Friday, July 20, 2012

Mythbusters' Adam Savage's incognito Comic-Con costumes -- PHOTOS


Mythbusters' Adam Savage's incognito Comic-Con costumes -- PHOTOS

Tags: News
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
shadow-knight
Image Credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
sdcc-rocketman
Image Credit: Rahoul Ghose

ENnies Voting Booth is now OPEN! Vote now!

ENnies Voting Booth is now OPEN! Vote now!


The voting booth for the 2012 Gen Con EN World RPG Awards is now OPEN. Voting runs from July 20-29, 2012! The 2012 ENnies ceremony will take place on Friday, August 17 at 8 p.m. in the Union Station Grand Hall at Gen Con Indy.

Before voting, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the products. The product titles link to their publisher's websites, allowing you to learn more about that product.

For most categories, you have five choices (with the the exceptions being 10 each for Fans' Favorite Publisher and Product of the Year). When you vote for products, rank them by selecting 1 for your first choice, 2 for your second choice, and so on. Ranking more than one product the same will result in an error. You do not have to, and are not expected to, place votes in every category!

If you don't like a product, don't vote for it. You cannot hurt a product's chances of winning by ranking it poorly. To the contrary, you'll help it out if the race goes down to the wire. This system is called an instant runoff.

In the end, we at the ENnies subscribe to the democratic principle of "one person, one vote." We ask that you not vote more than once (this includes voting on different devices (computers, smartphones, etc.)) and that you not ask others to do the same in order to "stuff the ballot box." As such, you will not be able to return to this ballot once you've submitted your selection.


There are TWO voting booths waiting for your votes. The first is the product awards votnig booth, and the second is the 2013 judge election booth.

TOURNAMENT OF DEATH 1 & 2 - Fantasy Novels by Steve Sullivan — Kickstarter

TOURNAMENT OF DEATH 1 & 2 - Fantasy Novels by Steve Sullivan — Kickstarter

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Yet More Roman gods and goddess III

ANGERONA

Hush-hush Goddess of Secrecy.
She knows how to keep her mouth shut — she wears a gag. Not even the Mafia could get her to reveal the secret name of Rome, which could cause the downfall of that city. After all Rome wasn't built in a day — it just looks like that.
We imagine that in modern times ANGERONA may have turned her expertise to espionage. She would probably also be a very good Goddess for P.I.N. number protection and securing passwords.

ANGITA

Goddess of Healing and Witchcraft.
Her specialty is snakebites, although you could try her incantations to get rid of snakes in the first place.

ANI

Two-faced God of Change.
Like JANUS, he has two faces to peer into the recent past and the near futu

ANNA-PERENNA

Goddess of the New Year — Old Year — Any Old Year.
You can also drink her health at her Spring Celebrations on the 15th March.

Slashdot's Rob Rozeboom Interviews D&D Designer Mike Mearls (video) - Slashdot

Mike Mearls is the Senior Manager for the Dungeons and Dragons Design Team. He's been with D&D publishers Wizards of the Coast (a subsidiary of Hasbro) since 2005, Before that he was a free-lance game writer and designer. In this conversation with Slashdot editor Rob "samzenpus" Rozeboom, he talks about changes in the latest version of D&D and how the company interacts with players. (We'll have some more chat with Mike next week, different wizard time, same wizard channel, so stay tuned.)



Slashdot's Rob Rozeboom Interviews D&D Designer Mike Mearls (video) - Slashdot

Gen Con Update

Gen Con Indy 2012: No Game Left Behind

Are You Ready for Gen Con?

Less than one month remains until the Best Four Days in Gaming™!

The Gen Con team is ready for the show; are you?

2012 Badges are still available with Will Call Pick-up here, under the “Attend” heading. You also may continue to sign-up for events and purchase event tickets. If you missed the prior weeks’ announcements, you can find out about this year’s Media Guests of Honor Wil Wheaton, Kristin Bauer, and Nichelle Nichols by clicking on their names.

According to Wil Wheaton, "I had such a great time at Gen Con in 2010 -- also known as 'The Year Wil Slayed The Dragon With One Shot’ In True Dungeon -- I can't wait to go back this year."

There is still time to get your badge and be a part of the show!

This Week's Updates Are:


Gen Con Indy 2012 Coupon Book

Did you know that each year Gen Con produces a show-specific Coupon Book featuring deals and special offers for attendees? Yes, that’s right; you may be missing out on discounts and freebies, if you are not looking at the coupon book. Gen Con will distribute coupon books via on-site kiosks where you may pick up your own personal, free copy.

Why not get yourself some free loot and pay less for gaming purchases?

This year’s book includes deals from companies including:

Arcane WondersGaming Etc.Paizo Publishing
ArtemisGreater Than GamesPalladium Books, Inc
Cool Mini or NotHaywire GroupThe Spoils
Cool Stuff, IncKonamiTalicor
Cryptozoic EntertainmentMaps of MasteryThornhenge
Crystal CasteMayfair GamesWiggity Bang Games
Flying Frog ProductionsMoosetache GamesWyrd Miniatures
Games WorkshopOffworld Designs

Gen Con Indy 2012 will present the first opportunity for players to sample the game, which will release in the US market to Target stores in September 2012. Mayfair also plans to release hobby store exclusive products for Star Trek: Catan™.


Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game

This year at Gen Con Indy, Fantasy Flight Games Organized Play for X-Wing™ gets started with the inaugural Star Wars: X-Wing tournament!

In X-Wing, the miniatures game of tactical space combat, powerful Rebel X-wings collide with nimble Imperial TIE fighters. Whether you field rookie pilots or legends like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, the detailed miniatures and intuitive gameplay will immerse you in the game’s cinematic space dogfights. The epic space battles of X-Wing are designed to be every bit as dramatic and action-packed as those from the classic Star Wars trilogy, and the action is magnified when you play X-Wing as part of the game’s worldwide Organized Play community!

The game’s Core Set and first four expansions will be available from the moment Gen Con Indy kicks off until they sell out. You can pick up your copy of the Core Set at the Fantasy Flight Games booth in the exhibition hall, and you can further bolster your squadron with additional pilots and starfighters from the X-Wing™ Expansion Pack, TIE Fighter™ Expansion Pack, Y-Wing™ Expansion Pack, and TIE Advanced™ Expansion Pack.

Then, Friday morning, Gen Con Indy 2012 attendees can participate in the world’s first X-Wing tournament. Registration for the event begins at 10 am, and the action kicks into high gear by 11 am.

X-Wingis ready to jump to hyperspace at Gen Con Indy. May the Force be with you™!


Rowboat Tournament with $500 in Troll and Toad Gift Vouchers

Moosetache Games will host the second annual Rowboat Tournament, August 17-18, at Gen Con Indy 2012 with $500 in prizes awarded to the top three tournament winners! In addition to earning bragging rights, finalists will receive a TrollandToad.com gift voucher that’s sure to put a smile on the face of any gamer!
  • 1st place = $300 value
  • 2nd place = $150 value
  • 3rd place = $50 value
Rowboat is the bidding, trick-taking card game where trump changes throughout the hand! Players navigate their way through a varying spread of cards called “The Tide”. Rowboat is a game of precision, where trying to make your bid provides for a high level of drama and excitement! If you like classic card games like Spades or Euchre, then you will love Rowboat!

It’s still not too late to get in on the fun. Currently 10 spots are still available! To reserve a free seat, log into the Gen Con online event system and select a ticket for the Friday 9 pm tourney slot (CGM1233794). The Tournament format is 1v1 single round elimination and seating is limited to 32 total players (only one entry per person). To get on the email wait list, please contact rowboat@moosetachegames.com.

Don’t own a copy of Rowboat? Visit Troll and Toad and pick up a copy at the show!

To stay connected, go to these Facebook and Twitter links.



Important Group Housing Deadlines

The deadline for making new hotel room reservations in the Gen Con block is 5 PM EST, Monday July 23. You can make reservations online by visiting the group housing website, by calling the ICVA housing hotline at 317-262-8191, or by emailing requests to housing@visitindy.com. The group block is largely sold out at this time, but the housing bureau will continue servicing Wait List requests as cancellations occur until the cut-off time, after which new requests cannot be accepted.

Cancellations and other changes to existing reservations can be made through the housing bureau until 5 PM EST, Monday August 6. If you need to cancel an existing reservation, please do so at your earliest opportunity in order to make your room available to fellow convention-goers in need of lodging. Thank you for your attention and support!




Event Spotlight

Indie Games Explosion

No planned events or pre-registered games for Gen Con? No problem!

Come to Indie Games Explosion and play exciting and unique independently-produced tabletop role playing games, without having to sign-up before the event.

Bring your event tickets and get a taste of cutting-edge small press games like Fiasco, Monsterhearts, Dungeon World, Apocalypse World, 13th Age, Cthulhu Dark, Mouse Guard, Trail of Cthulhu, Bulldogs!, Swords Without Master, Lady Blackbird, Dread, and many more. Curious about indie RPGs? Drop in and they will find a game for you!

No experience is necessary: our friendly GMs teach all the rules! And they love your previously unused generic tickets! Find the Indie Games Explosion at Room 238 and check out the general schedule online.

Bemani Invasion - Arcade Rhythm Games

Love Rhythm Games? Play all of your favorites along with many games you may never see again in North America! Stop into the Nexus Gamin(g)?[SE1] Alliance & Bemani Invasion’s Arcade Room to play games such as Dance Dance Revolution X2, Technika 3, Taiko no Tatsujin, Beatmania IIDX Lince, Pop’n Music Fantasia, and many more!

Want to prove you are the best? Sign-up for the Dance Dance Revolution tournament (EGM1238376)!

You can get 4-hour or 8-hour passes for $8 (EGM1238739) or $12 (EGM1238743), respectively. Want to play all day? Buy a day pass for $20 (Thursday EGM1238746, Friday EGM1238747, or Saturday EGM1238748) – and play all the arcade dance games you want!

And don’t forget to check out the other video game events in the eGames Arena this year!

First Exposure Playtest Hall

Do you want to try new games before anyone else? How about even before they reach stores?

As announced last week, Gen Con is pleased to debut a new gaming area in 2012 - the First Exposure Playtest Hall. Attendees can sample new games and speak with their creators
throughout the entire convention weekend. The First Exposure Playtest Hall will reside in Sagamore Ballrooms 6 and 7.

Players who are interested in trying out new game concepts should add playtest event tickets to their schedule, like a standard event. Onsite, players will receive information regarding the games they will playtest.

Authors, designers, and publishers interested in presenting their prototypes for playtesting should fill out an application form and read through the area’s full policies and instructions.

Cards vs Zombies

ATTENTION: Zombies have infiltrated Gen Con. They want your brains and will stop at nothing to get them. If you want to survive, head to the Cards vs Zombies Headquarters immediately.

Cards vs Zombies is a game, designed specifically for Gen Con, from the creators of the hit Humans vs. Zombies game. At their HQ, you may claim your armband and join fellow humans as you try to survive against a growing zombie horde that slowly threatens to take over the convention. These headband-wearing undead will attempt to tag and turn humans into their undead brethren. To survive, you will need to arm yourself with Dart Cards at the Cards vs Zombies HQ and band together to outlast the undead. Trust no one; even your closest friends can become zombies.

You can play this game the entire weekend, dodging zombies and battling with cards between other scheduled events.

ZED1238466 – Cards vs. Zombies

D&D Next next survey

WotC has just sent out details for another official playtest survey; this one dealing with wizards and clerics.
We hope you have been enjoying the materials we have provided so far in the Dungeons & Dragons® Next playtest. At this stage in the process, we are eager to hear your thoughts on which spells are essential to D&D wizards and clerics.

Please click the link below to complete the second D&D playtest survey, administered by SurveyGizmo. The survey begins on July 18, 2012, and you can provide your feedback anytime thereafter, until the playtest officially ends. The D&D team will review the results and use the feedback to help inform our efforts.

Give Your Feedback


Please don't close your browser before finishing the survey, as you won't be able to get back in to complete it.

We also have a host of activities at Gen Con 2012 related to the D&D Next playtest, which you may be interested in. Even if you aren’t attending the convention, our keynote address and seminars will be made available after the show on our web site. For information on our Gen Con activities, visit DungeonsandDragons.com/events.

Thanks in advance for your participation. We're excited to hear from you!

-The D&D Team