100 For Me

100. Recently I put up my 100^th post. It’s been a little over a year since I started this blog and I’ve had a lot of fun doing it. To celebrate this blog (and because posts that are only self-congratulations can be annoying), here are 5 links to some of my favorite posts that may have been missed over the year.

Dynastic Campaign Pt1 and Pt2. This is an article about a twist on the old style of campaigns. I plan on running such a campaign once my current games end.

Players are Builders. This article deals with my thoughts on player motivations and how to use them to make a better game.

Twist It. This takes a look at stereotypes within the RPG genre and how to use them with a fresh eye.

Birthright Encounters; Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4. These are series of adventure ideas from the viewpoint of a leader of men. There are a lot of good ideas here.

Immersion. I am always trying to push the envelope of immersion, or the ability for a DM to bring the player into experiencing what is happening to the character. Here are some ideas and examples of some stuff I've used in the past.

And now for the obligatory look back…

I’ve tripled my followers! OK, going from zero to three isn’t really tripling (since 0 x 3 = 0), but the thought is there and I am pleased someone actually thinks enough of my scribbles to be forced to acknowledge their presence. Don’t worry, once I have taken over the blogosphere and all other blogs are bowing at my feet, I will remember you three!

I’m still trying to “find my voice”. I think I’ve gotten better at my style, but I still have soooo much to learn.

I was super pleased to have one of my articles be accepted and published in the Review: Open Game Table – The Anthology of RPG Blogs Vol.2

And now to let loose some of my pet peeves…

Things I’ve Seen in Other Blogs That Annoy Me

-Don’t apologize for not posting on a regular basis. I will see your blog and its posts when you next post. Go ahead and take a week or two off.

-Post something I can use in a game. The majority of blogs I see post opinions. Sometimes it seems like people are holding back their good content, saving it for some future (and often never to be seen) publication for which they hope to get paid. I’ll admit I do the same, but I do try and throw some of my “publishable” ideas into the blog mix.

-A single paragraph which is nothing but a link to another blog is not a blog post. Don’t try to pass it off as content. At the very least, try and analyze the other blog post; something more than a “dis iz a gud post ”.

-Don’t disguise your product as something else. If your blog is trying to sell one of your products, let us know that. Putting up an article about the proper use of NPCs is fine, but then ending with “and the best place to see such examples is in my new module” makes it all come across as nothing but a con job. Start the article hawking your product and then if you want to write an article about proper use of NPCs go ahead and cite examples from your module. Just don’t let me think I’m reading a useful gamemastering article only to realize I am reading nothing but a long advertisement.

For the upcoming year I’ll try and continue what I’m doing…only better. I’m still trying for at least one post per week, though two is preferred. However, I don’t believe in crap posts so I’d rather “miss” a scheduled post than put up something I don’t like.

I have a number of articles or series of articles partially done; now to finish them.