Do you buy new versions of TTRPG games when you haven't had time to play the older version sitting on your shelf?

MNblockhead said:

It is a breath of fresh air for me to read this. I have the same attitude towards Kickstarters. When did you start backing Kickstarter projects? I think my first was the first or maybe second year after it went live. I think the old ethos is dying out as it is being used more and more (at least with TTRPGs) as a pre-order system, which I think has lead to a whole new cohort of backers who have very different expectations and often toxic reactions when things do go well with a project. I've always treated it as either a self-interested charitable donation or an investment. In the former, I don't really expect or care if I get much out of it and for the later, I don't invest what I can't afford to lose (and "afford" here also means not getting upset enough to doom scroll the updates and comments or waste time with angry comments).

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The first Kickstarter I backed was Timothy Brown's "Dragon Kings" in 2014. Since then I've backed 90-someting more.

Out of all of those, there are only two I don't expect to ever fulfill. Both are cases where I backed them to show support to the creators and while it would be nice to actually get the rewards, I don't lose sleep about it. Though it's crazy to read some of the comments where people have lost their minds. Both are cases where the creators just got overwhelmed by the response to their project and just couldn't handle it, but some people are just vicious about the situation.

And that's not counting a couple of long-delayed projects that I'm 99% certain WILL deliver. But folks are especially nasty about one of those, too.

I personally don't have a problem using crowdfunding as a pre-order system, especially if I can get exclusive or discounted stuff that way. But I also don't invest money I can't afford to lose, and in many cases I'll just wait til the project somes to retail and order it from my FLGS. I like doing that because it helps to keep my FLGS in business too.

I'm 30 miles north of San Francisco, so I figured there had to be something... Preferably something that didn't meet in a church (it's a problem for me, don't ask)

I also look kickstarter for ideas and adventures. Plangea not only put together an excellent campaign setting, but also a great soundtrack for back-ground mood music.

Ath'kethin said:

The first Kickstarter I backed was Timothy Brown's "Dragon Kings" in 2014. Since then I've backed 90-someting more.

Out of all of those, there are only two I don't expect to ever fulfill. Both are cases where I backed them to show support to the creators and while it would be nice to actually get the rewards, I don't lose sleep about it. Though it's crazy to read some of the comments where people have lost their minds. Both are cases where the creators just got overwhelmed by the response to their project and just couldn't handle it, but some people are just vicious about the situation.

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I'll go as far as to say that there are even cases where the creators flat out dropped the ball (and don't want to admit it) where there's at least a few people who's responses have been well beyond excessive.

Thomas Shey said:

I'll go as far as to say that there are even cases where the creators flat out dropped the ball (and don't want to admit it) where there's at least a few people who's responses have been well beyond excessive.

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Oh, certainly. And I'm not trying to defend cammers and con artists, either, of whom there are moee than a few. And there was a project I backed where the creator turned out to be an absolutely despicable excuse for a human being, some thing I wish I'd have known before giving them money. And I've backed a couple of projects where the creator/company went completely belly-up as a result of the pandemi-era shipping turmoil. I'm don't think there's ever a call for the kind of nastiness and vitriol I see in the comments sections there, though.

Ath'kethin said:

Oh, certainly. And I'm not trying to defend cammers and con artists, either, of whom there are moee than a few. And there was a project I backed where the creator turned out to be an absolutely despicable excuse for a human being, some thing I wish I'd have known before giving them money. And I've backed a couple of projects where the creator/company went completely belly-up as a result of the pandemi-era shipping turmoil. I'm don't think there's ever a call for the kind of nastiness and vitriol I see in the comments sections there, though.

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I've been fortunate that I stay away from physical product, and I've managed to avoid most really predatory creators so that hasn't been much of an issue to me (I did end up backing some material from a creator who was singularly bad in a real-world way--for all I know its the same one you're referring to--but that didn't come out until after they, fairly promptly delivered).

I just remember one project where the end result was a bit underwhelming (not bad, just not perhaps what they sold you on) that someone utterly stalked the creators and dripped vitriol on them across the course of the material release, well beyond just complaining about their missteps. It just lacked proportion.

Yes, I do if I like the system or have some nostalgic feeling towards it. With the prevalence of PDFs these days, I can limit myself to an electronic version if I feel purchasing a hard copy is too expensive or one step to far for a game I'm not playing.

I generally prefer to play the latest edition of whatever I play. I find I mostly like the changes over editions as long as they are evolutionary and not revolutionary. Some exceptions, a friend started a Kult 3E game, and it is SO MUCH better than 1E despite being a completely new system.

But buy a new edition of a game I am not playing at the moment? No. Pre-game I'm mostly interested in setting material, and that rarely changes.

I did buy Vampire and Werewolf editions I've hardly ever opened, which only reinforced my attitude not to buy unless I'm about to play. Overall I am unlikely to just take a chance on a new system, its a significant investment in time and energy to grok a new set of rules.

The way I am introduced to new rules is via friends and I often find I love new systems vetted by my friends. I am good at running multi-year campaigns, and almost all are in systems a friend introduced me to and then the friend moved on and I stayed with the system.

It bothers me that apparently the accepted life cycle of game editions is less than 5 years.

Instead of making a supplement with suggested rules tweaks, it’s always a new edition in 3-4 years with shiny new art and fancy Kickstarter toys.

I was okay with D&D because it was 10 years ago, but some other games have barely seasoned.

Yet the prevalent opinion is in favor of this constant churn. My wallet and shelf space disagrees.

Consumerism can get depressing.

Normally, I would say no, but recently that became untrue. I have always wanted to the use the Morrow Project system (I've used the core setting concept several times), but never had the right group. Recently I discovered that Roll20 has a wonderful PC sheet for MP 4e, and so it is in the bullpen for my next in campaign, after 30 years in the dugout.