[Dicey News] ISC TTRPG Content Update + Catalyst Kickstarters, Adepticon & More!
Courtesy of our own Elodie via her BRASS RPG. Playtest review coming soon - check our site for more details.
ISC CONTENT Roadmap - Tabletop:
Those of you whom have followed the podcast for the past few years will note that there is a dearth of taletop/hobby-specific content in terms of theme. This is something I aim to change this year as part of managing a more wide spread of topical themes in our overall coverage!
For the Podcast, we have the following lined up in the near future. Note, each of these will also have accompanying blog posts with further links and details as needed:
Interview Episodes: 3x Interviews - one, a Q&A-based interview with Nordic Weasel Games owner/RPG-producing maniac in the tireless Ivan Sorensen. Plus, we have two video interviews in the near future. I’ll be a little mysterious and not reveal whom, however I’ll simply state that one is a tabletop-therapist and education profession, and the other a content creator developing a very cool, Mad Max coded wargame title!
Five Leagues From The Borderlands: How many episodes this will entail we’ll see, as there’s plenty to discuss! For at least one podcast episode, be ready for a review of the system as well as an introduction to the solo campaign I’ve been playing and some narrative-styled battle-reports. Stay tuned!
Alien Examination, Episode 3: Whilst not directly relevant to the Alien RPG as a central theme - our continuation of the Xenomorph clinical examination series will be referencing and utilising TTRPG materials, among others, as well as a lot of lore which can be used in Alien RPG campaigns! Plus, I’ll also be discussing both recent releases and the upcoming Revised Edition during this episode. See here for Part 1, and here for Part 2 which contain both the podcast audiodrama as well as additional visual/supplemental materials.
We’ll be exploring a couple of massive itch.io bundles, such as the Bundle For Ukraine from Necrosoft and the many independent RPG/gaming titles contained within. This will dovetail into some playtest reports, reviews and other pieces which will likely be put up on the blog as separate Riffs (articles/essays) ahead of the completed episode/s. As a further example of something similar, I’ll be bringing out my playtest Riff re: our own writer Elodie’s Kickstarted product, BRASS RPG!
Speaking of the indie RPG industry, we’ll be focusing on both the player and creator experiences in these industries via a range of titles, publishers and our own discursive analysis. From the challenges and liberties associated with freelancing, to the emancipating and accessible aspect online/underground hobby products and their communities help foster, plus a heap more.
Further on down the track, we’ll have a number of episodes exploring a large range of topics in the tabletop/hobby space: the social and psychological benefits of the hobby, common challenges engaging in the space when dealing with mental illness/other life challenges (and strategies to help), episodes focused on game-mastery and player perspectives, hobby industry episodes, etc. I’ve done a wealth of research and notes for these, so fingers crossed they can manifest into podcast/blog format soon.
The overall volume of stuff I’ve got banked in terms of themes, concepts and specific Riff/episode plans is frankly ridiculous.
Plus, I’d like for this podcast/blog as a project to be community-driven, too. If you have anything in the tabletop, board-gaming, video gaming or hobbyist domains you’d like for us to explore/review etc - don’t be shy!
Likewise, we’re always very keen to interview players, fans, publishers and industry representatives in this space. As an example, take Elodie’s recent interview with TinStar designer/owner Steve Dee, which you can access right here.
Leave a comment down below, send us an email at innerstrengthcheckmedia@gmail.com, holler at us on our socials. Plenty of ways to get in touch!
I’d offer to receive enquiries via carrier-pidgeon, but I couldn’t guarantee Butters won’t get stuck into it…. if he’s not asleep on the job, that is.
God Bless This Mech. A Kodiak in robot-stompin’ action. Taken from the Catalyst Gaming Labs announcement regarding the Battletech: Mercenaries Kickstarter Campaign - see here for more.
DICEY NEWS:
Catalyst Gaming Labs:
Have a plethora of Battletech-related items up for grabs, hot off the back of their wildly successful Mercenaries Kickstarter campaign. Part of me is impatient as hell in waiting for my pledge from a while back to hit the front door - the other part (whom isn’t the greatest at painting minis that don’t look like smudged blobs!) is thankful I haven’t got even more added to the minis-painting backlog.
But first, some news for those who might be familiar with basically the most cottagecore content-creator in the RPG space: CGL have partnered with Quincy’s Tavern for some upcoming interactive content!
Check out the news on that little announcement right here.
Quoting both parties directly from the linked blog post:
Continuing on with their community-led partnerships, CGL have also teamed up with Six Sides of Gaming!
Quoting the publisher on their latest campaign venture as above:
“Join an all-star cast as they fight through a series of epic battles using the BattleTech: Aces system developed with Lynnvander Studios!
The core team features the illustrious BattleTech alumni-Randall Bills, Tex from the Black Pants Legion, Big Red-40TECH, Tommy Gofton of Lynnvander Studios and Six Sides of Gaming, Paul Clarkson of Focht’s Network, and Saige DeLarge and Maryiam Elbeshbishy of Six Sides of Gaming! Acting as the gamemasters and guides are Josh Derksen, the lead designer of the Aces system, and Jesse Kay of Six Sides of Gaming!
Keep an eye out for when Rise of the Mechnificent Seven releases later this month and check out Six Sides of Gaming’s regular live playtests of the BattleTech: Aces system!”
Check out Six Sides of Gamings’ Youtube Channel right here.
But first, a sneak preview from said channel:
Other Catalyst Tabletop News:
Continuing the trend of seemingly every great video game title getting its’ own board-game/RPG adaptation of late (not complaining at all), Catalyst have announced a big one - A Kickstarter campaign for a TTRPG version of successful strategy/survival title FrostPunk! The KS launches March 20th - you can sign up prior over at this link.
Catalysts’ partners-in-frost, 11bit Studios, will be simultaneously launching a very delectable visual treat in the Frostpunk universe with a double-hitter in The World of Frostpunk: An Anthology + the Frostpunk 2 Artbook in one! Promise your wallet it’ll be okay and sign up for this Kickstarter campaign launch right here.
Catalyst will also be presenting for a number of events throughout the upcoming Adepticon, with all events being livestreamed! They’ll be running through a classic Battletech staple event, Grinder, as well as an Alpha Strike equivalent, subtly named Slugfest. As well, they’ll be running demo’s for the Battletech and Leviathans product lines. Stompy mechs aground, sky-tearing warships above. Check out the event schedule here. As one of if not the biggest wargaming events Stateside, I encourage skirmish-enjoyers to keep tabs on the many livestreams for those of us overseas. (LINK TO EVENTS SCHEDULE).
You were today-years-old when you learnt that, as part of their ongoing promotion of all things Battletech and Shadowrun IP’s, Catalyst release a free short-story for each on a monthly basis!
Want to dive into the ways of a beleaguered mercenary mech company in Colonel Mallory and the Ghost Dog merc company? Check that one out via THIS LINK, authored by Bryan Young.
For cyberpunk stans, there’s also a gritty short-story about street kids making it in the dystopian climes of the Sixth World in Shadowbytes, by Jennifer Brozek. (LINK).
Not enough readin’? Well, good thing they’ve got a number of longer-form titles for the Battletech universe coming up this month:
BattleTech: Shrapnel #20 (Pre-Order Now)
Shadowrun: Bad Faith (Pre-Order Now)
BattleTech Audio: Fall From Glory
If you can’t wait, there’s a bunch of recent fictional releases available on the CGL site (link below):
BattleTech: Fortunes of War Volume One - $4.99
BattleTech: Heir Apparent - $3.99
BattleTech: Hungry Like the Wolf - $6.99
Shadowrun: Augment #1 - $5.99
Shadowrun: Stolen Thoughts - $2.99
BattleTech Audio: Hour of the Wolf - $24.95
Shadowrun Audio: Nothing Personal - $6.95
Friends of Catalyst - Announcement for the Settlers of Catan: Masterpieces Kickstarter!
Quoth CGL:
“Elevate your CATAN experience with the CATAN Masterpiece Series, an exclusive, officially licensed series of upgrades that revitalize or reimagine the iconic game pieces in stunning, high-quality detail across a variety of mediums from wood to metal to gemstone.
Created by FanRoll Dice, these custom-crafted game components are designed for CATAN enthusiasts who want to take their gameplay to new heights.The campaign is live on Kickstarter now and reached over TRIPLE the funding goal in less than than TWELVE hours of the campaign going live!”