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==Career==
==Career==
Vincent Baker is the designer of the [[Indie role-playing game]] ''[[Dogs in the Vineyard]]'' (2004), one of the first indies to be notably successful, both financially and sociologically.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|last=Appelcline|first=Shannon|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7|pages=411}}</ref> This game was the story of God's Watchdogs, trying to preserve the faithful on the hostile American frontier of the 19th century, and introduced the idea of "say yes or roll".<ref name="designers"/> Baker also designed ''[[kill puppies for satan]]'', ''[[Mechaton]]'', the award-winning ''[[Apocalypse World]]'', and other indie role-playing games. His publishing imprint is called Lumpley Games.
Vincent Baker is the designer of the [[Indie role-playing game]] ''[[Dogs in the Vineyard]]'' (2004), one of the first indies to be notably successful, both financially and sociologically.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|last=Appelcline|first=Shannon|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7|pages=411}}</ref> This game was the story of God's Watchdogs, trying to preserve the faithful on the hostile American frontier of the 19th century, and introduced the idea of "say yes or roll".<ref name="designers"/> Baker also designed ''[[kill puppies for satan]]'', ''[[Mechaton]]'', ''[[Apocalypse World]]'', and other indie role-playing games. ''Apocalypse World'' is a post-apocalyptic game co-designed with his wife, [[Meguey Baker]], published through [[Lumpley Games]]. ''Apocalypse World'' won multiple awards such as the 2010 [[Indie RPG Awards|Indie RPG Award]] for "Game of the Year" and the 2011 [[Lucca Comics & Games]] "Best Role-Playing Game" award. [[Powered by the Apocalypse]], the game design framework created by the Bakers for ''Apocalypse World'', has made a lasting impact on role-playing game design.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal|last=Berge|first=PS|date=2021|editor-last=Mitchell|editor-first=Alex|editor2-last=Vosmeer|editor2-first=Mirjam|title=Monster Power. Rebel Heart. Gay Sword: Queer Structures and Narrative Possibility in PbtA Tabletop Roleplaying Games|url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-92300-6_16|language=en|publisher=Springer International Publishing|volume=13138|pages=179–192|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-92300-6_16|isbn=978-3-030-92299-3|access-date=2021-12-31|work=Interactive Storytelling|place=Cham}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2020-10-04|title=Powered by the Apocalypse: How an Indie RPG Is Still Changing the Industry|url=https://www.cbr.com/powered-by-the-apocalypse-indie-rpg/|access-date=2021-12-31|website=CBR|language=en-US}}</ref>

He also co-designed with his wife both ''Firebrands'' (2017), a romance TTRPG in a sci-fi setting focused on mobile frame pilots,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-06|title=4 Powered By Apocalypse TTRPGs for Romance Fans|url=https://www.cbr.com/powered-by-apocalypse-romance-games/|access-date=2021-12-31|website=CBR|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands {{!}} Lumpley Games|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/224661/Mobile-Frame-Zero-Firebrands|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-31|website=[[DriveThruRPG]]|language=en}}</ref> and ''Under Hollow Hills'' (2021), an RPG about fairytales and a traveling circus.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Under Hollow Hills {{!}} lumpley games|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/381079/Under-Hollow-Hills|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-31|website=[[DriveThruRPG]]|language=en}}</ref> Jay Dragon, for ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'', wrote that "''Under Hollow Hills'' is a game about how we treat each other when times are good and how we treat each other when times are bad — between its gorgeous prose, fascinating imaginative characters, countless treasures, and natural flowing play style, ''Under Hollow Hills'' is the future of tabletop role-playing games, a unique and impossible treasure".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=2021-12-13|title=The best tabletop games that we played in 2021|url=https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/22791281/best-board-games-rpgs-tabletop-2021|access-date=2021-12-31|website=Polygon|language=en-US}}</ref>

His publishing imprint is called Lumpley Games.


Baker and [[Emily Care Boss]] are attributed as formulating the Lumpley Principle (a.k.a. Baker-Care Principle)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Emily Care Boss {{!}} Board Game Designer {{!}} BoardGameGeek|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/13507/emily-care-boss|access-date=2021-12-15|website=boardgamegeek.com|language=en-US}}</ref> which states "System (including but not limited to 'the rules') is defined as the means by which the group agrees to imagined events during play." Further development of the Lumpley Principle described player contributions as being assigned credibility by the other players in the game.
Baker and [[Emily Care Boss]] are attributed as formulating the Lumpley Principle (a.k.a. Baker-Care Principle)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Emily Care Boss {{!}} Board Game Designer {{!}} BoardGameGeek|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/13507/emily-care-boss|access-date=2021-12-15|website=boardgamegeek.com|language=en-US}}</ref> which states "System (including but not limited to 'the rules') is defined as the means by which the group agrees to imagined events during play." Further development of the Lumpley Principle described player contributions as being assigned credibility by the other players in the game.

Revision as of 04:42, 2 January 2022

Vincent Baker
BornUnited States
OccupationWriter, game designer
NationalityAmerican
GenreRole-playing games

David Vincent Baker is a designer of tabletop role playing games and the owner of Lumpley Games which also hosts the archives of The Forge. His most notable games are Dogs in the Vineyard and Apocalypse World.[1][2] Dogs in the Vineyard was the 2004 Indie RPG Game of the Year and won the Innovation Award and was one of three games shortlisted for the 2004 Diana Jones Award[3] and Most Innovative Game.[4][5] Apocalypse World won Game of the Year, Best Support, and Most Innovative game at the 2010 Indie RPG Awards, and was 2011 RPG of the Year at both the Golden Geek Awards and Lucca Comics & Games.[6]

Career

Vincent Baker is the designer of the Indie role-playing game Dogs in the Vineyard (2004), one of the first indies to be notably successful, both financially and sociologically.[7] This game was the story of God's Watchdogs, trying to preserve the faithful on the hostile American frontier of the 19th century, and introduced the idea of "say yes or roll".[7] Baker also designed kill puppies for satan, Mechaton, Apocalypse World, and other indie role-playing games. Apocalypse World is a post-apocalyptic game co-designed with his wife, Meguey Baker, published through Lumpley Games. Apocalypse World won multiple awards such as the 2010 Indie RPG Award for "Game of the Year" and the 2011 Lucca Comics & Games "Best Role-Playing Game" award. Powered by the Apocalypse, the game design framework created by the Bakers for Apocalypse World, has made a lasting impact on role-playing game design.[8][9]

He also co-designed with his wife both Firebrands (2017), a romance TTRPG in a sci-fi setting focused on mobile frame pilots,[10][11] and Under Hollow Hills (2021), an RPG about fairytales and a traveling circus.[12] Jay Dragon, for Polygon, wrote that "Under Hollow Hills is a game about how we treat each other when times are good and how we treat each other when times are bad — between its gorgeous prose, fascinating imaginative characters, countless treasures, and natural flowing play style, Under Hollow Hills is the future of tabletop role-playing games, a unique and impossible treasure".[13]

His publishing imprint is called Lumpley Games.

Baker and Emily Care Boss are attributed as formulating the Lumpley Principle (a.k.a. Baker-Care Principle)[14] which states "System (including but not limited to 'the rules') is defined as the means by which the group agrees to imagined events during play." Further development of the Lumpley Principle described player contributions as being assigned credibility by the other players in the game.

Personal life

Baker lives in Greenfield, Massachusetts. He is the father of three children and is the husband of fellow roleplaying game designer Meguey Baker.[15]

Games

  • kill puppies for satan is an irreverent role-playing game about the sort of clueless cultists who would actually kill puppies for Satan and other such over the top acts of evil.
  • Dogs in the Vineyard - a game about religious judges in a Wild West that never was, and notable for its raising the stakes mechanics.
  • The Abductinators
  • Matchmaker
  • Poison'd is a game about playing as pirates.
  • In a Wicked Age
  • The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions is a supplement for Lamentations of the Flame Princess providing rules, guidelines, tables and suggestions for creating wizards's seclusia.
  • Apocalypse World is a post-apocalyptic roleplaying game.
  • Mechaton is a tabletop wargame using Lego robots for pieces.
  • Under Hollow Hills is a role-playing game about a circus of fairies.
  • The Sundered Land is a series of 5 single-page games plus 2 supplements set in the Sword & Sorcery ruins of the future.
  • Murderous Ghosts is a party game for Halloween or for horror fans.

References

  1. ^ Guest of Honour profile at Fastaval 2013
  2. ^ Guest of Honour profile at Ropecon 2013
  3. ^ "INDEPENDENT GAME OF THE YEAR, 2004". The RPG-Awards Site. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  4. ^ "INNOVATION IN A ROLEPLAYING GAME, 2004". The RPG-Awards Site. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  5. ^ "The Diana Jones Award 2005". The Diana Jones Award committee. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  6. ^ RPG Geek page
  7. ^ a b Appelcline, Shannon (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. p. 411. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  8. ^ Berge, PS (2021). Mitchell, Alex; Vosmeer, Mirjam (eds.). "Monster Power. Rebel Heart. Gay Sword: Queer Structures and Narrative Possibility in PbtA Tabletop Roleplaying Games". Interactive Storytelling. 13138. Cham: Springer International Publishing: 179–192. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-92300-6_16. ISBN 978-3-030-92299-3. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  9. ^ "Powered by the Apocalypse: How an Indie RPG Is Still Changing the Industry". CBR. 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  10. ^ "4 Powered By Apocalypse TTRPGs for Romance Fans". CBR. 2020-12-06. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  11. ^ "Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands | Lumpley Games". DriveThruRPG. Retrieved 2021-12-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Under Hollow Hills | lumpley games". DriveThruRPG. Retrieved 2021-12-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Hall, Charlie (2021-12-13). "The best tabletop games that we played in 2021". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  14. ^ "Emily Care Boss | Board Game Designer | BoardGameGeek". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  15. ^ "D. Vincent Baker | Board Game Designer | BoardGameGeek". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-12-15.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vincent_Baker&oldid=1063284135"