[poly] hijinx

EricNoah · May 6, 2003

This might make a good one-shot with some non-RPG playing people (such as my wife, a couple that we know, etc.).

Erik Mona · May 6, 2003

I'm _so_ thrilled you guys dig this game and appreciate it in the spirit with which it was presented. Jeff did a great job with it, it's fun to read, and it's a ball to play. It's intensely gratifying to see your reaction, and especially to see Eric's suggestion that he could see himself playing the game with non-gamers.

While the "orcs only" crowd will no doubt disrupt the early concensus, you guys have made my (vacation) day.

--Erik Mona

Mapmaker · May 7, 2003

Allow me to add my voice to those praising it. This is the first mini-game I've seen yet that compelled me to sit right down and read the whole thing straight through. It was just so outrageously different!

It was a fun, fun read that really took me back. Like Eric, I can easily see this appealing to people who would otherwise never try out an RPG. It also looks like a spectacular way to introduce kids to roleplaying.

Bravo to Jeff for writing it and Eric for having the courage to publish it!

Kudos to Kyle, too, for the Ultimate Rock and Roll Superstar illustration on page 29.

Now I'm really wishing I had put the Mystery Machine in the Night Club parking lot... ;-)

Davelozzi · May 7, 2003

Mapmaker (Christopher West) said:
Now I'm really wishing I had put the Mystery Machine in the Night Club parking lot... ;-)

I was wondering why the included a compass direction on that one, and why there have been so many maps in Dungeon that indicate 'West' rather than north.

Very clever.

By the way, I love your maps. You did the ones in "Tears for Twilight Hollow", right? Great stuff.

Mapmaker · May 8, 2003

Yep, that was me. I'm really pleased with the way that adventure's maps turned out, but I have to give some of the credit to Chris Perkins...he's an inspired fantasy genius and makes some of the best authors' sketches in the business. He gave me some truly great material to work from.

If you liked that, though, wait until issue #100. There's something REALLY wicked coming your way in that issue.

Regarding my compass: I figure if your last name is a direction and you make maps for a living, why not?

I'm glad you like my work! Thanks very much.

Kenpo Wolf · May 8, 2003

Mapmaker said:
If you liked that, though, wait until issue #100. There's something REALLY wicked coming your way in that issue.

Regarding my compass: I figure if your last name is a direction and you make maps for a living, why not?

I'm glad you like my work! Thanks very much.

From one of your biggest fans

, how about giving us a hint on what you're talking about in issue #100?

So will that compass thing be your trademark from now on or is it just a one time thing?

Orcus · May 8, 2003

Erik-

The first thing I thought of when I read Hijinx was "I cant wait for my daughter to be old enough to play this." She will be 1 this month.

Clark

JPL · May 8, 2003

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of varying the game by changing the music.

The source material gives us the default assumption of "bubblegum rock." But every darn muscial genre I can think of gets better when you add, "...and they're cartoons, and they solve mysteries."

I mean, look at a neo-swing band like Royal Crown Revue. You just KNOW those guys solve mysteries.

Blues. Bluegrass. Bebop. Hip-Hop. Rockabilly. Zydeco. It's all good.

[The rockabilly band could have a hound dog mascot. And the zydeco band could have an alligator.]

This game would also combine brilliantly with some of the other Poly minigames:

Mecha Crusade --- Wouldn't "Voltron" be a lot cooler if he formed a giant plasma guitar and rocked out?

Omega World --- This one is obvious. Post-apocolyptic survivalists...and they have a band. And they solve mysteries.

Shadow Chasers --- At the end, when you pull off the fake werewolf's mask...it's a vampire!

V for Victory --- You're a swing combo on a USO tour, entertaining the troops, solvin' them mysteries, and foiling those kooky Nazis [who probably have a really bad polka band].

Thunderball Rally --- It's already been done! It's the Jerry Reed episodes of Scooby-Doo! Eastbound and down, load it up and truck it! And bring your Telecaster!

Davelozzi · May 8, 2003

Kenpo Wolf said:
So will that compass thing be your trademark from now on or is it just a one time thing?

He's been doing that for quite a while now, that's how I connected him to the maps he did in previous issues.

Mapmaker · May 8, 2003

Kenpo Wolf said:
From one of your biggest fans, how about giving us a hint on what you're talking about in issue #100?

Lets just say it's big. Really big. _Literally_ big.

Actually, since there's a two page spread advertising the event right in the middle of the new issue, I guess I can quote some text from that without spoiling anything:

"Travel to the Astral Plane and the Lich-Queen's City of Susurrus, and take the fight to the leader of the Incursion."

Note: The city's name is actually "Tu'narath". Susurrus is her ultra-creepy 'Palace of Whispers.' (Allow me to add that I've never been more creeped out by reading adventure text. Ever. I'm shuddering now just thinking of some of the things in there...)

So will that compass thing be your trademark from now on or is it just a one time thing?

It always has been. There were a few maps in some of my earliest issues where they removed it for space (and it also doesn't appear in maps with no directions, such as outer space or other planes) but for the most part it shows up on all of my work.

Thanks for asking!