Audio EXP Podcast: #212 – On the way and gone to court

Welcome home.

This is Audio EXP for the 30th of September, and the episode title is “On the way and gone to court”.

[The following is a transcript of Audio EXP: #212]

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Coyote and Crow is in the Spotlight this month, as voted for by Patreons.

The interview with Connor Alexander is up. In it, we discuss why it was essential that this alternative future game was very different to D&D and its clones.

Last week, I talked about the proposed changes to the Unity license, that being a software platform many games and some Virtual Tabletops use.

Since then, Smiteworks, who run Fantasy Grounds, confirmed to me that they’re happy with the proposed changes. That’s to say, Unity listened to the backlash and offered a plan B. It’s plan B that Smiteworks accepts.

All these license changes will give business owners and lawyers plenty of reading to do.

Speaking of which, do you think fantasy books are getting longer? Stats harvested from GoodReads and sent to me by LetterSolver suggest they are. The average fantasy book in 2014 was about 336 pages, and now 394.

So, fantasy books are getting longer and sci-fi are edging up, but off the 2021 record high.

I find the charts interesting because I wondered whether it was imagination or lack of time or whether recommended reads were fatter than during my student days.

We go from big books to big stories. Evil Genius was actively telling media outlets about their tussle with Netflix.

The streaming platform has cancelled Evil Genius’ involvement with the forthcoming Rebel Moon TTRPG and the games publisher is furious.

Rebel Moon is a sci-fi movie by Zach Snyder. Evil Genius was showing off some of the art and running a session at Gen Con. Months later, Netflix, according to Evil Genius, pulled the paperwork because it was supposed to be secret.

Evil Genius is suing as they presumably can’t rightly afford to have wasted so much time on the project and because, I suspect, publicity helps. The Everyday Heroes company says they have it in writing from Netflix that they could go public with the Rebel Moon details they shared.

So, where we stand now, Rebel Moon is the movie is coming but the tabletop RPG is unlikely.

Netflix is pushing on with Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. That’s an animated adventure, anime in style, and featuring the voice of Hayley Atwell. Bronwen spotted the trailer, and it’s worth watching.

The BBC has had a big trailer out, too, and that’s the 60th Anniversary Special of Doctor Who.

David Tennant is back as the Doctor, a different regeneration, but back again, and it looks like he’s up against one of the strongest villains from the very first series.

Do you debate the future of Doctor Who? The viewing figures haven’t been going in the right direction, and it’s hard to see the best road forward for this most iconic sci-fi show.

What’s not pushing forward are old-school movie rentals. Can you believe Netflix was still mailing discs? Well, not any more, as they sent the last one, and Bronwen wrote up the emotional farewell.

I guess it’s digital or dead.

Mind you, what about the old-school gaming magazine? Gone for good?

Here in the UK, Hatchette has just started the official D&D Adventurer. That’s a subscription magazine that comes with freebies like dice, DM screens and dice trays from time to time but has no plans for a digital release.

It’s hard for traditional publishers to compete when RPGs like Cloud Empress are free.

Published by worlds by watt, Cloud Empress is inspired by anime like Nausicaa, an ecological science fantasy, about 60 pages long and uses the horror rules of the Mothership RPG.

Don’t have Mothership? That’s also free if you want it to be, as it’s a Pay What You Want download.

Now, I’ve a host of bundles and a competition to tell you about in the outro. Starting off is Your Best Game on Itch.

The premise here is that dozens of indie publishers put their best games, which didn’t do as well as they hoped into the deal. It’s like a second chance. It also strikes me as a clever way for game buyers to find a classic in waiting.

In the Bundle of Holding, there’s the Novel Writing Game Tools 2023 offer. That’s one that helps you write and is designed to help prep for this year’s NaNoWriMo, or National Novel-Writing Month. Are you doing the challenge this year?

Newstand Press’ fantasy in the skies, Flying Circus is also in Holding.

If you’re swift then there are two in Humble. The first one is a collection of VR games, including Grim Lord and he deluxe edition of After the Fall.

The second, with days left, is from Blackstone Publishing and has iconic sci-fi and fantasy audiobooks. It’s tempting me.

Lastly, let’s get to that competition I told you about, and it is restricted to UK and Ireland only. Sorry, gang. It’s for the 50th anniversary of The Wicker Man and is a chance to win a special t-shirt that’s not, and may never be, in shops.

And on that note, don’t mess with spooky villages and I will see you next week.