Adept Play
A particular configuration of game design including doomed economics, self-referential fantasy content, and enthusiasm, first appearing in the late 1980s.
This photo shows the character Laura Wolf, as played by Ava Layevska, in the Mexican TV series Yankee. I was a couple episodes in when she just seemed so familiar to me, and then a bit later, I said, “Ah ha, not because of some other TV or movie character, but because that is Shining…
We are many sessions into what has become a rather dedicated, eventful run for Legendary Lives. The leading illustration for this post is perfect for my character’s sister’s plight in session 4, but it’s also way out of context for its original meaning, so follow the link stated in the image to see its proper…
We four R’s continue our trek into the twisted fates of Cristabelle, Shining Star, and Grrrl. They’ve bathed, which is a relief, and I am beginning to take seriously the idea that Shining Star is going to clean up considerably session by session, maybe even get that damn curse lifted if I can recover the…
In January, my mention of the game Legendary Lives in one of my Design Curriculum posts led to a comment, that comment led to a for-fun character creation video, and that video led to the organization of a game. The participants are our fearless organizer Ross, Rod, Robbie, and me. … Yes, I know. The…
Some comments showed up at Facebook about the two Fantasy Heartbreaker essays, and I’m a little tired of facepalming. It’s been a long road of experiencing and reflecting upon what became of fantasy during my lifetime, and the original essays are a blink of a moment during that process. Let’s see what the long view…
Finding D&D, part 4! This one is scaring me. Remember how I warned that the one about fundamentalism and the OSR wouldn’t be insulting? I fear this one can’t say the same, and even if it doesn’t go too far, I know it’s going to gore a lot of oxen. One point I develop in…
Here, hop into this handbasket with me. We’re goin’ for a ride! It’s part of “Finding D&D,” focusing this time on fundamentalist belief and practice, including but not limited to the OSR. I thought about waiting until part 4 was done, as these two parts only make full sense relative to one another. But whatever;…