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Artworks in an RPG
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<blockquote data-quote="aia_2" data-source="post: 8726545" data-attributes="member: 6800399"><p>The question seems simple but it might have some considerations that I am not sure I know and therefore I likely miss the whole picture: why are artworks in an RPG book so important? A good book would sell also for the contents regardless to the presence of internal artworks?</p><p>I imagine that the first answer would be: because if these are evocative they help the reader in the exercise of imagination. I see however that a fraction of rpger still play with edition where this answer doesn't perfectly fit as the quality is not that great (I am thinking to 1E or Rolemaster... Pls apologies in advance if this hurts someone's favourite artist!). We also have the example of "ordinary" fantasy book completely artworkless which had a success in the past (and this leads me to think that the evocative power of images is not really a must...).</p><p>I wonder whether or not a completely free of artworks RPG has ever been published (and in that case if the unsuccess of it is totally due to this feature).</p><p>Another though goes to products where the editing is so poor that the presence of artworks helps these products to "off-set" the lack of care of the text...</p><p>A final note: I have recently seen some artoworks which are real forms of art rather a fine representation of an inspirational scene of fantasy; some of them are well known and had a success like Mork Borg and Deep Carbon Observatory... In this case I would better understand the role of the presence of these artworks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="aia_2, post: 8726545, member: 6800399"] The question seems simple but it might have some considerations that I am not sure I know and therefore I likely miss the whole picture: why are artworks in an RPG book so important? A good book would sell also for the contents regardless to the presence of internal artworks? I imagine that the first answer would be: because if these are evocative they help the reader in the exercise of imagination. I see however that a fraction of rpger still play with edition where this answer doesn't perfectly fit as the quality is not that great (I am thinking to 1E or Rolemaster... Pls apologies in advance if this hurts someone's favourite artist!). We also have the example of "ordinary" fantasy book completely artworkless which had a success in the past (and this leads me to think that the evocative power of images is not really a must...). I wonder whether or not a completely free of artworks RPG has ever been published (and in that case if the unsuccess of it is totally due to this feature). Another though goes to products where the editing is so poor that the presence of artworks helps these products to "off-set" the lack of care of the text... A final note: I have recently seen some artoworks which are real forms of art rather a fine representation of an inspirational scene of fantasy; some of them are well known and had a success like Mork Borg and Deep Carbon Observatory... In this case I would better understand the role of the presence of these artworks. [/QUOTE]
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