Jon Peterson
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Articles by Jon Peterson
Shall We Play a Game?
Jon Peterson is an expert on the history of wargames, and the tabletop role-playing games that they spawned. His books include Playing at the World, on simulated combat from chess to Dungeons & Dragons, The Elusive Shift, on the evolution of role-playing, and Game Wizards, on the legal feuds that shaped the early history of D&D. One of us (Clara) has spent more time than she’d like to admit at the gaming table. The other (Angela) has never filled out a character sheet in her life.
Our introductory exercise, The Alchemist & the Golem, represents one way to build a simple roleplaying game: one player in charge of conveying rules from a short text while another attempts to interpret them while playing a role and exploring the nascent world growing between them. At the core, roleplaying games involve players conveying their ideas and imaginations to one another through an extended conversation intermediated by shared rules.
Carlsbad Reads Together 2023 - The Vista Press
Carlsbad Reads Together –Carlsbad Reads Together is an annual event that connects the entire Carlsbad community through reading. Special programming and events for Carlsbad Reads Together are scheduled throughout the month of April, but you can start reading today! Download the Carlsbad Reads Together Program Guide for events throughout April.
ABB’s Protection Relay Retrofit Program Modernizes Power Systems
ABB is supporting their customers with a replacement program for protection devices. Image used courtesy of ABB ABB Substation Components ABB is well known for its robots and electrical components, but they also make components for substations. A substation is part of the electrical grid where voltage is converted from high to low or reverse. Some transformers convert the voltage and electrical cabinets within the substation that house the protection devices.
Welcome to Dragon Talk
If it seems like everyone you know is playing Dungeons & Dragons, it's because they are! After nearly five decades, the iconic roleplaying game is more popular than ever. Famous Hollywood actors and directors, therapists, educators, politicians, kids, parents, and grandparents all count themselves as fans.
A Tuna Christmas
Critics LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Audience LemonMeter Reviews: 0 A Tuna Christmas A comedy by Ed Howard, Joe Sears, and Jaston Williams Directed by J.
Funny Bonz, the 'Humerus' Solution
Critics LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Audience LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Thu Apr 21, 12:00pm Thu Apr 21, 6:30pm Thu May 19, 12:00pm Thu May 19, 6:30pm Thu Jun 16, 6:30am Thu Jun 16, 12:00pm Thu Jul 21, 12:00pm Thu Jul 21, 6:30pm Thu Apr 21, 3:00pm Thu Apr 21, 9:30pm Thu May 19, 3:00pm Thu May 19, 9:30pm Thu Jun 16, 9:30am Thu Jun 16, 3:00pm Thu Jul 21, 3:00pm Thu Jul 21, 9:30pm **Advance Dining reservations are required! Reservation deadline is Sunday, April 17, 2022!** (or 4 days before the show) FUNNY...
The Invention of the d4
When it comes to using Platonic solids as dice, the d4 is something of a special case. There are precedents that stretch back into ancient history for the use of the d6, d8, d12 and d20 as dice, as all four of those solids, when rolled, will land with a single face up, visible to all parties watching. A tetrahedron, however, lands with a vertex up, one face down and three faces on display.
Immersion and Role Playing in the 1970s
The idea that role playing involved a property called "immersion" occurred to the early adopters of the 1970s fairly early. The earliest explicit use I've found was that of Pieter Roos, as shown in this excerpt above from The Wild Hunt #15 (1977), where he identifies it as the overall goal of playing RPGs. Before the end of the decade, calls to "immerse yourself" began to appear in games and modules published by TSR.
Player Typologies, from Wargames to Role-Playing Games
One of the threads that The Elusive Shift follows is the development of typologies that sorted players, or sometimes game designs or playstyles, into categories that reflect what kind of experience people want to have when they sit down to game. These form a significant component of contemporary RPG theory. I myself was surprised, doing research for the book, to discover threefold model typologies already discussed in the wargame community years before Dungeons & Dragons came out.
The Elusive Shift, My New Book
Since Playing at the World came out, I've been asked now and again about extending its historical timeline for just a few more years. After toying with a few potential approaches to that, I ended up writing The Elusive Shift, which focuses on what gamers meant when they called something a "role-playing game" once that term came into fashion.
Fredda Sieve and Her 1963 "Zazz" Dice
Dungeons & Dragons required the use of five polyhedral dice when it first came out, and back then in 1974, the only place TSR could acquire them was from Creative Publications. But theirs were not the first set of plastic Platonic solids marketed in America as dice. A decade before, Advertising Attractions, Inc. of New York sold the Zazz "Polyspheres" game, an invention of Fredda Sydney Sieve, which featured all five polyhedra with numbered faces.
Celebrate The Holidays With Penguin Random House And Dungeons & Dragons!
There’s nothing quite like the holiday season, spending time with family and friends, eating, drinking, and that general feeling of merriment.
Heroes' Feast: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cookbook (B&N Exclusive Edition)|BN Exclusive
English 1984859366 The Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition features a full size gate-fold map of the Forgotten Realms that shows notable locations and dishes from each realm in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. 80 recipes inspired by the magical world of Dungeons & Dragonsperfect for a solo quest or a feast shared with fellow adventurers.
Heroes' Feast by Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, Michael Witwer, Official Dungeons & Dragons Licensed: 9781984858900
Heroes' Feast Buy Now Hardcover Oct 27, 2020 | ISBN 9781984858900 Ebook Oct 27, 2020 | ISBN 9781984858917 See All Formats (1) +
Heroes' Feast | Dungeons & Dragons
Search for a retailer near you Store locator You Can Also Buy in Other Formats 80 recipes inspired by the magical world of Dungeons & Dragons—perfect for a solo quest or a feast shared with fellow adventurers. From the D&D experts behind Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana comes a cookbook that invites fantasy lovers to learn about their favorite fictional cultures through their unique cuisines and lifestyles.
The Laramie Project (Hollywood)
Critics LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Audience LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Mon Jun 01, 7:00pm - Mon Jun 01, 10:00pm Mon Jun 01, 9:00pm - Tue Jun 02, 12:00am **REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO THIS FREE EVENT** The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and Members of Tectonic Theater Project In October 1998, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming.
The Theatre is a (Quarantined) Lady, a One-Man Cabaret
Critics LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Audience LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Sat Apr 25, 4:00pm Sun Apr 26, 4:00pm Sat Apr 25, 7:00pm Sun Apr 26, 7:00pm TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY APRIL 25 & 26 at 4PM $20 donation to register https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=114217 Have you ever noticed that all the best show-stopping numbers are sung by the show’s leading ladies?
Day After Day (the Life and Music of Doris Day)
Critics LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Audience LemonMeter Reviews: 0 Fri Jan 24, 8:00pm Sat Jan 25, 2:00pm Sat Jan 25, 8:00pm Sun Jan 26, 2:00pm Fri Jan 31, 8:00pm Sat Feb 01, 2:00pm Sat Feb 01, 8:00pm Sun Feb 02, 2:00pm Fri Feb 07, 8:00pm Sat Feb 08, 2:00pm Sat Feb 08, 8:00pm Sun Feb 09, 2:00pm Fri Feb 14, 8:00pm Sat Feb 15, 2:00pm Sat Feb 15, 8:00pm Sun Feb 16, 2:00pm Thu Feb 20, 8:00pm Fri Feb 21, 8:00pm Sat Feb 22, 2:00pm Sat Feb 22, 8:00pm P3 Theatre Company proudly presents the Western Regional...
Per Aspera Ad Astra
Dan Brannan circulated the first notice for Xeno in his Diplomacy fanzine Wild ʼn Wooly in December 1966. Like many Diplomacy gamesmasters, Brannan was a science-fiction fan: he borrowed the name Xeno from the beverage consumed by Sgt. Saturn, the fictional editor of the letters column of 1940s science-fiction magazines like Startling Stories. Incidentally, the Sgt. Saturn column went a long way toward popularizing the abbreviation zine for fanzine.
MGM in Concert, a Golden Era Musical Revue
Logo Design by Jesus Granados P3 Theatre Company presents MGM in Concert, a Golden Era Musical Revue at the Sierra Madre Playhouse! This post was contributed by a community member. The East Coast SMASH hit for over 20 years makes its way to the West Coast! MGM in Concert is a musical tribute to the wonderful musicals produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Other studios were producing musicals but none could compare to MGM.
MGM in Concert, a Golden Era Musical Revue
Logo Design by Jesus Granados P3 Theatre Company presents MGM in Concert, a Golden Era Musical Revue at the Sierra Madre Playhouse! The East Coast SMASH hit for over 20 years makes its way to the West Coast! MGM in Concert is a musical tribute to the wonderful musicals produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Other studios were producing musicals but none could compare to MGM.
User Research When You Can’t Talk to Your Users
It’s not breaking news to say that the core of UX, in a vacuum, is talking to your users to gather insights and then applying that information to your designs. But it’s equally true that UX does not happen in a vacuum. So what happens when you don’t have the budget or the timeline to run user tests, card sorts, or stakeholder interviews? What should you do when your company doesn’t want you bothering the paying customers who use their software?
Petits Soldats, Grandes Victoires – Jon Peterson – Medium
The pages of Die Zinnfigur had much to say on the subject of painting historical miniatures, but when it came to French uniforms, artists needed international cooperation with the experts in Paris who had long studied the original uniforms first hand. Collecting toy soldiers was not unknown as a hobby in France at the time: the editors of Le Passepoil quickly connected Klio with the celebrated French playwright Paul Armont, who had been amassing a miniature army for decades.
Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History
In just the past decade or so, tabletop role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons, have seen a popularity surge. It is no longer just the realm of geek boys hiding in dimly lit basements, rolling dice to vanquish demons instead of holding a girl's hand.
Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana: A Visual History
By Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, and Sam Witwer Penguin Random House, out now A sumptuous visual guide to Dungeons & Dragons… and much more If you think that this is book simply for those who love role playing games, think again. As someone who has not participated, I came to this very much as an outsider, but thanks to the excellent presentational work, both in the text, choice of illustrations and design, I can now understand the attraction far more.
Art & Arcana Special Edition
A deluxe, special edition package containing posters, ephemera, and the illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game as told through the paintings, sketches, and illustrations behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity.
The Mysterious Mana of Speaking
The ongoing public debate over the recent Brett Kavanaugh hearings might suggest there’s a lot to learn about how power, particularly the power of speaking, can persuade us one way or another. Do we tend to blindly believe and support someone because powerful, authoritative, or prestigious forces vouch for and protect that person? Or do we look for other signals to indicate credibility?
Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana
A deluxe, special edition with slipcase and ephemera of the illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game told through the paintings, sketches, and illustrations behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity. Dungeons and Dragons is the most iconic and pervasive gaming franchise in the world.
Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana
A deluxe, special edition with slipcase and ephemera of the illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game told through the paintings, sketches, and illustrations behind its creation, evolution, and continued popularity. Dungeons and Dragons is the most iconic and pervasive gaming franchise in the world.
Versatile, balanced Broncs to start basketball season
BELLE FOURCHE — The Belle Fourche varsity boys’ basketball team will rely on versatility and balance this season, which starts tonight at Hill City.Head coach Clay Pottorff, who is beginning his third season, said five returning players saw varsity time last year.
User Research When You Can’t Talk to Your Users
It’s not breaking news to say that the core of UX, in a vacuum, is talking to your users to gather insights and then applying that information to your designs. But it’s equally true that UX does not happen in a vacuum. So what happens when you don’t have the budget or the timeline to run user tests, card sorts, or stakeholder interviews? What should you do when your company doesn’t want you bothering the paying customers who use their software?
A brief history of the fireball in fantasy games
Anyone who plays fantasy games--digital or tabletop--has crossed paths with a spell called Fireball. It is the quintessential way that a wizard immolates swaths of enemies—and sometimes, inadvertently, nearby allies as well. It turns out that the Fireball spell is as old as fantasy gaming itself: it is one of the small set of constants that runs through Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, and the many computer games today that build on their analog gaming heritage.
Jon P. Peterson - Daily Star-Journal: Obituaries
Jon was born Sept. 22, 1938, in Osage, Iowa, the son of Ole and Mary Elizabeth (Erby) Peterson. On July 19, 1979, he and Dolores Fockler were married in Windsor. She survives. Jon served in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Korea. He later joined the National Guard. He worked security guarding missile sites for the Boeing Company. He was later a custodian for the Knob Noster School District for 16 years and worked several other small jobs in the area.
Your cyberpunk games are dangerous
How roleplaying games and fantasy fiction confounded the FBI, confronted the law, and led to a more open web On January 17, 1980, FBI agents descended on a small business in Wisconsin to investigate a plot against the life of an American business executive in Beirut, Lebanon, named William Weatherby. The tip came to local law enforcement from a concerned citizen who had chanced on a written description of the conspiracy, which the police duly handed over to the FBI.
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