I had time on my hands, so I started blogging about it, too.
First steps had been humble, I’d say: a couple of weird Basic D&D ideas I liked, written with what little English I knew. I often strayed and, true to my moniker, got lost even more often. But that’s okay. All part of the process, and the scene was WILD back then. So many creative people shared crazy content, offered collaborations or started community projects, you could basically lose yourself in something new every other week. And in between discuss and connect with other like-minded folks. I made some goods friends back then.
g+ was the last big hurrah for the OSR community, in that sense. With that imploding eventually (as those things are bound to), people went all over the place. I landed on MeWe for a time, but that was a dead end. Nowadays it is mainly X, which is okay (and full of nice people), but really doesn’t compare to what was possible 10 years ago.
Even with no real outlet but the small platforms that remained, with the little they offered for really (really) small DIY-enthusiasts like myself, I ended up being a creator. And I never stopped. So I’ve written and published a couple of rpg games and some rpg material (you can check out here, of course), but what’s more, I’ve collected a huge folder full of projects I still plan on publishing. Since that almost always gives me something to talk about, I will do so here from now on.
So, what are we to expect again?
Weekly posts, for starters. I’ll talk about:
My projects and their individual challenges.
The tools of the trade (Scribus and Inkscape, to name but two).
Layout & Publishing (ins and outs and experiences).
Design in general, as well as specific game designs I’m working on.
AI tools, the Why and How (spoiler: use it for support, not to create).
The hobby in general (not interested in hobbyist trench warfare or the latest X trend, however).
Revisiting old ideas (I’ve some unfinished business from the old blog).
It’ll be a mix of essays about all aspects of writing, designing and publishing while I work my way through a project folder my wife is afraid of. Also: no politics. I really don’t care. We are talking games here and creating things that bring joy to others. If that sounds like something you would be interested in, I’ll be happy to have you along for the ride.
Since Substack has a four tier system, free subscribers will see at least two posts a month, mostly me talking about projects (to lure you in, of course!), all paying tiers will see at least two more posts, which can be anything of the above, plus additional content like meaty previews and even workshops (about using tools like inkscape or processing pictures, etc.). I’ll dedicate to at least four essays a month, but I’ll push that whenever possible. I tend to go long and detailed (see the old blog, if you want to gauge the extent … but you have been warned).
What’s cooking right now?
I’m working on three publications right now. One is a book in German (which is not about role-playing games, but will be in English as well soon enough), the other is a dice game about bare-knuckle boxing that is almost done and the third is a little rpg I’m working on about fishermen lost in an eldritch sea, fighting for their souls. Those three things have my immediate attention right now. They’ll give me an opportunity to talk about selfpublishing, layout and a little design.
I had a fun idea the other day how to create a feeling of loss for players without relying on dice or a damage scheme, so I’ll explore that a little more in my next post. It's for the game That Eldritch Sea, the third project I was talking about.
And with that, we are introduced to each other.