+Jason Paul McCartan and I are in the brainstorming phase of the OSR podcast planning, so I'm going to throw this out to The Tavern readers. Finish the following sentence and add it as a comment to this post.
I want the podcast to include ___________________, but I don't want the podcast to include _______
Example:
I want the podcast to include relevant guests from the OSR, but I don't want to the podcast to include the sound of Erik flushing as he takes his wireless headset to the bathroom.
No prizes, except for the possibility of a better podcast :)
Picturing Solo History
-
There are many gamers who will tell you that it was *Vampire the Masquerade*
that got them into roleplaying. That was in the 1990s. There are many
gamers ...
50 minutes ago
I want the podcast to include topics about supplements and conversions between OSR products, but I don't want it to include game anecdotes and inside jokes.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in hearing authors/designers talk about why they wanted to do what they did. What motivated them to do it.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to hear bitching about some other generation of games or people going on about "one true way-isms". There are blog and discussion boards aplenty for that.
I've tried listening to the Save or Die podcast, but I really can't get through an episode, and the main reason is all the filler. Apart from all the soundbites and things, there's a neverending section in the beginning with a sort of "what's up" theme where they just go on and on.
ReplyDeleteI think short and concise is key, just like an OSR map key, and don't be afraid to edit out unnecessary parts.
Exactly. Save or Die is a blueprint of what not to be.
DeleteAmen!
DeleteI want witty discussions, hard talks, enlightening interviews with various guests (both comfortable, and uncomfortable.) And some occasional anecdotes.
ReplyDeleteI want the podcast to be reasonably well recorded so that speech is clear. The speakers may mumble into their beards, but the recording should be crisp, and the volume level on the good side.
Add some music.
Want:
ReplyDeleteOSR topics of discussion, what's going on, new things being released, old things revisited.
Don't Want:
Radio voices, filler music because it always sounds like shit, cleverness (which is basically verbal masturbation), or people who come on to talk about games, but don't play any because 'they don't have the time'.
OSR News both on the large and small scale (small little one man operations to big guys like Goodman and Gobinoid). Interviews with creators, reviews and thoughts on house rules by the show runners (more Tavern brew magic!).
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I don't listen to podcasts. I also don't listen to morning radio shows. I don't want to hear self-indulgent clever clogs laughing at their own jokes and being crude to each other.
ReplyDeleteNow, if there was something out there that was short, focused on a topic, evidenced some preparation beforehand, and had content that made me sound smarter when talking to my friends... well, I might listen to that.
But. I don't think I'm your target audience...
Andrew, if you visit this blog on anything that resembles a regular basis, you are the targeted audience.
DeleteI dont expect us to laugh at our own jokes or be unnecessarily crude, but I do expect a certain amount of what would be termed "vulgarity". If an occasional "f-bomb" offends thee, we are probably not going to be for you. Not dropped for effect, mind you, but because it is part of natural speech for the both of us.
I want the podcast to include aggressive editing that makes it feel fast-paced and professional. I don't want it to include more than 30 minutes of airtime (5 to 22 minutes would be more to my liking, but if it inches over 30 there's no way I'll ever listen to it).
ReplyDeleteYes! And don't eat the microphone and use a Pop filter.
DeleteShort, to the point, with a crisp steady rhythm. OSR news up front then comparisons of the various clones and other stuff later.
Really just try and make it easy for the listener to navigate, i.e. skip the part he/she doesn't happen to care about.
I want the podcast to include in-depth reviews of new (and older) products, but I don't want the podcast to include a run-down of what the hosts have played in the last week, unless it's germane to the topic at hand.
ReplyDeleteI want the podcast to include 'what's unique with this clone', discussion about new and old modules and talk about OSR games that is not D&D.
ReplyDeleteI don't want the podcast to include a 'who rated us how on iTunes this week'-section, constant jabbering about why newer editions suck etc.
But for the love for all that is holy, please avoid inane, juvenile sex jokes. I hear it on other podcasts and it falls flat every single fucking time.
ReplyDeleteif i try an inane, juvenile sex joke, my wife with come over from the next room and hit me so hard she'll knock the punchline right out of me.
Deletesee, that's just a BAD joke ;)
THANK YOU! Mega-ditto on this! Consider that your audience will probably be mostly composed of people in their 30s, 40s, and maybe even early 50s. We're not perplexed by the mysteries of human sexuality anymore.
DeleteWant: News and discussion about the latest OSR releases / kickstarters / interesting blog posts or forum topics. Reviews and analysis of various OSR releases including clones, supplements and adventures. Length of at least 45 minutes - preferably about an hour. I like interviews but informal discussions with OSR creators are cool too. Interesting guest hosts from all over the OSR scene. I don't mind anecdotal bits as long as they don't dominate the podcast.
ReplyDeleteDon't want: DJ voices (just be yourselves), edition wars
I want reviews of OSR products. I don't want a focus on any one particular rule set.
ReplyDeleteWant: discussion of lesser known older RPGs in addition to modern clones.
ReplyDeleteDon't want: what a lot of other people have also mentioned - jokey banter.
Said it before and I'll say it again: I DO NOT WANT the sound of beer bottles opening and explosive belching every minute. I think we're all of an age where it's no longer "cool" to show off that you're drinking beer. That wore off pretty quick back in the college days.
ReplyDeleteI DO WANT news on new or upcoming products, interviews with people producing products, product reviews, discussions about developments in the hobby...
This. Not to sound ungrateful, but if you belch in my earbuds one time, we're done.
DeleteNews on products is actually pretty terrible as it severely dates the podcast and is waste of time. I have the internet for goodness sakes I already know about the new product.
DeleteInclude - enthusiastic gamers wanting to talk about interesting OSR topics
ReplyDeleteExclude - vast amounts of profanity (some is fine and fun)
Include clone comparisons and great house rules
ReplyDeleteDon't include gaming recaps. I can read a blog for those if I want them
The podcast should include a transcription as quickly as possible after going live. Some of us vastly prefer to read the discussions, as audio typically takes more time than it takes to read. Also, I am usually doing several things while I am online, such as watching episodes of Star Trek or whatever (watching "The Ultimate Computer" as I type this), and I can't do that and listen to audio at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI'm not particularly fond of podcasts, but whatever you feel you need to do.
Much of what is being complained about above doesn't bother me at all. I listen to other RPG podcasts with regularity. I find that ones that are strictly news-oriented, to the point and without humour seem to lack personality and don't keep me coming back.
ReplyDeleteI second this. I listen to a large number of these and find almost nothing that gets me bent out of shape with any of them.
DeleteThe fact they exist at all is a blessing in my mind. I can listen for many hours while doing unexciting things. Even topics I think I have zero interest in often turn out to expose me to different.
People are knocking Save or Die but I really enjoy that one (and not just because they've been gracious enough to review some of my products). The podcast reminds me of me and my friends sitting around the table jaw jacking about what we did or saw the past week before we start gaming. I like that.
ReplyDeleteI also like Save or Die. They seem like an earnest bunch of folks that truly love the hobby. It doesn't seem like they're trying to be "too cool for roleplaying, " like the giggling frat boy mentality fronted by some other podcasts.
DeleteHere's a thought. Have a few segments which are all a set number of minutes long.
ReplyDelete5 minutes of news. 10 minutes of rules/product discussion.15 minutes of interview.
That's thirty solid minutes of audio.
That should take you 4 hours to record and edit, once you have it down.
I mostly want discussion/reviews of *new* OSR and related products (not more rehashing of old TSR/JG stuff). In particular I'd love to hear reviews of some of the non-clone OSR games, e.g. Stars Without Number, Mutant Future, Mazes & Minotaurs, etc. Whether you review systems or adventures, you should play them, not just read them.
ReplyDeleteIt would also be cool to see on-air brainstorming sessions. You could design a spell, monster, race, NPC, magic item, trap, trick, etc.; or perhaps a random table in the style of the Dungeon Dozen.