EPISODE SUMMARYJames is joined by Dr. Emily Friedman in a discussion about the unique challenges of studying actual play, "the ambitious middle," the overreliance on digitization as preservation, as well as the responsibility of reviewing actual play and its obstacles. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, James and Dr. Friedman create a punk world that answers the question "What if Rococo got covered in ash?"

SHOW NOTESDr. Emily Friedman is a scholar, critic, and a tenured associate professor of English. She is also a leader in the study of TTRPG Actual Play and is currently writing her next book "How Stories are Played: How Actual Play Performances Reimagine Creative Ownership, Authenticity, and Genre." -----------------------------------------Check Out the Ultimate RPG Line of Books and Products!-----------------------------------------The Ultimate RPG Podcast is a production of the One Shot Podcast Network, with permission from Adams Media. The podcast is hosted by James D'Amato and is edited by Shaghik. Music for the podcast is Venturing, by Reveille, courtesy of Soundstripe.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices