My Problem With Most Modern Gaming

Over at Neogrognard there was a comment that I really wanted to respond to but not being a Wordpress member is one of the prouder things in my life ( I DESPISE Wordpress) and I needed to 'log-in'.

Instead I'll just say my piece here.

http://www.neogrognard.com/article/374/essential

Sarah Darkmagic says:

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 at 11:23 am

I chuckled a bit when I read this. As much as 4e might have “failed” to meet its objectives in any broad sense, it seems to have worked exactly as intended for me. The “mistake” as you called it, allowed me to dip my toes in the water. But I realize that I’m not everyone and, even if I was, at some point, representative of the non-playing masses, many of us required people already invested in the game to show them how to play. If those invested players hated the game for the reasons you gave (and I know a number who do), then we blind newbies would either move to earlier editions/Pathfinder recommended to us or give up in disgust over the edition wars.

This is likely to get me into trouble, but I’ll say it anyway. One of the biggest positives and negatives of the D&D community is that we care too much. We love the game, we love sharing the game, but we want to share our own version of the game. We will repeat old stereotypes, gather around our “the right way to play” banners, and drive off most of the uninitiated. Honestly, it sucks sometimes.

I realized at that moment exactly why I dislike so much of modern gaming. It's the Big Mac theory and a direct reflection on the industry.

To me the whole point of the RPG is to, for a short time, live inside a different world. And everytime you sit down at the table with a new Dungeon Master you'll visit a different place. Some will suck. Some will be awesome. That's life

McDonalds was so proud of the fact that whether you bought a Big Mac in New York or California you would always get the same burger. The experience would be the same everywhere you went. This became a big part of the reason why they became the huge multi-national they are today.

But not everything should be a burger.

Imagine walking into a bookstore and finding only one book on all the shelves entitled 'Book'. You laugh a little, buy a copy and go home and read it. It was pretty good and you head back to the store only to realize that ever single book is the same one you just read.

This is the modern gaming attitude that I have found where ever I go. I made a comment one time that no rules were perfect and that imagination came in really handy if you're going to be a gamer and the response was ' If I wanted to write my own F'ing rules I wouldn't have bought the game'.

Pablum
Spoon fed.
Gerbers.

As the guys said over at 'WTF?, D&D!?' said:

Steve: People cried about them dying (Arneson & Gygax), but when Gygax went what we really lost was a final authority on all rules arguments. And even though the number I had for Gygax was probably no longer in service, I always had that reassuring feeling like if I was really in a jam and my characters were insisting they wanted to grapple someone I could call up Gary and ask him how to resolve it.

Zack: He's gone now, Steve, but his spirit lives on in the exciting new 4th Edition of- I can't even type that out. Does anyone play that?

Steve: It's pretty fun.

Steve: For stupid babies.

Zack: I would imagine Gygax had his detractors back in the day.

Steve: Gygax didn't have 50 writers and 100 artists and color printing. He just went out there and said, hey, here's how you subdue a dragon and sell it as a slave. Here's what a robot is doing in a fantasy game. Deal with it. I made it up, deal with it.

Zack: And now a committee has designed everything.

Steve: The stupid baby committee.

Now I have to get back to the feast table. Lord Hurgamurga, is about to regale us with tales of his heroic balance.

The Dark Side-The Industry-The Hobby

Where to begin.

I have been reading the on going battle for what seems like forever now about 'social contracts' and 'industry standards'. I have really tried to stay out of it. This is the kind of pitched battles that made me quit forums. Somebody says something, doesn't maybe understand the gravity of the statement and then all hell breaks loose. It all started with this:

"It is that LOTFP: Grindhouse Edition violates the social contract of the RPG community."

http://errantgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/violation-of-social-contract.html

And ends up the biggest fist fight I have seen in some time. People are arguing with people that they have always been civil to. This one post has caused more damage to this hobby we call home than anything I can imagine.

What was so powerful about this to cause so many to react so aggressively? A simple mistake we have all made from time to time. When we speak we think we are speaking for the masses. And that offends a lot of people.

This could have been stopped by taking a step back and saying that it was a personal opinion but that didn't happen. The fuel was increased by somehow associating our group with a group we have nothing to do with and that is 'the industry'. If this were 'the industry' I wouldn't be here typing this. I would be filling out apps and trying to figure out whose ass to kiss next after Mearls over at Wizards. THAT'S the industry. This is 'the hobby' or 'hobby business' if you will.

This is the story of how our favorite hobby fell the 1st time and how we are now at the crossroads. again Will 1989 repeat itself? Or will we ignore the naysayers and forge our own path? The decision is ours.

In the past it started with Satanic panic, Mazes and Monsters and a lot of propaganda that would lead a company to make decisions that would change the course of gaming history.

TSR caved into pressure from religious groups and changed what had been an adult game into something acceptable to people who were not even customers, let alone gamers.

Now our own are quoting items out of context. The 'social contract' has nothing to do with the community as a whole. It is the agreement between players at a table and what they decide to play and how to play it. It is not a moral ruler to measure the acceptability of a game or anything else within the context of this community.

And here the added fuel:

The problem with LOTFP Grindhouse Edition is that it violates the boundaries set by the community. It goes over the line that people are willing to comfortably tolerate, it is beyond the acceptable standard of behavior, and people have reacted to that in a variety of ways."
http://errantgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/violation-of-social-contract.html

What community set which boundaries? Not my community nor the community of others that I have seen. This product seems to be doing quite well.

There is a difference between having an opinion and expressing it and presuming that you speak for an entire group of people. No one speaks for me. I think for myself and choose for myself. I am not cattle or sheep, moving in fear away from the edge that exists to challenge us.

I could quote the entire post I have excerpted above, but it comes down to 1989:

"People don't want their beloved games on the same shelf with this stuff, they don't like to see it included in the mix. They don't want someone looking at LOTFP Grindhouse Edition as being a part of RPGs, lest the negativity flow back onto other RPGs. Our hobby went through a very long and painful doldrum period where we struggled with negative reputational effects. We are just now getting to the point where it is not a big issue anymore. The last thing people want is for something like this to trigger even more negative associations. I try very hard not to describe RPGs as being "like D&D" because of this negative history. I would truly hate to have to disavow even more material."

Is this being serious or supposed to be funny? Who are these people buying games they don't want and setting them on any shelf? Negative associations? Let me tell you, they still hate us and think we are doing Satan's work and corrupting people. Those people have always existed and always will regardless of what a publisher decides to print.

Has someone been sneaking into homes and putting games on game shelves under cover of darkness? Is this some covert operation? Where's my damn copy then? Cause I would certainly love to have a nice boxed set proudly sitting on my shelf.

I am not ashamed of the roots of this hobby or the culture it grew out of. Are there things I disagree with? Of course. But it's me disagreeing. Not me telling you what you should find disagreeable. There is a big difference.

We have no reason to tip toe around and try to go unnoticed. We can stamp our feet if we damn well please and if someone is not 'comfortable' with that then they don't have to be part of it. I'm certain there is a big pile of Monopoly game boxes sitting somewhere nearby that is nice and safe. Go play that.

The last time was a different world, where people forced their opinions on the lives of others and caused a ripple effect that made me, for one, leave the hobby. But things are different now. No more boycotts or threats to a business owners livelihood if they carry those 'awful' Dungeons and Dragons games.

We're in charge this time. We are not part of 'the industry' and I wish to never be again. I look forward to the absolute collapse of 'the industry' and good riddance. And if those 'rules' are truly for GenCon then what is left? A table to play Jenga on? No violence, no gore, no nudity, no religion, no cosplay...what the hell do you do? Drink coffee and check your watch constantly to see when your flight leaves?

It's our show and the more of this fascist group think crap that I read the more I want to Spinal Tap this mother and take it up to 11...How about we start with a module, say The Rape of Village Thiyus...the whole module is seeing how many things you can rape in a given amount of time. Men, women, kids, dogs, goats...if it's breathing then we're hittin' it...and do it fired up on drugs and alcohol...maybe betting contests between PCs to see who gets the higher count...see how this crap makes me react?

You see, I ran a game store back in the 80's and I was treated like a leper. They burnt shit in my yard and told me I was selling the work of the devil. My customers were scared by these fanatics.

OVER A GAME.

So you will have to pardon me that all that 'golden age' dust doesn't get in my eyes and blind me from the crap we have always taken. Go be a mouse if you want to. Just don't expect everyone to be a mouse. Some are lions and they eat mice.

And as I said the other day, we really need to be careful about stepping over the most heinous of all lines-hypocrisy. When you take it down to the basics the largest group of gamers play a game that is a perpetual race war where you kill other creatures and steal their stuff. And don't say that's not what fantasy rpgs are about. Since day one that was the basic game. If you have 'moral issues' with gaming you might want to start right there.

I think too many folks are in this thinking it is a stepping stone into that big ticket job in 'the industry' and for some it may well be.

But the majority of people I talk with know this is a small thing and always will be. This is the only reason this is worth doing. These are labors of love, homages to those who came before 'political correctness'. Look at the our collective past and the influences on the hobby. This is 'Old School'. Frank Frazetta. Boris Vallejo. H.P. Lovecraft, R.E. Howard, E.R. Burroughs.

When H.G. Wells codified miniature war gaming he made a statement that perhaps if we fought more of these small wars we would fight less big ones.

And RPGs are the same. Remember that the concept of role-playing was developed by Jacob Moreno, a Viennese psychologist who contended that people could gain more from acting out their problems than from talking about them. That it would evolve into a gaming hobby is quite remarkable.

But man is a rough beast and for all of our laws and social structures we remain animals at heart, part of a greater nature than we may ever understand. This is the place for where the beast can be released and we can learn something about ourselves in the process.

Too heavy? Maybe you wanna go play that Monopoly now...

Here We Go Again! New System Release

Get Epées & Sorcellerie RPG for FREE!

This courtesy of theresdungeonsdownunder.blogspot.com

"Well, Nicolas 'Snorri' Dessaux and myself, through our joint venture - Frightful Hobgoblin - are proud to announce the release of the English translation of Nico's Epées & Sorcellerie roleplaying game, now available in both print and pdf versions from Lulu."

Get it while its hot :)

DCC RPG-The First 24 hrs

I would like to state up front that the method I use and describe in detail below is of my own devising and not based on contemporary methods of analysis because I believe that stats from focus group cards and similar methods are just not viable in the 21st century. That went out when Gen-X was observed watching advertising as entertainment (note the Super Bowl being the most watched pro game of the year because of its commercials).

To illustrate this point if you ask 1000 randomly selected people which would they rather play:

(1) A game with 15 pages of rules

or

(2) A game with 600 pages of rules

The majority of that group will say 15 pages.

Then you check actual sales and the core book for Pathfinder is generally the #1 selling rulebook at Amazon lately clocking in at nearly 600 pages. There is a psychological reason for this I believe and will go into detail about if anyone is interested.

Modern demographics fall apart on this level more often than not. There are many cases in history where focus groups tested the opposite of what the actual outcome was.

What I have done I refer to as the 'grains of sand' or 'buzz' theory. I feel the information in the initial period is more accurate than after time passes and people begin to be affected by others opinions that muddies the initial reaction.

I gather a wide amount of information, find the talking points and then rank most talked about to least talked about and rate them as positive or negative and make note of the distance between the two points. For an overall reaction I add all the positives and subtract all the negatives and compare this number to the total number of talking points observed. What follows is the distillation of hundreds of posts and comments made during the first 24 hours of the release of the DCC RPG beta. I hope it proves of some use to the games creators as they prepare a final commercial version.

NOTE:
the #0 = a negative response
the #1 = a positive result

TOP TEN DISCUSSED POINTS W/ REACTION

01. LIKE THE ART (+23)

02. DISLIKE THE NUMBER OF TABLES (-13)

03. DISLIKE THE ZOCCHI DICE (-13)

04. LIKE THE MAGIC SYSTEM (+11)

05. DISLIKE THE ART (-10)

06. DISLIKE THE SYSTEM (-8)

07. DISLIKE THE 0-LEVEL START (-6)

08. DISLIKE MAGIC SYSTEM (-6)

09. LIKE THE SYSTEM (+6)

10. LIKE THE 0-LEVEL START (+4)

TOP FIVE DISCUSSED POINTS (POSITIVE / NEGATIVE)

ART - (23 LIKE) (10 DISLIKE)

TABLES - (13 DISLIKE) (2 LIKE)

ZOCCHI DICE – (13 DISLIKE) (3 LIKE)

MAGIC SYSTEM – (11 LIKE) (6 DISLIKE)

OVER ALL SYSTEM – (8 LIKE) (6 DISLIKE)

0-LEVEL START – (6 DISLIKE) (4 LIKE (3 LIKE AS OPT +4=7)*

*A third reaction began to surface on the 0-level start mechanic of it being positive if added as an optional feature thus the extra added above.

Also, individual likes and dislikes have been counted together for a more uniform view of the overall reaction. For instance the dislike of the artwork was split about even between there being too much of it or they didn't like the style, etc.

Initial Analysis:

An overall positive reaction to the artwork both in quantity and quality (the most discussed point which I found very interesting).

A very negative reaction to the number of tables included.

A very negative reaction to the use of Zocchi dice and the added cost and complexity they felt was unneeded.

A positive reaction to the magic system.

A marginal positive reaction to the overall system of mechanics.

A negative reaction to the 0-level starting point of PCs but when added as an optional mechanic the reaction turns marginally positive.

There were many other talking points that appeared in smaller numbers and thus make them more difficult to sample but are included for the overall reaction rating. This is the complete sample list:

ART 1 (+23)
TABLES 0 (-13)
ZOCCHI DICE 0 (-13)
MAGIC SYSTEM 1 (+11)
ART 0 (-10)
SYSTEM 0 (-8)
0-LEVEL 0 (-6)
MAGIC SYSTEM 0 (-6)
SYSTEM 1 (+6)
0-LEVEL 1 (+4)
0-LEVEL AS OPTION 1 (+3)
RACE AS CLASS 0 (-3)
SYSTEM MECHANICS 0 (-3)
ZOCCHI DICE 1 (+3)
ALIGNMENT 0 (-2)
CHARACTER CREATION 0 (-2)
CHARACTER CREATION 1 (+2)
DEEDS 1 (+2)
RACE AS CLASS 1 (+2)
TABLES 1 (+2)
TRYING TO COPYRIGHT TABLES 0 (-2)
ALIGNMENT 1 (+1)
BFRPG MORE MODULAR 0 (-1)
CARTOONS 1 (+1)
CHARACTER MECHANICS 0 (-1)
CLASS MECHANICS 0 (-1)
COMBAT 1 (+1)
CORE MECHANIC 0 (-1)
D20 MECHANICS 1 (+1)
DUNGEON CRAWL 1 (+1)
EPIC LEVEL 0 (-1)
FUNNEL 0 (-1)
FUNNEL 1 (+1)
INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER RECORD SHEETS 1 (+1)
LIKES BFRPG BETTER 0 (-1)
MECHANICS 0 (-1)
MONSTERS 0 (-1)
NO ‘WHAT IS ROLEPLAYING’ SECTION 1 (+1)
ROLEMASTER-LIKE BETTER 0 (-1)
TARGET GROUP FOCUS 0 (-1)
THEME 0 (-1)
XP TABLES 0 (-1)


TOTAL POINTS: 129

POSITIVE TALKING POINTS: 48
NEGATIVE TALKING POINTS: 81


In my own work in the past I look at this type of analysis to help tag and track different aspects of something that causes strong feelings for or against. It is a small sample but can be used as a heads up to further test and narrow the two extremes and bring the points closer together (I see a -2 and a +2 as par and canceling each other out while a -13 and a +2 shows a strong dislike of the topic being discussed and resources can then be directed to understand the situation better,etc).

This is not a value judgment nor does it reflect my own opinions on the subject. It is meant as a simple tool among many that can be used to better understand the subject and initial reactions to it. I hope it proves useful.

A Call For Basic Fantasy RPG resources

Just wanted to post this here as well. I have been trying to put together a resource blog for BFRPG for sometime and have finally bit the bullet and went ahead with launching it even though I don't feel I have enough material yet.

The blog can be found at:

On Mountains High And Dungeons Deep-BFRPG

Any posts to resources, reviews, basically anything to do with BFRPG is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

And I Thought My Year Was Sucking

Once More Unto the Breach!

Question: Alignment in RPGs? - Hail one and all! So, as usual, I don't have the time to write at length about anything (and trust me, I have a lot of ideas and it's killing me).

GROGNARDIA

Google Search - In case anyone cares, the Google search gadget located on the right is broken. I have no idea why it no longer functions (it did so last week, I am certain...

Steve Lopez's Big Blog o'Fun » Hot Leprechaun Chick says “Happy St. Patrick’s Day”

DC Comics reboot, old-school supers RPGing, etc. - I’m sorry about the relative infrequency of my posts, but I’m running as hard as I can just to stay stationary lately. I never realized that writing a blog...

Swashbuckler's Hideout

Brainstorming for a New Campaign - With the school year coming to close here at OSU coming, most of my players will be heading off home or will be away at prestigious internships

For A Fistful Of Coppers

A quick update - So, there sure hasn't been a lot of updating over here.

B/X BLACKRAZOR

Completely Embarrassed - I was trying to organize my notes from last week's game session, and realized I cannot for the life of me remember what the hell happened.

The Underdark Gazette

Unplugging for a Few Weeks - I'll be absent from the blogosphere for the rest of June, returning sometime during the first week of July. I've experienced several major upheavals...

Greyhawk Grognard

Apologies - Apologies again for my lack of posts. We are dealing with a death in the family and that is taking up almost all of my time at the moment.

TEMPLE OF DEMOGORGON

Keep on Truckin' (more or less) - Wow, more than two weeks without a post! What the hell is going on around here?

And that's just from a quick scan of my favorite blogs. I feel like any moment Neo is going to pull the wire out of the back of my head and say "Welcome to the real".

(Our house related suck has resurfaced again just to add icing to the s*** cake that is 2011).

Time To Catch Up

Wow...these last few weeks...just...wow.

Anyway, enough of the mundane. Here are some things I have ran across in the 30 seconds I've had each time I tried to sit down and catch up.

First good news for those who were disappointed when WotC dropped their mini lines.

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2011/05/25/46865/

And then Troll in the Corner added a Q&A on the subject:

http://trollitc.com/2011/05/more-info-on-paizo-and-wizkids-forthcoming-mini-line-with-a-handy-qa-section/

And the press release:

Paizo and WizKids Launch Pathfinder Pre-Painted Minis

http://wizkidsgames.com/blog/2011/05/25/paizo-and-wizkids-launch-pathfinder-pre-painted-minis/

And since we are talking minis:

A Cheapass Solution for Miniatures

http://swordsofathanor.blogspot.com/2011/05/cheapass-solution-for-miniatures.html

Book an Advert in Oubliette 6!

After the success of the Oubliette Issue 5 giveaway, I'd like to continue to offer future issues as free downloads for several weeks after they come out.

Issue 5 of Oubliette has reached over 800 people so far, which gives me every confidence that Issue 6 will have a circulation of over 1,000 copies - within one month of publication.

Commencing with Issue 6, I have decided to offer a limited amount of space to advertisers interested in reaching our readership.

(Get all the details at: http://oubliettemagazine.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-advert-in-oubliette-6.html )


I thought there was a certain irony here:

Hasbro Doesn't Even Sell the Latest Version of D&D on Its Webpage http://wondrousimaginings.blogspot.com/2011/05/hasbro-doesnt-even-sell-latest-version.html


The D&D Lair Assault promotion from WotC continues to heat up on both sides:

Wizards of the Coast Acknowledges 4E is Aimed at Min-Maxing Twinks

http://greyhawkgrognard.blogspot.com/2011/05/wizards-of-coast-acknowledges-4e-is.html

Ok, enough for now. A lot of ground to cover but that will have to wait till next time...

Enjoy!

Happy Post-Armageddon Day!

Considering today is the beginning of year zero just a few thoughts.

There are times when this whole world of gaming drives me mad. I try to practice tolerance but there are times.

But then I remember why I like it, love it even.

I read a lot of posts, as many as I can everyday from the gaming blogosphere. I built The Eternal Keep just to try and keep up and love reading something that is just purely inspirational. I may not use every idea I read but it acts like oil to lubricate the bearings, to keep me focused on the fact that we make it what it is.

I remember back in the day if we went out to eat at a restaurant and knew we might have a bit of a wait we would just start playing right at the table. We always carried dice in our pockets and someone usually had pen and paper or we could get some from the waitress. (We would have LOVED having the ability to make pocket mods back then...that would have rocked!).

And to play that was all you needed. All RPGs are built around dialogue with bits of random events that are resolved with common sense or a die roll. That's it. Have fun. It was about imagination.

I feel sorry for many modern players that hate their game and blame the company that makes it for ruining it for them. No one can ruin my game but me. No set of rules is perfect. It's what you do with the concept that matters.

The looks we would get, especially from the waitress when the food came out, was worth its weight in gold.

And combat became so much easier (and healthier) when they started putting condiments out in packets. Plenty of minis and variety. Nothing like a horde of angry mustard orcs to make for some heroic tarter sauce action! :)

Hell Has Frozen Over

Totally non-rpg related but I had to post about this.

Hell has frozen over and I'm sliding over to give the devil a scratch behind the ear because now I know how long forever is.

23 years.

The band broke up in 1988, and Ocasek had always discouraged talk of a reunion since then, telling one interviewer in 1997 "I'm saying never and you can count on that."

Yes, the latest album from The Cars, the real Cars, drops on Tuesday and god help me it's even good.

The first single is Blue Tip. The video is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpJQWGA1O8s

The second is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxqxNzlEFM4

If you were ever a fan (and trust me, I burned through 3 copies of Candy-O on vinyl during my peak gaming period-you are one or you're not, you'll know) then show the love and have a slice of pure 80s synth pop.

(If only Benjamin had been here it would be a perfect moment. I hope if he is near a listening station he gets a little smile from this beast.)

Enjoy!

Lawful Indifferent: Slenderman

Lawful Indifferent: Slenderman

Go check this post out. I did this thing till 3:30am and am still creeped out. As LI says 'not RPG related' but very cool.

Enjoy!

Yeah, I Know...

Posting has been way off of late, what with Mother Nature trying her best to blow us off the map and holes in roofs and insurance adjusters and contractors.

Every spare minute has gone into finishing the alpha of Forsaken Souls Basic Edition / Fast Start. There are days...

(2 days later)

And now even more time has passed. AARRGGHH!

Ok...finish this time:

Working
Working
Working
Madness
Pass out from no sleep
Repeat

POST NOW!

Happy Anniversary To...Me?

There's been a lot of posting recently about which issue of the Dragon was your first and it got me to go look mine up. I always remembered covers but not numbers...and realized that April marked 30 years that I have been a part of this other universe where dragon's dwell, magic is real and heroes lived and died by their wits and their blades.

It ain't all that much to look at, but in 1981 is was the Holy Grail to me.

So, Happy 30th anniversary...to me.

The Wizards Community - The Jester Blog -The Death of D&D

Ok, I'm not even going to comment on this one but if I could spin like this I could roto-puke all the way to the moon :)

The Wizards Community - The_Jester Blog - The Death of D&D

I will share my favorite quote with you though:

"Still, the trade magazine ICv2 reported Paizo tied WotC in sales in Q3 of 2010. And Paizo also has a strong showing on the Amazon above list. But, really, this is still a sign that D&D is doing fine, as even when WotC slips a little, a game that is really D&D rebranded moves up a spot."

Ok...translation...the competition is outselling D&D and that is ok because they do D&D better than WotC...wtf?

14th Century RPG Campaign | Christian Warrior

A 14th Century campaign set in Europe using the KnightCleric&Rogue rules based on WR&C by Stargazer.

Find the file linkage here:

14th Century RPG Campaign | Christian Warrior

More on MicroGames

Dwarfstar, the makers of my personal favorite - Barbarian Prince, have kindly posted legitimate downloadable and printable versions of :

Barbarian Prince
Demonlord
Goblin
Grav Armor
Outpost Gamma
Star Smuggler
Star Viking

Along with some history and info. I still have my copy of BP and it is sitting three feet from where I'm typing this from. (Get the errata for it if you d / l it. It is very handy.)


Find them at:

http://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/

(BTW: check out the Goblin that someone did...very nice :)