On November 16, 2010, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) will release its long awaited update to the D&D Insider Character Builder. The fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) offers many thousands of options for character, so this software is practically necessary for players of the game.

This new version has plenty of new features, including the debut of the long overdue Dark Sun and Essentials options. One interesting new feature is the software no longer allows players to save their characters on their computers, instead characters are saved to a “cloud” and are accessible from any computer. In fact, the whole program is online, with nothing to download but the cloud feature may be a source of ire for some fans…

“Burning Dreams into Reality” is Burning Man Studios’ motto and, frankly, there couldn’t have been a better one. Burning, kicking, screaming and clawing is what a independent studio has to do if they have any hope of getting noticed, pickup or funded in any way.

So, what makes a company a company then? Is it millions of dollars for production? A large team of workers? Or having a physical building which to call your own? These are all things that we think of, or hope to achieve one day. The truth is, that most independent gaming companies don’t have these luxuries. The question really is, do these things define you as a company?

Well, they certainly help, but they do not define a company…

In this 10-week series we offer an exclusive, insider’s look into the world of independent game development, focusing on indie game developer Burning Man Studios.

The series is written from inside the fire pit by Burning Man’s lead designer and writer (and Gamertell staff writer), Chris Buckner, who offers plenty of trade secrets, insights, suggestions, observations and exclusive interviews.

Consider Burning Ambition your personal advice column for breaking into the wonderful world of independent videogames. Good luck and don’t get burnt.

Click through for your formal introduction to Burning Ambition…