“The brain you stole, Fritz. Think of it. The brain of a dead man waiting to live again in a body I made with my own hands! ” Dr. Henry Frankenstein, Frankenstein [1931]

When I made my first post on this blog 158 days ago, on July 26th 2008 at 17:41 EST, I really didn’t have a clue about what I was getting myself into.  I was really only aware of a few RPG blogs at the time, UncleBear, ChattyDM, and Crtical-Hits, and had no idea that there were so many more or think that the RPG Blogosphere would explode like it has.

The Labs began as a design diary for two projects of mine, a custom d20 point-buy/rank-based system called Echelon, and an original steampunk-horror setting called The Dead Wastes.  Then I joined this fledgling network known as the RPG Bloggers Network and the blog began to evolve (and the network has grown tremendously).

It changed so much that I decided to move from free hosting to paid hosting so I could have greater control over the design.  Mad Brew Labs still has a small footprint in the RPG Blogosphere, but I see my traffic numbers grow every month.

Resolutions

So now I have this lumbering creation of mine and a need to focus its energies on some actual goals for 2009.  We can call them resolutions in the spirit of the New Year.

• COLLABORATE & NETWORK (the keystone of the future of the RPG Blogosphere
• Update this machine to WordPress 2.7
• Improve the theme (mostly the comment area)
• Play 5 new systems (including starting an Alpha Omega game)
• PDF some of my content (Tidings of Thule, Mad Menagerie, etc.)
• Finish Echelon (though I lost all my work…)
• Expand upon The Dead Wastes
• Add 12 new creature to the Mad Menagerie
• Merge my love of programming with my love of roleplaying
• Get more table time

Predictions

I figured I also might make some predictions for 2009.  Some of them are obvious, but I figured I would go out on a limb and give at least ONE crazy prediction.  Am I claiming that I am a prophet and all this will unfold, hell no!  But its fun to speculate:

• Due to the economy, the industry will see cutbacks, closings, & new business models
• In spite (or because?) of the economy, there will be more exceptional resources
• The RPG Blogosphere will continue to evolve, and make a big impact
• DDI still won’t be finished by GenCon
• Someone else will make a product that does what DDI was supposed to do, but better
• The GSL will still suck
• Paizo will own a significant market share, just below WotC and possibly better than White Wolf
• 4.x D&D will be the last edition published under Hasbro (some event will catalyze this)

RPG Blogosphere

I mentioned that the RPG Blogosphere would continue evolving and make a big impact.  The online community is on the verge of greatness, and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.  I cannot quite put my finger on exactly what is going to happen, but I think we will see more of these:

• Greater collaboration between bloggers
• More collaboration with the industry
• Attract more of those forum lurkers
• THE go to place for the best content/resources
• We will go through a smelting as the fittest solidify their dominions

Where do you see the RPG blogosphere or industry going?  What would you like to see?

Listening to: Spineshank – Height of Callousness- Play God

gamingD&Dd20rpgroleplayingdungeons and dragonsworld of darkness