April update
Quick post on what's happening-
Games: Few things happening with the games I'm making!
Caravan Endures: Done! Now just waiting on art assets, then it's going to the layout person, and I'll have something to publish. I was thinking about using drivethrurpg, but I've had a few people tell me I should go with a publisher. Still working on that front.
Speaking with Monsters: Hoo boy! Lots to talk about there. First off, I want to start doing some beta testing with it, but I'm hesitant as it sounds like in-person gathering might be possible soon and would prefer to do it that way. (As I say this, Tacoma is looking at re-entering phase 1, so it may be a while.) Even so, I would like to test it when I get a chance.
That being said, I'm looking at reviewing what the point of the game is, and I might actually do a considerable revamp to either allow for more romancing options OR a more therapeutic game where a therapist plays the traveler and the client plays the monster, and the monster's role is to explain to the traveler how it wants others to interact with it, what it's lair is like, and how it thinks about the world. I'm currently talking with a therapist about collaborating to revamp this.
Other cool stuff: I've been playing a beta of Social Cipher's Ava, and should have a review of that out soon, once they've given me clearance to post it! For those who don't know, Social Cipher does Social Emotional Learning games for Autistic Youth, and their game Ava is an absolutely amazing offering on that front.
Personal updates: Work's been exhausting lately, and I'm being moved into more of a case management role, so my spoons have been in somewhat short supply. That being said, summer is coming, and the extra sunshine will help drive away the SAD blues. I've also been networking with applied DMs, and every weekend I'm either having a zoom call or grabbing coffee with a local applied DM and talking shop. My goal around this is to have a really strong understanding of who the major players and the up and coming stars of the applied RPG world are so I can help build stronger networks, as I feel that the more amazing people are supporting each other, the better the field will be. If you'd like to reach out to me about the work you're doing, shoot me at DM on twitter at @rollforkindness, or email me at peterj2 at uw . edu.
I also wanted to write a post on post-pandemic RPGs and what the social need will be, but I realized that everything I could talk about has been covered in the post on Using RPGs for Good. As we slowly move to an in-person world, there's going to be a huge need for positive social spaces, so think about how you can help meet that need using RPGs, and what you'll need to do it, or help others reach their goals.
Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, if you want to reach out to me, you can find me on twitter at @rollforkindness!