Synnibarr vs WotC

[Deset Gled]

Finally someone with some human decency.

I would like to make it clear that the intention of this thread is to explore the history of Synnibarr and it's interactions with WotC. I would really appreciate it we, as a group, could refrain from speculating about mental health.

 

[Parmandur]

I would like to make it clear that the intention of this thread is to explore the history of Synnibarr and it's interactions with WotC. I would really appreciate it we, as a group, could refrain from speculating about mental health.

I mean...I don't see how it is possible to discuss the former without engaging with the latter...you did post his unhinged paranoid rant, hard not to comment on what's there.

 

[Deset Gled]

I mean...I don't see how it is possible to discuss the former without engaging with the latter...you did post his unhinged paranoid rant, hard not to comment on what's there.

Your points are completely logical and fair. I guess I just want to make sure we're being respectful, and I'm second guessing myself about how good of a job I'm doing. In general, I suppose we're doing better than most places on the internet would.

 

[Parmandur]

Your points are completely logical and fair. I guess I just want to make sure we're being respectful, and I'm second guessing myself about how good of a job I'm doing. In general, I suppose we're doing better than most places on the internet would.

I mean, I don't want to kick down at anyone: I genuinely hope he gets help, because this sort of ideation is not healthy, even of there was something nefarious from the other party.

 

[Jd Smith1]

To be honest, I am inclined to sympathize with anyone who opposes the spread of Synnibarr.

As a system, it was a wreck. As a Kickstart, it was an epic wreck.

 

[Autumnal]

And SJ's TFT obsession is also reminiscent of Raven's...
the difference being that SJ wasn't blinded by ignorance of Sturgeon's Law nor of the realities that RPGs don't make a great profit.

And, of course, Steve kept inventing and publishing new things, his own work and others. He didn’t spent decades on a single project over and over. Some authors say that the real test of an author is what you do after you submit your first work and collect some rejections. Do you have anything else to write? If now, you’re gambling on success the Harper Lee way, and very few people manage it. It’s easier to end up more like George Lucas, reusing ideas ideas cut from early Star Wars drafts that nearly All improved it by their absence, decades later when he could afford to stop listening to people telling him no. McKracken needs to do anything else in the way of game writing for a while.

 

[Deset Gled]

And, of course, Steve kept inventing and publishing new things, his own work and others. He didn’t spent decades on a single project over and over. Some authors say that the real test of an author is what you do after you submit your first work and collect some rejections. Do you have anything else to write? If now, you’re gambling on success the Harper Lee way, and very few people manage it. It’s easier to end up more like George Lucas, reusing ideas ideas cut from early Star Wars drafts that nearly All improved it by their absence, decades later when he could afford to stop listening to people telling him no. McKracken needs to do anything else in the way of game writing for a while.

FWIW, Raven does have other projects. Among other things, he has a band, a board game called Crypt that he's currently working to turn into a mobile game, and a couple self published novels. Also, a day job, and a fiance.

But it does seem like all roads lead back to Synnibarr. Just like everything Berkeley Breathed makes eventually leads back to Bloom County. Depending on your point of view, you could call Synnibarr either his white whale or his Mr. Holland's Opus.

 

[Faolyn]

But it does seem like all roads lead back to Synnibarr. Just like everything Berkeley Breathed makes eventually leads back to Bloom County. Depending on your point of view, you could call Synnibarr either his white whale or his Mr. Holland's Opus.

I think you mean Mr. Breathed's Opus.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Depending on your point of view, you could call Synnibarr either his white whale or his Mr. Holland's Opus.

My description would be much more...organic in nature.

 

[Longspeak]

My Synnibar story (Though I am not sure it was a Raven story.) My memory of the times may be off, as it all blurs together, but I recall this being pretty early on.

I think it was... '83? I was at Dragonflight, at Seattle University, I was pretty young, 14 - 16, I think. I was looking at the dealer tables, when a pretty aggressive fellow asked me I wanted to take look at "The game that's gonna replace D&D."

Even then I was old (jaded? Cynical?) enough to find that line problematic. But I looked. The book was a red cover, and comb-bound. Synnibarr.

The fellow went on to tell me about the various amazing things I could do and be in this game. He had pretty inconsistent examples and mostly confused me and made me think he was talking about two different games at the same time.

After a bit I said I didn't think it was for me, and that I was pretty sure nothing was going to replace D&D, and turns to go. I may have said it less politely that that, as I was a punk back then.

The last thing I remember was his parting shot. "That's alright. A lot of people aren't smart enough for Synnibarr."

Yeah, I played Synnibarr with Raven as well, as a teenager. Met him at DragonFlight convention at UW

Super not the point, but it was Seattle University, the Jesuit-run school. Until... 2004, I think, when it moved to Bellevue because S-U decided we weren't the right sort of people.

When I think of Steve Jackson, and SJG, I remember the Texas connection that led to Origin Systems making Autoduel based off of Car Wars. That was a classic early CRPG (kinda sorta), and I loved the original Car Wars.

OMG! You must be super old! Like me! LOVED Autoduel on my Atari 800XE (XL? X-something)