Critical Role Announces Two New RPGs

Critical Role’s publishing arm, Darrington Press, has released a ‘State of the Press’ video announcing two new tabletop RPGs.

​

Two new RPG systems we’ll be releasing: Illuminated Worlds, optimized for short story arcs and adaptable to myriad settings, and Daggerheart, a fresh take on fantasy RPGs with emphasis on longer campaigns and rich character options.

At Gen Con this year, you’ll be able to play AND purchase Queen by Midnight, and you’ll even be able to take our two upcoming RPGs for a spin. We hope to see you there!

 

[Eilathen]

This is a very weird take, given Spencer Starke is a highly lauded game designer.

Really? Highly lauded for what? Some obscure indie game? I never heard of him before his CR gig (and while I may not be the most up-to-date person on all things ttrpg, I still frequent a lot of online places that talk ttrpgs) and as i said, considering that the first of "his" CR games is more or less FitD, I'm not impressed.

On top of that, game-designer is not a protected professional descriptor...everyone can call themselves a game-designer. So it's not something that automatically stands for quality. Then again, people have very different standards on what a game needs to be "designed well". My standards might be too high, who knows...

 

[overgeeked]

Really? Highly lauded for what? Some obscure indie game? I never heard of him before his CR gig (and while I may not be the most up-to-date person on all things ttrpg, I still frequent a lot of online places that talk ttrpgs) and as i said, considering that the first of "his" CR games is more or less FitD, I'm not impressed.

On top of that, game-designer is not a protected professional descriptor...everyone can call themselves a game-designer. So it's not something that automatically stands for quality. Then again, people have very different standards on what a game needs to be "designed well". My standards might be too high, who knows...

So what are a few of your favorite well-designed games?

 

[Reynard]

My standards might be too high, who knows...

Or your concept of how game design works is nonsense, who knows

 

[EthanSental]

I have to agree with @Eilathen - as far this blurb on the Crit role doesn’t seem extensive. And game designer can be banded about to haphazardly nowadays with all the kickstarts first shot consider themselves game designers. Not everyone’s going to jump on the CR bandwagon so it’s okay to hear people not as impressed as others and not “takes sides” in a conversation.

 

[pemerton]

They even gave "their" system an own name, for crying out loud (Illuminated Worlds system)

Presumably that's an allusion to Forged in the Dark?

considering how much the CR team always talks about "we love you" and "we want to uplift other creators in the ttrpg space", i am really disappointed by how they are handling the CO game...it is clearly a FitD game...i really think they should have published it as that...THAT would have been uplifting others (in this case first and foremost John Harper, who really deserves the recognition).

I thought John Harper was getting some sort of recognition in all this:

Illuminated Worlds System

The Illuminated Worlds System is a new gaming system being developed by Darrington Press LLC. It utilizes a d6 dice pool and is designed for shorter, arc-driven campaigns in any kind of setting. The full Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is scheduled for release in late 2023. A version of the system...

criticalrole.fandom.com

​

I've never watched more than a few minutes of CR, and I doubt very much that I will purchase or play these RPGs. But I don't think they are trying to steal or conceal their inspiration.

 

[MockingBird]

I think CR is just trying to make games that support their play style. CO for one shots definitely. Dagger heart, I dunno. I can only speculate from what I've seen. It appears to be clunky with the cards. I would have thought they would have made a d20 lite style game. That makes me feel like they don't intend to ditch D&D completely.

 

[Reynard]

View attachment 292377

I have to agree with @Eilathen - as far this blurb on the Crit role doesn’t seem extensive. And game designer can be banded about to haphazardly nowadays with all the kickstarts first shot consider themselves game designers. Not everyone’s going to jump on the CR bandwagon so it’s okay to hear people not as impressed as others and not “takes sides” in a conversation.

Do you mind letting the rest of us in on the requirements to be considered a real designer? Is it number of works, or words? Do they need your personal approval, or is there some kind of licensing board?

 

[mamba]

Do you mind letting the rest of us in on the requirements to be considered a real designer? Is it number of works, or words? Do they need your personal approval, or is there some kind of licensing board?

it started with this

Really? Highly lauded for what?

the question is not whether they are a designer, but whether they are highly lauded

 

[Reynard]

it started with this


the question is not whether they are a designer, but whether they are highly lauded

No. They questioned whether they were actually even designers, in addition to intimating that indie games don't count.

 

[EthanSental]

Do you mind letting the rest of us in on the requirements to be considered a real designer? Is it number of works, or words? Do they need your personal approval, or is there some kind of licensing board?

No, the official rule for being called a “game designer” is under lock and key so that until the lock is picked, anyone can call themselves a game designer, from a sole 1 card game kick starter designer to a Chris Perkins, Wolfgang Baur and the space most fall in between. The point is, some don’t think this persons game credits add up yet, others do. Neither are correct or incorrect.