Follow-up to FFE's last "900 Words" has been posted

[Tiefling]

My philosophy is that even the worst product has *some* kind of ideas in it that might be lifted for use in your own game.

Ever read FATAL?

 

[Quinn]

While this article was a lot less inflammatory than the last, in the end I can't help but think maybe if they spent the extra time it took to write these articles on game design instead, their products would be a whole lot better.

Because that is effectively where you end up with these in reviewer vs. designer conversations. One group firing pot shots at the other. Reviewers are a part of many industries, and they are just as reviled/loved there as here in the RPG industry. It's a nature of the business. Get past it, and work on something that you can change or make an impact on.

Edit: For the record, I do not hold a grudge against either Lester Smith or Jim Ward. I have no idea whether their products are good or bad. My point is that wars of words with the dividing line being between designers and reviewers ends up being a silly mess that can bring about little good.

 

[ced1106]

Frankly, why shouldn't a reviewer think he could do better?

And, really, what roleplayer **hasn't** designed **something**?? GMs create and design their own worlds, pantheons, and adventures. At the least, players create and design their own characters. Everyone tweaks the rules, creates new additions, the list goes on.

The movie review analogy is false. Moviegoers are the people driving the car. Roleplayers are the ones under the hood working on the engine. Robin D. Laws, in his "Robin Law's Guide to Good Gamemastering" estimates that only 30% of the roleplaying experience of a group is a result of the system. The rest is from the participants.

I created an RPG system back before 2e was around. You could customize spells and everything. Ran into problem with Damage Reduction, tho. While walking the dog, I came up with a simple "narrativist" rpg, a little too similar to those already out there.

Big whoop-de-doo. I'm a designer.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

 

[Turjan]

IMO these articles are sour grapes. Would they have written about thier concerns over the current "trend" in gaming reviews if they were getting glowingly positive reviews of thier own products? I doubt it.

I think that's exactly the point. This is a very disappointing approach, as it does not show that FFE is able to cope with the content of the reviews by just denying that there is any content. It's even sadder as FFE actually got two good staff reviews here on EN World for one of their recent products (Orcfest). It's not promising for the future that they rather ignore this fact instead of drawing suitable conclusions. Or let's say, who is it who's ignorant here?

 

[GenLang]

Ever read FATAL?

I read the review on RPGnet, and that was enough for me. Not because of the concept, but because of the execution of that concept.

The concept: mechanics for the less-nice side of adventuring. It's a concept that has been executed far better by others (BoVD, Book of Carnal Knowledge to name two), and is something that can be lifted for use elsewhere.

 

[Felon]

I think that's exactly the point. This is a very disappointing approach, as it does not show that FFE is able to cope with the content of the reviews by just denying that there is any content. It's even sadder as FFE actually got two good staff reviews here on EN World for one of their recent products (Orcfest).

Even worse, the mediocre-at-best Encyclopedia of Weaponry was given two 4-star reviews here. I don't know know why FFE is complaining, they're getting treated with kid gloves IMHO. Maybe they just don't give away enough swag to potential reviewers

Then again, we're all free to post our own reviews here at ENWorld. Personally, I'd post more myself if they got more frontage.