Posts filed under 'Game Design'
WFP guest Eric Franklin quietly but proudly points out that if you look at the very bottom of Page 19 of the rules booklet for Senji, you’ll find him listed as a translator. Hooray for Eric!
See, once you get on the show I’ll pretty much pimp your stuff forever.
April 18th, 2008
Issue #4 of WFP guest Wolfgang Baur’s magazine Kobold Quarterly got this stellar review on WIRED’s Geekdad blog:
The sole remaining professional roleplaying game magazine, Kobold Quarterly became number one by beheading all of its competitors in spectacular urban swordfights.
NICE.
Here’s the episode where Wolfgang and I talked about the magazine, right before its launch.
(Via Open Design)
April 4th, 2008
If you listened to the show where I interviewed game editor Eric Franklin and were intrigued by his description of Asmodee’s HellDorado, you’ll be happy to know that the official English rules are now available. Check it out!
Man, it looks like Unit A is in a peck of trouble. Run, Unit A! Run!

January 21st, 2008

Eric Franklin plays games, edits games, demonstrates games, writes about games, and for all we know, eats games.
- 0:25 - Another on-the-scene show, this time from Phoenix Games in Mukilteo. “Neurse Schivosk” is a reference to Greg Costikyan’s Slobbovia.
- 1:15 - Eric Franklin joins us.
- 1:36 - The nuts and bolts of Eric’s job editing translations of French games for Asmodee Editions.
- 2:56 - How Eric got the gig: from demonstrating games at conventions to working on them.
- 4:34 - A bit about Asmodee’s processes.
- 6:08 -About the European game industry.
- 6:55 - Differences between American-style games and European-style games.
- 8:35 - A preview of the upcoming game Hell Dorado, in which humanity raids Hell for its precious metals and other resources.
- 9:52 - Challenges of the work.
- 11:30 - A preview of The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow: New Moon.
- 13:10 - The role of game blogs in the industry.
- 14:02 - Advice for newcomers to the field.
Eric’s blog: http://gamethyme.blogspot.com/
Music by Morgansorange
October 14th, 2007
Wade interviews Eric Franklin, who edits translations of French games for release in the United States. Eric drops some insider tidbits about the upcoming games “Hell Dorado” and “The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow: New Moon”. Allons-y!
Show notes at http://writingforpay.org

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October 14th, 2007

Part Two of our conversation with writer, editor, and game designer Wolfgang Baur.
- 0:58 - What Wade is up to lately, writing-wise.
- 2: 18 - Wolfgang’s Open Design project: writing for patrons!
- 6:11 - Keeping the patrons entertained while they’re waiting.
- 8:05 - Why the relative lack of advice and how-tos in the game industry?
- 11:05 - Open Design vs. the open source software movement.
- 12:44 - Weeding out the Internet trolls.
- 15:00 - Some pitfalls of the patron system.
- 19:26 - When writers need to tell their patrons no.
- 20:25 - The project as a conversation.
- 20:55 - Empire Of The Ghouls!
- 22:31 - Wolfgang’s new magazine, Kobold Quarterly.
- 24:10 - How you can get a copy.
- 25:46 - Advice to aspiring writers.
- 28:05 - Will publishers be interested in your awesome game ideas?
- 28:48 - Your first audience is the editor.
- 29:47 - Submit your square-peg queries to Kobold Quarterly!
- 30:40 - So many URLs do we have.
Wolfgang Baur’s Web site: www.wolfgangbaur.com
Publications by Wolfgang Baur:
Music by Morgansorange
August 22nd, 2007

Caught up in Pottermania, WFP geeks out with writer, editor, and game designer Wolfgang Baur.
- 0:25 - At Third Place Books, buying Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.
- 2:07 - Wolfgang Baur takes a break from training his hordes of clockwork ghouls to have a word with us.
- 2:39 - From gamer to writer to editor at TSR.
- 5:50 - The subject of fiction comes up, and Wolfgang is apprised of the “not getting laid” rule.
- 6:26 - The day job: technical and benefits writing.
- 8:35 - Breaking into the tech writing field with relatively little tech experience.
- 12:20 - Nuts and bolts: juggling multiple internal clients and budgets.
- 16:08 - Freelancing in the games industry.
- 16:29 - Wolfgang plugs his new books Expedition to the Demonweb Pits and The Forge of War.
- 16:55 - Nuts and bolts: how a role-playing game book gets made.
- 19:24 - We discuss the difference between game design and game writing.
- 22:06 - The sad realities of work for hire.
- 22:42 - Finding freelance work.
- 24:54 - I can’t for the life of me pronounce “Wingardium Leviosa” correctly.
Wolfgang Baur’s Web site: www.wolfgangbaur.com
Publications by Wolfgang Baur:
Music by Morgansorange
August 9th, 2007
Wade restrains himself from diving right into his new Harry Potter book and interviews writer, editor, and game designer Wolfgang Baur. Part one: technical and HR-type writing at the day job, and freelancing in the games industry.
Show notes at http://writingforpay.org

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August 9th, 2007