Yearly Retrospective 2023

Another year has ended and we are now in 2024. This one is late but better late than never!

Personal and Family Life

- My eldest daughter graduated from high school and she is off to the next step of her journey.

- I still work and enjoy working at 247 Sports/ CBS Sports.

- The passing of my good friend and FOE author JD Conrad. I took the opportunity to add some Rhym to our Gencon Specials as a thank you and farewell. Farewell my friend, keep that new adventure ready.

World Events

- The Continuation of the Russia-Ukraine War. For God's sakes people, enough of this mindless dying. Ukraine is done. Let's find a way to end this madness. The great defenders are dying for what will become useless soil. Stop it.

- The Gaza War. Again, that one group does something wrong does not allow another to go ape-shit. Let's work at a lasting peace. But our leaders don't seem to give a crap about that either.

Trips

2023 was a pretty tame year when it came to traveling. We spent most of our year at home. This year, we were lucky enough to have people come visit US at our new house in TN. It was great to see all those faces.

- The biggest trip of the year was our daughter Jojo leaving for Canada.

- Both parents and my sisters came from Canada for Jojo's graduation

Publishing/ FOE

This was a relatively tame year as far as publishing goes. I spent a lot of time on Chaos Tide Rising, which I decided not to publish, and coming up with the Ozaka Campaign Setting.

Amazon Releases
- Ozaka Campaign Setting inspired by Medieval Japan

DM's Guild Releases
- Drow of the Demonweb a product to help GMs create or expand drow-themed encounters.

DriveThruRPG Releases
- Ozaka Campaign Setting inspired by Medieval Japan

This year, many FOE products reached Best-Seller tiers. This is a great honor and sign that you guys enjoy and appreciate FOE products, and a great motivation to keep writing and creating more and better products.

Bestseller Milestones: Electrum
- Curse of Strahd II: Griffon Hill Manor
- Rahadin: Dread Knight of Ravenloft
- Ravenloft: Apple of a Mother's Eye

Bestseller Milestones: Silver
- Rhym Campaign Setting

Bestseller Milestones: Copper
- Graz'zt's Entourage Demonic goodies for the GM.

RPGing/ GMing

I ran a hexcral for my home Ozaka group. It thought me much about this medium and let me know that I REALLY like running those. We played one month in-game for about eight months of real-time. If you know me, such a type of campaigns is so completely out of my personal comfort zone and usual style. Loved it.

I ran and completed "Tides of Chaos" but decided not to publish the campaign because it would requires too much material to be added to make it. I figure 400+ pages of material and on DM's Guild, the time and monetary investment. Still we got some good memories.

I played some "Monster of the Week" and had a good time. Thanks to my GM, Sarah.

I joined a local Westmarch-style campaign at the local Murfreesboro, TN. Here are a few action shots from games I ran there.

Conventions/ Special Games

2023, I returned
- Festival Draconis Online
- Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo Huntsville, AL
- ICCC-V Lebanon, TN
- Gencon Indianapolis, IN (6 parts)
- FOE Day at the TEC Murfreesboro, TN

Blog

- I put up a variety of articles, mostly FOE-related, kinda book reports, and miniatures.

- I finished the year with 109 blog posts this year, a pace I rather like.

Other Media

I am one of the players in Die Inspired Season 1.

I participated in a discussion with DMPaulG on his Twitch/YouTube about my work with the Moonshae Isles

Books

Different things to read thing year. Again a variety of things, from fiction to comics. Looking at this list now, I found that the amount of books I read to be somewhat less than in previous years. Perhaps because of my great tired state. Damn you old(er) age!

Non-Fiction
- The Empires of Ancient Persia

Fiction
- Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn
- The Noise of War by Vernon B Davis
- Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
- Saracen Storm by JM Nunez
- Ulrich by James Walker
- Sixteen Ways to defend a walled city by KJ Parker

Comics
- Essential Hulk Vol 5 by Marvel Comics
- Essential Thor Vol 7 by Marvel Comics
- Essential Spider-man Vol 3 by Marvel Comics
- Murena Tomes 1-3 by Dufaux/Delaby
- Murena Tome 4: Ceux Qui Vont Mourir by Dufaux/Delaby
- Rat Queens vol 1: Sass and Sorcery

RPG and games Mini-Reviews

Posting some initial thoughts about new games I tried this year.
- Mothership RPG Survival Horror Sci-fi

TV and Film Reviews

I did not review anything.

This new season of Doctor Woke is not on TV and I won't pay for it.

Miniature Painting

For most of this year, I painted sporadically. Most of the painted characters were for tabletop gaming. Throughout the summer, I painted many models as GM gifts for Gencon.
- SpaceFoe characters

So with all this, I wish you all a very happy new year.

JP