Hello, all! The name's Bill, and I usually go by DrAwkward in other RPG forums and sites.
I have other blogs in other places, so it's not very likely that I'll have the time to post a lot here. I've got something that keeps me pretty busy that I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about.
Since 1995, I have maintained a gaming advocacy website called The Escapist (www.theescapist.com) that was originally designed to combat the negative bias against tabletop roleplaying games in the mass media. Thankfully, as time has gone on, that bias has faded - though there is still the occasional negative story or column here or there.
To take up that slack, I have added several other projects and features to the site that cover the other aspects of gaming advocacy. Some of them are coming along quite well, while others are still sort of idling in the lot, waiting to take off.
Here are the projects and features that you can currently find at The Escapist:
- BeQuest - A project aimed at getting gamers, game conventions, and game companies involved in charitable efforts through sharing examples and ideas. When gamers get involved in charity, they build their own character, help those in need, and improve the public image of the hobby. It's a three-way win!
- The Young Person's Adventure League - A project devoted to bringing more young people into the hobby - the best RPGs to play with kids, tips on keeping the games fun, interestin, and even educational, and more. For the last two years I have hosted some very successful "RPGs for kids" events at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio - you can find a picture of a 2008 event in my photos.
- Tell Me About Your Character - A series of interviews with averag, everyday, extraordinary gamers just like yourself. Think of it as your chance to tell everyone about the real character that you play everyday, when you're not playing someone else.
- 20 Sided World - A series of articles on gamer culture from different parts of the world. This project is still covered in tarps, with a lot of sawing and banging noises coming from inside. I'm hoping to get a lot of assistance with this one in the future.
- Terra Libris - Promoting tabletop RPGs as positive reading programs in libraries. THis project is fairly new and still needs a lot of work. If you are a librarian who uses RPGs in library programs, or would like to, I'd love to hear from you regarding this project.
- Reading, Writing, & Roleplaying - Using RPGs as teaching tools in the classroom and at home. This project will eventually include a wiki filled with game reviews and method suggestions. If you are a teacher or homeschooler who uses RPGs to educate, or would like to, I'd love to hear from you regarding this project.
- The Square One Podcast - Partnered with veteran RPG designer Sam Chupp, on this podcast we discuss the ins and outs of role-playing in terms and language that the newcomer can easily understand.
- The Escapistcast - The official podcast of The Escapist. News and discussion on any of the above topics, and more, rendered lovingly in my own dulcet tones.
...and that's about all, for now. Until I think of something else, of course. You can find links to all of these projects and features on the main page of www.theescapist.com.
If you'd like to participate, or even suggest something new, you can contact me here or by email at my gmail account, which is RPGadvocate. Assistance, comments, suggestions, and creative criticisms are always appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
Tags: Escapist RPGs
