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My BigBadCon Schedule!
I know, I am such a multitasker. I am watching the amazing Seattle Seahawks play handegg, while drinking craft beer and blogging about tabletop games. Okay, so maybe that just makes me a Seattleite.
I just posed my GaymerX 4 schedule, with some random bloggy bits. You can read that here. I’m pausing here and there, every time a Seahawks player does something awesome. This might take a while. CAWWW-CAAAAWWWW.
LET’S TALK ABOUT BIGBADCON.
This will be the first time I’ve been to BigBadCon. It’s an RPG convention, mostly, but has some amazing panels and some board/card games, too. I first heard about BigBadCon from Ryan Macklin I saw him tweeting about it or something a while back (I have memory lost issues, for reals) and always wanted to go. A couple years later, I’m now attending as a Special Guest. I’ve really enjoyed following BBC and Sean Nitter, the host of BigBadCon. We’re Twitter pals, and I was so stoked to meet him at Gen Con this year. When he first asked if I would Special Guest, I was blown away. HELLO IMPOSTOR SYNDROME. When you think of making games, most people think about the writers and designers. A whole ton of people are involved, from layout designers, marketers, and many others who work behind the scenes in publishing. It warms my old lady heart to see so many conventions and organizers reaching out an including all people involved in game publishing.
As a convention organizer myself, I really love what Sean & company are doing and I hope that between us, OrcaCon and GaymerX, we can make the trifecta of safe, welcoming, and amazing conventions on the West Coast.
ANYWAY. You don’t want to hear me blather on. You want to know my schedule, right? WELL, HERE WE GO!
Friday:
4pm – 5pm: Real talk on Tabletop toxicity – Tabletop has a toxicity problem and it should be discussed, like adults in an open forum so we can move forward to fixing rather than having the same old is there a problem or not, it’s you not the community BS we see crop up over and over. Join our discussion for an open discussion on what to do. If you think there is no problem in the table top community and think this is the time for 101 discussion? This won’t be for you.
Saturday:
10am – 12pm: Destroying The Fake Geek Girl Fallacy – Tanya DePass, Donna Prior, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, and Jessica Price will tear apart the fallacy of the Fake Geek Girl. We’ll spend a bit of time on why this trope is harmful to women and to the gaming community at large. Panelists will be from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and knowledge of geekdom. Find out if it is ever ok to question someone’s geek cred.
8pm- 10pm: The Arl’s Ransom – The Arl of Stenhold is hiring adventurers to escort his children home from an extended family visit in Denerim. The money’s good; what could go wrong? Based on the hugely popular video games, the Dragon Age RPG brings the excitement of BioWare’s rich fantasy world to the tabletop. This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin’s Dragon Age.
10m- 12am: The Arl’s Ransom – The Arl of Stenhold is hiring adventurers to escort his children home from an extended family visit in Denerim. The money’s good; what could go wrong? Based on the hugely popular video games, the Dragon Age RPG brings the excitement of BioWare’s rich fantasy world to the tabletop. This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin’s Dragon Age.
Sunday:
2pm – 4pm: Titansgrave: The Rust Wastes – Your characters will explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger and wondrous rewards. What secrets do the Rust Wastes hide? This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin’s Fantasy Age and Wil Wheaton’s world, Valkana, from his show “Titansgrave: Ashes of Valkana”.
4pm – 6pm: Titansgrave: The Rust Wastes – Your characters will explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger and wondrous rewards. What secrets do the Rust Wastes hide? This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin’s Fantasy Age and Wil Wheaton’s world, Valkana, from his show “Titansgrave: Ashes of Valkana”.
GX4 Schedule!
I’ve got some blog posts queued up, but haven’t gotten around to finish them. I’ve got drafts for Gen Con, Dragonflight, and PAX West. I planned on knocking them out, but picked up a nice 3-month contract for work, so I’m a bit behind. Maybe I will get them knocked out this week.
All that aside, I am also working on all the things I need to do for GaymerX 4 and BigBadCon. This post will be all things GaymerX! As a Tabletop Boss of Honor, it’s important for me to be out and visible as a woman who works in the games industry. I have a unique perspective in that I work in both video games and tabletop games, plus I’m old. OLD OLD OLD. Well, for vidya that is, based on the comments from people who play video games. Queue Angry Old Lady shaking her cane. Which reminds me, I need to get a new cane. My current one is old like me.
Anyway, this isn’t for me to whinge about my age or my disabilities. I can do that any time. Today, I’m putting all my GX4 stuff in one place. I love these blog posts, because it actually helps ME stay organized. So…here we go! Note: These are my official duties. I will, of course, be at the VIP party and other things for BoH to do. Here’s the Sched link to my bio and events: https://gx4.sched.org/speaker/info1951
Friday:
12pm – 2pm: How to be a Game Master – The most common reason given why not to run a game is, “I don’t know how.” This workshop will give you the tools and coaching so that you do know how.
4pm – 5pm: Navigating the Intersection of Videogames & Tabletop – This panel will look at the intersection between video games and pen & paper RPGs, and how to draw strength and learn from both sides.
7PM – 9PM: Titansgrave: The Rust Wastes – Explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger & wondrous rewards. Titansgrave is the new RPG setting created for Wil Wheaton’s RPG show, “Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana”. This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin Publishing’s Fantasy AGE game system and the Titansgrave world. Dice & characters will be provided.
9PM – 11PM: Titansgrave: The Rust Wastes – Explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger & wondrous rewards. Titansgrave is the new RPG setting created for Wil Wheaton’s RPG show, “Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana”. This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin Publishing’s Fantasy AGE game system and the Titansgrave world. Dice & characters will be provided.
Saturday:
11am – 12pm – Queer as a Three-Sided Die: Tabletop Gaymers – Join our tabletop Bosses of Honor to talk about queer issues, themes, and experiences in the tabletop gaming hobby and industry. We want to hear from you!
4pm – 5pm – Manage Session Creating Inclusive Gaming Groups & Events – Want to know how to find inclusive groups for gaming? How do you create your own gaming meet-ups? Many game groups play in public, but they’re not welcoming.
You need anti-harassment policies, a game host welcoming the new players, and relationship building with the business owner. You can do it! Our panelists will give you tips on creating safe & welcoming spaces for new players in public places.
5pm – 6pm – Manage Session Gatekeeping & Geek Policing – Geek policing and gate-keeping happens when someone shows interest in something of the nerdy persuasion, and “true fans” chase them away or “cred check”, especially towards marginalized groups. You’re not a REAL geek if you don’t like Firefly” “FEMALES don’t like strategy games” “OMG WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOVE 4TH EDITION, IT SUCKS”. These are all examples of gatekeeping & geek policing.
Sunday:
9am – 11am – The Arl’s Ransom – The Arl of Stenhold is hiring adventurers to escort his children home from an extended family visit in Denerim. The money’s good; what could go wrong? Based on the hugely popular video games, the Dragon Age RPG brings the excitement of BioWare’s rich fantasy world to the tabletop. This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin’s Dragon Age. Dice & characters will be provided!
11am – 12pm – The Arl’s Ransom – The Arl of Stenhold is hiring adventurers to escort his children home from an extended family visit in Denerim. The money’s good; what could go wrong? Based on the hugely popular video games, the Dragon Age RPG brings the excitement of BioWare’s rich fantasy world to the tabletop. This 2-hour game is an introduction to Green Ronin’s Dragon Age. Dice & characters will be provided!
3:00pm – 4:00pm – Fans vs Creators: Is there a better way? – Whether we’re talking about the 100, Ghostbusters, or your favorite video game series, there’s a sense that fandom spaces have become armed camps rather than spaces for discussion. Creators are suddenly backed against a wall feeling as if they must now justify their choices. Is that justification truly necessary? Where does the line exist between listening to one’s audience and caving to their demands? Is there such a thing as a ‘good fan’ and a ‘bad fan’, and how does one walk that line in order to participate in a healthy conversation with creators about things like representation? Is that even possible anymore?”
All things Gen Con!
I’m super duper excited about Gen Con this year, and not just because I was selected as one of the 2016 Industry Insiders. Okay that’s a big part of it.
I’m super honored to be chosen this year, and I look forward to meeting so many amazing people.
I’ll be doing my usual duties, working in the Green Ronin Publishing booth. Actually, I’ll be rocking the Geek & Sundry portion of the Gen Con booth. So stop by for some Critical Role and Titansgrave goodness. I’ll post more to my socials when I know exactly what we’re gonna be selling and doing with the team. So many secret plans! /evil *edit* Here’s everything Green Ronin and Geek & Sundry!
Before I get into more Industry Insiders stuff, I want to first thank all the old and new volunteer GMs who are bringing 90+ RPG sessions to Gen Con! We’ll be running lots of Mutants & Masterminds, Titansgrave, Fantasy AGE, Dragon Age, Song of Ice & Fire RPG, DC Adventures, some Freeport Pathfinder, and even Ork! You can do a search for Green Ronin to see all the games we’ve submitted. *gleeee*
Back to the Industry Insiders! I’ll be on a few panels for the Seminars below. Signups are live, so go ahead and add it to your schedule.
Thursday:
SEM16100220 – It’s A Jungle Out There: Safety For Gamers
Controversies over inclusivity & other issues have created a dangerous social media environment for gamers. Learn how to protect yourself online, help victims of harassment, & more.
Friday:
SEM16100219 – Inclusive Gaming: How To Host & Create A Safe & Welcoming Space For All – ICC : 241 (1pm-2pm)
Learn about creating a fun, welcoming, supportive environment for all gamers at your table, & about how to build rich, inclusive stories that your players will remember for years to come.
Saturday:
SEM16100225 – Making RPG Welcoming To New Players – ICC : 241 (10am-11am)
As the RPG & story gaming hobby grows, we need to know how to create a warm, inviting & safe atmosphere for new players. How do we do our best to make sure these players have fun & come back?
SEM16100231- Social Media & The Gaming Industry – ICC : 240 (4pm-5pm)
Social media has changed the world, & gaming is no exception. Discussion on ways to improve your online presence, market yourself & your game to prospective clients & customers.
Sunday:
SEM16100226 – Raising Money To Publish Your Board Game – ICC : 241 (11am-12pm)
Confused about Kickstarter? Flummoxed about funding? We will discuss a number of different ways to fund your board game project beyond just crowdfunding, including related legal and business issues.
Still not enough to find me? Here’s where else I will be:
Wednesday:
- Meeting Green Ronin GMs. I’ll be stationed outside the expo hall so my GMs can find me and get their badges, and whatever information. Look for my GR shirt and green hair. Come hang out with me from 1pm-7pm.
- Dinner at the Claddaugh Pub. Dinner & GM badge handouts
- Diana Jones Awards
Thursday:
- Working in the Geek & Sundry area of the Green Ronin booth, with the exception of the seminar.
- VIG Party
Friday:
- G&S at Green Ronin again. I’ll be MIA from about 10am – noon, as I wrangle the Critical Role Q&A panel, which starts at 11am. It’s free, but you need a free ticket to attend. No generics accepted. Once the ticketed folks are sat, anyone can come in without a ticket, if there is room.
- Playing Games with GR staff. Somewhere. Some time. I hope there is beer.
Saturday:
- G&S at Green Ronin, except for Seminars.
- A few of us will be attending Candlekeep Presents. Help support it by visiting Brian’s GoFundMe page.
Sunday:
- G&S at Green Ronin booth! Final seminar! Last hugs! Sales!
- GR dinner and probably some drinks in there. Hah!
GaymerX 2015 and me!
Weee! I am so excited about attending GaymerX this year! I backed the first Kickstarter, but was unable to attend. I wanted to back the second, but I was in between gigs. Now I am super jazzed that not only can I attend, but I will be one of the RPG Bosses of Honor! *squeee* Look at the amazing Bosses of Honor!
I’ve got numerous panels and three RPG sessions, plus I’ll be running around playing games as much as possible. I’ll have copies of our game Love2Hate, plus other portable card/board games. Such a nerd. I’m also up for on-the-fly demos of Dragon Age RPG and Titansgrave RPG. I’ll bring plenty of character sheets!
Friday:
Coming out in the Game Industry 1pm-2pm
From last year’s panel, we expand upon the struggles many have in coming out in the game industry, both on a personal level to friends and family, as well as a professional level to co-workers. If you are trying to find a way to be an open gaymer, come to this panel!
Titansgrave Friday, Dec 11, 2-4pm (4 spots open)
Explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger & wondrous rewards. Your characters will explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger and wondrous rewards. What secrets do the Rust Wastes hide? Titansgrave is the new RPG setting created for Wil Wheaton’s RPG show, “Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana”.
Building Inclusive Gaming Communities On & Offline 6pm-7pm
Community is the most important thing. But how do you build a community and make sure it is a healthy and welcoming one? Join us as we talk about building communities both online and offline around the things we love the most. Because we know how important it is to find like minded people who understand what we go through. Let us show you how to make sure that happens by giving you the tools and knowledge to create it yourself.
Saturday:
Diversity in Games – What’s Next? 12pm-1pm
In this panel we will explore what developers can do to include all types of players. We will also encourage open discussion with the audience to learn how the community feels the industry needs to change to make a more inclusive generation of games.
Queer as a 3-sided Die 3pm-4pm
Industry panelists lead discussion of gender and sexuality issues in gaming from design and publishing to game-play and community.
Titansgrave Saturday, Dec 12, 6-8pm (5 spots open)
Explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger & wondrous rewards. Your characters will explore the mysterious Rust Wastes, a technological graveyard in the city-state of Nestora that promises grave danger and wondrous rewards. What secrets do the Rust Wastes hide? Titansgrave is the new RPG setting created for Wil Wheaton’s RPG show, “Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana”.
Sunday:
Dragon Age Sunday, Dec 13, 10am-12pm (2 spots open)
The Arl of Stenhold is hiring adventurers to escort his children home from an extended family visit in Denerim. The money’s good; what could go wrong? Based on the hugely popular video games, the Dragon Age RPG brings the excitement of BioWare’s rich fantasy world to the tabletop.
All Your Culture Are Belong to us: Appropriation, Erasure, and RPGs 1pm-2pm
You favorite game might be problematic… but it doesn’t have to be. This panel will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of RPG’s while pointing out examples of cultural appropriation or erasure.
IGDA Board 2015 Statement
After reading a criticism regarding the IGDA Board of Directors selection for the four current openings, I remembered that I had meant to put my statement here on my blog. The criticism of the election was regarding the lack of diversity; there isn’t a single woman up for election. I am not sure how many women were nominated, but I did nominate myself. I am a firm believer in the saying, “Be the change you want to see”, so I took a stab at running for the board. Below is the statement I submitted. I also had two interviews via voice/phone, but ultimately was not selected.
My name is Donna Prior and I humbly submit my nomination for the IGDA Board of Directors. I have been in the game industry for 7 years working in Community Management for both digital and analog games. I have worked for independent studios such as Flying Lab Software and Heatwave Interactive, and also for AAA studios like SOE and Bioware. I am a frequent speaker at PAX, Gen Con, and other conventions presenting on community building, making safe and inclusive spaces, and mentoring.
My passion for community building is why I wish to foster the professional community within the IGDA. I have a deep love of transparency and supporting volunteers who dedicate their time and passion to game development.
With that in mind, these topics are my focus.
Community – Developers are beginning to see the value of strong communities, within the industry and their players. As a Community Management professional, I am able to bring feedback from Chapters, SIGs, and individuals to the Board.
Transparency – There is a gross misunderstanding of what the IGDA is and how it can support the developer community. We need more transparency to highlight the work of the IGDA and open up public feedback channels. Non-members should understand the work of the staff and the hundreds of volunteers running SIGs and Chapters. The reputation of the IGDA hasn’t always been positive, and showing the work of the IGDA regularly would be extremely helpful in underscoring the organization’s benefits.
Volunteers -. I’ve volunteered in the GDC Conference Associates program for four years, the last two as CA Staff. I manage the GM Volunteer program for Green Ronin Publishing and created my own volunteer-run games convention, OrcaCon. Volunteers are the backbone of the IGDA and there should be better recognition and support for what they do. We need to provide better training of chapters and SIGs leaders and make it easier for people to get involved. There are amazing people doing incredibly important work within the IGDA and we need to make sure they are valued.
In these things, I believe I am the best candidate. The IGDA needs Board Members who will listen: to advocate, to support, and to inspire. As a Community Manager, I know how to do this.
You can find me here:
Thank you for your consideration.
Donna Prior
Founder IGDA Community Management SIG
GDC 2015 Community Management Summit Advisory Board
GDC Conference Associate
GDC Conference Associate Staff
PAX PAX PAX 2014
I am pretty darn excited about PAX 2014 this year. I won’t be working for a games company, which is odd. But, I will still be there working! And when I say working, I mean working for my own community efforts. I’ll be mostly found up in the Diversity Lounge on the 6th floor, hosting a table for my Meetup.com group, Inclusive Geekery. If you’re looking for Backup Ribbons from the Backup Ribbon Project, I will have them at the table and also be carrying them around!
I’m so very excited to have some great volunteers working with me at the table, so I can run off do do panels and game demos. Want to find me if I am not at our table? The Diversity Lounge has 2 tables set up for schedule meetups, game demos, roundtables, and whatnot. I’ll pretty much live in the Lounge for the weekend, and here are my panels (outside the lounge) and my actual lounge activities:
Friday:
- My panel, Building Inclusive Communities in Analog Gaming. 11:30am-12:30pm Hedgehog Theatre (Grand Hyatt 1st floor). YES IT WILL BE STREAMED! WHOOIEEEE!
- Diversity Lounge (Meetup) Queer Meetup: 2pm-3pm
- Diversity Lounge (Meetup) Bisexual Women’s Meetup: 4pm-5pm
Saturday:
- Filling in on the panel, How to Love and Hate Tabletop Games. 11:30am-12:30pm Sandworm Theatre (Sheraton 2nd floor). I do not know if it is streamed.
- Diversity Lounge (Meetup) – Gay Game Industry Professionals meetup 12pm – 2pm, although it overlaps a little bith with the panel.
- Diversity Lounge (Game Demo) – Green Ronin’s Dragon Age RPG 2-hour demo 2pm-4pm. I’ll have pre-generated characters, dice, and such for you!
- Diversity Lounge (Roundtable) – Roundtable discussion about creating inclusive game/geek spaces IRL 5pm-6pm
Sunday:
- Diversity Lounge (Game Demo) – Marrying Mr. Darcy! I’ll be teaching the game from 10am-12:00pm.
- Diversity Lounge (Meetup) – The Pink Party Prime pre-party meetup! 5pm-6pm!
Monday:
- Diversity Lounge (Game Demo) – Green Ronin’s Dragon Age RPG 2-hour demo 2pm-4pm. I’ll have pre-generated characters, dice, and such for you!
Of course, I’ll be supporting lots of local inclusive groups who will drop flyers off and such. Plus, I’ll definitely be bringing information about OrcaCon 2016! Please drop by and say hello!
Hot Pink Freak 
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