Acquisitions Incorporated – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com The best place on earth for nerds. Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:41:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-nerds_head_thumb2-100x100.png Acquisitions Incorporated – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com 32 32 All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, under one umbrella. We create short run podcasts for nerds, covering D&D, Marvel, Starfinder, and more! You vote for your favorite shows and they just might get a second season. Acquisitions Incorporated – Nerds on Earth false episodic Acquisitions Incorporated – Nerds on Earth jason.sansbury@nerdsonearth.com podcast All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, the best place on Earth for nerds. Acquisitions Incorporated – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/noe-podcast-logo.png https://nerdsonearth.com/blog/ An Interview with Teos Abadia, Co-creator of D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated https://nerdsonearth.com/2019/07/teos-abadia-interview/ Fri, 12 Jul 2019 19:44:07 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=24962

Teos Abadia is one of the creators of the incredible D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated book. We interview him about this new addition to the D&D canon.

The post An Interview with Teos Abadia, Co-creator of D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>

I’ve kidnapped Teos Abadia–one of the authors of the excellent D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated book–and hauled him back to Nerds on Earth HQ for questioning. I cast a 7th level Geas spell on him, so he has no choice but to answer my questions fully.

Clave: First question, Teos, what’s your origin story?

Teos: Thanks for having me on, Clave! I began in South America when I was 11. We played Basic and AD&D in a mix of Spanish and English and we barely knew what we were doing… but it was awesome.

Clave: I love stories about playing D&D a kid! It’s funny how people argue so much about rules nowadays, because we didn’t even know the rules back then. We were just having fun playing!

But it’s a long way from an eleven-year-old kid to being a developer for the latest D&D book. And rather than talk details about the book itself–Spoiler: It’s EXCELLENT–I’d love to hear about your experience of making the book.

Teos: It was a truly different world back then, and finding tips and tricks was much harder! Along those lines, in 2000 (and now in the US) I became heavily involved in organized play. Playing and DMing at many tables really improved my game and I began to volunteer by writing for the programs.

Someone at Wizards of the Coast saw something I had written for a Dark Sun organized play campaign during the 4E days, and it led to writing for them and later for other companies. Some of the coolest projects were ones meant to be played at conventions with several tables all interacting with the same adventure and each other.

One of those projects was the adventure Cloud Giants Bargain. This was an Acquisitions Inc (Acq Inc) themed adventure released in movie theaters as a Fathom event, where people could see the PAX West Acquisitions Inc livestream on the big screen.

[Editor’s Note: Here is a quick history of Acquisitions Incorporated for those who want to catch up on the basics before we move on.]

Teos: By amazing luck, at that PAX I ran into Jerry Holkins (of Penny Arcade and PAX and Acq Inc) and we began to scheme about his idea of someday writing an actual hardback book.

Clave: Hey, you call it luck but I call it providence, because I’m really happy that happenstance meeting got the wheels turning!

Teos: It was also perseverance. It was three years from the start of that conversation until the book’s launch!

Clave: You brought up that the book is a partnership between D&D and Penny Arcade (PA). That’s unusual, but it totally makes sense considering the huge success of the Acquisitions Incorporated live shows. Yet it sounds like a complicated process and I don’t even know how to ask a question about the steps of bringing together all the editors, writers, artists, and more that it took to make this book, other than just letting you explain it to me like I’m dumb. So, fill me in and I might interject with a followup. OK?

Teos: So, the way it happened was that Penny Arcade (Jerry and Mike) had the idea. In particular, Jerry had the impetus and the passion. He wanted an adventure and a book that could help anyone game in the Acq Inc (AI) world. To have the essential elements they need for that kind of play.

They hired Elyssa Grant originally to produce the book, though she ended up doing so much more for the conventions, the C-Team, and more. So, Penny Arcade was slowly but surely thinking over the project and finally they asked me to begin putting together a team and an outline.

Shawn Merwin had written an AI adventure for a PAX convention and he is an amazing writer and mentor, so he was an easy choice to help me. He has also written hardback books before. This was my first one. We both recommended Scott Fitzgerald Gray, who is an amazing editor and developer (and much more) and he came on and immediately made everything better.

The three of us worked with Jerry and Elyssa to create the outline and finally Shawn and I began writing. The PA team added a ton to that, adding art pieces, working with the AI stars to add quotes and comments, adding the intro and many super-hilarious tables, and much more.

Then, around the time we were finishing the draft, PA and Wizards of the Coast (WotC) were speaking and I would guess that the early conversation was around whether the Forgotten Realms could be used. It seems that the conversations grew into the idea of it being a WotC book, and the draft then went to WotC for approval.

Some sections were rewritten or adjusted to be in line with what they do and don’t want to be in a D&D product, but overall the final version was surprisingly close to what we started with at the PA level.

Part of that is probably that Shawn and I have worked with WotC many times before, so we understand the language of D&D and the approach of official projects. And Scott F Gray is involved in just about every official D&D product. He constantly coached us on staying within the lines of a WotC product, even before it was a WotC product.

But, yeah, it’s an incredible process. For example, the monster section has to consider where monster text starts and ends, plus the art. You can’t just write. You need a specific target word count based on the art for that monster and whether it’s 1 page or less for that one monster.

So, you have to know the art before you write, even at a hazy level. Each section of the adventure, even each chapter, had specific word count targets.

Clave: Wow, that really was a team effort! Add to that the perseverance you mentioned earlier and you have what you need for a proper D&D party of heroes!

One of the things I love about the book is that it certainly feels like a D&D 5e book, so it fits nicely with the other books in the 5e line, yet it also manages to add some real freshness to the line as well.

Teos: We were honestly braver at coming up with wild ideas because it was originally a Penny Arcade book. We knew that they like wacky ideas. If you watch the C-Team, Jerry invented the ideas of the Positions. Each character has this position/job, and the position grants these incredible loose powers, such as the cartographer telling a travel story and they basically “map travel” to their destination.

We embraced that kind of open wild creativity because originally it was a PA book. We worked hard to use the language of D&D and have it feel like D&D, but had it originally been for WotC we probably would have played it safer and more subdued. I think this was the best of both worlds.

Clave: Perhaps my favorite part is the humor. It’s very very in line with the Acquisitions Incorporated live shows. And D&D should be fun, so the humor is such a welcome add! I think what I’m asking is, who was your joke writer?

Teos: Joke writer? We are all joke writers!

Humor was a team effort. Each of us added humor as we wrote and then we would read over our bits and make suggestions. Scott is really good at knowing when to edit humor, adding more or changing the wording for maximum effect. He was great on Cloud Giant’s Bargain.

Elyssa, Jerry, the entire PA team added humor. And the callout boxes where famous characters add their humorous opinions – those usually come from the players of those characters. That was a goal from the outline stage.

Clave: Do you really expect me to believe the jokes weren’t outsourced to Nate Bargatze or somebody? I’m rolling a sense motive!

Teos: Ha-ha!

Clave: But, seriously, I love it.

Teos: Thank you. I do too! I would read a section that Shawn wrote and I would be laughing out of my chair.

Clave: What are your hopes for the new player content and it’s place in the D&D community? For example, are you hearing stories yet of groups designing their own Fan-chises® for their home D&D games?

Teos: I am! I’m addicted to following the #AcqIncBook hashtag and seeing what people are up to. There are at least two livestream shows using the rules already!

But, my big hope is that it serves multiple audiences. We are at this amazing point in time where RPG fans are coming from all kinds of places. Livestreams, conventions, video games, novels, comics, TV shows, seeing the product at Target, you name it.

We wanted the rules in the book to stretch D&D a bit, but not just for an AI fan. We wanted these to be really cool and useful rules for anyone that wants their party to own something. It can be a brewery or a spy ring, an eldritch laboratory or a trading house. To do that, I secretly playtested the rules in my own home campaign without any AI context at all. They worked really well.

Clave: I love it. Your creation is running loose in the wild! And I whole-heartedly agree with you that it the book serves multiple audiences, from hard-core Acq Inc fans to those who have never watched one of the shows.

*Looks around sheepishly* I’m, uh, not actually current with Acq Inc myself. Don’t hate me! I just couldn’t keep up when it went to multiple shows a year, plus spin-offs. But even with my dated familiarity with the source material, I loved the book! So, lots of audiences is what I’m saying.

Teos: It is mind boggling and intimidating and humbling and awesome to see something we created in people’s hands. An official book? This is honestly the most incredible moment in my gaming life/career. My kids are excited. My wife is excited. My mom (English teacher, poet) asked me to give her a signed copy.

It’s funny. A lot of my closest friends don’t follow AI. I’m in a very non-streaming crowd, other than me. But it’s clearly a huge audience. All my friends apologize for not watching, but no apology is needed. I hope they find the rules work well in any campaign, without AI knowledge.

The core concept of AI is hopefully universal. It’s the adventurer who is motivated by loot. I have this old copy of the A-series modules, the slaver series. And in A4 there is this town you are supposed to be helping. My copy has all these scribbled notes on it, IN MY HANDWRITING, that clearly shows that back in the ’80s I totally allowed the party to go around looting and stealing from every single shop!

Clave: I loved A4. I remember that one from when I was a kid as well!

But I actually want to detour from the book, if that’s OK. You brought up some good stuff. RPG fans very much are coming from lots of places. Let’s get meta. I’d love to hear your perspective on what you think this might mean for future D&D products or just some high-level thoughts on the state of D&D right now.

Teos: I wonder what it means for future products as well. I suspect this began as a one-off, but having sold so well I think it shows the potential to reach out to diverse audiences. We can write for multiple audiences, which is to say one audience that we’ve ignored and another audience that is the typical core audience.

I think it makes sense for the entire hobby to look at the international market, at livestreaming, at different fandoms, and identify ways to server all these atypical gamers.

Clave: Well, the effects of the Geas spell is wearing thin, so before you are released, I want to thank you again for your contribution to Acq Inc. It’s a great book and a great addition to D&D. And thank you so much for giving of your time to share the lore of how it came to be.

Next time we’ll reminisce more about A4. Better yet, I hope we get to talk about future D&D products you’ll be involved with!

Teos: I truly appreciate your kind words. This was the hardest work I’ve put in on any writing project. It was a ton of writing at a tough time, and required a lot to get the quality level we wanted. It’s an honor to get to help with AI and D&D. I’m really glad you like it. I look forward to the next time, Clave!


Follow Teos on Twitter: @alphastream. And you can buy D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated by clicking here.

The post An Interview with Teos Abadia, Co-creator of D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>
Acquisitions Incorporated: The Comically Corporate New Book for D&D https://nerdsonearth.com/2019/06/acquisitions-incorporated-the-comically-corporate-new-book-for-dd/ Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:00:09 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=24658

D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated is a book made in partnership with Penny Arcade that brings the comically corporate live-play from PAX to your table.

The post Acquisitions Incorporated: The Comically Corporate New Book for D&D appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>

D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated is a wonderful book. The charm and wit leaps off the pages like Funfetti® and the content is presented with the confidence of Prince strutting into a bachelorette party.

I think D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated is a must have for your D&D library.

So I’ll now spend the next 800 words talking about the content in order to hopefully convince you to smash that ‘Buy Now’ button.

Let’s go chapter by chapter.

Chapter 1 of D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated (AI) provides a brief overview of AI itself before closing with a few charts that allow you to quickly generate a franchise for play in your D&D games. The chapter is slight but it’s a great intro for anyone who might be thinking, “What in the Sam Hill tarnation is Acquisitions Incorporated anyway?”

That’s a fair question because relatively few players will come from a background of watching the early AI games, although the popular live shows at various PAX conventions were the first example of huge audiences getting invested into a game of D&D that they weren’t playing and were the precursor to the “live play mania” we find ourselves in today.

I was all-in on watching AI years ago, but I quickly trailed off when they began to launch spin-offs like C-Team, because I have a life and can’t be bothered to watch a gajillion hours of YouTube a week. (Here is a dive into those early years.)

So, how many folks are fairly familiar with the broad strokes of AI like I am, how many are hardcore fans who are current with the storylines and characters, and how many D&D players have no idea who Jim Darkmagic even is? It hardly matters because the book actually does a fine job appealing to all those audiences.

  1. Casuals like me will enjoy to little nods and winks we recognize while also appreciating the flexibility of the book (more on this later).
  2. Hardcore Current AI fans will be thrilled to see their favorite characters from YouTube statted out on the page, while also providing the opportunity to create their own adventuring fan-chise® for their home games.
  3. Newbies will enjoy the player options and downtime rules that can be pilfered, although they’ll certainly become AI fans in the process.

So, you’ve set up an organization for your D&D game. Chapter 2 gives rules, examples, and guidance for how you advance that fan-chise®, including expanding your headquarters.

But you have to pull your weight to work for AI, so the real fun of Chapter 2 are some excellently done job descriptions for positions within the organizations. Have you have been a “documancer” in a D&D game? A “lore monger?” An “occultist?”

Well, polish up the resumé, because AI has a position for you. Downtime has never been so fun in the 40+ year history of D&D.

Chapter 3 is player options! The chapter starts with several new backgrounds, including Rival Intern with the “Inside Informant” feature.

I bring this up because I think a wonderful side benefit of D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated isn’t just that players can create a fully formed organization but that dungeon masters (DMs) can create a rival organization.

Imagine the fun that could be had over the course of a campaign if the players are constantly bumping up against a rival organization that is thwarting their plans or beating them to the punch. This book is a treasure for DMs and I’m pointing that out in the middle of a chapter on player options no less.

Each D&D class also receives some love in the form of player options that offer thematical enhancements. There is also a new race! The verdan must be from later AI games because I’m not familiar, but I loved what I read. It’s another great add from the book.

Chapter 4–The Orrery of the Wanderer–is an adventure that encompasses the back half of the book and takes characters from levels 1-6 in a way that dovetails excellently with the theme of an adventuring organization.

I haven’t played the adventure obviously but I did give it a thorough read. Without spoiling it, I can whole-heartedly confirm that it wonderfully fits with the humorous mishaps that folks expect from AI. I’ll gladly apply as an intern for the adventure.

The book closes with the various Appendixes that are coming for D&D 5th Edition books. Major Acquisitions Incorporated characters are shared as NPCs, new monsters like the AI-iconic Keg Robot are included, and the Battle Balloon and Mechanical Beholder, two well-known AI vehicles, are there.

Casual D&D players will enjoy this book, as the class and company position options are well-implementing and darned entertaining. DMs will love this book for the included adventure or the dragon’s horde of ways it can be pilfered for home-brew games. Longtime Acquisitions Incorporated fans will love this book because it excellently captures the feel and flavor of the games that they’ve watched on YouTube.

The art design is perfect, as the images are fun and colorful. The layout of the book is incredible, as the textures, colors, and design of everything couldn’t be better. The writing is off-the-charts, as the text is not only clear, it’s clever and hilarious as well.

It’s the rare book that attempts to be something for everyone–players and dungeon masters alike–and succeeds with aplomb. Hats off to both the D&D and the Penny Arcade teams.

D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated is gorgeously designed, sharply written, and incredibly funny. In short, it’s exactly on brand. Just like a Acquisitions Incorporated product should be.

Buy D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated here or, better yet, pick it up at your local FLGS.


If you want to watch just one AI episode, I recommend the one below. Chris Perkins is the world’s greatest DM, Scott Kurtz and Mike Krahulik play off one another hilariously, and as far as entertainment value, the 2 hours of this show are more captivating than most movies you’ll watch.

[Disclosure: Wizards of the Coast provided Nerds on Earth with a copy of D&D: Acquisitions Incorporated in exchange for an honest review.]

The post Acquisitions Incorporated: The Comically Corporate New Book for D&D appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>
Chris Perkins of D&D to Deliver the Keynote Address at PAX South https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/01/chris-perkins-of-dd-to-deliver-the-keynote-address-at-pax-south/ Fri, 06 Jan 2017 16:11:37 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=11586

Well, this is some interesting news for fans of both Dungeons and Dragons and of Penny Arcade and PAX. Chris Perkins, the principal story designer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast, will give the opening keynote for the attendees at PAX South 2017. PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) is a big deal and, although […]

The post Chris Perkins of D&D to Deliver the Keynote Address at PAX South appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>

Well, this is some interesting news for fans of both Dungeons and Dragons and of Penny Arcade and PAX. Chris Perkins, the principal story designer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast, will give the opening keynote for the attendees at PAX South 2017.

PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) is a big deal and, although PAX South is one of the more low-key PAX events, it has still sold out with tens of thousands of three day tickets having already been purchased for the January 27 – 29, 2017, event that celebrates gaming culture.

Chris Perkins is no stranger to PAX. He has been the Dungeon Master for the annual Acquisitions Incorporated D&D show that has been played in front of a live audience for years at several PAX events. But this is the first time that the game has been played live at PAX South, signaling that Wizards and the Coast and Penny Arcade had enjoyed their partnership and wish to press forward for more.

For those who don’t know, Penny Arcade masterminds Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik play D&D characters in Perkins’ Acquisitions Incorporated game. They are joined by fellow comic creator Scott Kurtz (PVP) and fantasy writer Patrick Rothfuss. We give you the full skinny on Acquisitions Incorporated here.

But even as Perkins is no stranger to PAX, him giving the keynote address is a big deal, as he joins the ranks of Wil Wheaton, Peter Molyneux, Ted Price, Jane McGonigal, and Kim Swift, all well known figures in nerd culture or video gaming.  What might it mean for D&D that Chris Perkins has been tapped to deliver the keynote?

It might signal more D&D being filmed for an audience. We’ve written before about that stratospheric rise of D&D as a spectator sport. In addition to Acquisitions Incorporated, there is the insanely popular Critical Role. And let’s not forget that the last Acq Inc was simulcast into movie theaters.

Clearly, this has been a financial and public relations win for both D&D and Penny Arcade. Perhaps Chris Perkins is delivering the keynote in order to make announcements about the future of the partnership. A second season of Acq Inc: The Series is in store perhaps.

It might mean new products from D&D that includes a video game tie-in. PAX mainly celebrates video games, so it wouldn’t be crazy for Wizards of the Coast to want to use that venue to announce upcoming plans in the digital realm. Of course, that would require Wizards of the Coast to have a new D&D game to announce, which is doubtful. But with the latest D&D video game being a flop, you’d think they’d want to jump back quickly into the market.

Movie news? This is crazy wild speculation, but maybe Chris Perkins will drop some hints about the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons movie. Movie news is unlikely, but PAX is a good crowd, so it would be a nice place to generate buzz.

It’s probably simpler than all that. Chris Perkins is a natural entertainer. He’s great in front of a crowd and he excels at telling stories. It’s likely he was picked to give the keynote because he’d do a good job at energizing the crowd in anticipation of a great weekend. He could regale the gaming hoard with stories of past Acquisitions Incorporated events, plus tease the next day’s session. He could thank them for their support while he got a couple of laughs. The keynote would be a total success.

A full list of PAX South 2017 exhibitors will be announced a little later. The full line up of panels at PAX South 2017 is now available via the PAX South site website. The panels include, of course,
the Acquisitions Incorporated game on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2 pm. PAX co-founders Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik will play a hilarious round of Dungeons & Dragons with Chris Perkins serving as Dungeon Master. It was already one of the most popular panels at every PAX West. Now, the Acquisitions Incorporated game will make its PAX South debut with a lead-in of Perkins as the keynote speaker.

The post Chris Perkins of D&D to Deliver the Keynote Address at PAX South appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>
The NERDIE Award for the Most Excellent RPG EXPERIENCE of 2016 https://nerdsonearth.com/2016/12/best-rpg-2016/ Sun, 11 Dec 2016 13:09:30 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=10833

What was the best tabletop RPG experience of 2016? Nerds on Earth presents the Nerdie Award for Most Excellent RPG Experience of 2016.

The post The NERDIE Award for the Most Excellent RPG EXPERIENCE of 2016 appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>

The Nerdies” are the end-of-year awards from Nerds on Earth. They are only awarded to the most excellent, and are selected by our writers, with input from readers via our Facebook page.

Our category today is “Most Excellent RPG Experience”, which is a little more loosey-goosey in terms of interpretation, so I’ll explain as I go. Let’s get to our slate of nominees!

The NERDIE Award for the Most Excellent RPG EXPERIENCE of 2016

Our nominees for the best RPG experience of 2016 are the following:

  1. Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e)
  2. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game (Pathfinder RPG)
  3. Online gaming platforms such as Roll20.net.
  4. Visual performance roleplaying such as Acquisitions Incorporated.

Let’s go through these one by one.

D&D 5e WarlockD&D 5e had a great year in 2016, releasing Curse of Strahd and Storm King’s Thunder, a couple of great adventures. They also opened those adventures up to digital licensing deals, which we’ll get to in a moment.

And let’s not overlook the obvious when it comes to D&D 5e: the rules system is wonderful and that along makes it worthy of a Nerdie Award nomination. I, for one, hope D&D 5e lasts another 10 years.

But while D&D related some great products in 2016, their release schedule is measured. And although there is an abundance on material related via DMsGuild.com, the quality there is often pee pee poor. Did they do enough in 2016 to take an award that honors overall experience?

pathfinder core rulebook coverThe Pathfinder RPG continues to display great creativity and a consumer-minded approach to products, despite it being over a decade old, which in gaming years might as well be longer than the lifespan of an elf.

Pathfinder by Paizo is committed to producing pretty much any product that a gamer might be able to use at their table. But while this shotgun approach could flood a small market, Paizo continues to bring great thoughtfulness and creativity to their products. A book like 2016’s Horror Adventures could have been a sign that they’ve wrung every ounce of juice out of the turnip, but it’s just as fresh as some of the very first books they published.

Perhaps the volume of materials they produce for gamers, coupled with the continued excellence and creativity that goes into their products, is why readers voted Pathfinder as their choice for the 2016 Nerdie Award for the Most Excellent RPG Experience.

roll20_videoRoll20 is allowing more gaming groups to meet despite the physical distance between them.  Roll20 boasts tens of thousands of users who live in different cities or countries, yet can play roleplay together through video conferencing and a sharing digital tabletop (Roll20 relates usage numbers each quarter).

The digital tabletop allows users to be looking at the same map together as well as be able to move and manipulate their digital pawns. Us Nerds on Earth writers have rigged up a similar system that allows us to game together, despite many of us living in Atlanta and others living in Minneapolis.

Before I go any further, I should be clear that I’m lumping Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and other digital gaming platforms into a single pool. The intent here is not to elevate one platform over another, instead it is highlight that tabletop role players in 2016 are now able to play tabletop roleplaying games despite being separated by physical distance. Digital tabletops took a step forward to come into their own in 2016.

Acquisitions IncorporatedAcquisitions Incorporated has shown that it can be entertaining to watch other people play Dungeons and Dragons. Starting out as a pretty rough podcast, Acquisitions Incorporated (AI) morphed into being played live in a 2,000 seat theater at PAX (the full AI history is shared here).

But it turns out that watching players like the artists behind Penny Arcade, Patrick Rothfuss, Morgan Webb, and Wil Wheaton play D&D was super entertaining. So entertaining that their last live session at PAX was broadcast into movie theaters around the country.

Between AI, Critical Roll, and great podcasts like the Glass Cannon (GCP), we learned in 2016 that D&D is a spectator sport.

The 2016 NERDIE Award Goes to Acquisitions Incorporated

Indeed, the incredible popularity of watching others play D&D is the most excellent RPG experience in 2016. So…

This year’s NERDIE AWARD goes to Acquisitions Incorporated.

It was difficult to choose among a slate of four very deserving options, but 2016’s rise of spectator D&D was too important to ignore. D&D 5e continues to bring in brand new players, most due to the fact that anyone can watch a video like this one:

As can be seen in the video above, a two hour session of AI is funnier than any television sitcom and is more captivating than most big budget motion pictures. It’s no wonder that spectator D&D is drawing new players into the fold.

No doubt, D&D 5e will release new products in 2017 that will be just as brilliant as the adventures that were related in 2016. Acquisitions Incorporated will bring those adventures to a screen where hundreds of thousands of people will view them.

Pathfinder will release more incredible products in 2017 that will continue to be both creative and consumer-minded. In fact, Pathfinder was the reader’s vote winner on Facebook for the 2016 Nerdie Award. But while 2016 was another solid year for Pathfinder, 2017 will see the release of Starfinder. So watch out for Paizo next year.

Roll20 continued to gain steam in 2016, yet despite the gains, the use of technology in a small niche like RPGs isn’t quite on par with surrounding industries. Still, we’re thankful for the gains and look forward to more next year.

But in 2016 spectator D&D like Glass Cannon, Critical Roll, and especially Acquisitions Incorporated, both entertained long time role players, plus brought in legions of new players into the hobby. That along makes them the worthy recipient of the 2016 Nerdie Award for the Most Excellent RPG Experience.

[ninja-inline id=10231]

The post The NERDIE Award for the Most Excellent RPG EXPERIENCE of 2016 appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>
What’s Behind the Incredible Popularity of Watching Others Play D&D? https://nerdsonearth.com/2016/09/live-dnd/ Thu, 15 Sep 2016 11:00:44 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=9264

Live D&D like Acquisitions Incorporated, Critical Role, and Force Grey is blowing up. So what's behind the incredible popularity of watching others play D&D?

The post What’s Behind the Incredible Popularity of Watching Others Play D&D? appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>

When I was a kid I used to love making D&D characters. It was long before digital character sheets like Hero Lab, so I’d stat them up on sheet of notebook paper with a #2 pencil, then thumb through the Player’s Handbook, filling their backpack with all sorts of great gear for adventuring.

Although I had some great roleplaying sessions when I was a kid, I never really had a consistent group to play with, which goes to show you that finding a good gaming group has been the struggle of nerds for decades. But I LOVED Dungeons and Dragons, so rolling up characters was sort of my “lonely fun”, a way to have a little D&D in my life, albeit without the, uh, actual D&D.

Acquisitions Incorporated
Image: Polygon.com

Fast forward three decades and I still participate in some lonely fun when it comes to D&D, but today’s digital world makes it d20 crit more entertaining. And in an ironic twist that we’ll discuss in more detail later, I’m not alone in my lonely fun. D&D fans from all over are using the time in between actually playing D&D to have a little lonely fun through watching others play D&D.

Watching others play D&D (or listening to others play, as is the case with the excellent Glass Cannon Podcast) doesn’t seem like the most entertaining way to spend down time, but viewing numbers are shooting through the roof.

The shining star example of this was the recent Acquisitions Incorporated event that was telecast live via Fathom Events. For those of you who didn’t connect the dots on what that means, here it is: A collection a people sitting around a table rolling dice was broadcast live into hundreds of movie theaters around the country, with others buying movie tickets to watch it. Unreal.

640
Matt Mercer is the DM, while Chris Hardwick is a player in Force Grey.

We’ve covered Acquisitions Incorporated before, so read this if you want a deeper dive, but the Cliff Notes version is that the artists from Penny Arcade and PVP began to play Dungeons and Dragons together. Beginning years ago as a podcast, its popularity grew to the point that they began to invite fans to watch them play live sessions at their PAX conventions.

The next thing you know it is being shown live in movie theaters around the country. Little 11-year-old me never saw that coming when I was creating characters alone in my room.

So let’s spare a few thoughts for this wild world we live in where people watch other people play D&D:

  1. I didn’t come up with the term lonely fun. I heard it from someone else, who undoubtedly heard it from someone else. But there is a certain kinship in that, as it shows that there are nerds all over who have enjoyed D&D solo, despite not being able to consistently join a group.
  2. Lonely fun is more funner than ever. Us nerds have always wanted some way to engage in D&D between sessions. Critical Role, The Glass Cannon Podcast, Acquisitions Incorporated, and others are providing great entertainment that scratches that itch. I stand by the fact that this episode of Acquisitions Incorporated is just as entertaining and enjoyable as most 100 million dollar summer blockbusters.
  3. It’s not entirely without it’s concerns. I do worry that a slickly produced series like Force Grey might create unrealistic expectations for the casual fans who are sitting around the dining room table. After all, most dungeon masters aren’t professional voice actors like Matt Mercer, who DMs Force Grey, and most players aren’t professional comedians like Chris Hardwick, who is a player in the game. But despite the Hollywood slickness, it is undoubtedly a net positive, even if we all need to keep in mind that our home games shouldn’t be viewed through the lens of filmed entertainment.
  4. That said, live D&D is a great teaching tool. I’ve heard from tons of other nerds that watching the way Chris Perkins DMs Acquisition Incorporated has both given them ideas and confidence as a dungeon master in their home games. If you want to improve, watch and learn from the masters, in other words. Plus, live play podcasts like the Glass Cannon have spin off episodes that are devoted to giving tips and behind the scenes information for DMs and players alike. This is good for the industry as a whole.
  5. Finally, live play is reaching further than ever. I don’t think many fans could have predicted that watching D&D would rise to the level of showings in movie theaters, but this latest event was quite the good time. And it is drawing in new fans, evidenced by the fact that I was accompanied by a couple of newbs who were brand new to Acquisitions Incorporated.

Watching others play D&D has never been more popular and the quality of the live play has never been better. The recent Acquisitions incorporated event proved that without a doubt. Sure, it might seem lonely to watch YouTube when you’d rather be hosting a game around your kitchen table, but keep in mind that there are giant hordes of other fans who are enjoying that same lonely play you are. And that makes it seem not quite as lonely.

So enjoy the show.

[Disclosure: Fathom Events and WotC provided Nerds on Earth with complementary passes for the Acquisitions Incorporated showing.]

The post What’s Behind the Incredible Popularity of Watching Others Play D&D? appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>
Acquisitions Incorporated, an Oral Tale https://nerdsonearth.com/2016/05/acquisitions-incorporated-oral-tale/ Fri, 13 May 2016 12:32:13 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=6722

What is Acquisitions Incorporated? Well, Nerds on Earth provide you with the tale of a D&D game featuring the artists of Penny Arcade, author Patrick Rothfuss, and Wil Wheaton.

The post Acquisitions Incorporated, an Oral Tale appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>

The type of person who would spend two hours watching a video of other people playing Dungeons and Dragons sounds like the type of person who would eat something pulled off their own foot.

Yet, I’ll spend the next 600 words trying to convince you that watching a video of others playing D&D is not only cool, but you’ll find it just as entertaining as most major motion pictures.

Let’s get to know Acquisitions Incorporated.

What is Acquisitions Incorporated?

Years ago, Chris Perkins–who is pound-for-pound is considered the best Dungeon Master alive–got together with Scott Kurtz, the artist behind PVP, and Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade.

While there were some side-treks early, like a short substitution of the also fabulous James Wyatt as DM and some dabbling with Dark Sun as the setting, Aquisitions Incorporated has primarily been Scott, Mike, and Jerry being led through years of exciting adventures by Perkins, with one twist, that we’ll get to in a moment. But first, let’s meet the characters Acquisitions Incorporated:

OminOmin Dran Akquisition Incorporated Dran is a half-elf cleric played by Jerry Holkins.
Omin is the fast-talking CEO of Acquisitions Incorporated. A shrewd and calculating businessman, Omin always puts the welfare of the company above all else, sometimes at the expense of his employee fellow adventurers. He also loves contracts.

Omin was raised by two mothers alongside two older sisters, who also ended up as adventurers, details that will prove relevant as you follow the story of Acquisitions Incorporated.

 

Binwinbronzebottom Acquisitions IncorporatedBinwin Bronzebottom is a dwarf fighter played by Scott Kurtz.
Reckless and simpleminded, Binwin doesn’t care much for anything, beside the thrill of battle and a mug full of Dwarven ale. His signature move is kicking down a door.

His clan was disgraced and all but destroyed by their main rivals, the Ambershards, which caused Binwin to drifted around from tavern to tavern before he was eventually found and recruited by Omin.

 

jim_darkmagic_178Jim Darkmagic of the New Hampshire Darkmagics is a human wizard played by Mike Krahulik.
Jim is the narcissistic and prodigious son of a well-renowned family of wizards, who exhibited both his talent for magic and immensely self-centered behavior early on.

In spite of his talents as a wizard, Jim primarily sees himself as an entertainer, donning the mannerisms and behaviors of a stage magician, like tossing out doves and using the catchphrase “Have a magical day”, followed by a wink. But when initiative is rolled, Jim isn’t afraid to drop a fireball.

 


I mentioned earlier that Acquisitions Incorporated has one twist. A shtick of the show is that the team is always trying out a new intern to round out the adventuring party.

The first intern was Aeofel, a character played by Wil Wheaton. Being that D&D is shared storytelling, the adventure left Aeofel…well, I don’t want to spoil it. But suffice it to say that the circumstances that befell Aeofel was a source of jokes and whines from Wil Wheaton and the rest of the players for years.

The second intern was Viari, a character played by the magnificent Patrick Rothfuss. Viari is a charismatic swashbuckler who joins Acquisitions Inc. in the Forgotten Realms for the “Ark of the Mad Mage” adventure.

Môrgæn was an elf ranger intern played by Morgan Webb for a brief stretch.

The different interns provide a lot of fun to the sessions, providing plenty of jokes and banter across the table. And Chris Perkins is always eager to facilitate the fun and let work for the game. It helps that the games are typically played live in front of a 1000 person audience at PAX EAST and PAX Prime events.


Have you ever seen storytelling in it’s pure, weaponized form? It’s glorious. The joyous laughter and engagement it can create is unparalleled.

Yeah, I know it is weird to wrap your mind around the idea of watching others play D&D, but Acquisition Incorporated flat out works. The players are hilarious (even if they can be sexist at times), and Perkins is masterful as a DM. Perkins zigs and zags and improvises constantly to keep up with the quick-witted players, and throughout every session he seems to always up his game in terms of taking the adventures to fun new heights.

Watching a session of Acquisition incorporated really is as enthralling as watching most major motion pictures. I submit the episode below as proof:

 

You’ll start with the above video, but I guarantee you’ll be hooked and you’ll want to go back to the beginning to follow all the adventures. This handy YouTube playlist will help with that.

 

[give_form id=”5476″]

The post Acquisitions Incorporated, an Oral Tale appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

]]>