Hey friends,

In two days I leave for Gencon Indy 2011! Can’t wait to see everyone who’s going out there. Technoir won’t be there in print, unfortunately, but I will have a few special Transmissions to hand out.

I’ll be spending a good chunk of my time at Games on Demand. This is your one-stop location to try out new and not-so-new indie and small-press games. It’s going on Thursday to Saturday from 10am to 10pm and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. You can find it at the Pennsylvania Station C Meeting Room in the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Slots start every 2 hours. Be sure to bring some generic tickets.

I personally am on the schedule to run games starting at 2pm on Thursday and Friday and at 10am on Saturday. I might be there other times as well, but this is when I’m officially on the schedule. I will be running Technoir for folks who are interested, but I have a few other games I can run on request as well. Games like Apocalypse World, Wushu, Do, Be Ashamed Young Prince, and A Penny for My Thoughts. Come find me and get in on some gaming.

It’s actually been nice out the last couple days. There was snow falling as recently as Sunday and now there’s sunshine and I can walk around the lake in a t-shirt. And so I am reminded that summer convention season approaches.

It looks like I’ll be at both Origins and Gen Con this year.

Origins is awesome for the conversations. Last year I found myself at the Big Bar on 2 chatting casually with my game writer/designer heroes. Or talking publishing at North Market over some Jeni’s Ice Cream.

I hesitate to call it ‘networking’ because I used to live in Los Angeles while trying to get into the screenwriting biz. That’s technically what it is, but the kind of networking you do at Origins doesn’t make you feel shameful afterwards.

Technoir won’t be published by then, but it will be in a playable state. I’ll carry my kit with me so if you’re going to be there and you want to give the game a try, let me know and we’ll find a table somewhere.

Gen Con is awesome for the exposure and commerce. I will be trying, trying, trying to have Technoir done and printed by then. Not making any promises, but everything’s still on track to hit that target. External playtesting and cover art are currently falling into place and I have an editor lined up. I’m hopeful, but it could be tight.

I’m not running Technoir as an official event there, but again I’ll have my kit with me. If you’re interested in playing, perhaps we can arrange something through Games on Demand or find some place at one of the hotels. Same thing for Chronica Feudalis.

For those of you who can’t make it to either of those, there was the suggestion of doing some demos via Skype. I think this is a great idea. I think I’ll start to schedule those around the time that external playtesting wraps up.

On Friday, August 6th, Chronica Feudalis received a Judge’s Spotlight Award at the 2010 ENnie Awards ceremony. This is, as I understand, a new award where the five judges individually select games they believe are worthy of special recognition but were not nominated in the traditional process. Among 235 entries, Megan Robertson picked Chronica Feudalis.

Here is what she had to say:

“I’ve chosen Chronica Feudalis not just because it is a delightful conceit — a group of mediaeval monks playing a game of imagination in the monastery cellars — but because that conceit is sustained beautifully throughout the text. From the foreword to the end, here is a ‘translation’ of the original document written by one of the monks, laying out the concepts and the rules for their imaginings, even the illustrations (or should that be illuminations?) and cover serve to maintain the illusion. I can just imagine finding this tucked behind a cupboard somewhere in a monastic library, misplaced once the monks who wrote it had no more time for such things — for surely such imaginative young men rose rapidly through the ranks of Holy Mother Church — not to be seen again until today.”

Suffice it to say, this is a great honor. I was there to accept the award at the ceremony and it was a little overwhelming. The other four Spotlight Award winners were: Trailblazer, Fiasco, Ancient Odysseys: Treasure Awaits, and Mindjammer. A fine selection of games to be included among.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this happen. To my editor, Trent Urness, and to my artist, Miguel Santos. To my play-testers, my proof-readers, and everyone who gave me advice on layout, presentation, and marketing. And I want to thank all of the individuals out there who, like Megan, have recognized something in my little game that encouraged them to buy it, read it, and play it. You have made my endeavor of game-design, writing, and publishing so worth it.

Thanks!

If you’re in Minnesota, or head up (/down/sideways) here in early February, make sure to sign up for the Chronica Feudalis demo at Con of the North. I’ll be running the “Warwick Castle” scenario starting at 10am on Saturday, February 6th. It’s four hours of medieval politicking and maneuvering culminating in a brutal melee tournament that will quickly introduce you to the game rules. I’ll be providing all the necessary materials.

To register or to learn more about the convention, please visit http://www.conofthenorth.org.

Over at Virtual Play, as part of their latest episode, you can hear the Chronica Feudalis demo I ran at the IPR booth at Gen Con Indy 2009. I sat down with Phil Walton and Bill White to run them through the ins and outs of the game. While you’re there, you can hear about some of the other new games found at the IPR Booth, Paul Tevis’ A Penny For My Thoughts, Tony Lower-Basch’s Misery Bubblegum, and Bill White’s own Ganakagok.

Gen Con is almost here, and Chronica Feudalis will be there. You’ll be able to find the game of imagined adventure, in print, at the Indie Press Revolution booth (that’s booth number 2139).

Want to try before you buy? I’ll be running two games of Chronica Feudalis as part of the Indie Games Explosion. The adventure begins on Friday and Saturday starting at 1pm. Follow game codes RPG0902797 and RPG0902798 for more information. There are still slots open, so sign up now or come by with your generic event tickets and grab a seat at the table.

Can’t make it out to Gen Con this summer? Well, make sure to check back over the next few days for news on where you can get your mail-clad mits on Chronica Feudalis in print.

Chronica Feudalis will debut at Gen Con Indy 2009. To see the game in action, and participate yourself, sign up for one of the two events taking place as part of the Indie Games Explosion in Fisher Ballroom at the Omni.

“Warwick Castle”
Scheme your way through a banquet of political intrigue at the 12th century manor of Roger de Beaumont, the Earl of Warwick. Make allies and enemies throughout the medieval feast and then hash out your differences on the field of the melee tournament.

RPG0902797 | Fri, Aug 14 | 1:00 PM | 4 Hours
RPG0902798 | Sat, Aug 15 | 1:00 PM | 4 Hours

Event registration is now open.