24 March 2014

Another Sporadic Update

I really should try to update this blog more often. I don't usually think about it, to be honest. Life consists of work, family, and the occasional game. Is there really enough time to write on my blog? Or, better yet, do I have anything interesting to say?

This evening I'll be appearing on my friend Peter's vidcast, Mythwits, to talk about games, gaming, and (of course!) my contributions to WildStar. If you're free and willing to listen to (and even watch) me discussing the creative endeavors of my life, tune in. The show starts at 9:30pm EST (that's 6:30pm for all us west-coasters).

Work at Carbine has been hectic. WildStar is set to launch in June, and there are plenty of things for me to work on in the meantime. This is pretty exciting, overall. I haven't launched a title since the late lamented Warhammer Online went live. There are some parallels to WildStar and WAR, but not many. WildStar is definitely its own beast, and one that I'll be proud to see running free out in the wild.

I've also continued to freelance. Most of the projects I've contributed to haven't been announced, so I can't so much as tease you with generalities, much less specifics. One title has been announced, though, and that's Fantasy Flight Games' Age of Rebellion. It's the second of FFG's Star Wars role-playing games. Whereas Edge of the Empire covered the fringes of galactic society and the scum that dwell there, Age of Rebellion focuses on the war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance.

My contribution to Age of Rebellion is the adventure that appears at the end of the book. I'm very excited to see it in print later this year. I haven't had an RPG product with my name on it since Galaxy of Intrigue was released by WotC back in 2010. Part of the reason I stopped freelancing back then was lack of time, but I think it mostly had to do with Wizards' loss of the Star Wars license.

Ever since, I've missed freelancing. I mean, it's awesome being able to write about the things you enjoy and to create things that other players will find interesting and fun. Plus, it's Star Wars, which I've loved since I was three or four. My kids are also coming to grips with what their dad does, both in the office and when he wears his mercenary freelancer hat at home. My little girl spotted a book I'd worked on years ago (the Future Player's Companion) and was delighted to see my name on the cover.

As far as gaming is concerned, I'm still plugging away. My home gaming group and I have been playtesting my last freelance project out (sorry, I can't tell you what it is). It's been fun so far. At work, I started a Hollow Earth Expedition game with six of my co-workers. We've played one session so far, and it's going to be interesting to see where it goes.

Oh, and this morning, I found out that Dave Brockie died yesterday. Dave was the lead singer for GWAR, one of my favorite bands dating back to my high school years. I've seen them in concert about four or five times, the most recent show being last October. It's not like I knew Dave personally (though I did shake his hand once), but I've certainly enjoyed his antics. I wonder if the rest of the band will keep GWAR alive or not.

That's about it. Time to get back to work!