Hi, I'm Wil Wheaton. AMA about Tabletop, The Wil Wheaton Project, The Big Bang Theory, Homebrewing, and, of course, Rampart.

Does Felicia Day ever have really bad breath that you can't tell her about, but it makes you want to go sit on the other side of the room, but you can't, because you work together sometimes, so you just breath through your mouth and pray for her to leave? Asking for a friend.

Pretty much like every goddamn time I'm around her. She really needs to lay off the garlic hummus.

I think we should stay focused on Rampart you guys.

YES! Thank you. Finally, someone who gets it.

Rampart is a fantastic game on SNES.

Rampart without trackballs is not Rampart.

I wanted to like that game so much, and it just destroyed me whenever I tried to play it. I don't think I've gotten past the first level, ever.

Have you considered dressing up like Jonathan Frakes to conventions now that you have the beard for it?

You know, I hadn't until just this moment. I think that's a thing that needs to happen. I'll do the walk and everything.

What you gotta do is that awesome chair thing he does.

If you watch one of the Big Bang Theory episodes I did this year, you'll see that I did The Riker when I sat down.

I didn't realize you did it intentionally

Nah, man. The leg has to go over the back of the chair to be a full Riker move. Like the chair isn't even there.

This is true, but I had to modify it so it would slip past the network.

Hey Wil, I am an active duty Soldier and your show has inspired my geeky gaming side. Because of this it got me through some deep PTSD depression and has brought my whole family together like never before. Tabletop was an inspiration and I was happy to contribute to your 3rd season. I hope it can help people in the future like it helped me.

Aw, man ... thank you for sharing this with me. It's so important to me that our show is more than just an entertaining diversion, and it means the world to me when I find out that we're doing some good. Thank you for your service. Keep your head down and come home safe.

You're asked to make your own Wil Wheaton Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor. What would it be and what would it be called?

If I were Wil, I would call it "Cream of Wheaton": Cherry red ice cream, caramel swirls, and blueberries. ...and if you're wondering how that color combination would look.

I love that. Have some gold, on me.

Writer, actor, homebrewer and philanthropist? Is there anything you can't do?

Win at board games?

Nailed it.

I can't dance at all, and I can hardly play any instruments.

Ice cream that tastes like nothing called, "Bland By Me".

I don't know why you're getting downvoted. This is hilarious.

Wil, you're a handsome man but the photo currently at the top of your Wikipedia page does you no justice. You look like you've just eaten a spicy California burrito; all sweaty and flatulent.

Do you have a favorite photo of yourself? This picture has got to go.

Woah, that's not the most flattering thing in the world, is it? I think I should get a new picture there, but whenever I try to do anything with Wikipedia it turns into the most annoying edit war in the history of life, and I just don't have time for that BS.

Following up, do you have a favorite photo of yourself, and why is it this one?

http://pdw.weinstein.org/files/wilw.jpg

This would be a huge improvement over the other picture.

Make it happen, Internet.

If I see you in public, should I offer to buy you a beer, a book, or just give you the thumbs-up-dude?

I'm such a socially awkward penguin in real life, the thumbs-up-dude would probably be the best choice.

True story, at PAX 2012 I saw Wil walking toward me on the street and I said "Hey Wil!" You said back to me "Hey... Guy!" and then we just kept on walking.

I got misty-eyed reading this. Those were good times, random guy on the street.

my wife and I saw you at dinner once in some fancy Laguna beach hotel restaurant on the balcony, i think last year. The one with the fancy football looking dessert. loft at montage, i think?

She squealed "the guy from big bang theory!"

I squealed "the guy from Star Trek!"

to which she looked confused, because to her, star trek is only the jj abrams version.

at any rate, she wanted to stroll on over in the middle of your dinner and get an autograph, but i stopped her.

you owe me

Sincerely: thank you. One of the few times I can get grumpy with people is when I'm clearly in a private(ish) situation, like a dinner or something, and someone interrupts that. I think it's important to let people have their private time.

If you can have any theme song play when you enter a room (a la WWE), what would it be?

Okay, true and embarrassing story from my childhood:

When I was a kid, I loved WWF. I watched it every Saturday morning, and one of the highlights of my life was when my parents took my siblings and me to see it, live, at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles.

So I guess I was probably ten or eleven, and Hulk Hogan was my hero. I got one of my T-shirts out of my dresser, and I cut it up into a Hulkster pattern, with the slashes across the back and everything. Then, I built a wrestling ring out of couch cushions and blankets and stuff in our living room, and decided that I was going to make a huge, grand entrance, just like Hulk Hogan.

I went to my parents records, and took out what was, at the time, a pretty radical record: Starship's Knee Deep In The Hoopla. I put it on the turntable, cranked the volume up, and readied the needle. I said, in my best announcer voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is our title bout for the evening! It is scheduled for one fall! Hailing from Sunland, California, weighing in at 90 pounds, the heavyweight champion of the world .... WIL WHEATON!" I dropped the needle on the record, then ran out of the room as fast as I could, so I could start strutting across the kitchen and into my "arena" as We Built This City On Rock and Roll played.

I was fully committed to the bit, too. I was pointing at the imaginary people in the audience, putting my hand up to my ear just like Hulk Hogan did, and then I tore off my t-shirt while growling and hearing fifteen thousand people scream for me, as I marched around the wrestling ring I'd made out of four couch cushions and some blankets.

And the thing about all of this is that nobody ever knew about it but me until just now, because when I did this stupid thing (that was actually totally awesome according to young me), nobody was in the house but me, and I put everything away before my parents got home.

I, uh, probably wouldn't have a theme song today.

I would have been in deep shit for ripping up a perfectly good tshirt

That's one of the reasons I did it when nobody was home.

have you ever witnessed Felicia day angry and what is the worst swear word she uses ?

Felicia and I are like brother and sister, and while I know she's seen me at my worst, I've never seen her get angry. She's very focused and super smart, and I think that instead of getting angry, she just gets shit done.

I've never thought about trying to get her to say really offensive swears, but now I think I have to.

What went through your mind when Anne slammed the table on the Ticket to Ride episode of TableTop? Your face was priceless! (btw, I only just started reading her blog. She's a fantastic writer and her "Panic Button, Pushed" post was a really compelling read.)

What went through your mind when Anne slammed the table on the Ticket to Ride episode of TableTop

"Fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu"

BTW, when my wife and I play games with friends, if anyone bumps the board/table now, it is referred to as "pulling an Anne".

Your wife is beautiful and I'm sure she is lovely, but she has a legacy now.

This is actually fairly common in the tabletop gaming community, now. It makes me furiously happy.

Thanks for introducing me to a world of board games that I never knew existed.

One quick question, if you could re-theme ANY game, what would it be?

Dominion. I love that game so much, but the theme means basically nothing.

Random story time: A few years ago, Stone Brewing released a mint chocolate stout. I was thrilled. I ran down to my local chain liquor store (BevMo) in the San Fernando Valley and asked the clerk where it was. He laughed and said, "Man, I'm sorry. We're holding the case for Wil Wheaton." I said that you (Wil) wouldn't miss one bottle, to which they replied, "Yeah, but he's pretty important. Who are you again?"

Every time I go there and the guy who told me that (think his name is Christian) is working, I've made sure to mention, "Hey, if Wil Wheaton comes in, tell him I said he can go fuck himself and that he's a talentless piece of shit." He laughs and everyone around us thinks I'm a massive turd for talking shit about you since they don't know the context.
If there's ever a beer that's not in stock at that store, my immediate response is, "Seriously? Did that fucking asshole Wil Wheaton buy them all?" Still get nothing but dead stares with that one.

I have no idea if the clerk ever relayed my sentiment to you over that incident. I was hoping it would instill a paranoia in you that would make you hesitant to ever purchase a full case of beer from a retail joint ever again, or that you'd think I was some kind of supervillain hell-bent on getting to the good beer in town before you. Alas, I'm assuming that never happened.

It's now boiled over to other liquor stores too. Every time something I want is out of stock at any store whatsoever: "Wil Wheaton bought it, didn't he? That motherfucker! One of these days!" Still just dead stares, but with a lot more confusion.

But it's all in jest. I think you're a dope dude who does a lot of good in the world.

But anyway...how was that Stone mint chocolate stout?

OMG this is hilarious. He never relayed your message to me, and that's a bummer. I hope that you'll begin blaming me for everything from missing a stoplight to running out of milk.

I did have that stout, and it was the only mint chocolate stout I've ever had that I enjoyed ... and the bottle that you wanted was the best of them all.

Who would be your absolute dream lineup for an episode of TableTop?

Oh I know the answer to this: it's just me and Billie Piper in a game of "let's make out for twenty minutes."

If you had to play against DEATH in a board game (like in Bill and Ted) which game would you choose?

Something where I think I'd have an inherent advantage, because I've played it so much. If I had to choose something right now, I'd probably choose Carcassonne or Takenoko.

Death has eternity to gain skill and prowess at all games though. You'd be better off just challenging him to a coin toss. I'd take a 50/50 chance versus a completely lopsided game any day of the week.

Your math checks out.

Yes, over here, n'hey, n'hey. In episode BF12, you were battling barbarians while riding a winged Appaloosa, yet in the very next scene, my dear, you're clearly atop a winged Arabian. Please do explain it.

Obviously, it's a sort of magical horse. I mean, even a child could have seen that.

Hey Wil,

Have you heard of Storium? It's an online storytelling game-a little more free form than normal tabletop roleplaying. What do you think of it?

I love Storium! My friends created it, and I'm proud to be a backer.

Do ants have lungs?

I'm sorry, that's not a beard question.

Mr. Wheaton. I wanted to let you know that your blog is one of the best things I have read. Being the parent of two young step boys and trying to be the best father I can be to them when they have a tough situation with their bio mom reading what you post and knowing you have been down that road before me lets me know that it can and will be better, even if it sometimes gets hard. Thank you for doing all you do not only with gaming, and the culture, but for the things other not always comment on.

stepdad fistbump

Remember that they're in pain, and it's hard for them to have the tension and drama in their lives that comes with your situation. Never speak badly about their bio mom, and make sure they know you love them. It's a hard road, and it can feel like the entire world's against you at times, but when they grow up to be the awesome people you know they can be, it's all worth it.

Are you Wil?

I LOVE THIS GUY!

Which main character actor or actress was the biggest jackass while you were Wesley on TNG and why?

Probably me, because I was an obnoxious and annoying teenager who was trying his hardest to not be lame, and usually failing.

Were you ever awkwardly attracted to Gates McFadden in your scenes together?

Nope. I had a massive crush on Marina, but Gates was more like a mom to me, so ... no.

Hi Wil,

This is Alli the "not a crazy stalker chick" that made your bowling shirt.

First I just want to say how awesome it is for me that you actually wear that shirt. I was watching a Dr Who special and it showed a clip of you bowling with some of the DW cast in the shirt. Very awesome.

My question is when is Wootstock coming back to northern CA? That was a great show. I'd love to see another one.

Wootstock is, for the near future, only happening at SDCC, just because it's so hard to get the four of us in the same place at the same time. We occasionally do sketchfest, but it's called "founder's night" because we don't have any guests join us. I had to miss it this year because of work, but hopefully we can do it again next year.

Hi Wil. As someone who has also never seen Rampart do you think I should?

No, watch Akira again instead.

I love that you've made it to the RPG game stretch goal - do you know yet what you're going to play? Do you want WOTC/D&D involved, or specifically not? Your games with AQI got me back into D&D after a long hiatus, and I really have enjoyed Chris Perkins' adventure design, and would love to see him take on a long-form campaign. OR are you planning to DM/GM?

I have a very good idea about what I'm going to play, but I'm not ready to talk about it, yet. I can tell you that it won't be D&D, I am going to GM.

Two questions, and a thank you.

First—I love your audiobook work. Both Ready Player One and Fuzzy Nation are amongst my favorite listens. Can you tell us about any more that you have recently completed or will be doing soon?

Second—there are some Nissan commercials on iTunes radio that sound very much like your voice, except they're lower pitched as if slightly slowed down. Is that you, or just someone trying very hard to copy your delivery?

Third—I owe you a huge thanks. A couple years ago, a guy wearing a t-shirt I made met you at a con, and you tweeted a pic of him wearing it, which got my site a huge amount of attention. I’ve been hoping to send you one as a thank you, but haven’t been able to figure out how. If you want one, please let me know how to get it to you.

https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6893934/il_570xN.334495708.jpg

I recorded an audiobook on Monday, but I don't think I can say what it was or when it will be released.

I'm not part of the Nissan commercial, and I seriously doubt anyone would ever want to copy me, when there are, you know, good people worth copying.

I love that shirt. Clever is my Kryptonite, and that shirt is damn clever. Good work, sir.

So I've started playing Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Carcassone and all of your video have been a great help. I want to introduce my playgroup to something a bit more involved though. What would you suggest would be a good next step for something more strategy based and less dependent on random factors like dice?

Check out Lords of Waterdeep, Revolution, and Small World.

Hi Wil, is it true that you are a Cumberbitch? y/y

so much yes.

Wil Wheaton,

If you were to take over the world, what tabletop game would you mandate be in everyone's home?

Diplomacy.

Wil! My question is about BEER: Stone Farking Wheaton wootstout 2.0 to be more specific, do you know if this will release in stores around the same time as hop con? I missed out on wootstout last year, I am hoping to not make that mistake this year.

To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

I don't know exactly where it will be released, but I know Stone plans to do nationwide, as far as the laws will allow. Last year, we weren't allowed to distribute in Ohio or Utah because the ABV was too high.

Hi Wil. Will TableTop Season 3 be available anywhere else besides YouTube?

Yes. We'll have it in as many different places as we can, which is one of the huge benefits of being completely independent.

Hey Wil, looking forward to seeing your new show! What will differentiate TWWP from shows like Tosh or Attack of the Show? And will we see any tabletop gaming segments?

Also, can you maybe start lobbying SyFy to shange the name again? We all think SciFy is a good compromise.

What will differentiate TWWP from shows like Tosh or Attack of the Show? And will we see any tabletop gaming segments?

I think Tosh is mean, and not very clever. One of our prime directives is that we aren't mean, we don't make fun of our audience, and we're not afraid to make jokes that maybe only 10% of the audience will appreciate because they're that particular kind of geek. I think we'll have some similarities with Attack, just because I loved that show so much, and I think they blazed a great trail for us to sort of follow.

We probably won't see any tabletop gaming segments, because I have that whole other show where we cover that.

Also, can you maybe start lobbying SyFy to shange the name again? We all think SciFy is a good compromise.

Ha. I wish. I get so many angry emails and phone calls from the network when I joke about that, especially when I call it "the network formerly-known as Sci-Fi", because they don't really have a sense of humor about it. I mean, I can't imagine why they'd be sensitive about it. It's not like everyone who is in their core audience felt punched in the face when they did that, or anything...

^{please don't fire me Syfy I'll be good}

Wil, I had the pleasure of playing a table top game with you last year when I won a contest at Kansas City Planet Comicon last year. My daughter hasn't ever seen you in anything and didn't know know who you were, but she really took to you. I've always gotten the impression that you are a sincere and friendly person. You invented Wil Wheaton's law. But there was a moment it seemed to me that you weren't following your own law. On your Weakest Link appearance, you came across a bit like a dick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHmgYRoVSSM

At the very least, Roxann Dawson wasn't very happy with you.

Where you a different person back then? Do you think you just didn't come off well in that episode? Is there not friendship and fraternity amongst cast members of different Star Trek shows?

Edit: Don't mean to be a jerk with the hardball question. Just always curious. BTW, I do love Table Top and I backed the new season!

Oh man, that thing. So it was a deliberate joke that Roxann and I planned together, and coordinated with the producers of the show. We did it so well, the audience completely believed that it was real.

I guess you could say that it was the first time I decided to play Evil Wil Wheaton on television!

What is one thing you wish you could go back in time and tell your younger self?

I actually wouldn't tell him anything, because I believe that our lives are the result of everything we do, good and bad, joyful and painful, celebrated and regretted. I absolutely love my life right now, and I can look myself in the eye without ever feeling ashamed of myself. I wouldn't want to do anything to change my life or who I am, even though a lot of my younger years were not always awesome.

Hi! So among Pandemic, Settlers of Catan, and maybe Netrunner, what game do you think should be a staple in everyone's Game Cabinet?

And will you ever get around to publishing that book of conversations with your pets?

Of those games you listed, definitely Settlers.

Hey Wil, just wanted to say thanks for being one of the most awesome people ever.

I was wondering: which side do you come down on in the cake vs pie debate?

PIE FOREVER.

And now a question for you: losing your wedding ring in the ocean vs. not losing your wedding ring in the ocean?

Hi Wil, I'm a big fan of Tabletop. Will we see Battlestar Galactica played this season?

I'm not sure. I love that game, but I think it may be just slightly too complex for our format.

I'll playtest it with Producer Boyan, though, and see if we can make it work.

It's not about anything you listed to ask you about, but any idea when you'll be back on @midnight? I absolutely loved the episode you were on.

YES! I'm talking with the gang over there to set up a show in July.

Hi Wil,

Thrilled to see Tabletop season 3 and the RPG spinoff are being so robustly funded on IndieGoGo. Do you think the show has a future beyond season 3, and if so, do you have any ideas about making it self-sustaining going forward, or do you think it will be crowd-funded from here on out?

Crowdfunding season three was an amazing experience, because it showed us in a very tangible way how much Tabletop means to people all over the world, but it was also a little weird for me. I'm very self sufficient in every aspect of my life, and if I could afford to fund it myself, I would. At every step of the way, I had to remind myself that this isn't about me, it's about the community of Tabletop gamers who love this show and want to see more of it. When I remembered that I wasn't doing this for me, but was doing it because it's so important to so many people, it felt less weird to me.

I don't know if we'll go beyond season three (we need to finish season three first, and who knows what's going to happen in the Mysterious Future) but if we do, I hope we can make it self-sustaining in some way that lets us maintain our independence, and keep the production values as awesome as they are now.

Hi Wil, I was wondering how you deal with/respond to the people that criticize you for being on The Big Bang Theory? I know Reddit's opinion of the show in general is fairly low so I imagine a lot of the criticism would be centered here, but I'm just curious about what you say to people who do try to tear you down for being on the show.

On an unrelated note, what's your brewing process and favorite beer you've ever created yourself?

Keep up the good work :)

was wondering how you deal with/respond to the people that criticize you for being on The Big Bang Theory?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I'm not required to listen or respond to it.

Your desert island board game? (assuming friends are marooned with you)

That one where you build a working transporter to get you back to civilization.

When it comes to gaming, you mostly only ever talk about tabletops games, which I love.

But I was wondering what, if any, is your favorite classic or modern video game.

I love classic video games, because I grew up during video gaming's golden age. On the 2600, I loved Yar's Revenge. On NES I loved the original Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, Blades of Steel, and RC Pro-Am. On Sega, I loved NHL '94 and Mortal Kombat II. On PS3, it was all about Vice City. On Xbox, I currently love Borderlands 2 and will always love Dragon Age: Origins.

I play a bunch of indie titles on Steam, too many to list them all, but highly recommend Dear Esther, The Stanley Parable, Gone Home, and, of course, Civ V.

But... Vice City was on ps2.... HEY! THIS GUY ISN'T ONE OF US AT ALL!

Oh, you're right. Shit. I meant PS2. My favorite game on PS3 is The Last of Us.

For the RPG show, have you thought about whether or not you'll be a player or a DM?

I plan to be the GM.

What is your opinion on J.J.Abrams' Star Trek restart?

I think he did a brilliant job of translating Star Trek into a language and style that is relevant to my kids' generation. Hopefully, the Millenials will see this version of Star Trek, get interested in the older series, and become full-on Trekkies.

There are many questions I would love to ask but I will contain myself.

Have you heard of the Hard Science Fiction Tabletop RPG called Eclipse Phase?

When might we get to hear you on the Nerdist Podcast once more? Ooh ooh or “Making it With Riki Lindhome”, or “You Made it Weird”. I would love to hear you on any of those, although your rapport with one Chris Hardwick makes that my preference.

I've heard of Eclipse Phase, but I've never played it. I love science fiction, but I've never been that into SF RPGs for some reason.

Hardwick and I have planned to have me on the podcast soon, we're just figuring out the schedule.

Hi Wil, I'm so happy you're doing an AMA! I always get all giddy and squee! when you're on Big Bang.

I'm a huge board game geek, and I struggle with striking the balance between games that are quick to teach and understand, and games that are excessively complicated and have thousands of pieces. My question is - Are there any games that you'd love to do a show on, but are too complicated to explain quick enough to make the show entertaining. (I'm thinking Arkham Horror).

PS - Can you make an episode of Big Bang where you make out with Sheldon? It would be adorable!! Maybe bring it up to the writers?

Are there any games that you'd love to do a show on, but are too complicated to explain quick enough to make the show entertaining. (I'm thinking Arkham Horror).

Most of the longer games like Arkham and Eclipse just won't work, which is a shame because I love them.

Those games, though, aren't exactly good introductory games, and one of the prime directives of Tabletop is to showcase games that are an easy introduction to our hobby.

Hey Wil! Big fan from Norway here. Just wanted to say that when you and Patrick Rothfuss converse on Twitter it makes me really happy for some reason. Also, the Big Bang episodes with you in them are the best!

My question is: How is it to play yourself vs playing a character? Do you have a say in how 'you' are portrayed on The Big Bang Theory?

Do you have a say in how 'you' are portrayed on The Big Bang Theory?

Occasionally, Steve Molaro will ask me if I've had an experience in my real life that would sort of inspire them to do something with my character on the show. Probably the best example of that sort of thing is when he asked me if there was anything in my real life that could help them develop my conversation with Sheldon after he finds out he has to retract his discovery.

Are there plans for a Cards Against Humanity Tabletop sometime in the (hopefully near) future?

Yes. We're going to do a very dirty "Tabletop After Dark" episode in season three, in which we will play Cards Against Humanity.

Can we go back to your early work (like Stand By Me and TNG) and do a remastered version where we add a beard to your characters?

I'm pretty sure that this has to happen, now.

Do you wear socks with your sandals?

Only when I'm wearing shorts.

Could you explain in detail your emotions during the Kings first round?

Pick pretty much any .gif from /r/nonononoyes and you'll have a good idea.

I know you might have a bit of Bias being a Kings fan, but which division do you think is going to be more competitive over the next 5 years, the Pacific or the Central?

As an Avs fan I'm mostly happy we might be relevant again, and I'm looking forward to the Western Conference domination of the East to continue for a while!

Oh and TableTop is awesome and I can't wait for the RPG show!

I hope it'll become the Central, because the Pacific is so freaking tough right now, I feel like we're in the playoffs all year long.

Also, when I'm boss of the universe, we're getting the proper division names back. #TeamSmytheDivisionForLife

Do you own any dogecoin?

I have a little, yeah, but I don't fully understand the whole cryptocurrency thing, so I haven't paid very close attention to it.