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Tumbledie Games, the new LLC co-owned by Andrew Fling, Kevin Baringer, and Kyle Wiggin, just launched Trove, a new role-playing game on Dec. 21 - the first day of winter, the most perfect time for a tabletop game.
Trove was in development for four years, much of it while the trio creators were on opposite coasts. Fling, a longtime seacoast improv and stage actor, had moved to the northwest six year back (having returned this summer).
The friends' initially intended to create a supplement to Dungeons and Dragons, the best known tabletop role-playing game.
"After working on it for a while we realized that Dungeons and Dragons was not the system we wanted to work through," Fling says. "So, we decided to make our own system, which is why it took four years."
Putting D&D and Trove on a spectrum of roleplaying games, D&D would be more on the combat simulation side, while Trove would be on the storytelling side, he explains.
The recent release is a continuation of the game's development; a good game requires lots of testing, Fling says. Trove was rigorously tested by its developers and friends, but it's important that it's tested by a broader base of players.
"Most of the play-testing we did was internal, always us running games and taking notes, commonly called Alpha testing," Fling explains. "Now that it's available to the public, what we're hoping to get is feedback from people reading the book and playing, commonly called Beta testing."
The game is available on https://tumblediegames.itch.io/trove. So, why buy into at this stage? Good question, with a better answer, he says.
For the $10 minimum buy-in price (more if you want to further support development), you receive all future updates at no extra cost.
"It's one price!" Fling says. "So, it's kind of buy-in now and eventually you'll get the full book for a reduced price."
Fees are earmarked for further development - more digital character sheets, and cover art for example.
"The end goal is making absolutely sure this thing works, that it will be a game that has been play-tested," Fling says. "It's about improving the system ... and eventually having a physical copy."
The only requirement beyond Trove's rule book is a 20-sided die, a few six-sided dice and some paper and pencils, "then you're good to go."
"The designing of the game helped the three of us get through the pandemic," he says. "We were all stuck in our houses. I was renting a room in Seattle, going from room to work. It was hugely helpful to all of us. Now to finally have the book up and available is incredible."
ROH GROWING GAINS
Rochester Opera House theater fans are reaping the rewards of its latest building acquisition, designated as theater housing.
"We bought the building in '21, and worked on it for a year," ROH Executive Director Anthony Ejarque says. "It's in walking distance to the theater and the rehearsal studios. It probably (houses) about 10 people."
There are a number of reasons for the purchase, he adds.
"It's helping a few things. This (area) has a regional talent pool, ... the best are always in demand."
"Now that we're offering housing we can attract people from outside the area and have greater diversity - it elevates the production,"Ejarque says. "We're also able to be a bit more inclusive, which is exciting."
And there is yet more expansion coming for the ROH fiefdom.
"We are now going to be opening a theater store (in) a piece of vacant property downtown," Ejarque says. "We're putting in a box office visible on the street, and it will be open during the week."
The space will include a shop featuring ROH swag and works by members of the New Hampshire Makers and the League of Craftsmen, and art by Rochester and New Hampshire artists, on consignment."
The hope is people will come in to look at local art, purchase a gift, and at the same time be reminded to buy tickets to the next show," Ejarque says.
"Should be great."
A FIRST FOR SANCTUARY
Sanctuary Arts (https://www.sanctuaryarts.org) is initiating its first teen class. The Kittery, Me., art school's classes have focused on skilled based, adult education since launching in 1999. It will now expand curriculum to teens; charcoal, figure-drawing class, taught by sculptor/painter Anthony Alemany (https://www.anthonyalemany.com).
"It's an introduction to figure drawing, with clothed figures," Founding Executive Director Christopher Gowell says. "Kids don't often have access to models, but need to build their portfolio.... We're committed to creating teen programming."
Cole Land Transportations Museum in Bangor, the unveiling is scheduled for April 30, 23.
Alemany is a sculptor and painter, who earned a BFA at Savannah College of Art and Design, and studied at the Florence Academy of Art. ( "Anthony's work is gorgeous, both sculpted and drawn," Gowell adds.)
The class is free with the exception of a $25 materials fee.
"We have had 16-year-olds and up here to build portfolios. But the school is really mostly adults and ... most kids aren't as comfortable without peers around," Gowell says. "We wanted to create a more congenial place for them to be with peers and get some instruction they couldn't possibly get in their high school."
Traditional drawing skills are important no matter the student's direction, Alemany says.
"It doesn’t matter if your focus will be 2D, 3D, traditional or computer based, traditional drawing skills are the foundation that all other art forms build upon," Alemany says. "We developed this class specifically to provide them an after-school opportunity to develop their skills and produce some portfolio pieces."
In more Sanctuary news: the school is welcoming Kimberly Meuse, who will instruct in luminous watercolor painting; offering its first still-life drawing class, with instructor Josh Langstaff, and experiencing serious expansion in its Ceramics department.
"(Ceramics) have gotten really robust!," she says. "We now have two instructors and the classes are going gangbusters. ... And they're getting beautiful firing from the gas kiln here."
The school has had the kiln for some time, but couldn't find instructors, Gowell adds. "So, now we have two, ... and we've gone from one class to five. It's finally getting used. Finally!"
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