Ladies and gentlemen, my self created “vacation” is over. For the past few months, I have been well and truly occupied by outside factors and I have not been able or willing to put in the time and attention the House so rightly deserves. I intend to change that, starting tomorrow. (Today is a day off with TheDude to celebrate my anniversary.)
I had a conversation over this weekend with Sabot, where he asked me what I wanted to see people writing about at the House. I have been asked this question before, and I have always tried to turn it back onto the writer. What the writer wants to write about is interesting to me.
There is enough room in this hobby for us to explore all kinds of things and still have something not covered or not talked about. I would love to see the House grow into a “clearing house” where we can talk about the latest games coming out (my FB feed is overloaded with Exploding Kittens atm), indulge weirdness and imagination like Thuloid’s dissertations on gaming and theology, or the crazy and hard to describe antics of Porky; or the relatively straightforward “In Defense of Old Minis” type stuff from Sabot himself and still have plenty to discuss.
I have always wanted to see what other people are doing in their gaming lives. I am interested in what people in California, Tennessee, Korea and Poland are doing with their gaming. I am interested in what’s popular (and what’s not) in different areas and gaming groups. I would love to hear more about the club scene in the UK, as well from people who game at home. In short, if it is about gaming, I am interested. Our hobby is HUGE and there’s room for all of us to talk about something.
To be specific, and to help any and all of you thinking about writing for us (you know you wanna!), I have made a list of some of the various and vast topics that could be covered as a writer here at the House of Paincakes.
RPG stuff:
GMs:
Running a game- How to prepare for a group, adventure or session-One shots vs campaigns- Running for a convention vs running for friends-Tools and resources to be a good GM- How to find players- How to reward players- How to deal with munchkins- How to know when a game is dead- Written adventures vs homebrews- What systems to use/play- AND SO MANY MORE
Roleplayers:
How to find a game-What games do you like- How to make a character for a new game- Random roll vs point buy systems-Class or structured games vs sandbox style- How to know if a GM is any good-What to do when you don’t mesh with a group-How to find the right kind of game for you-Playing in convention or one shots-What to bring to the table (physically and mentally)- What annoys you most as a player-AND MANY MORE
Other RPG type people:
Write your own adventures/campaign/product? Illustrators/layout gurus/editors: how do you find work-How to get published in the RPG industry-What companies are accepting calls and when- How do you find open calls- Do you have an agent-Why would you need or want an agent-Do you have a blog/Tumblr/Twitter/other social media- What does Social media do for you- How do you price your product-AND LOTS MORE
Tabletop stuff:
Modelers:
How do you decide what models to work with- What materials do you like most/ least-What tools are helpful- Where do you start-I know there’s more!
Painters:
How do you decide what models to work with- Do you have paints you like best/least-Are there famous painters that you admire-Who is most influential to you and your area-How to keep ahead of your growing pile of dudes-Theme armies-Have you sold commissions-How do you find clients-I’m sure you can come up with 100 more!
Competitors:
Do you you play in leagues-What makes a league fun- How do you find TOs- How do you deal with cheaters- What prizes do you want-Do you play in larger competitions- How do you afford trips for NOVA or Adepticon-What do your spouses/children do while you are there- Describe your competition style-When someone is more competitive/cutthroat than you- Small scale vs larger games- and keep ’em coming!
The possibilities are endless
Historical:
How do you find people to play with-What games are you playing and why-What makes a game historical vs based in history (FoW I’m looking at you)-Where do you get your models-How important is accuracy in painting in your area-What else do you play-Tell us more!
Terrain:
What games do you build terrain for and why-What is different or interesting about terrain- What tools and materials do you use-How long does an average piece take-How do you paint foam-Come up with more stuff to talk about!
Board Games:
What board games are popular in your area right now-What kinds of games do you prefer- Are there designers/manufacturers you follow and why-How do you find people to play with-What makes a game a dud-How do you deal with a difficult member of a group-Do you game at a store or home-Do you have dinner/booze/movie with your game/group-Are there types of games that you don’t play and why- Tell me more about it!
Card Games:
Do you play CCGs? What games do you enjoy-Do you like style, strategy or simplicity-How do you find people to play-How do you deal with jerks-Do you feel like other gamers stereotype you or look at you as lesser-What other stuff do we need to know?!
For as many types of gamers, games, places to play and people to play with there are, there are things to write about and even multiple series that could be created to cover these ideas. Whatever tickles your fancy (gaming on the cheap, entering painting competitions or finding places to mold your miniature line); I know the House would love to read about it and would find ways to interact with you to make it worth your while. Please hit me up if you want to write for us at info/at/houseofpaincakes/dot/com …. if you already write here, hopefully I have inspired you to get back on the wagon – because I know I have things to write about, finally.
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