Norwescon 43 (April 1 to 4, 2021) https://www.norwescon.org/

I’ll be a panelist at Norwescon this year. Here is my schedule. All times are in the Pacific Time Zone.

Thursday, April 1

Gaming and Consent 4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Mt. Baker

Sar Surmick (M), Jason Brick, Elliott Kay, Glenn Dallas, Stephen Radney-MacFarland

Roleplaying, whether tabletop or LARP, involves people, and people have boundaries. This panel will explore various ways to establish communication and clear consent in order to avoid hurting people. Panelists will examine common mechanics such as “lines” (content a game will not include) and “veils” (retaining certain themes or content, but avoiding active role-play/descriptions). The panel will also discuss other mechanics for specific situations and how and when to use them.

Friday, April 2

Cooperative Gaming, A Conversation 2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Olympic

Jaym Gates (M), Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Glenn Dallas, Jason Brick

Does your gaming group work together, or is every player out for themselves? Should a GM actively compete against the players? Panelists will discuss this vital aspect of gaming, whether in person or online.

Working in the Hobby Gaming Industry 8:00pm – 9:00pm @ Mt. Baker

Jason Brick (M), Erik Mona, Jaym Gates, Jonathan Tweet, Stephen Radney-MacFarland

Have you ever wanted to work in the hobby gaming industry? Should you work for a gaming company or start your own? Panelists will discuss the different routes to break into the gaming industry.

Saturday, April 3

Writing and Story Development for Games 12:00pm – 1:00pm @ Mt. Baker

Evan J. Peterson (M), Erik Mona, Steven S. Long, Stephen Radney-MacFarland

Story development can affect game system design, character design, and environments. Our game industry pros will discuss how a great story needs also to fit in the design of the game system. Maybe you need a different system for your story? Do you write the story and fit the design around it? Or do you start with the design and weave a story through it?

What Goes Into a Good Adventure? 2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Evergreen 

Erik Mona (M), Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Steven S. Long, Jonathan Tweet

Join our panelists in discussing adventures both written and run, the do’s and don’ts, influential works and modules, and more. Tips to increase player engagement, getting players more involved with the adventure as a location, and how to design encounters and set pieces.

Sunday, April 4

Hobby Gaming: Bringing Community Together 11:00am – 12:00pm @ Mt. Baker

Rob Stewart (M), Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Geoff Nunn, Erik Mona

Playing games has proven to bring people together. With so many ways to play now, our community is growing even larger. Join panelists as they discuss hobby gaming as an avenue for inclusion and expanding our chosen family.