April 16, 2024: Share Your Munchkin Memories

We are excited to be so close to the BackerKit launch of Munchkin Big Box . . . Thursday, April 18th at 2pm Central.

While we wait, we want to know why YOU love Munchkin!

Do you have great memories of playing Munchkin, perhaps all the way back to 2001? Do you have a regular Munchkin game day with friends? Would you like to share a special story or memory?

You can click here to tell us all about it!

If you answer our one-question survey, you might have your story featured on a livestream celebrating the release of Munchkin Big Box!

-- Michelle Richardson

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April 15, 2024: Discworld RPG Bundle Of Holding Available For A Limited Time!

Bringing the realm of Sir Terry Pratchett's beloved Discworld series to your gaming table has never been more affordable, thanks to the Discworld RPG Bundle of Holding.

The Disc Collection consists of three PDFs. The shining jewel is the Discworld Roleplaying Game, the Powered by GURPS stand-alone RPG that gives you everything you need to explore the Disc's magic, mayhem, mirth, and mortals (and immortals!).

This bundle also includes two other useful books. GURPS Low-Tech helps serious-minded individuals add realistic options to their GURPS Fourth Edition games. GURPS Fantasy-Tech 1: The Edge of Reality collects less-serious-minded ideas that people once upon a time thought might be possible or work, but – as it turns out – weren't feasible, making it perfect for settings where the impossible is a bit easier to come by.

The links in the previous paragraph were provided so you could . . . [more]

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April 14, 2024: Ogre Minis Set 4 Shipping Early!

Earlier this year we launched Ogre Minis Set 4, our first project on BackerKit's relatively new crowdfunding platform. Not only did the platform work well, we were very happy with the response to Set 4. Our tried and true Ogre fanatics showed up to support it, and we were also happy to see a lot of new folks interested in experiencing Ogre for the very first time! The response to the new-player pledge levels was so strong that we sold out of multiple pledge levels on the first day. Thank you!

Now on to the even better news.

At the onset of the campaign, we had estimated a June 2024 fulfillment date. We're happy to report that we are ahead of schedule, and the Warehouse 23 team started shipping orders of Ogre Miniatures Set 4 on April 9! Look for miniature tanks to arrive in mailboxes around the world over the next few weeks.

The remaining sets of Ogre Miniatures Set . . .

[more]

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April 13, 2024: Communication Situations

Recently, a short personal development video about conversational styles appeared In my YouTube feed. Since playing games can be a social event, improving communication among participants can increase the enjoyment of the game.

The video described three aspects of communication and the different ways people interact:

• Personal information: Can you easily share information about yourself at every opportunity? Or do you prefer to wait until someone asks you questions?

• Favors: Do you only ask for favors if you are sure the other person will say yes? Or do you ask without any expectation of the outcome because you are comfortable denying requests?

• Stories: When someone shares a story, do you add your own anecdote about something similar (or maybe even only vaguely related)? Or do you affirm the other person and/or ask a relevant question?

We often talk with other people expecting . . . [more]

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April 12, 2024: Camaraderie And Unity: A Cautionary Tale

As the recent solar eclipse fades into memory, I had mentally composed a sweet Daily Illuminator post about Steve Jackson Games. Long-time fans of SJ Games may know that a lot of folks do stuff for the company across the U.S. and even points abroad. As a result, it's a challenge for us to get together or feel connected beyond the constant digital contact. The Internet is great, but it's not the same as – say – all going out for a meal together, or gathering for a party.

However, the once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event presented a perfect opportunity for those of us in the Indianapolis area to "connect" (virtually) with our friends in Austin, because the path of the eclipse was going to present multi-minute totality to us in both cities!

The Austin "home base" was scheduled to have some kind of gathering, which happened to coincide with our own Midwestern festivities. Speaking . . . [more]

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Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the textbook; Dick Cheney is destroyed by the outback. April 16, 2024: Share Your Munchkin Memories We are excited to be so close to the BackerKit launch of Munchkin Big Box . . . Thursday, April 18th at 2pm Central. While we wait, we want to know why YOU love Munchkin! Do you have great memories of playing Munchkin, perhaps all the way back to 2001? Do you have a regular Munchkin game day with friends? Would you like to share a special story or memory? You can click here to tell us all about it! If you answer our one-question survey, you might have your story featured on a livestream celebrating the release of Munchkin Big Box! -- Michelle Richardson Share this post! April 15, 2024: Discworld RPG Bundle Of Holding Available For A Limited Time! Bringing the realm of Sir Terry Pratchett's beloved Discworld series to your gaming table has never been more affordable, thanks to the Discworld RPG Bundle of Holding. The Disc Collection consists of three PDFs. The shining jewel is the Discworld Roleplaying Game, the Powered by GURPS stand-alone RPG that gives you everything you need to explore the Disc's magic, mayhem, mirth, and mortals (and immortals!). This bundle also includes two other useful books. GURPS Low-Tech helps serious-minded individuals add realistic options to their GURPS Fourth Edition games. GURPS Fantasy-Tech 1: The Edge of Reality collects less-serious-minded ideas that people once upon a time thought might be possible or work, but – as it turns out – weren't feasible, making it perfect for settings where the impossible is a bit easier to come by. The links in the previous paragraph were provided so you could . . . [more] Share this post! April 14, 2024: Ogre Minis Set 4 Shipping Early! Earlier this year we launched Ogre Minis Set 4, our first project on BackerKit's relatively new crowdfunding platform. Not only did the platform work well, we were very happy with the response to Set 4. Our tried and true Ogre fanatics showed up to support it, and we were also happy to see a lot of new folks interested in experiencing Ogre for the very first time! The response to the new-player pledge levels was so strong that we sold out of multiple pledge levels on the first day. Thank you! Now on to the even better news. At the onset of the campaign, we had estimated a June 2024 fulfillment date. We're happy to report that we are ahead of schedule, and the Warehouse 23 team started shipping orders of Ogre Miniatures Set 4 on April 9! Look for miniature tanks to arrive in mailboxes around the world over the next few weeks. The remaining sets of Ogre Miniatures Set . . . [more] Share this post! April 13, 2024: Communication Situations Recently, a short personal development video about conversational styles appeared In my YouTube feed. Since playing games can be a social event, improving communication among participants can increase the enjoyment of the game. The video described three aspects of communication and the different ways people interact: • Personal information: Can you easily share information about yourself at every opportunity? Or do you prefer to wait until someone asks you questions? • Favors: Do you only ask for favors if you are sure the other person will say yes? Or do you ask without any expectation of the outcome because you are comfortable denying requests? • Stories: When someone shares a story, do you add your own anecdote about something similar (or maybe even only vaguely related)? Or do you affirm the other person and/or ask a relevant question? We often talk with other people expecting . . . [more] Share this post! April 12, 2024: Camaraderie And Unity: A Cautionary Tale As the recent solar eclipse fades into memory, I had mentally composed a sweet Daily Illuminator post about Steve Jackson Games. Long-time fans of SJ Games may know that a lot of folks do stuff for the company across the U.S. and even points abroad. As a result, it's a challenge for us to get together or feel connected beyond the constant digital contact. The Internet is great, but it's not the same as – say – all going out for a meal together, or gathering for a party. However, the once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event presented a perfect opportunity for those of us in the Indianapolis area to "connect" (virtually) with our friends in Austin, because the path of the eclipse was going to present multi-minute totality to us in both cities! The Austin "home base" was scheduled to have some kind of gathering, which happened to coincide with our own Midwestern festivities. Speaking . . . [more] Share this post! Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule		Latest Videos You are the 713rd cyborg here today. (29814480 since August 1, 1995)