Friday At GenCon

I'm starting to wonder what morning at the convention center looks like, as this is the second day in a row I've been asleep for most of it. After yesterday's post, I ran into a group of people I knew (including Peter Rogers, whom I haven't seen since college, lo these many years ago) and convinced them to play a game of Fiasco. I had an amazing time with it at GenCon, and this session was just as good. Everyone involved had improv experience, and you could the story powers brought to bear. After that I got swept up in a bit of a pub crawl and didn't make it to bed until 4 AM, which is why it was noon before I got out of my room today.

Two very cool things happened today. First, A Penny For My Thoughts won the Indie RPG Award for Most Innovative Game. I figured that I had a chance, but I was floored (and humbled) that I actually won. As I said in my brief acceptance remarks, apparently to win an award for innovative game design, all you have to do is steal from games no one else has stolen from yet. I want to thank the designers of all of games that inspired the game, particularly Meg Baker for 1001 Nights, James Wallis for The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Fred Hicks for Don't Rest Your Head, and Jared Sorensen for Lacuna Part I: The Creation of the Mystery and the Girl from Blue City. Thanks again to Fred Hicks and to Jeremy Tidwell for making the game look awesome, and thank you to Ryan Macklin, my editor and developer, for making sure that the game actually made it into the book.1

And on the subject of thanks, the second very cool thing happened at the ENnie Awards. While accepting the Gold ENnie for Best Podcast, Ed Healy from the Atomic Array thanked Chris Perrin for doing the very first podcast he listened to, and "Paul Tevis, for helping me get through my first tour in Iraq." If my podcasting never had any impact other than that, it was a success. Congratulations on a well deserved win, Ed, and thank you.

Now, off to find more troublemakers and decrease the likelihood of seeing morning tomorrow.

1 And congratulations to my fellow Indie RPG Award winners: Danielle, Ken, John, Jason, and Steve. You rule, and I'm honored to be included in your ranks.

Comments

[LordDreadman]

Hey Paul,

Not surprised at all that Penny won! Congradulations! Frankly, it's my favorite non-D&D game, and I'd play it all the time if my group didn't look at me wierd when I explain that you don't kill monsters in it. =D

Also, I'm glad to say that I found Penny through your interview with Narrative Control. Definately grabbed me with the idea, and made me go pick it up. I don't know what you think of D&D 4E, but I do a weekly podcast called The Power Source on that subject. We do a lot of discussion of basic storytelling themes and other RP games, and, if you ever want to guest host a show, I'd love to have you on. We'd probably devote our "Elements of Chaos" segment of the show to A Penny For My Thoughts, if you wanted to join us.

Regardless of if you have time to come on the show or not, another big congradulations to you! Third Party Publishing can be difficult (I know), so it's heartening to see someone do it so well. :-)

Jared Glenn
Host of The Power Source
www.powersourcepodcast.com

[James Wallis]

Nice shout-out. Much obliged.