March 11, 2022

New video series coming from Merely Roleplayers

All right, luvvies? I think spring might be on its way. A couple of days recently, I've happened to time going out and about to coincide with bright, fresh weather. I cannot wait for it to be beer garden season again.

Coming right up

1. Merely Roleplayers: the journey back to your ears...

2. ...and a new treat for your eyes

3. Court of the Lich Queen

4. Project Tallneck

5. Badges of anticipation

Vigil: Quarry

is the next production coming up in the Merely Roleplayers Main House, and post-production on it is progressing. All four Acts are with Helen right now for sound design and effects; while that's happening, I've been putting together the 'story so far' recaps for Acts 2-4, and this week I've been going through the episodes again to find clips to pull out as previews - like this one from the previous Vigil production:

The first episode in the Merely Roleplayers Replay series, where we look back with fondness and a tiny bit of cringe at our past productions, is also pretty much fully produced - all that's left is to write the episode description and other metadata. I've currently got that episode planned for one of the Backstage slots during Quarry. I can't put any firm dates on these yet, but the episode order for the production, is currently looking like this:

1. Vigil: Quarry, Act 1

2. Mustering (Vigil Backstage) - where we sort out the backstory connections between this set of characters

3. Vigil: Quarry, Act 2

4. Ghouls (Vigil Backstage) - where we add some more lore to the ghouls we encountered in Vigil: Cold Snap, and to the one that our Wronged, Cameron Jarvis, has specific beef with

5. Vigil: Quarry, Act 3

6. Replay: Ariadne

7. Vigil: Quarry, Act 4

8. Disbanding (Vigil Backstage) - where we reflect back on the story we just finished.

Meanwhile...

Unreal

is a roleplaying game by Josh Fox of Black Armada Games, where you play housemates on Big Brother, except something really weird is happening in the house. It's currently only available to supporters of Black Armada's Patreon, but keep an eye on their website if it sounds interesting - it'll be out for the general public to buy at some point.

Rather than getting together around a table, you play Unreal by recording diary room videos and sharing them online. I helped playtest the game - here's Glenn, played by Josh Fox, having a bad time:

And here's the playlist of all the videos our playtest group made.

While the Merely Roleplayers podcast is still temporarily off the air, a few of us are gearing up a game of Unreal to tide you all over. Our first video series! Going from audio only to showing our faces on the internet is scary, even for theatrical people, so please be kind!

Videos will soon start popping up on the Merely Roleplayers Youtube channel (if they haven't already). I'd love it if people wanted to comment in character as viewers of Big Brother!

Subscribe to Merely Roleplayers on Youtube to make sure you catch every weird piece of this brand new standalone story.

Speaking of playtesting

I played in the first playtest of Court of the Lich Queen by Ursidice the other week.

It's a Powered by the Apocalypse game, in the tradition of Monster of the Week and many of the other games we've played on Merely Roleplayers. Only instead of playing a group of action heroes, you play the monstrous Realms that make up the Lich Queen's Council, as they collude and betray their way through the final 13 years of her reign. It's political Powered by the Apocalypse.

And in case that sounds dry or high and mighty, in the playtest, my Vampire Fiefdom found itself overrun by horny psychic ghost jellyfish. And when all five Realms appointed champions to seek a fragment of the Queen's crown, they faced a riddlemaster who'd dwelled in ice for untold aeons - and the Ghoulish Principality's champion just unhinged its jaw and ate him.

I think this is going to be a good one, is what I'm saying! If it sounds like your jam, you'll want to keep an eye on Ursidice's Patreon.

Project Tallneck

is the audiodrama I'm currently writing the pilot for, and it really needs a proper working title soon, I'm getting sick of calling it this!

The second draft of the episode is going pretty well. A couple of scenes turned out to be actually pretty good already. Others are having to move around the episode, or getting new elements mixed in, or being completely reworked to make sure the script has all the drama the first episode of a new thing needs, to hook a new audience and keep them listening.

I've started listening to The Audio Drama Writers' Independent Toolkit and Indie AF for inspiration and to stay motivated as I coax this thing into shape. If you or anyone else you know are starting out in audio drama, I recommend both of these!

Badges of cool

Left: a large round pale blue badge that says "ROKIT", from the Covent Garden vintage shop of the same name.

And right: a smaller round badge with a glitchy pattern of pale pink, white and black squares and blurs. This one's merch from when CHVRCHES were touring their second album, Every Open Eye. All being well, by the time I write you the next one of these, I'll have been to see them again on the tour for their latest and greatest, Screen Violence. I've seen some photos from the US tour and I cannot flipping well wait.

Play on!

Matt x