The Future of E-sports: League of Legends

If you unwittingly tuned into the League of Legends Season 2 Championship, you might have thought it was a major sports event.  All of the key elements you’d expect were present: the screaming crowds, the fan-made signs being waved in the air, the girls swooning over the competitors, the announcers dressed in sharp suits discussing the teams… But when you looked at the details, things started to become confusing. Read On »

Roleplaying vs. Roll-playing – Pen & Paper RPGs Part III

When it comes to sitting around the table with your chums for a pen-and-paper session, there are precautions you will want to take before you get your campaign in gear.  Pen-and-paper games are supposed to be fun, cooperative ventures.  Nothing is worse than seeing friendships crumble, arguments erupt, or game sessions end over mismatched expectations.  This week’s column will help you spot these common pitfalls and roll a natural 20 in avoiding them. Read On »

Dread – Pen & Paper RPGs Part II

If you’re a veteran of pen and paper games  who wants to try something exciting, a new player who wants to dabble in the shallow end of the pool before diving into more complicated systems or a player who is returning to the table after a long absence, Dread is the perfect game for you. Dread is a horror game with unique mechanics and character creation that will lead to tense and brutal gaming sessions.  It is one of the few titles that can only be played in person, and when done well it will leave you with an experience you’ll be talking about for years.  Interested?  Read on to find out how the dizzying depths of Dread will shake you up more than any game of Dungeons and Dragons. Read On »

Breaking the Gender Barrier in Gaming

I’ve been playing video games since I was four years old. I’ve scaled Mount Hyrule and plunged through Zora’s Domain. I’ve run through every castle in the Mushroom Kingdom until I found the princess.  I’ve stopped international conspiracies by nefarious weapons corporations using my secret agent skills.  I’ve saved Azeroth more times than I can count. I battled off the Zerg and the Protoss from the Koprulu Sector.  I’ve saved my Vault from dying of thirst, and found the GECK for my people. I’ve even rallied the galaxy to fight off the Reapers.  And yet there’s one barrier that I have yet to surpass as a gamer: my gender. Read On »

Roll the Bones – Pen and Paper RPGs Part I

Harman J. Peterson had only been a vampire for a year, but within the space of a week he found himself bound up in the slimy politics of the Camarilla. He had been a government man all his life, so oddly enough, he was right at home wheeling and dealing over DC with the undead.  Today though, he was a little unmatched.  He showed up to a game of Baccarat to try to bargain with the local fat cats, maybe get them to realize that the Sabbat clan weren’t their buddies at all.  He wasn’t expecting Solomon Hurst, head of the Sabbat, the butcher of Baltimore, to be on the other side of the table.  Hurst ruled the Sabbat, and he wanted to reign over DC too.  He was charismatic enough to convince the local politicians that a rule under undead tyrants who believed men were but meals would be best for them.  Harman knew that he’d be in for the fight of his life.

The situation laid out above sounds absolutely insane. Vampires?  DC?  Camarilla and Sabbat?  Does anyone even play Baccarat anymore?  But you have to admit, there’s a certain appeal there, a danger, a je ne sais quoi.  Welcome to tabletop pen and paper roleplaying. Read On »

It Takes a Village…Tribunal: League of Legends’ Community

“Why do I play this game?” I groan and rub my temples with my fingers.

“That’s what we ask you every day, Cass,” my friend replies wearily through Ventrilo.

Chances are, if you follow professional gaming or free-to-play games, you’ve heard of League of Legends. The free-to-play MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) is a veritable powerhouse among online games right now.  Riot Games takes their product very seriously; it is clearly a labor of love at its heart.  It’s possible that the care and upkeep of the game is what attracts the millions of players; maybe it’s the pool of one hundred champions to choose from, each with unique abilities and skills; it could be the white hot tournament circuit which boasts a prize pool of five million dollars and a hundred thousand viewers.  Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that League of Legends is a significant game:  Riot Games’s massive success is a classic David and Goliath tale; the tournaments are home to some of the most entertaining personalities in professional gaming; and the staff do their best to interact with the community.  Riot Games’ efforts have made them a champion of community moderation, and more importantly, public perception of their image and brand. Read On »