What happened to the RPG database?

[Chris Knapp]

Did the RPG database that used to be hosted at pen-paper.net get moved somewhere else? Is there an alternative?

 

[Mercurius]

I'm not sure about Pen & Paper, but RPG.Net has a Game Index with pretty good searchable options, plus links to reviews and such. It is very useful for looking at new releases - I can't think of another source that lists all new RPG products on one page.

 

[Echohawk]

I can also recommend RPG Geek, which probably has the most extensive database of RPG items there is.

 

[Morrus]

I've never really understood the purpose of an RPG database. One can answer any query quicker just using Google. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Chris Knapp]

I've never really understood the purpose of an RPG database. One can answer any query quicker just using Google. Maybe I'm missing something?

I liked using it because it allowed you to search for a product and see every design/author credit, then click on the author and see everything else they worked on. It was pretty handy, to me at least. . .

 

[prosfilaes]

I've never really understood the purpose of an RPG database. One can answer any query quicker just using Google. Maybe I'm missing something?

Google only works if the data is out there. For a few major things, Wikipedia will pick up; some publishers have detailed websites (like Steve Jackson Games); but in the general case, the only way Google will ever find it is if someone has done the dirty work of writing all this data down exhaustively.

 

[MerricB]

I'd generally use the pen&paper DB when I wanted to know the other design credits of a designer I liked. I'd often find it frustratingly incomplete - these days, I use RPGGeek, which has the additional bonus of being able to track my collection.

Cheers!