Just a few points and a question…
First, no gaming book has universal use. The three main books, the “Player’s Handbook,” the “Dungeon Masters Guide” and the “Monster Manual,” are the only three essential books, assuming it is a D&D game. Therefore, for example, not every one uses the “Secret College of Necromancy” or the “Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings,” even though those are well-written and useful books. Asserting that a book must be used by everyone is a specious assertion deliberately meant to cloud the real issues.
Secondly, sexuality has figured in games in the past (a statement made from personal experience: one of my player characters, with the assistance of another player character, ran a brothel between adventures), from DM’s winging it to people using the net-book of “Carnal Knowledge.”
Thirdly, the book will likely be a commercial success based solely on the sexual content and the controversy (such things sell like hot cakes).
Fourth, it will not damage the hobby or industry. What with the war on terrorism, the economy and other issues, people have better things to do with their time than kill D&D over a sex book. Nor is the fact that it is sexual in nature overwhelmingly damning. White Wolf has outright published material on necrophilia. If the hobby and industry can handle horny, sadomasochistic vampires then it can handle (pardon the expression) elf cleavage.
That said, how much actual active tabletop game use do you think this book will get?
At the risk of being blunt, (and admittedly without seeing the book) it seems likely it will get the same use as an issue of Hustler or a book of Kevin Taylor art. That is to say, personal and private use.
It simply seems unlikely that this book will find anything like the game use of even “Secret College of Necromancy” let alone the “Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings.”
Even in the game with the brothel (which the GM disliked as he was uptight and wanted to run a mostly clerics and paladins game but humored Ian and I with the house of ill repute) the sexuality took place “off stage,” so to speak. Seduction rolls were sometimes made, and two characters were quite active (proactive even), but the discussions were never graphic. At one point, a husband a wife joined the group and their characters were also sexually active – but again, the discussions were never graphic.
If you are actually aiming to broaden the horizons of gamers and to make them confront personal hypocrisy, you will probably be disappointed.
By comparison, Madonna has spent two decades doing that and while her work is a commercial success, she is widely despised.
First, no gaming book has universal use. The three main books, the “Player’s Handbook,” the “Dungeon Masters Guide” and the “Monster Manual,” are the only three essential books, assuming it is a D&D game. Therefore, for example, not every one uses the “Secret College of Necromancy” or the “Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings,” even though those are well-written and useful books. Asserting that a book must be used by everyone is a specious assertion deliberately meant to cloud the real issues.
Secondly, sexuality has figured in games in the past (a statement made from personal experience: one of my player characters, with the assistance of another player character, ran a brothel between adventures), from DM’s winging it to people using the net-book of “Carnal Knowledge.”
Thirdly, the book will likely be a commercial success based solely on the sexual content and the controversy (such things sell like hot cakes).
Fourth, it will not damage the hobby or industry. What with the war on terrorism, the economy and other issues, people have better things to do with their time than kill D&D over a sex book. Nor is the fact that it is sexual in nature overwhelmingly damning. White Wolf has outright published material on necrophilia. If the hobby and industry can handle horny, sadomasochistic vampires then it can handle (pardon the expression) elf cleavage.
That said, how much actual active tabletop game use do you think this book will get?
At the risk of being blunt, (and admittedly without seeing the book) it seems likely it will get the same use as an issue of Hustler or a book of Kevin Taylor art. That is to say, personal and private use.
It simply seems unlikely that this book will find anything like the game use of even “Secret College of Necromancy” let alone the “Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings.”
Even in the game with the brothel (which the GM disliked as he was uptight and wanted to run a mostly clerics and paladins game but humored Ian and I with the house of ill repute) the sexuality took place “off stage,” so to speak. Seduction rolls were sometimes made, and two characters were quite active (proactive even), but the discussions were never graphic. At one point, a husband a wife joined the group and their characters were also sexually active – but again, the discussions were never graphic.
If you are actually aiming to broaden the horizons of gamers and to make them confront personal hypocrisy, you will probably be disappointed.
By comparison, Madonna has spent two decades doing that and while her work is a commercial success, she is widely despised.
