In this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, host James Cast discusses two main projects: a retrospective on his 2005-2006 NHL tournament using Stone Cold Hockey and the introduction of a new dual federation project with Face to the Mat. He shares insights on game mechanics, project planning, and the creative process behind building storylines in tabletop sports.

When my schedule gets crazy, as it often did this year, this theme keeps me in check. Hopefully for the last time this year, we going back to a classic episode to hear why Failure is Inevitable!

I'll be back on Sunday with a brand new episode.

Summary

In this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, James Cast interviews S.T. Patrick, the creator of The Squared Circle, Match-Up Football, and Sport Sim Magazine. They discuss recent gaming experiences, the latest releases from TSC and Match-Up, and delve into the concept of accuracy in sports simulation games. They explore the challenges of capturing the complexity of real-life performance in a tabletop game and the role of randomness in recreating sports outcomes. They also talk about the 2024 Gridiron Games event and the plans for Matchup Football at the event. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the availability of game design tools and the importance of finding balance and enjoyment in life.

In today's episode I discuss one of the agile principles: #8 Maintaining A Sustainable Working Pace. Understanding your availability and the seasonal fluctuations will help you assess each project as you go through planning. I'll discuss how to implement this principle to effectively have constant delivery of your tabletop projects.

In today's episode I review the two most prevalent forms of randomizing results in simulation games: Fast Action Cards and Dice. I'll discuss different forms of dice, and how FAC decks can speed up games by consolidating information into a single place.

I also recap some recent gaming action on my tabletop, including a brand new game for me ... Dice United!

In today's episode I will take An Inside Look at Baseball Highlights, The Dice Game designed by Mike Fitzgerald and Ian Bach. I will also recap the month of August and take a look ahead at what's coming up in the month of September and beyond.

Wow! It's been a whole year of recording episodes already and #80 will recap the first year by discussing the origins of the podcast, the evolution of the content, and a glimpse into the future. Appreciate all the support as I close in on my 10,000th download!

In today's episode I recap yesterday's Extra-Life Marathon event. What did I play? How did it go? What went well? What could have gone better? What will I do differently the next time out? All these questions are answered ... and more!

Thanks again to all who donated!

If you wish to donate you can do so here: https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=486263

You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSK76PNJrWdhJUI4Q60XARw

Going live today for my Extra-Life Marathon. Join me as I play some Plaay Games for charity. You can join the marathon on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/C4gzbcRtRSM

You can also donate here: https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=486263

Today we take a look at the newest title from Plaay Games: History Maker Baseball Express! I'll discuss some of my experiences playing the game and how I see it fitting in with the rest of the Plaay Game catalog.

Also - a special announcement regarding a fundraiser I will be running next week and highlighting a project completed by Cooper Gilbert!

Just returned from the annual Plaay convention and wanted to share my thoughts on the weekend in a nice Top 10 list.

In today's episode I take An Inside Look at Gridzone, the alternate sport game of football by Stone Mountain Press. I recently wrapped up my Season 1 project of Gridzone, including running the off-season component. I'll discuss how the game is played, give a quick recap of my project, and discuss how the off-season component works.

You can read more about the game on the Stone Mountain Games website: https://stonemountain.press/gridzone/

With less than 2 weeks to go, I decided to dedicate today's episode to previewing Plaay-Dot-Con. We will run down the activity list and what to expect.

Summary

In this episode, the host provides an update on his tabletop gaming projects and the podcast. He discusses the challenges he has faced in maintaining a schedule and staying on track with his projects. He shares details about his ongoing projects, including History Maker Baseball, LaCrosse Blast Express, and various tournaments. The host also talks about his plans for future projects and the importance of establishing a routine. He concludes by mentioning upcoming interviews and the fourth anniversary show of the podcast.

Takeaways

• Maintaining a schedule and routine is crucial for staying on track with tabletop gaming projects
• The host is working on various projects, including History Maker Baseball and LaCrosse Blast Express
• Future projects will include boxing, soccer, basketball, and wrestling
• The podcast will continue to feature interviews and special episodes
• The host is planning to establish a new recording schedule and prioritize regular podcast episodes

• Looking Ahead: Future Projects and the Fourth Anniversary Show
• Challenges and Adjustments: Finding a Routine for Tabletop Gaming

• "Maintaining a schedule and routine is crucial for staying on track"
• "Future projects will include boxing, soccer, basketball, and wrestling"
• "The podcast will continue to feature interviews and special episodes"

In today's episode I run down my Top 5 Wrestling Games for the tabletop.

In today's episode I sit down with ST Patrick, creator of Sports Sim Magazine and The Squared Circle - a wrestling game. We discuss both of those ventures as well as his upcoming appearance at Plaay-Dot-Con where he will be a featured presenter. This is the longest episode I've done to date, but a great conversation on several topics.

You can check out his Lulu site where both Sport Sim Magazine and The Squared Circle are featured. https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/MWNPublications

In today's episode I take a look back at what I've accomplished so far this year and then look ahead to the rest of 2022 to see if my goals can be achieved. I'll cover the wide variety of games that have been on the tabletop in 2022, the ones that haven't, and how the second-half of this year will set me up for success in 2023.

What are some of the things that have helped me successful so far this year? What are my most-played games to date in 2022? Take a listen and find out.

As any good agile practitioner knows, you need to expect the unexpected. In today's episode we'll discuss several examples of how you can plan for the unknown in your monthly, quarterly and annual project planning. We will also explore a unique scheduling opportunity with pro wrestling, where planning for the unknown is paramount to a successful federation.

This week we focus on the return of a fan favorite Cooperative event hosted by Paul Salzgeber, the Plaay Tour, which is now in it's 3rd season. We'll examine what makes the Plaay Tour such a successful event and how we can use that formula with other games.

I also discuss a new approach to wrestling federations with a project I kicked off this week.

Your projects won't always succeed, but do you ever think back on them to understand why they fail? Failure in inevitable, but learning from those failures is at the core of agile. Today I look back on two failed projects, and one failing project, to better understand the root cause of those failures. We also give a shout-out to Brett Sonnenschein for his Hockey Blast project!

Today I look back at the three games that were where my love for Tabletop Sports began: Statis-Pro Baseball, Football, and Basketball. I'll discuss what made them stand out from the others, why those traits are still important in my gaming choices, and why it also signaled it was time to move away from them.

I recently called a stop to the 1961 Continental League cooperative project. In today's episode I'll do a retrospective on that project to see what went well, what didn't go well, and what I would do differently the next time around.

Today I run down the Top 5 Basketball games in my collection. I'm not a major game collector. I do a lot of research before purchasing games, and because of that, not every game makes it into my collection. This list features those that made the cut.

I recently picked up the special edition set for Baseball America from Plaay Games. With Plaay already announcing a second 'trading card' set for Highlight Maker Hoops, I wanted to talk about what these products are like and what this means for the tabletop sports community.

Arthur Franz, creator of Breakaway Football, discusses his love for football and how it inspired him to create a tabletop football game. He shares his experience as a football coach and how it influenced his game design. The game aims to provide a realistic and enjoyable football experience in a shorter playtime. Each team in the game is based on a real football team, with their own unique playbooks and special abilities. The game allows players to simulate matchups between different teams from different eras, creating intriguing 'what if' scenarios. In this part of the conversation, Arthur Franz IV discusses the teams he has created for Breakaway Football, a tabletop football game. He mentions that he has created representative teams for most of the 32 franchises, with a few exceptions. He talks about the unique abilities and characteristics of some of the teams, such as the Dome Patrol defense of the Saints and the offensive struggles of the 2008 Cardinals. He also discusses the concept of breakaways in the game, where the relationship between the play type and the defense determines the outcome of a play. He explains how offensive and defensive breakaways work and how they add excitement to the game. Additionally, he mentions the development of a solo mode for the game, which allows players to play against an AI opponent. Breakaway Football is a tabletop game that captures the experience of being a head coach. It features a unique play-calling system and a solo mode with a spy mechanic. The spy mechanic allows the AI to cheat in plain sight, balancing the decision quality and preventing players from relying on their best plays. The game also includes a team creator that allows players to recreate their favorite teams. The creator reverse-engineered the decisions made to create the franchises and standardized the playbook valuations. The game has a small footprint and quick setup time. The creators are also working on a dynasty mode expansion that will allow for persistent change season over season.

Links

Uplink Underground Games: https://uplinkunderground.com/board-games/

Uplink Underground on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@uplinkundergroundgames9259

Today I interview John McGuinness and discuss our gaming community, his gaming interests, and cooperative events, especially those we've worked on together.

Today we talk about how to celebrate the wins as you complete solo projects and some options for small celebrations versus big celebrations, that should be tied to the size of the project you are working on.

Coming off our recent interview with Bob Hansen, and seeing some other people tackling this idea of creating a Sports Universe has me inspired. Today I talk about some of the options available for creating a universe on your tabletop, but also how to size it appropriately to ensure you are successful in executing.

This week we are going to review the 12 Agile principles and how they can be used to complete projects on your tabletop.

Today I give my first thoughts on Highlight Maker Hoops, a game that has quickly inserted itself into my tabletop playlist.

This week I sat down with Bob Hansen to talk about running a sports game universe on the tabletop. Bob will discuss the games he uses, how he creates a more immersive environment for his tabletop, and what he sees going on in the gaming community.

As always, feel free to continue the conversation on my Facebook page.

In today's episode I'll review 10 tools that can make your tabletop experience better.

Today I take a closer look at the stack mechanic that is common in most baseball games, but also used heavily across the Plaay Games library. I'll discuss the pros and cons to using ... and not using ... the stack mechanic.

In today's episode I will talk about my experiences with Heroes & Heels: Dodgeball by Plaay Games. This was a special holiday release, but is expected to be released in hard copy later this year. In my current project, I've had a chance to see the game in more detail and what it offers in terms of a capsulated gaming experience.

A really good game mechanic can make your tabletop gaming experience so enjoyable. In some cases, it might be just that one mechanic that helps get a game off the shelf. In honor of my 55th episode, I run down my Top 5 game mechanics.

We're climbing back into the time machine and winding back to October 2021 to Episode 20. In this one I discussed home brew ideas for the tabletop.

Today we take a closer look at the Second Season Express game engine and how it allows the narrative of a game to unfold.

Continue the conversation on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TabletopSportCast

Support the podcast and join our Discord server here: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

When we play Tabletop Baseball we want it to be as real as possible, right? Are we sure? In today's episode I explore this question and give my thoughts on why Tabletop Baseball isn't real and how I'm okay with that. Also, I have a special announcement for Patreon members (current and future!)

Continue the conversation on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TabletopSportCast

Support the Podcast on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

Today I'm discussing the three Blast games by Plaay Games: Hockey Blast, Soccer Blast, and Lacrosse Blast. We'll look at how the Blast game engine makes these games similar, but also allows for each to have it's own signature feel with a specific Blast mechanic: The Lull, The Midfield Battle, and the Boxla Blast.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TabletopSportCast

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

Today I explore six project ideas that are ideal for your first project with a newly purchased game. The goal of these is to get you through your initial learning curve of the game without overwhelming yourself with a more complex project.

Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast 

Continue the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TabletopSportCast

In today's episode I take a look at a personal favorite: RWBR by Plaay Games. I'll go over the game mechanics and discuss a little of how the narrative plays out during a race.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TabletopSportCast

This week I sat down with gaming community member Travis Jansen to discuss a number of topics including playtesting, 3D printing, and the Plaay Kart Series cooperative event. It's the first interview here on the Tabletop SportCast.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TabletopSportCast

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

I talk a lot about projects on this podcast, but sometimes you just need to step away from those projects to try something different. In today's episode I cover 10 ideas for running a one-off session on your tabletop.

The final segment of our three-part series looks at the micro charts and unusual events in History Maker Baseball. We also take a quick look at the statistical model of the game.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

Today's episode in Part 2 of a three part series where I review the Game Action Booklet for History Maker Baseball. Part 2 focuses on the Drama and Mini-Charts in the book to talk about how momentum can shift based on the abilities of players during the game.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

Sign-up for the 1980 Olympic Hockey Cooperative Event: https://forms.gle/PBEYVp6ezbqnWk6u5

One of my favorite games is Face to The Mat (FttM) by Plaay Games, yet it goes long periods of time without making it to the tabletop. In this episode I'll explore some of the reasons I think that is and strategies I plan to implement to make it easier to get FttM on my tabletop.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

Summary

In this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, the host does a retrospective on his recently completed PGA mini season project. He discusses the highlights and challenges of the project, including the scheduling of events and the use of tournament mode in History Maker Golf. He also reflects on what went well and what could have been done differently, such as using actual courses for the majors and tracking results more effectively. The host concludes by sharing his plans for future projects and upcoming episodes of the podcast.

Keywords

retrospective, PGA mini season, project management, scheduling, tournament mode, History Maker Golf, challenges, highlights, actual courses, tracking results, future projects

Takeaways

• Retrospectives can provide valuable insights into completed projects and help improve future ones.
• Scheduling events and using tournament mode in History Maker Golf can be challenging but rewarding.
• Using actual courses for major events can enhance the authenticity of a historical replay.
• Tracking results effectively is important for keeping records and analyzing performance.
• Planning and reflecting on projects can lead to better project management and decision-making.

Titles

• The Importance of Tracking Results
• Reflecting on the PGA Mini Season Project

Sound Bites

"Deciding to do a mini season"

"Using tournament mode for History Maker Golf"

"Setting it up for a historical replay"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview

17:26 Reflecting on the PGA Mini Season Project

24:59 Challenges and Highlights of the Retrospective

28:19 Improving Future Projects with Lessons Learned

37:52 Using Actual Courses for Historical Replays

41:45 The Importance of Tracking Results

This is the first episode in a mini-series event where I discuss building the narrative in History Maker Baseball. Today's episode features a deep dive review of the Main Results chart in the Game Action Booklet (5.0). I'm hoping that after listening to this episode you have a better sense of how the mix of options, qualities, and sections create a highly detailed play by play result with multiple layers and possibilities.

In future episodes we will discuss how this plays out in other charts within the book.

Want to support the podcast? Check out my Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast

A bit of a hodgepodge this week as I recap my Demo Derby Smashdown project briefly, and then talk about some other things, like stat-keeping, the new Hoops game from Plaay, co-op projects, and the advantages of PDFs for both the small business owner, and us as consumers.

You can also now support this podcast on Patreon at this link: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopsportcast 

Check out my demo-derby smashdown page here: https://sites.google.com/view/castawaytabletopsports/demo-derby-smashdown-2021

This weekend is the pre-order sale for the long awaited release of Highlight Maker Hoops from Plaay Games. In this episode I recap the events of the sale and the live demos of the two versions of the game that are being released in 2022.