Next Projects 2019

Just about 2 years ago, I posted a “Next Projects” post with some of the things that were in the works.  While I hadn’t planned on a recap, it seems like a good time to review those things, as well as some forward looking for what’s upcoming and in the works.  It’s also an invitation to follow the blog (I’m trying to use my RSS feed reader to follow other folks’ blogs) or to find other ways to stay in touch, especially with the coming end of G+.

Of the things posted before, a few are done; a few others are still in the works to one extent or another; some are available on DriveThruRPG if you want to get a copy for yourself.

Moon Station Zvezda – still on the list, and moved to the top because this summer is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.  So there’s some tie-in interest to be found, potentially.  It’s a fun idea to play with, graphically.

The Moonbase map (above) and the Spaceship Dice Drop Table are a couple pieces that show some of the graphic style this may end up having.  The current shorthand description we’re using for it is a Lady Blackbird-style one-shot (though it’s certainly possible to do more in it if you like the setting).  The premise is an alternate-history post-60s space race world with more moon landings and moon presence among the superpowers, and thinking about some of the proposed alternative space programs as having gotten off the drawing boards.

DragonQuest adventures and products.  Gazetteer for the Wilderness of Ordurak, and Small, Untitled DQ Adventure (which became The Sentinel Chapel, and was a featured Deal of the Day earlier this year), are completed and available, as well as the public release of The Wilderness of Ordurak adventure.  Expanded Alusia was another idea, but that is more a back-burner thing at the moment.  But the recent unearthing and release of the DQ World Generation draft text has fired up some thoughts about other DQ projects.  Some of the things missing, but listed in the table of contents from DQ World Generation could be an intriguing followup to Poor Brendan’s Almanac.  And I’m pondering a couple of sequel ideas for the adventures I’ve previously written.

Ogunimata Cyberpunk adventure also prompted some map work, but is moving slowly.

Piranesi City Dungeon.  Also back-burnered at the moment.

Exquisite Corpse Dungeon is on the sixth iteration right now, although it has bogged down somewhat with the collapse of G+.  We need to find the best place to continue the discussion, and we’ll probably set up a separate hosting for it somewhere, as well.  Copies of completed previous ones are in the archives of the blog, here.

More maps, in general. This is still more hit-or-miss (and more often a miss) than I would like, but I keep posting the occasional thing from time to time.  With the resurgence of The Fantasy Trip, I think I’m going to try to do a few more hex-based maps.  I’ve had a couple I’ve done in the past that I’ve liked how they turned out, and it’s useful for both DQ and TFT.

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Other new things:

Elfgame (placeholder name) – it’s just a germ of a game idea, but I think it has potential.  This would be an RPG where the world is inhabited by both humans and elves, and adventures deal with the intersections between the two.  Elves live (effectively) forever, so they are the constant in the game.  Humans’ lives are comparatively short, so any humans for an adventure are one-shot characters, and the next game session will take place in their grandchildrens’ time, or even further into the future.  Folklore and Shakespearean influences are the flavor this will aim to evoke.

Dark Days – a fantasy game aimed at a more Fafhrd/Grey Mouser kind of feel.  A recent post from Beloch Shrike aka Link Skywalker at Papers & Pencils titled “Magic Words Suck. Here’s Magic in the Moment.” seems like a good starting point for one branch of the magic system with the right kind of literary feel that this game calls for.

Links and resources – especially with the G+ wind-down, there are other scattered communities where people are landing, but having a blog or a site that is a good resource for people is a good way to engage and connect.  I want to start regularly tagging other blogs or sites that I’m trying to follow more often to stay in touch with gaming folks.  Some of it is going to be more linking and encouraging you (if you’ve read this far, you might give some consideration to my recommendation) to go check out some of these sites.  Maybe you’re also a kindred spirit, and you forge a new connection, too.

I also want to start building a directory of dungeon mappers as a general resource.  I can start right off the bat with a couple dozen folks who have participated in the Exquisite Corpse Dungeons.  This idea is inspired by a more general cartographers index someone (I now forget who or where) had put together.  I’ve done other things with the ECDs to bring dungeon mappers together, and so it’s not completely out of line for me to put together something like that.

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That’s a comparatively lengthy post from me.  If there are things in here that intrigue you, I’m very interested in your feedback and comments.

Tags: games, projects, RPG, work-in-progress