RPG TV: Panels from VirtuaCon

VirtuaCon had an amazing array of panels this year. I only ran one, but I participated in four others. The inexhaustible Rich Rogers moderated a crazy number of them. If you're not following him on YouTube or the Indie+ Network he's part of, you ought to be. I've put my five panels first in the order below, but I also offer descriptions and links to the others from the convention. We had dynamite presentations across a wide range of gaming topics. 

Amber/Lords of Gossamer & Shadow GM Jam: Play on Target for VirtuaCon

Only two of the PLOT team could make it to VirtuaCon, so we decided to celebrate Brian Cooksey’s favorite game. In the tradition of our Changeling the Lost episode, I wanted to get gamers together to talk about running and playing. This jam considers two excellent games which share the same engine. Steve Russell, Phil Vecchione, Brian Cooksey, Kristin Hunt, and I will talk about the challenges of running, what we've done with campaigns, what drew us to the settings, and what it's like to play. If you’re curious about these games or diceless systems in general check it out.

Gaming with Significant Others

Do you Game with your SO / Partner / Lifemate? Do you wish someday you could? Submit questions and come watch a fun group of gamers talk about their highs and lows gaming with their SOs, learn some tips and tricks as well!

24-Hour RPGs: How Did You Do It?

Ever wonder what it was like to design an RPG in 24 hours? Join your hosts as they talk about their experiences with whipping up new games on the fly.

What's in Your RPG Toolbox?

As GM’s and players, we all accumulate a set of techniques and tricks we find useful time and time again. Our experienced panel will discuss their go-to tools for making gaming sessions more enjoyable for the whole group (GMs included).

RPG Lay of the Land

Tabletop roleplaying games are set in a variety of genres and worlds. What are some of the most popular games in each? Where do some games fall short? Join us for a survey of various RPG genres, a discussion of high and low points, and a look at upcoming new games.

Playing 53+ New RPGs During 2014

Jonna and Andrea discuss what it was like to accept and accomplish this amazing feat! Anything you really want to know, be sure to ask in the comments here or during the event!

Gaming Group Social Contracts

How to establish expectations and a social contract with your group.

Virtuacon Interview: Guest of Honor - D. Vincent Baker

A sit down with D. Vincent Baker. Head of Lumpley Games, designer of Dogs in the Vineyard, Apocalypse World and many other fine tabletop RPGs.

Breaking the Mold: How to Play Against Type

We all have our favorite characters, and we reiterate and recreate them again and again. How do you roleplay a character that's not you and not the same as the last five characters you've played, though? Join us as we discuss how to stretch and challenge ourselves rather than take the path of least resistance.

Off the Cuff GMing

Who needs a module?!?!
Learn about ways to run tabletop RPGs with little to no prep from this group of excellent GMs and improv folks!

Role-Playing In The Worlds Of Childhood

Roleplaying in childlike worlds can range from fairy-tale to farce to dark fantasy. We'll discuss how to play children in RPGs, as well as how to bring all of those varied realms of the childish imagination to life.

Descriptive GMing: Lighting up the Theatre of the Mind

With our exceptional panel of GMs: Jim McClure, James D’Amato, Mark Cleveland and moderated by the master of your mind GM Keaggan, we will journey through the landscape of our imagination and unfurl your creative potential with descriptive GMing by "Lighting Up the Theater of the Mind."

Creating Believable Characters

Join a star-studded panel to talk about the importance of creating convincing characters, how to do it, and how it can benefit your campaign. Kick back and spend an hour listening to the thoughts of gaming luminaries.

Roll20: Connecting the World

Join me as I chat to Riley Dutton, co-creator of the Roll20 virtual tabletop gaming system, about its development and capabilities. Take the opportunity to participate in the discussion by asking Riley questions of your own.

This will be a fascinating glimpse into the world of role playing games application software.

Understanding Player Types

Understanding Player Types will be a one hour workshop taught by Jim McClure of the roll20 GM Academy. It will give you a unique way to understand the players at your table and the ways they enjoy the gaming experience.

This workshop will present a system of identifying the Eight Kinds of Fun (Narrative, Fantasy, Expression, Challenge, Sensation, Submission, Discovery, and Fellowship) and how these concepts make up you and your players play style.

8 Steps to Building a Plot

(Just a link for this one...)

Have you ever wanted to build and design you own stories for your table top campaigns but just have no idea where to start? Having problems keeping players engaged or keeping that cohesive story together?

Jim McClure of the Roll20 GM Academy will be presenting a one-hour workshop on building a plot for a table top campaign. In this workshop you will be presented an eight step process that anyone call follow to design a compelling and unique narrative for your game.