Machinations: Music & Games

I’m not a huge music guy most of the time. Sure, I’ve been to a few gigs and I often have music streaming or playing in the background but it’s not one of the things that fires me up. Art and reading – after gaming – those are my things.

Music does become more important when playing and when writing though. My regular group I play with in Reading hardly ever plays without music playing and something appropriate too. Lots of film soundtracks, game soundtracks, ambient music that builds mood without getting in the way. My other regular group, we do without music and that’s alright too. It has its own advantages – less distraction and more effectiveness of descriptions.

When I’m writing a game though, then music becomes more important. It’s part of the way I establish the right mood, get the inspirational juices flowing and help shape the ol’ noggin into working in the right aesthetic.

For ’45 I was listening to a lot of rockabilly, psychobilly and gothabilly music.

For Agents of SWING I made a playlist of all the top 10 singles (that weren’t crap) from 1960 to 1979 along with a few TV themes.

For Machinations I’ve been listening to the kind of metal and prog rock I haven’t listened to since I was a kid, along with concept albums across other genres and 70s and 80s film soundtracks.

It really does help.

A Machinations of the Space Princess Playlist

Machinations by GRIMJIM on Grooveshark

(Hit random/shuffle).

IndieGoGo: Machinations of the Space Princess – Sexy, Sleazy, Swords & Sci-Fi

FUND IT

The Machinations of the Space Princess fundraiser as part of the Lamentations of the Flame Princess adventure fundraiser didn’t fund but there was sufficient interest to warrant another look.

MotSP will set its sights on the world of sleazy, sensual pulp Science Fiction from the likes of Metal Hurlant, creating a universe of heavy metal space opera (rather than rock n’ roll).

Rather than a single adventure and some ideas, MotSP will be a FULL GAME.

MotSP will give you ALL THE RULES you need to play.

MotSP will BULGE AT THE SEAMS with adventure ideas and toolkits to help you create and maintain your game and produce ideas.

MotSP will include fantastic art by Satine Phoenix.

MotSP will take your gang of wandering space-reprobates from the strip clubs of Proxima to the feudal planets of the Black Cluster. The glass spires of Imperial Space to the wastelands of scrap-worlds.

MotSP will take you from confronting elemental evil to delving the crypts of long-dead civilisations across the known galaxy.

MotSP is planned to include:

• Expert, Psion, Scholar and Warrior classes.
• Extensive rules for creating humanoid and inhumanoid aliens or robots as PCs or monsters.
• Expanded skill & combat rules.
• Cannon fodder rules.
• SF gear.
• Starship combat.
• Psionics
• Hints, tips and toolkits for the GM and players alike.
• Basic rules for creating stars, planets, cities and adventures.
• A full game background.
• A sample adventure.

Why should you back us?

Satine is a fantastic, up-and-coming illustrator and associated with I Hit it With my Axe and D&D With Pornstars. This project will give her a real chance to stretch her artistic legs and show off.

I am a full time RPG writer and author with a lifetime love of science-fiction comics, novels and fantasy art. If you’ve ever looked at a Tim White or Roger Dean illustration and been inspired to set a game in what you see, we have something in common.

I have a proven track record of producing great games in PDF and POD as well as selling through publishers such as Cubicle 7 and Chronicle City. I have worked for Wizards of the Coast, Steve Jackson Games, Cubicle 7 Entertainment and others and won an Origins Award (along with my writing partner Steve mortimer) for my work on The Munchkin’s Guide to Powergaming, the book that spawned the card game.

If nothing else, you’re guaranteed an amusing read with great art and that HAS to be worth a few bucks.

NOTE

All funds donated will be used whether the project hits its target or not! If you’re donating, you’re actually donating! Whatever amount up to $1,000 is raised will go on art from Satine. Past that number we’ll start to reveal and trigger stretch goals and the money will be split 50/50 between art and payment to me for my time/effort (and driving lessons!)