Thistle Games » Learning

5e: Designer Dragons

nedjer — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:51:51 +0000

We’ve received a few questions asking for more details about how a language-based, modular 5e might make significant differences to the way the game plays. It’s a topic that could fill a long, rambling post without getting to the heart of the matter, so we’ve tried to come-up with a few analogies which, [...]

5e: Looking Good!

nedjer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:41:09 +0000

Further news about AD&D 5e that’s been put out over the last couple of days has triggered another rash of posts and comments. Unsurprisingly, most commentators are discussing the news in terms of how the designers’ decisions will effect their weekly game around the kitchen table. Topics like character builds, (including the excellent [...]

So Far Beyond The Call Of Duty It’s Not True

nedjer — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:05:14 +0000

We definitely had some posts on spies and heroes around here at some stage. They seem to have vanished over the summer, but I’m sure we can fetch them back out of a daily save.

Cracked have been covering similar ground recently with one of their lists of the truly remarkable [...]

Gamification

nedjer — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:31:34 +0000

Our recent post on Games, Events and Demonstrations looked at using games to try to help with one type of real-world problem. No surprises there, as it’s far from the first time we’ve looked at design games, serious games and their uses in the real world, i.e. gamification. What we’re not so used [...]

Games, Events And Demonstrations

Thistle — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:52:50 +0000

The post that follows is not about a single protest, a particular issue or grinding any axes. Instead, as a result of playing and designing Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) and RPGs, we’re going to take a look at possible approaches to turning demonstrations into events. By that we mean exploring ideas borrowed from [...]

Horrible Histories’ Finest Moments

nedjer — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:08:34 +0000

UK kids and adults alike are glued to the third series of Horrible Histories, which is currently being shown on the BBC’s CBBC channel.

Most UK adults have cottoned-on to the fact that CBBC is the new BBC1; showing much of the best drama and entertainment on UK channels. (M. I. [...]

Vanished

Thistle — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:52:05 +0000

The Smithsonian and a bunch of other organisations are running a new Alternate Reality Game (ARG) called Vanished from 4th April. It’s an 8-week, online and offline, eco-disaster mystery game. The puzzles and science are aimed at the US Middle School age group. So, that’d be a bit of a challenge for most [...]