I have no desire to be a rpg writer or publisher. However, I've often mused over the job of "line developer." As an avid collector and consumer of rpgs, there are countless topics that I would love to see addressed in rpg form. It constantly frustrates me that many publishers and writers are so amazingly unimaginative in choosing their creative expressions.

Yes, I understand that the market plays a role in the situation. However, it seems silly to struggle with the competition to put out yet another "elf/ninja/vampire" product, when you can attempt to expand the market AND establish a brand identity known for innovative products. Maybe I'm totally clueless here, but that's my feeling about the situation.

So, I'm going to play a game of "let's pretend" as a form of self-indulgent fantasizing. I am the developer for Merova's Meridian, a broadly defined science fiction pdf line. It's my job to come up with product ideas, recruit the creatives, set up a release schedule, plan marketing, edit the product for publication, and deal with overall brand management. Hmm, maybe this isn't going to be much fun afterall. . .

Anyways, let's get this show on the road. I'm off to start developing ideas.

Merova

Today is July 4th. As a US citizen, I celebrate Independence Day with my friends and family. However, I also observe the day for another event which had a huge influence on my imagination and creative potential. In 1865, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was published.

Most of my fellow gamers seem to have been introduced to the fantastic through either an interest in mythology or through the classics of the fantasy genre, such as Tolkien. I come from the "girly" world of fantasy, in which Alice and her adventures are prototypical of the genre. Furthermore, the prominence of nonsense or irrationality is integral to my own aesthetic of the fantastic. As a GM, magic is never a simple commodity which is easily assessed and utilized; there is always a bit of the weird and alien involved.

So, here's to Wonderland. May our fantasies become "curiouser and curiouser."

Merova

Today is Ray Harryhausen's 88th birthday.

As a child, I was thrilled by the fantastic creations of his stop motion model animation. The Sinbad movies, Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts, and numerous others filled my imagination with a fascination for monsters. As a GM, I can see his influence in my love for using giant scorpions, skeletons, and animated constructs in my adventures.

This evening, I'm planning on running my players through a series of nautical challenges. I had been planning on using zombies and crablike aberrations, but I have time to design it for cutlass wielding skeletons, aquatic dinosaurs, and a multiarmed animated idol. It'll be totally sweet! Heck, I'll play some Bernard Hermann soundtracks for atmosphere.

Gotta go!

---Olivia

Merova

Today the qualifiers for the annual 4th of July Coney Island hot dog competition come to an end. The final qualifiers are in San Francisco, California, and Camden, New Jersey. Previous qualifiers have already been held for nearly two months, all over the US.

I find "competitive eating" to be a loathsome event to watch. Honestly, there's no "sporting" manner in which to perform a "reversal." Yuck!! Yet, I have a peculiar fascination with the fandom that surround the event.

A few years ago, a friend of mine dragged me to a grilled cheese event at Venice Beach. Although the event itself was gross, the atmosphere was really fun. Since then, I've gone to a few more events in the Los Angeles area. It's always a kooky experience, filled with interesting people.

I wonder how a competitive eating or related food event would be incorporated into an rpg situation. I've seen products focus on certain elements of such an event, such as the "drinking games" section of Tournaments, Fairs & Taverns or the Feasters Guild of Guildcraft but I have never seen a product that actually used such an event as a focal point to an adventure.

I'd be interested in seeing a Pie Contest or Iron Chef competition utilized for game play. Yeah, it might turn out lame, but it looks to have potential for an unusual gaming experience.

Oh well, gotta go to my game and bestow curse on some gnolls.

---Olivia

Merova

The premise of this blog is to muse upon random topics that bubble up into my interest, which may make for interesting gaming material. Some times, my posts will be in relation to specific game concerns. Other times, I may just write about a topic that momentarily captures my mercurial fancy.

Will this make for good reading? Who knows. But I'll try my best to offer up considered and articulate blog posts. Hopefully, both the writer and the reader may gain some value from assaying the subject under consideration. And, hopefully, it'll make for a good read as well.

So, that's my highfalutin declaration of premise. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

---Olivia

Merova