Dagnabbit!
I had been wondering if the Clark Ashton Smith estate was open to ttrpgs again. Evidently they were put off from licensing ttprgs in the past. No idea, but I am betting it was either an unfamiliarity with industry or whoever got the license ghosted them and never made the product...
They just lost two huge pieces of that with Perkins and Crawford leaving.
I could be totally wrong but I feel like between WotC being used as a career stepping stone for the suits and an even higher level of disdain for the game designer, all sense of history and past mistakes is lost.
Then...
I've lost track of the revolving door of CEOs. Which administration started Sigil up? Was that the same team that thought D&D Beyond subscriptions was the key to profits?
When Worlds of Wonder went digital with Ticket to Ride, they noticed a "reverse funnel" where people who learned played the digital version bought the board game to share with their family (and had already learned the best strategies for the game.) Over the years, Battletech has also gotten so...
The comments I see from Swedish gamers is that in their own backyard, Riot Minds has a reputation for great art and presentation. Not so much for game design.
Say you don't know gamers without saying you know gamers! I'll get gaming value out of that wizard mini I painted in 8th grade until they pry it out of my cold, arthritic hands! :ROFLMAO:
True story; I knew a dude, as a player, push the GM to run Forgotten Realms so he could bring egg crates...
Ah, the memories. Flight 13 was a classic horror module.
Also lots of fun with the PCs in our modern paranormal game:
A time-marooned veritech pilot
A psionic eco terrorist
An Indiana Jones carrying a ton of charms
A retired cop
I loved the minimalist setting of the Misty Vale. Lots of room to make the campaign mine. I also get that some gamers want more for their world building like Truvang - plus the art is amazing.
I have a friend who has Trudvang in each game system and he played in my year long DB campaign, so this is an auto buy for him.
Even better they tapped the same artist for some new art!
While DB actually got me into ducks, I understand the vibe as that was why I never tried Tunnels and Trolls...
I 100% agree with you and it would irk me each time I heard it on a video or read it. The top irk for me, though, was calling the core box a "starter" box when it is a full game with a full campaign.