Sixty Opinions That Nobody Should Care About

So it started with a Tweet... I think a lot of Internet stories start like that... but this one started with a fashion tweet that led me to an idea of tweeting 100 opinions on a topic. So... I tried...

Didn't quite make it, and I didn't start any flamewars, so I guess my opinions are either safe or just not controversial enough! Ha! Anyway, for your amusement and/or edification, here's about 60 or so opinions I have about the #osr scene...

The OSR #rpg movement is like punk rock, it's undefinable although there is a lot about that can be defined. At the end of the day, playing games the way they were played in 70s/80s is about what calls the person to play it that way.

There are bad actors in the #osr, and there are some really frakkin' awesome cool people who just want to put butts in chairs to play games.

The #osr had a huge impact on 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, and I think that explains, in part, 5e's popularity. 5e takes the game back to being a social game, not a numbers/grid game.

The #osr, back in the 2000s, started off about getting more content, but it was DIY. It became a publisher's game. It's now swung back, IMO, to being DIY, who publish like rabbits. Embarrassment of riches.

The best thing about #osr is about teaching folks to look at rules as toolkits, and settings as the destination.

I asked about ten years ago where our (the #osr's) Empire of Petal Throne/Blackmoor is. The weird. The odd. The stuff that breaks the mold. Ten years later, we have it in spades, but it will always touch on common themes that come from our deepest mythologies

I think the best #osr games follow the approach "Give a person a fish and they'll be fed for the day. Teach a person to fish and they'll never go hungry." Give a platform and an approach. Show, not tell.

Tables are great, but giving someone the examples and workflow of how to use those tables and mold a great game is the way I think we give life to the #osr punk sound.

One of the hardest things to teach someone who's played only newer versions of D&D is that the answer is found in your imagination, not on the character sheet. So how do we promote that thinking ON the character sheet?

The #osr blogs of the 2000s are now the #osr DTRPG 'zines, the podcasts, the YouTube channels and the Discord, just to mention a few channels. There is a lot of content to sort through, but I see the common themes that were in those old blogs.

We have enough retroclones and rewrites of B/X. We need more settings and more games that take B/X (or other D&D rules) and tune them to the setting. In a way, more Empire of Petal Thrones-esque clones. (that's 10... 90 more to go!)

If I could only use 2 - the d6 and the d100. The d6 allows enough of a varied result, and the d100 gives me that fine feel to "how well did it work".

The stories of the "jerk DM" and the rebuttal stories of the "jerk player" are not just #osr, but constants across gaming. We don't hear about the amazing stories as much, the games that were the purest joy and forever in our memories.

Being a referee in an #osr game isn't about a god-like trip, but a setting and expectation of roles. Whether like a sports ref, or a storyteller ref, or something in between, the referee is part of the process and an important one.

Beginning #osr refs should know it's OK and important to seek out feedback and cooperation in games. It's also important to draw the boundaries and set the expectations. This feels scary at first. It's a huge key to the success of a game.

The age-old debate on "setting" vs. "rules" is chicken/egg. You need both. It's a personal taste as to which to spend more time on. It will influence how you DM, be aware of your preference!

I think too many in the #osr think they have to publish to matter. This concept of "I must be a celebrity to matter/contribute" is pervasive. It's hard to DIY without some ya-ya being fed. Finding your motivations and feeding them will keep you active.

The oldtimers in the #osr are going to struggle with how fast culture and opinions change - this is more about age than about the scene itself. It still has to be addressed and talked about.

At some point, 3e is going to be 30 years old. This is why #osr is about "how" we game, not "when" the game was made.

Running a ten year #osr campaign was less about the rules/setting and more about keeping the relationships with people alive - and allowing for growth and change. So too, the hobby.

#20 - I'm not sure I have 100 opinions on the #osr. I know that there are a lot of great voices that I listen to across the world who are a lot smarter than I am, and I hope they continue to share. That's what makes this hobby grow.

The creators of the OG #osr games aren't meant to be followed religiously or blindly. That defeats the purpose of what they originally created.

"Make it your own" is the ONLY rule to follow to. the. letter. That also stands true for the creators of today.

Gygax, Areneson, Barker, et al, all broke their own rules and changed things on the fly. They wanted to play games, not invoke dogmatism. #osr

That being said, there's things to be learned from by-the-book play. Do it. Then make it your own. If your own is the book, awesome. #osr But it's been written once already... I want to read YOUR creation.

I also think that the OG creators were a little bit crazy. Awesome crazy. It helps to tap into that bit of creative insanity to come up with worlds and games. #osr

I'm glad we have 40 years to learn and grow from. I may like the game, but I do NOT like the OG layout and scattershot. I'm looking at you Chainmail, OD&D, AD&D, EPT etc.

I forgive and understand because you were first. I love the OG for the foundation. I love the #osr retroclones for clarifying and giving me basis for going back to OG and seeing it for what it is.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for those first AD&D design meetings. Trying to codify D&D for the first time must've been a trip. #osr #history

I would have also liked to been a fly on wall when MAR Barker was inventing those languages. Now there's a random generator that we need - invent-a-language by rolling a few d100s.

I think that the documentaries that are getting oral histories from the folks that were OG are critical, so that we know the "why" #osr themes exist and how they came to be.

People from the #osr that I salute... No particular order, Matt Finch for Swords and Wizardry, Old School Primer

The authors of OSRIC for clarifying AD&D 1e #OSR

Mark Allen and Peter Mullen for their art. #OSR

Marv Brieg for Swords and Wizardry White Box and the OD&D forum, best friendliest forum #OSR

Rob Conley for being fellow long term campaigner and doing great work #OSR

Jeff Rients for the great blog... Tho dude... The whole ZS thing... Not cool. Let's talk.

Michael Curtis as a fellow Three Header and for following your dream.

David Bowman who had an awesome blog and with me, invented the One Page Dungeon

Alexis of Tao of D&D for inspiration and then for why your way isn't my way.

Jacob Fathbruckner of Iron Wind Metal Ral Partha for bringing back that minis catalog of true 25s. Huge part of #DnD history

Now for unpopular opinions (although given the silence on my previous 30, they must all be unpopular!)

We have enough clones and retreads of the originals. The hacks are great, but settings/rules-to-fit-settings are where I think we can truly define the #osr

The #osr does have an issue in that there are older generation folks who are not going to change/progress to the world of today. That doesn't excuse bad behavior. BUT, that doesn't mean they should be written off. Forgiveness/understanding is divine #Buddhism

Settings should be stolen from and adapted/changed, not used as-is. I'm looking at you, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Tekumel, Arduin, Third Imperium, etc. #osr

Minis are absolutely a part of the game - the visual 3d thing that allows players to "be there." #osr #minis

I have no intentions of ever playing LotFP. Not a fan of game or publisher. #osr Same for ACKs. Now looking to see how many followers I lose...

Bryce Lynch of tenfootpole.org says it way better than I do. Make stuff useful at table. Put detailed history fluff in back or separate/alternative book OR novel. Or a written oral history. I'll provide my own fluff, based on your foundation. Let ME imagine!

Gygax, Arneson, Barker, et al put on their pants one leg at a time. They made mistakes. They're not the be all - end all. Don't worship at their altars.

Gygax, Arneson, Barker, et all were fucking awesome for being the first. Respect. I hope to have that much original imagination or ability to adapt tropes as well.

It doesn't matter how bad what you wrote is. Keep trying. I'm an idiot and I keep writing/podcasting/painting minis. I get better, gradually, always trying to learn. Don't listen to those demons on your shoulder. Beat the fuck out of them with your enthusiasm.

It is actually really hard to write good, original RPG content. Respect to those who set out to do what they do listening to their own drummer. Many will try, few will succeed. Learn from those that do well, if that's your goal.

The #osr needs to highlight and support/promote more women and minority authors/content. I know, duh... but I wish I knew who was out there TO support from that realm.

I've had same-sex NPCs in relationships from day 1, all genders in positions of power/military and making world-changing decisions. Proud that my players have never objected. I don't focus on it, but build it in to the foundation. Making the world what I want to see.

My games aren't about politics, but I am sensitive enough to know that people bring politics/beliefs to the table. I want them to be themselves or what they want to explore. No judgements, no restrictions. Only way to do that is to show it. It starts with the world.

The #osr needs more of that, IMO.

(and it might be out there. I don't buy many settings or books. I'm your worst audience because I want to make all of my own stuff, not buy yours. Sorry. Not sorry. Just how I am. If it is out there, and it's #osr, point me to it, pls?)

I also don't buy the rules or hacks. I have my own game based on the old rules and modified by free clones/stuff I read on the blogs, hear in podcasts. Again, I'm your worst audience. I'm not alone #osr

'Zines are the way to get someone like me to buy stuff. Give me tools. #osr

Someone smarter than me should create rules/expansions to the Dungeon board game that would allow for multiple playthrus with same character going on new quests. I'd buy that. #osr

Maybe instead of making snarky books to make passive aggressive statements, Jim could support/highlight talent/authors from marginalized communities. That would be far more productive. #osr #grindingaxe

Then again, I'd like to see active pursuit by all #osr publishers in that regards. Or maybe I'm an idiot, they already do that and I'm just not seeing it. Is that true?

THE STATE OF DFG AS A BUSINESS

Let's start this by having a rather upfront look at the miniatures industry, the customer base and expectations.

My rather unique perspective:

I have the benefit of looking at this not only from my personal company (A crumb gathering niche within a niche) but also for watching WGF, who I think most would agree had a solid seat at the mid-tier table, with a rather large product offering spanning quite a few interests.

I have worked, not only the creative side designing miniatures, but in my previous life as a buyer/planner, which gives me some ability to understand product reorder points and the financial aspect of just in time ordering, supply chain logistics and the implementation of contracts. Add to this, experience with the manufacturing aspect, working closely with WGF and even producing my own resin releases… I understand soft and hard tool molds, direction of pull and release draft angles. Well at least enough to be dangerous: P The only reason I went over this is to illustrate although I am a fresh new business man, and likely NOT a very good one, I do possess a wide skill base that assists me every day.

The Industry:

The industry, is a niche industry, with most companies either finding their niche within a niche market or attempting to gather the crumbs off the table form some of the larger players in the industry. Volume wise, its not a great industry for those not sitting in the top positions within their niche.

It has been said, you are only as good as your last release and only as memorable as your next tease. I find this to be a true if not slightly jaded view. The 'new shinny' is what drives this market from a sales standpoint. You need to remain in the publics eye as there is always a new 'something' from some other company that will be released just around the corner. 

This is where plastic is king and curse all at the same time. Plastic is a fantastic medium for the end user, light durable, infinitely modifiable and highly desirable. There is no doubt that for a miniature line a plastic release adds desirability and a certain legitimacy that those dealing in lesser materials, metal and resin have a hard time competing with….

But why Mark, why would that be a curse when plastic is King, you ask.

(THE LONG ANSWER)

Most would say the upfront costs, which is the correct answer but only part of the answer, the other part is time to market with plastic. Companies that are in plastic need to be looking about 18 months in advance to have any form of steady release schedule. (Remember the new shiny is what matters) Once again, I know that sounds jaded, but it is not… Your supply chain can back you up and help you drive sales if you have a proven history of delivery.

You need to have the capitol to pay upfront for 6 or so releases to be worked on at any one time. Let's say they are frugal with their kits and two molds for each kit will be required. That would be 12 Molds in the works, 50% down for a total of $60,000 investment tied up for a minimum of 6-12 moths -AND- They need to have available enough capitol to finalize payment on two of those kits, their production run, box/packaging and shipping to their distribution center. So, let's say you plan an average release to have enough stock to get you through a quarter. 3000 is a fairly good number for the first quarter release from a smaller manufacturer without a huge marketing budget to drive sales. i.e. me or WGF. That would be about $55,000 to get two releases to your dock, paying off four molds and the production run for two kits @ 3000ea volume.

Total outlay of capitol required, around $115,000 with another $55,000 needed in another month or two for the next two releases… and this cycle goes on and on as long as you keep the plastic flowing.

Looking at plastic production from a single project or set of molds is only half the answer… Heaven forbid you have a slow release in there that never grabs like it should. If you are not sitting on $100,000 of 'problem solving extra cash', you then do not have the capitol for the next releases and the entire production aspect gets thrown out of whack. Your customers are upset, your supply chain is upset, and the money spent on marketing to tease the next release is pretty much cash in a dumpster fire.

The moral to this story, if you are looking to run a plastic kit line and want to continue doing so, plan 18 months in advance, have 6 kits ready to go to the mold maker from your end at any one time and be sitting on about $250.000 in a cash reserve that is not required for other aspects of your business or its overhead. 

A smarter move would be choosing a format that is kinder on the mold count and margin returned for each kit. KD and Mallifaux are a couple of examples, (Hero models) a single figure sells for nearly as much as a boxed set and requires 1/10 the mold space. Unfortunately, this is not the format that DFG embarked on and I am not sure it is one I would have chosen even knowing what I know now, primarily because the character model scheme is just not that appealing to me…. Let's just say I would need to give it some thought.

So, I think we have established that 'properly' running a plastic miniatures business is expensive….

So you had a flop:

Let's talk about the inevitable soft release. So, you had a flop… bound to happen and you have a release coming shortly behind to help punch back up those numbers. You need to get it out of your head that that slow release will ever pay for its self. The first quarter is the make or break for that kit, flub up the release or have shipping issues and miss the restock or short your initial release, you WILL NOT be getting those sales back, they are gone, your customers and supply chain have moved on to the next release. Sure, they will continue to sell in some small manner, but you missed the boat and the return on investment will likely never come. You can chalk the $15-20K loss up to a learning experience and move on…. Assuming you still have the capitol to do so.

After the first quarter, the product sales will decrease each end every quarter until you hit the products base line. Historicals burn the slowest and lowest but they are steady. Sci-fi is one of the better formats for that initial bump. Fantasy? Not sure…. I do not have any insider information on that. If you have a strong line with distinctive style such as KD, I think you would be fine but that is an uneducated guess on my part.

So, we all are on the same page? Miniatures are expensive, risky, and from an artists stand point a hell of a lot of fun, from a businessman's standpoint, perhaps not the best investment without an eye for the long game and certainly not without a rather large bank account doing nothing but gathering interest.

The customer base:

What a nefarious gathering. Truly, a hive of scum and villainy.

Creative, imaginative, supportive, geeks, nerds, artist, and general loons….. I could not be prouder of all of you!

Seriously though a great community and one that I am proud to be a part of. I think that they key to my success has always been the relationship with my customer base. I can honestly say I miss being a part of that as much or more than I enjoy the creative sculpting aspects.

As was stated in the beginning of this long rambling thread, the shiny new thing drives the business, that is not to say that quality and the feeling of a fair exchange price vs return is not important, because it is. We all need to feel like we received value from our purchase. If any one aspect fails, quality, value, time to market. You as a manufacturer will feel the effects, not just in that sale but in future transactions.

The supply chain is a customer as well. If you are part of the supply chain, you had better be firing up your customer base. The supply chain directly reacts to demand, they my or may not like your product but if it sells, they will bump the next order and if it is flat, they will pull back. For you the customer/end user its about scratching that creative itch with something cool. For the retailers and wholesalers (who are likely geeks like the rest of us) its still about stock movement and fast returns on investment.

Remember your first few months of any release will make or break that release. This all comes back to time to market… Loose that race and you have lost sales, it is an extremely important aspect that every manufacture frets about and that many of us never think about as we wander store shelves or click through retailer's websites.

Expectations:

IT'S A TRAP! (Admiral Akbar, Battle of Endor) 

Also a fun drinking game for this post.

Wipe the sleep from your eyes, this next part is important and although my ramblings may have put you into a stupor, this is meat and potatoes time!

If you have been on this side of the table for any length of time, you will know the manufactures rarely meet deadlines.

This is not just a 'China thing'.

Every vendor I have worked with on the manufacturing end comes in late.

PERIOD, NO EXCEPTIONS.

So how do you manage expectations? How can you guesstimate when something will arrive once the order has been placed? Honest answer, you can't, the delay will range from reasonable, two weeks to mind numbing 1+ years. Best advice is not to even tease a release until it is in your warehouse… let it simmer for a couple of weeks and then release.

The problem for me is that I truly enjoy bringing all of you in on the creative process. I am likely shooting myself in the foot by doing so, but some of the feedback ends in changes or insights that effect the final product. This (for me) is a difficult decision. Do I open the doors and show all while destroying the OOOOOH NEW SHINY! Or pray that the ends justify the means. I still do not have an answer for this problem, I just know that I prefer active participation.

I am not sure how the supply chain felt about that, but I imagine they would prefer an unveiling and big initial hype just before release.

Quality:

Based on your past purchases, we know WGF delivered quality, late, but quality. This in its own way is a trap. I have no doubt that Wai Kee (WGF) knows the value of quality and what that means for retention. He is a brilliant engineer and can be a perfectionist when his attention is fully on a project. Should my next release not rise to the same level, there will be comparisons and expectations will be met or not. I will never knowingly produce crap but not every manufacturer is able to meet that standard to the same level.

Price:

I have always priced with an eye to value for money spent. I tried to keep the kits slightly below some of the 'big boys' so that my customers could view them as a quality alternative that may be slightly more reasonable. This is also a trap. Slaving your price structure to a larger more capable manufacturer means that you may be running at a loss if all things do not go as planned. The pull back from distribution and rising costs to ship outside the US have made it impossible to look at new releases with the same pricing structure, certainly not while staying within distribution.

Kit contents:

When we started this path together, WGF was manufacturing, shipping in full container load to their warehouse and pushing those product up the supply chain that had been in existence for some time. The discount they received by shipping full container loads is substantial, the cost to manufacture, insignificant by comparisons to what a customer needs to pay. Having these large multi sprue kits was not a real concern aside from their volume in the container. When I took over distribution, it became very clear that the kit contents (sheer size) and number of shots per kit would indeed be an issue and A TRAP!  How do you pull back from that or cut a new course once expectations have been set?

Means of production:

As I stated very early in all this, plastic is king, but now that you see the monetary requirements, the delays in time to market, the lost revenue associated with these delays…. Where do you go with all of that? How as a manufacture can you justify any move towards plastic? And if the expectation is that all my releases are to be plastic, well….. IT"S A TRAP!

I will lay out a single example here to help clarify the financial issues with plastic kits. You ready for this? Where ell's will a manufacturer open his books with a real-world example of pricing? (queue cheesy used car salesman commercial music)

One of my best-selling kits, the 20-man Stormtrooper set.

20-man stormtrooper set, cost to manufacture $5.00, not bad, not great but folks in China got to eat too.

Cost to deliver $3.00 (shipping and initial warehousing, would be substantially less if I could fill containers, but the sales volume does not allow for that)

Total cost of kit delivered $8.00

Retail $44.00

Buy at $8.00 sell at $44.00?! Where do I sign up, right? Hang on folks, it's a bumpy ride.

What does it take to run a miniature line and keep the doors open? It's simple really, you need to have a 4-5 X mark-up from the manufacturing costs MINIMUM (kit delivered to warehouse) returning to you on most sales. It may seem crazy high to require 4-5X the cost but when you break it down it becomes clear. Now granted this is simplistic but a good estimate. If you can get it 6X cost delivered is much better, as it allows for some breathing room that may be desperately needed.

1X For cost to re order the kit you just sold

1-1.5X For the associated overhead (Warehousing, utilities Labor) Assuming that you turn the product over every 2-3 months, if it goes longer, it will eat further into the profit margin.

1X Tax…. No way around the tax man.

1X Back into business to fund that next sweet release.

.5-1X Personal profit, a man must eat after all….

$8.00 X 5 =$40.00 all is good! Well, sort of… If I sell direct only, at full MSRP, then I have met my margin. If I sell into distribution, I net $16.00-$17.60 per kit, which works ONLY if your turnover is very fast and you are able to restock with a container load of product.

I tend(ed) to sell 60/40 split 40% direct (at less than retail many times) and 60% into distribution with a 6 to 12-month turnover (sell through last shipment) depending on the SKU.

What does all this mean? It means that there is simply no way to sell into distribution without jacking the kit price so high that it would cripple sales. Retail for a 20-man set would need to be $80-$85 for this kit to make sense from a business perspective. If all of you are confident that and $85 retail is reasonable, and you would snatch them up…. Please say so, but I think I know the answer to that question already.

So, Wholesale is clearly not an option based on the financial realities, but wholesale is consistent. They move product every month like clockwork down to the retailers, they pay the operating expenses by being reliable in a way that my customers cannot be, through no fault of their own. Wholesalers are pushing out to multiple retailers and pushing to a much larger and willing base.

All of the expectations listed above have been on my mind from the first day I took over, reflecting, trying various things, contemplating every month on the direction of the company and how or IF it should move forward. Seriously, I LOVE this stuff, but every month I examine if there is a future or not.

All doom and gloom, right? May as well just call it a day? 

Nope, not yet. There are several paths forward, but they are untested, and the results may or may not net the desired result. I have started the process by removing myself from distribution and reopening a dialog with my customers. I will lay out a few options as I see them and see if any of you have input that might assist in steering the boat. Not to worry, this is not 'on you' DFG will move forward in perhaps some rather unconventional ways that may break some of the 'expectations' but I am more than happy to plot the course and see where it leads.

NEXT UP WHERE TO GO

I will be going over what I have planned so far and possible ways to deal with production and releases.

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No News Is No News

A year ago my manager at work started a game hour on Thursdays for our small group of 5. Between the 2 of us we brought in new games every week for several months that could be played for 5 non-gamers. My manager up and left us last week, but I hope to continue the gaming. Only now we are going to get between 7 and 10 each week. Which makes it more challenging, unless I just bring in 2 copies of Codenames (1 Hebrew and 1 English) each week. That will be the default option.

Meanwhile I haven't touched my book. But I went to South Africa and came back. Pictures on Facebook. I usually tell a travelogue on my blog, and I may still do that. I didn't play much on the trip.

There is something to say about my game It's Alive, which I will say when I can say it.

The Case Of Turner Prize: Are Too Many Ties Devaluing The Concept Of Competition?

CNN reports on the winners of this year's Turner Prize, an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. All of the finalists asked to be given the prize jointly, as a group, and so all of the contenders "won" in a competition in which no one lost.

This, combined with what some people see as a pattern in recent years, has irked some people. These people see this "tie" and equate it with the concept of spoiled Millennials who get "participation trophies" or prizes for trying. What has happened to cutthroat competition and actual winning.

The Arguments For and Against

The arguments against the Turner prize tie, in this case, are that the refusal to announce a single winner is indicative of snowflakes, who can't handle being losers. That too many winners devalues the concept of winning, and of competition in general. And that it lacks drama.

The arguments in favor are rather specific to this event. The artists decided that their works were complementary, rather than competitive, and did not feel that a competition was the right way to judge them. That felt that they had already "won" by having reached the shortlist for the prize. Alex Farquharson, the director of the Tate Britain gallery which organizes the prize, argues that times have changed and that competition may not be the right format to judge these kinds of works, anymore. Andrew Russeth, a writer for the Daily Mail, writes "This notion of having artists compete in public and one walk away the winner feels a little demeaning and unpleasant."

Some Points to Consider

As for the arguments against, it is important to divide up those activities in which competition really brings out the most effort and the best results versus those in which we have stuck absolute competitions because we were too boring or lazy to provide a better framework. The Olympics doesn't have a single winner, because we don't make the downhill skier compete against the figure skater; the disciplines and forms are too different to compare. So maybe, when it comes to art competitions with very loose frameworks, it is silly to compare different kinds of entries in different subjects, and with different intents. Maybe the Turner Prize is overdue for a restructure.

When it comes to "participation trophies", there are two hands here. On the one hand, participation trophies are not just a Millennial issue; that is lazy, biased journalism, and the usual "look down at the next generation" attitude of Boomers who have suddenly publicized a concept that has existed for generations. Everyone who joins the army (and doesn't screw up too badly) gets stripes and awards during and after service. Everyone who shows up for work gets paid, and often gets bonuses, even if they aren't the number one worker. Even the specific concept of participation trophies is a century old.

On the other hand, participation trophies are not "everyone gets a trophy". They are, unless severely mishandled, a reward for having put in effort. In the same event, different people, i.e. winners, get specific prizes, while everyone who at least put in effort gets the participation trophy. The recipients of these trophies are not morons, and they know that trophies for winning and trophies for participation have different values. But studies show that encouraging effort is better motivation than acknowledging talent. When you tell someone they have won, they stop trying; when you tell someone that they are smart, they often find a way to not be, act, or appear smart. When you tell someone that you see their hard work and you think it is worthwhile, they may end up trying harder, and, sometimes, they may eventually win or get smarter.

However, announcing the Turner Prize as a tie is lazy; if you set up a competition, you should not change the rules in the middle when you realize that the competition was the wrong format. They should have, originally, defined better categories that were more conductive to direct competition, or they should have defined goals for which prizes could be given to all, or a list, of people who met these goals. But, since they didn't, they should have awarded a winner and let the artists figure out how to deal with this.

Competition is not inherently evil. It brings out efforts and results that would not happen without it. When mishandled, it can bring out people too focused on the goal; they might even short circuit the permitted methods to get to that goal. Winning, when handled well, can be a goal or a stepping stone to more effort. Losing, when handled well, is not something to be afraid of. Competition against others should always be, in parallel, competition against ourselves. And for that, a job well done results in a self-award that does not require any external acknowledgement.

1005, Stargunner!

Thank you to everyone for your patience waiting for this Stargunner episode. Of course, the research was all done the week before the episode was due out, then I got sick that weekend. So the lesson here is that procrastination is good. I have a lot of the research done for Infiltrate, so that will be out the week after Thanksgiving, and that will be the last game of the year. So if you have feedback for Infiltrate, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day November 25th.

I would like to thank everyone who donated to my Extra Life campaign as well as those of you who watched the live streams that I did. I raised $1500 for the Children's Hospital of Philadephia thanks to all of you. I got an email from Extra Life saying that I was in the top 30 earners for the hospital, which is great! I plan on doing it again next year, but I will be doing the two days in one weekend. I had fun playing the games, but I got a little frustrated towards the end of the second weekend. Sinistar is an extremely difficult game but I love it so much, for some reason.

Thank you all so much for watching, listening, and donating. I hope that all my American friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Please donate to my Extra Life campaign!
Sean's Extra Life page
Andrew's Extra Life page
Rick's Extra Life page
Bryce's Extra Life page
Marc's Extra Life page
Stargunner on Random Terrain
Alex Leavens interview by Dan Gutman, Video Game Players magazine 11/83
Stargunner on Atari Protos
Video Game Update newsletter February 1983
Arcade Express newsletter January 3 1983
Arcade USA Atari Remote Control Joysticks

The Team Surges Forward

My second morning in Vermilion City was a bit more somber than that first day trying to get aboard the S.S. Anne. I took Douglas out to Diglett's Cave and said farewell to him. I had high hopes for him, but it wasn't in the cards. I was comforted that I could at least bring him back to his home and release him back to his Diglett friends and family. It was a better send off than poor Nibbles got back on Mount Moon. We had a good run, Douglas. We beat all those trainers aboard the S.S. Anne together. Farewell, friend.

I filled Douglas's spot on my team with Royal, the Magikarp I caught down at the Vermilion docks. I decided to take him with me to train in the Vermilion City Gym. I know what you're thinking! Fox, are you crazy? Why would you train the weakest of all possible water-type Pokémon in a gym dedicated to the raising and training of electric-type Pokémon? It was a calculated risk. Basically, Arnold put everything to sleep. Then Royal would come in and flop around aimlessly for a minute. Then someone else would swoop in and clean up. The only time I didn't mess around with Royal was when face-to-face with Lt. Surge himself. That was no time for training the weak, but a time to challenge the strong.
Arnold was proving to be my MVP since we met and the Vermilion Gym was no different. The same technique we used against Misty and every other decent challenge proved no less effective against Lt. Surge. His Voltorb fell sound asleep and was chopped down by Arnold's new "Cut" technique in  three simple slashes. Lt. Surge's Pikachu resisted the sleep powder at first, but eventually fell into a deep slumber and was cut down. Raichu was the final obstacle between my team and a shiny new badge. Arnold put him to sleep, but he was awake within an instant. Raichu was fast. He hit hard, but the second time Arnold lulled him to sleep would be his last time in our battle. It took a considerable amount of cutting, but Arnold soundly defeated Lt. Surge without any assistance from the rest of the team.

As I emerged victorious from the Vermilion City Gym, it was just after lunch and I was hungry. I headed into town to find some food, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Reginald across the street. I owed him a great deal of thanks for getting me aboard the S.S. Anne yesterday, but I wasn't sure I could listen to another minute of him talk about Rapidash. I really hoped he didn't see me, but no such luck. He came rushing across the street within moments.
"There you are, old sport!" he shouted as he slapped a hand across my back. "I've been looking everywhere for you! You were the talk of the town last night! I can't believe it. You know, I told everyone that I sponsored you aboard and helped you get into the tournament! I've been receiving people at the Fan Club all day long thanks to you! We've never had this much exposure! I really owe you a great service, old sport."
"I thought there was another trainer who did better," I asked. Chairman Reginald had his arm around me and was now leading me down the street.
"Of course! Of course! There will always be another trainer who does things better or has a stronger team than you. That's just the way of the Pokémon world, old sport, but let's not undersell what you did! You only lost one point! It was incredible. Even against that Wolf chap? Everyone had their sights on him and you came out hard to starboard and took him down - sponsored by none other than the Pokémon Fan Club!"
"Yes, I suppose that's all true," I offered mildly. I was wondering where he was taking me and if they had food there. We stopped a few blocks away from the Pokémon Center in front of a small building with a discreet little sign claiming to be the Pokémon Fan Club HQ. There was a small crowd gathered outside and each of their faces lit up to see me coming down the street with Reginald.

Official Ponyta & Rapidash Art!

"Now look, I know it isn't much, but I'd like to offer you a little something for the fantastic advertising you did for the club yesterday. All these people heard we were friends and wanted to meet you, so I have a bit of a proposition! You hang out at the Fan Club for little bit, shake some hands, sign some autographs, show off your badges - OH! You gave Lt. Surge the old lights out,  today? Congratulations. These folks will love it. Anyway, after all that, I'll hand over my bicycle in exchange. It's quite sturdy, I assure you, but - you see - I simply don't have a need for it anymore. Now that my beautiful Rapidash has stopped burning me when I try to touch him, we'll be galloping through the countryside in no time! Oh, I can't wait for you to meet my Rapidash."
So I shook hands. I smiled. I endorsed the Pokémon Fan Club. I listened to at least thirty different stories about Rapidash down to the most meticulous detail. Then when I thought I couldn't take a minute more, the crowd at the Fan Club HQ dispersed and Reginald saw everyone off. He showed me some pictures of Rapidash that he had in his wallet, then handed me the key to his bike lock. I was exhausted and starving, but I had a new way to cruise around the Kanto region. Was it worth it? Well, I felt a bit like a celebrity in Vermilion City, so yeah - it was worth it. I fell asleep that night smiling.

On my third day in Vermilion City, I ventured out to Route 11 to begin training Royal earnestly. Kiwi had done a lot of great work for me, but I sent him over to Bill's Storage and brought out Shakespear to keep him up to speed. My plan was to have Lucky put wild Pokémon to sleep and then let Royal flop around while it was safe to do so. Then Shakespear would come in and clean up. Everyone would get some decent training in. As I was riding through the tall grass, I spotted something rare and special. For the first time in a long time it wasn't a Pidgey or a Rattata. I spotted a Drowzee. He would be a formidable addition to my small team.
Royal had developed a newly awakened knack for tackling his opponents as opposed to flopping around aimlessly, and he did exactly what I needed him to do. Lucky managed to put Drowzee to sleep before he could do the same to my entire team. Royal weakened him significantly without causing him to faint and within a few minutes, Dustin was destined to be my new rising star. There was a huge sigh of relief when that Poké Ball snapped shut on the Drowsee and Dustin was now my newest friend. I would happily - eagerly! - bench Vesper for Dustin because Vesper hadn't helped me in any fight ever, honestly. Sorry, Vesper, but it's true. No amount of training could help make Vesper as formidable as a single member of my new and improved roster. Things were definitely looking up in Kanto, now.

Current Team:
Attacks in Blue are recently learned.




Bill's Storage: Kiwi (Pidgeotto) & Vesper (Zubat)

Old Man Daycare: Charlie (Pidgey)