Book of the Righteous Dethroned!

[JacktheRabbit]

I am not making a point. I do not know that he hasn't done reviews elsewhere. I do know that he has extensive experience with d20 mechanics from his work with the Standard Stat Block Foundation. That's why I was asking a question and not trying to make point as you suggest.

Unintended or not I think you made a very good point. It made me look at his other review and showed that he gets a bit of an ego trip from being the hardass reviewer. Pardon for the language.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Just to make the point Mark is making quite obvious I will answer this question.

He has done 2 reviews.

No, he has posted 2

When CRGreathouse was an ENnies judge he was the teams workhorse. he cranked out what I would call semi-complete reviews on many of the products submitted, and gave usuable insights to the rest of them with great regularity.

I have no trouble beleiving that he didn't use anything from the Book of the Righteous.

My understanding form reading his review and this threa is that it wasn't that he was incapable of doing so, it was just that nothing gripped him enough to bother.

I've read Book of the Righteous, and I liked it just fine as reading material. I haven't used it in my campaigns, because religion takes a distant backseat to sword swinging and shifty behaviour.

I'm not sure that reflects on the quality of the work though.

 

[Mark]

2. Sorry, man... writing a good review is hard work, and responding to firestorms is even more.

I hear ya, brother. My only other question is if you have ever had any professional dealings with Green Ronin, for good or ill, and if so, if you could please describe them. If the answer is "no" then I really see no reason why there is such a hullabaloo about your review.

I do, admittedly, find it odd that you weren't more careful in your book selection. Did you see something in a previous review to lead you to believe there would be more use for you in the book? Did you not page through it before making the purchase? To find absolutely nothing redeeming except the cover just seems so odd for someone who obviously knows what to look for in advance of a purchase.

Where have you been, btw? Kinda miss seeing you post. I hope all is well with you and yours.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Unintended or not I think you made a very good point. It made me look at his other review and showed that he gets a bit of an ego trip from being the hardass reviewer. Pardon for the language.

Frankly, as my other posted review is 5/5, I'm not sure that this has any validity.

 

[Mark]

Unintended or not I think you made a very good point.

Well, unintended it was. Anywhoo, make sure you get yourself out to the next Chicago Gameday, eh?

 

[CRGreathouse]

I hear ya, brother. My only other question is if you have ever had any professional dealings with Green Ronin, for good or ill, and if so, if you could please describe them. If the answer is "no" then I really see no reason why there is such a hullabaloo about your review.

I was an ENnie 2002 judge, and in that capacity reviewed their Armies of the Abyss, which I enjoyed (and have used in many campaigns).

I have purchased several of their other products, but have had no other dealings with them in any capacity.

I certainly have nothing agaisnt them as a company, and in general feel that they are one of the better d20 companies -- perhaps in my personal top 3.

I do, admittedly, find it odd that you weren't more careful in your book selection. Did you see something in a previous review to lead you to believe there would be more use for you in the book? Did you not page through it before making the purchase? To find absolutely nothing redeeming except the cover just seems so odd for someone who obviously knows what to look for in advance of a purchase.

I bought the book, sight-unseen, after reading the first 4 or so perfect reviews on EN World and reading several threads on our forums. I was looking for books on gods and pantheon-building at the time, so the combination of a perfect score and the perfect subject matter convinced me.

Where have you been, btw? Kinda miss seeing you post. I hope all is well with you and yours.

I've been busy, with Real Life encroching as it is wont to do. I try to read EN World, even if I can't always keep up with posting.

 

[DaveStebbins]

Individuals who disagree with CRG should be just as free to state their opinion as he was to state his. That being said CRG should not be subject to personal attacks or slanderous comments for opining in a public forum.

Exactly.

Well said.

 

[Psion]

CRGreathouse's is certainly entitled to his opinion, but no more so than anyone else. Should the folks who disagree with him be barred from voicing their opinions?.

It is a two way street.

Precisely.

He is entitled to his opinion. We are entitled to disagree. We welcome the alternate view. We wish more people would write informative reviews that make their case.

It happens. Check out who the only person to deviate from the perfect 5 for Mutants & Masterminds was. All this implication that some sort of coercion is going on is unsubstantiated and insulting. I know it's hard to be the one to stand out against popular opinion. That does not give you the moral grounding to make accusations of wrongdoing where none exists.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Thank you, Teflon Billy, for your kind words. I'm glad there's someone I haven't alienated.

I've read Book of the Righteous, and I liked it just fine as reading material. I haven't used it in my campaigns, because religion takes a distant backseat to sword swinging and shifty behaviour.

I'm not sure that reflects on the quality of the work though.

I'm not sure the book is bad. It's just not very useable -- HH's statistics speak worlds about that to me.

I didn't prefer it (for reading or playing), but I'm not trying to pan it -- just to show the other side of the coin, as it were.*

I hadn't (and haven't) the heart to show this thread to the kind folks at GR: they clearly worked hard on this book, and it is widely considered an excellent product.

* I am not, as some have implied or stated, trying to influence the product's rating. In fact, I've recommended in the past a system for weighting reviews so the extreme reviews have less weight. I'd be willing to discuss that (on its own thread!) if any want to bring that up again.

 

[Krieg]

I would be happy to answer any specific issues you have with my review, if you'd like. It was my intent to write an informative, unbiased review; if any points feel unsupported or any major issues are left uncommented, I'd be happy to edit the review to better reflect my feelings.

For starters "unbiased" reviews don't throw around personally loaded terms like "despised" & "hated".

My primary problem with your review lays in the fact that most of your criticism stems from what you wanted the product to be rather than what it actually is. It is a solid generic example of a fantasy pantheon. Your criticism primarily revolves around what it isn't.


You cite balance issues with the Holy Warrior using the Eagles of Urian as your example. Are all or even most of the various Holy Warrior templates similarly front loaded or did you choose the worst offender to bolster your argument?

I found your argument that a lack of evil gods makes for an unplayable game world to be a stretch...at best. Fantasy literature is rife with similar cosmologies. A pantheon of (mostly) good gods paired with evil in the form of demons, devils & fallen celestial beings is no less playable than more common "god for every niche" D&Disms.

Outside of the potentially valid critique on the mechanics of the Holy Warrior your review is essentially a laundry list of what you want the book to do rather than what it actually sets out to do.

That is not the basis of a sound review.

(For the record while I like TBOR I honestly don't see it as deserving of a 5 either.)