# unplugged (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 2 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover unplugged. Page: Feed: --- ## [I went to GaryCon 2026](https://www.weirdwonder.net/garycon2026/) _2026-03-28 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ and I didn't even get to see the Cabinet Last weekend I went to GaryCon for the first time and I had a wonderful time. I had been feeling a bit cooked creatively. Playing games with old friends, some I had never had the opportunity to meet in person, really helped me adjust my perspective and reground myself in what I love: GAMES. I played: An Unnamed Horror Game by Direct Sun, Palace of the… ## [Year Over Year - Endies 2025](https://www.weirdwonder.net/year-over-year/) _2025-12-31 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ I feel funny writing a wrap up/looking forward post but I'm doing it. First: thank you everyone for your support this year and for playing/reading my adventures. Here's how the year went and how it's looking moving forward in 2026. In 2025 I got very busy at my day job and it tanked my energy creatively for a while. I didn't really blog much and had a hard time writing and gming while I rebalanced… ## [Hexmas 0202: Conifer Mountain](https://www.weirdwonder.net/hexmas-0202-conifer-mountain/) _2025-12-26 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ Spruce and pine line trails ne'er traveled Beneath the boughs, wolves stalk o'er gravel The Beorling growls and guards the brains Of humble travelers where Bumble reigns Used without permission, copyright of Rankin Bass. PART OF MERRY HEXMAS - ADJACENT HEXES North: Poison Swamp Northeast: Castle Claus Southeast: Three Calves South: House of the Kringles Southwest: Polar Pines Northwest: Miserable… ## [PAX Unplugged 2025 Recap](https://www.weirdwonder.net/pax-unplugged-2025-new/) _2025-11-28 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ This past weekend I attended PAX Unplugged for the third time, a con that I highly recommend as it is a very fun mix of board games and roleplaying games. My General Strategy for 2025 PAX Unplugged My goal this year was to spend time playing with my fellow designers who have been long standing internet acquaintances or friends. So many people had decided to attend this year who the chances of… ## [A yawn from the void](https://www.weirdwonder.net/a-yawn-from/) _2025-11-09 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ Today is a grab bag. I am finishing up my next adventure and preparing to run a minimum viable version of it at PAX Unplugged. I am tempted to make my own Fishtown for my upcoming Break!! campaign, and I owe you all a debrief on my recently concluded Mythic Bastionland campaign. I also am co-running an experimental megadungeon using Worlds Without Number with my pal. This is none of those things.… ## [AI Impact in Education](https://startupsunplugged.com/thoughts/ai-impact-in-education/) _2025-09-28 · Paul Orlando · Startups Unplugged_ Three recent articles on Poets & Quants caught my eye: – ‘AI IS DEVALUING THE MBA’: Stanford Students Speak Out On Curriculum Lag & Risk To The B-School’s Brand.– ‘WE EXPECTED MORE’: Stanford GSB Students Call For Higher Teaching Standards.– ‘WE’RE NOT LEARNING ANYTHING’: Stanford GSB Students Sound The Alarm Over Academics. These articles are \[…\] The post AI Impact in Education appeared first on… ## [Orestruck Release Day](https://www.weirdwonder.net/orestruck-release-day/) _2025-09-17 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ Today is the release date for Orestruck, my next adventure in the Tannic Forest. ORESTRUCK INVITES YOU TO RETURN TO THE FOREST Orestruck is an adventure for Cairn and other fantasy tabletop roleplaying systems that drops your adventuring party into the middle of Pact, a town on the brink: corpse thieves plunder the dead for unknown purposes, a vicious gang hunts men through the streets at night,… ## [There is a point to Tom Bombadil (or how I approach lore)](https://www.weirdwonder.net/tom-bombadil-or-how-i-approach-lore/) _2025-06-27 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ a very brief exploration of Tom Bombadil's role in Lord of the Rings and how it can be applied to adventure games. ## [The Bat and the Can](https://startupsunplugged.com/thoughts/the-bat-and-the-can/) _2025-04-10 · Paul Orlando · Startups Unplugged_ If you’ve seen any sports news recently, you probably heard about the new “torpedo bats” the Yankees are using and how well they seem to be working. It’s a simple redesign. By redistributing weight away from the end, the bat delivers more mass at the point of contact, resulting in farther hits. The idea came \[…\] The post The Bat and the Can appeared first on Startups Unplugged . ## [The Rejection Exercise](https://startupsunplugged.com/thoughts/the-rejection-exercise/) _2025-03-10 · Paul Orlando · Startups Unplugged_ 30 days of rejection encourages founders to seek daily, in-person rejections to build resilience against “no.” My recent enhancements include AI analysis of results to reveal patterns in rejections. The post The Rejection Exercise appeared first on Startups Unplugged . ## [Ship everywhere from one CLI (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/hSXH13S3rxt9) _2025-03-10 · **Sponsored**_ One codebase, hosted runners, encrypted credentials, and automated submissions across stores ## [The “Cold Market” as the next hot market.](https://startupsunplugged.com/why-now/the-cold-market-as-the-next-hot-market/) _2025-03-06 · Paul Orlando · Startups Unplugged_ Attention flows to hot markets. Depending on when you look around, that could be AI, crypto, web3, climate tech, SaaS, Fintech, metaverse, VR/AR, or whatever’s trending now. But what if the best startup opportunities are actually in cold markets that most people ignore? I wrote about a version of this phenomenon in my Why Now \[…\] The post The “Cold Market” as the next hot market. appeared first on… ## [More on Gen AI Usage in Entrepreneurship](https://startupsunplugged.com/thoughts/more-on-gen-ai-usage-in-entrepreneurship/) _2025-02-17 · Paul Orlando · Startups Unplugged_ For the last 2 years I’ve made gen AI mandatory in the classroom, but this semester there were so many useful AI tools and other techniques that I brought them in more heavily. A few examples from a class of grad students testing and potentially launching new businesses: Problem: I had the student founders start \[…\] The post More on Gen AI Usage in Entrepreneurship appeared first on Startups… ## [Opposed themes and natural tension](https://www.weirdwonder.net/opposed-themes/) _2025-02-09 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ Amanda P. discusses dungeon design, specifically themes. ## [Found in Nature, Wrought by Wizards](https://www.weirdwonder.net/element-drabble/) _2025-02-08 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ Amanda P writes a brief drabble on the periodic table elements as petty gods ## [Arthurian Mysticism and Violence: a Mythic Bastionland Analysis](https://www.weirdwonder.net/mythic-bastionland/) _2025-01-24 · weirdwonder · Amanda P._ Weird Wonder, the blog of Amanda P. reviews Mythic Bastionland ## [What Others Say About Timing](https://startupsunplugged.com/why-now/what-others-say-about-timing/) _2024-09-30 · Paul Orlando · Startups Unplugged_ If you’ve been following me here, you know that I spent the last couple years workshopping, speaking, and writing about the impact timing has on the success of a product. In extension of that, the following is an overview of different approaches I’ve found of others dealing with the timing question. The following is an \[…\] The post What Others Say About Timing appeared first on Startups Unplugged… ## [What People Miss About Timing](https://startupsunplugged.com/why-now/what-people-miss-about-timing/) _2024-09-13 · Paul Orlando · Startups Unplugged_ They say timing is everything in business. But how do you determine if your timing is right? The post What People Miss About Timing appeared first on Startups Unplugged .