Every Undertaking Requires a Beginning...

If you're reading this, then no doubt you have been somehow cajoled into coming to my blog, possibly because you followed a link here and were interested in some sort of gaming. I hope you enjoy your stay around here, and to that end, I feel that it's best to introduce myself, with a little bit of my background, to you, the readers, so that you can get a handle on just where I'm coming from. I'm Andy, and I've been around something called "roleplaying games" for probably a couple years at most, depending on how you count things. That includes things from the classic d20 systems to a lot of the newer ones, like FATE and Wushu Open.

If you're reading my blog, you're probably familiar already with the concept of roleplaying games. (If not, you can read up on the topic here) With that taken care of, I now need to fill you in on just what I have to do with them. I will say that, first and foremost, I look at RPGs as a storyteller. I think it's incredibly interesting how they combine the phenomenon of storytelling with the paradigm of a game. For that reason, systems such as Wushu Open and World of Darkness catch my eye, for integrating the two in a unique fashion, and I'll be reporting on my experiences with them, as I gain experience there.

I tend to be one of those game-independent players, when it comes to gaming. I think that it's really cool how different systems try to serve the needs of roleplayers, and I've even been throwing around some ideas of my own, formulating a few different systems. One day, I'll probably manage to try and publish some of them, and when that comes, you readers will be the first to know. So, that aside, I'd like to outline just how this blog will work. I'm planning on splitting the posts up into two categories: "Crunch" and "Fluff". Each category will have one release per week, and you're free to read one or both of them (or none if you so desire...but in that case, why are you reading this blog?).

The "Crunch" posts will be much shorter than the "Fluff" posts. They focus on practical, immediate application of concepts to your gaming experience. This will probably be valuable both to players and to Game Masters (GMs) seeking to enrich their game. Many times, what I propose will be system-independent, but sometimes I may tie a Crunch article to a specific system, such as a d20 system game, or simply to a concept, like mechanics you can work with d6s.

Although they have an unimpressive name, "Fluff" posts will be the in-depth meat of this blog. Substantially longer than the "Crunch" posts, they'll delve into the theory of roleplaying, and of gaming, and how to combine the two. What I really expect to focus on is the storytelling aspect of roleplaying games, and how to add richness and more depth to that storytelling. You will probably very often see a Fluff post referenced in later Crunch posts, when I show you just how to implement a technique I explain in the Fluff post.

So, then, with that covered, we come to one final question: why is this blog named "The Player's Side of the Screen"? In answer, it's mostly because of my perspective on roleplaying. I've very seldom been a GM in a roleplaying game; most of my RP experience comes from being a player. With that in mind, my blog is suited both for players and GMs alike, especially because my experience as a storyteller is extensive. So, hang around a while, see what you can learn, and enjoy the ride!

Welcome to the Player's Side of the Screen.