d20 Past - Anyone using it?

[Ranger REG]

Hehehe...Why do I get the feeling that this could turn into a discussion on the what the definition of "is" is?!?!?

To answer, I would say the community that would actually buy and be interested in the product.

Hehehe. Well, while the ultimate goal is to get all interested to buy the product, the best you can hope for is the majority.

 

[Sketchpad]

Personally, I was disappointed in d20 Past I was really looking for something that had a bit more crunch in it, like a good dozen advanced classes depicting roles from history and maybe a more comprehensive list of equipment for various eras. Over at the WotC boards, there was speculation of d20 Past being a series of supplements which, if it were formatted right, would be a great thing.
If WotC would've broke down the timelines as blocks and made books around them, I think people would've liked it better. For example, covering the 1500s to the 1600s, a 96 page book could detail a good amount of information. Then make a second book covering the next block and so on. Include important Advanced Classes, Feats, Occupations and equipment, as well as essays on important rules for the time (sailing, exploring, etc).
d20 Past read like it was a rushed idea ... which is too bad as it had a TON of potential to be something cool

 

[Ranger REG]

I personally don't think d20 Past as definitive since it only covered three time periods/events. I mean, look at their product release schedule. Though post-apoc element touched base in d20 Future, WotC is releasing a d20 Apocalypse book with more details. In the fall, there will be d20 Cyberscape. I see these two products as follow-up to d20 Future.

So, who knows? We might see more follow-up products for d20 Past.

 

[Khorod]

Well, since I am an inveterate rules-tinkerer, D20 Past by its very structure has very, very little to offer. I'd rather spend $20 of my time creating my own rules.

Two of the coolest, most interesting, and money-worthy aspects of Dragon Magazine of the last 8 years was the Campaign Components and Cities of the Ages.

The Campaign Components took pseudo-historical groups -like Gladiators- and did a quick run-down on the history and mechanics you might use with them.

Cities of the Ages boiled down an awesome historicla city to a point that provides an absolutely great foundation for RPG work.

Now, in both these cases you can do your own research, but these particular articles were enjoyable to read, and boiled down the large amounts of history to an RPG-focus that simplifies the library time. In a sense, they actually took care of the library part of the work.

 

[Committed Hero]

IThough post-apoc element touched base in d20 Future, WotC is releasing a d20 Apocalypse book with more details.

This is also slated to be 96 pages and a Trade Paperback - so even smallwr than d20 Past. There is also no author listed. Hurm.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, since I am an inveterate rules-tinkerer, D20 Past by its very structure has very, very little to offer. I'd rather spend $20 of my time creating my own rules.

At what rate, 5 cents an hour?

It's not a must-have, essential product. I woudn't consider it essential. Either you want it or not, it's your option.

Now, in both these cases you can do your own research, but these particular articles were enjoyable to read, and boiled down the large amounts of history to an RPG-focus that simplifies the library time. In a sense, they actually took care of the library part of the work.

Kudos to you. But not many gamers do enjoy the research part of gaming.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

At what rate, 5 cents an hour?

It's not a must-have, essential product. I woudn't consider it essential. Either you want it or not, it's your option.



Kudos to you. But not many gamers do enjoy the research part of gaming.

*Cough*

Others find that the best way to find ideas for their games...

The Auld Grump, 'course I read history for fun, so...

 

[The_Universe]

Personally, I was disappointed in d20 Past I was really looking for something that had a bit more crunch in it, like a good dozen advanced classes depicting roles from history and maybe a more comprehensive list of equipment for various eras. Over at the WotC boards, there was speculation of d20 Past being a series of supplements which, if it were formatted right, would be a great thing.
If WotC would've broke down the timelines as blocks and made books around them, I think people would've liked it better. For example, covering the 1500s to the 1600s, a 96 page book could detail a good amount of information. Then make a second book covering the next block and so on. Include important Advanced Classes, Feats, Occupations and equipment, as well as essays on important rules for the time (sailing, exploring, etc).
d20 Past read like it was a rushed idea ... which is too bad as it had a TON of potential to be something cool

I didn't get the impression that the book was rushed - in fact, I am relatively certain that it did everything that the designers wanted it to do. D20 Past merely reflects the same sort of design philosophy for D20 Modern products that we were introduced to in D20 Future. A tip-of-the-iceberg approach to a genre/time period or two with a couple of examples for how one might flesh it out for their own purposes.

In all honesty, this seems to be one of the greatest weaknesses of the current Modern design philosophy. I certainly don't expect D20 Modern to take the GURPs route (publish an in-depth book about EVERYTHING), it's not really taking advantage of the strongly successful strategy that D&D employed. While in a D&D game my players will know they need a Players Handbook (and not really anything else), and that with that book alone there's a wealth of possibilities, the background necessary for anything other than a "straight" modern game requires the use of several books for the players alone (or that you write an extensive set of rules on your own).

I'm currently pulling together a game set in an ostensibly real 1879 that D20 Modern alone is ill-equipped to handle. In order to get everything I needed/wanted, I've brought in D20 Modern, Urban Arcana, D20 Future, D20 Past, Sidewinder: Recoiled, Modern Players Companion, Martial Arts Mayhem, and Grim Tales - and that's only for the rules immediately applicable to the players!

Obviously, I'm playing right into the marketing director's hands by purchasing the same fractured products that I'm complaining about, but the only reason I've needed so many products is because there's really no other way to create a game with enough depth to play more than once.

What I'm trying to say is that there's been no effort to find the balance between unified expectations and genre flexibility that the D&D side of D20 seems to have found and latched onto (which is great).

Of course, your mileage may vary.

--The Universe, who's going to buy D20 Apocalypse, even if it doesn't have enough depth.

 

[The Shaman]

But not many gamers do enjoy the research part of gaming.

Others find that the best way to find ideas for their games...

Perhaps a little too much at times.

I just received two more books (with a third on the way) on the Algerian war for my PbP Modern game, bringing my library on the war against the FLN to twenty-four volumes. I'm actually having to create an index so I can reference information quickly for the game...

 

[Agamon]

It has some good, but not quite enough of it. I'm not dissappointed with what's there, I just think it could have warrented a bigger book with some more info.

Used with d20 Modern and d20 Future (and even D&D), one could run a cool time traveler campaign...which I almost did, but I'm going with a Dark*Matter game instead.