My dearest friends! It's been a while since I've posted here, but things have been so busy and I've been trying to keep up with this beast that is TCbH. Don't get me wrong, I'm still all in, but it is a very different beast than it started as, and continually I've been trying to innovate, continue with the elements that work the best or are most creatively fulfilling, and doing away with the stuff that just turns out to be more work than it's worth.
But that said, we have an exciting few months planned for TCbH. First off, I want everyone to know that I'll be attending PAX Unplugged in Philly this year, joined by TCbH Crew Members Rob Conley and Luke Muench. You can hear those jokers regularly on TCbH Hangouts these days.
Speaking of which, isn't Chris doing a great job hosting those? If only Luke and I could occasionally learn to shut up!
A couple other updates, too. Thanks to the Patreon support as well as the incredible support of a loving wife, I now have an awesome camera & mic combo that is steadily improving our video quality. Don't get me wrong, some of the learning curve has been rough, but the rate of advancement with this is much faster than it ever was with the iPhone. I hope that between both instruments, I'll be able to make some really exciting music (this metaphor is becoming more tenuous by the second) for ya'll. In the meantime, you can see the BEAUTY of the camera, with albeit it kind of crappy sound because of the wrong mic settings in our recent Whims of the Sultan review. Once I adjusted the sound, it was much better, so don't worry about that in future stuff.
Another development since I last talked to you is that I've somehow become the face of Dragon Dice online. SFR, Inc, the makers of DD, reached out to me and asked if I could do the official how to play series, which I graciously accepted. I've been both praising and critical of the game since my time with TCbH, but it's one of those games that really had a monumental impact on me as a kid and I'm so honored to now be part of it's legacy. I have 3 videos in the series already up, and more in the works. Here's the primary overview:
Lastly, I wanted to mention that I'm leaning more heavily on our friends and supporters around here. I want TCbH to be a true platform for creative people passionate about board games, and you may have noticed a greater involvement by awesome people Luke Muench of Budget Board Gamer, now a regular on Hangouts, doing regular written reviews, and also cooking up some videos and upcoming interview episodes. Similarly, Chris Douglas is one of my longtime friends who has a knack for thoughtful conversation and moderation with a passion for games and I'm excited to see what he has down the road. You may have also heard me talk to Andrew of Atheris Games on the most recent interview episode where I talk about podcasting equipment, recording, and technique, as he will soon be doing some guest hosting on our interview channel.
Speaking of Luke, we have a couple of recent written reviews you should check out here:
Anyway, thrilled to be back in the swing of giving these updates again. I'm probably just going to do them as I see fit rather than keep it on a formal schedule. Hope ya'll are well, and we'd love to hear about whats going on in your gaming lives.
Peace!
-Jack
"I must have dreamed a thousand dreams, haunted by a million screams"