Fan community

2014-07-16T16:03:08Z

Aoakley: /* Conventions */ Change specific dates (outdated) to general "August" to avoid need for ongoing maintenance of this page

{{About|an overview of the Ars Magica fan community|a list of articles related to the fan community|:Category:Fan Community}}
Ars Magica enjoys a highly active, worldwide fan community. No one knows exactly how many active Ars Magica players are out there: see [[#Size of the Fan Community|Size of the Fan Community]], below.

We invite you to participate in the Ars Magica community by [[contributing]] to Project: Redcap.

== Learning More About Ars Magica ==
{{Main|Welcome to Ars Magica}}
;The [http://www.atlas-games.com Atlas Games website]
:The current publisher, [[Atlas Games]], has a lot of free material on their site, including a free PDF of the [[Fourth Edition]] rules, free starter adventures, character sheets, and other useful stuff. Check out the resources for [http://www.atlas-games.com/arm4/ Fourth] and [http://www.atlas-games.com/arm5/ Fifth] Editions.
;The [[Arcane Connection (podcast)]]
:Some of the segments are useful for newcomers, while others are aimed at experienced players
;[[Suggested Reading]]
:Our Suggested Reading page can help you get started learning about [[Real History]] and folklore for inspiration about playing in [[Mythic Europe]]

== Ars Magica on the Internet ==
''Main article: [[Internet Site Index]]''

Fans have created a great deal of unofficial material on the World Wide Web, from Project: Redcap itself (and its sibling, the [http://arsmagica.wikia.com/wiki/Ars_Magica_Wiki Ars Magica Wiki]) to pages for individual [[saga]]s.

See the [[Internet Site Index]] for a general listing of all Ars Magica sites. Pages for individual [[saga]]s are also listed in the [[Regional Tribunal]]s where those sagas are set. We also have a specific [[:Category:Fan-created|category for fan-created]] material.

If you are [[contributing]] to Project:Redcap by adding links to your own Web page(s), it is OK to cross-list them on both the [[Internet Site Index]] and the [[Regional Tribunal]] pages if you wish.

=== Discussions ===
;[http://forum.atlas-games.com/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=ef3f469fc350f01d63a4ae2a54616819 Official Ars Magica Discussion Forum]
:[[Atlas Games]] hosts the official discussion forum on its Web site. Players use the discussion forum to discuss rules questions, story and character ideas, features of the [[Mythic Europe]] setting and [[Order of Hermes]], and many other topics.
; [[Mailing Lists]]
:There have also been several e-mail lists devoted to the game, the most active and long-lived of which is the venerable [[Berkeley Ars Magica List]].
; [[ICQ]]

=== Online Play ===
Please list below any play-by-post or play-by-e-mail games open to new players.

* [http://www.atlas-games.com/forum/ Play-by-post] at the Atlas Games Forums
* Not exactly Ars Magica, but using Ars Magica concepts, is the [[Tempora Heroica]] [[MUD]]

== Fanzines ==
''Main article: [[Fanzines]]''

In addition to the official [[Products]] published by [[Atlas Games]], Ars Magica fans publish their own high-quality [[Fanzines]]: semi-professional periodicals written by the fans, for the fans. The current English language fanzine is [[Sub Rosa]].

==Podcasts==

As of April 2013 there is only one regular dedicated Ars Magica podcast. [[Arcane Connection (podcast)]] is detailed with a list of episodes and is English language.

== Conventions ==
''Main article: [[Grand Tribunal (convention)]]''

Since 2007, Ars Magica fans have organized their own [[Grand Tribunal (convention)|conventions]], either as part of a larger game convention or as separate affairs. In fact, is most years there have been two conventions, one in the U.K. and one in the U.S. Both are typically held in August.

== Finding Players ==
(for tabletop games, as opposed to online)

;[http://sagalocator.myfreeforum.org/index.php Sagalocator]
:An online forum for players seeking games, and games seeking players. Last updated July 2012, so probably still active
;[http://forum.atlas-games.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2684 Group-finding thread on Atlas Games forums]
:There's a sticky thread on the official forum that should help find players
;[http://arsmagicafinder.atspace.com/index.html Ars Magica Player Finder]
:Web page of games seeking players. Last updated 2005

== Size of the Fan Community ==
There are no hard statistics on the actual number of active Ars Magica players, but John Nephew did post the following on the [[official forum]] in response to a fan's question (on 16 March, 2009):

<blockquote>Well, as a privately held corporation, we don't as a matter of general practice share detailed sales or financial information with the public. In terms of supplements, I'm comfortable saying that we have typically printed 1,000 to 1,500 of each Ars Magica 5th Edition supplement on its first printing. Numerous supplements have needed to be reprinted. The core rulebook needs to be printed in larger quantities, both because of higher demand and also to make its 2-color interior printing affordable. Today we are down to the very last case of the second printing, and the third printing is due to arrive from the printer in the middle of this week, avoiding any out-of-stock time between printings. I hope this is enough to satisfy your curiosity. :-) </blockquote>

== Idiosyncrasies of the Fan Community ==
The Ars Magica fan community was historically centered on the [[Berk List]], which has developed its own special [[:Category:Jargon|jargon]] and even a geeky notation called the [[ArM code]].

Since the launch of [[ArM5]], the [[official discussion forum]] has developed into a distinct, but overlapping, community in its own right. Due to the number of people who participate in both discussion groups, much of the jargon has migrated over to {enrich, corrupt} the newer forum.

[[Category:Fan Community]]
[[Category:FAQ]]

Andrew Oakley

2014-07-16T15:49:55Z

Aoakley: Add short bio and link to my fan scenarios

Andrew Oakley has been co-host of the [[Grand Tribunal (convention)]] UK since 2012. He is noted for his organisational abilities. He has not yet written for Ars Magica, but has contributed to ''The Laundry'' RPG line by Cubicle 7 games.

He lives in Tewkesbury with his wife and children, and manages programmers for a government agency (no, not that one, and yes, he can talk about it).

Andrew releases most of his home-made RPG essays, supplements and scenarios as public domain. This includes tabletop and freeform scenarios for Ars Magica.

* [http://www.aoakley.com/articles/?subject=RPG www.aoakley.com/articles/?subject=RPG]

[[Category:Fan Community]]

Project: Redcap - User contributions [en]

Fan community

Andrew Oakley