Favorite Game Companies?

[Knightfall]

So, which d20 games companies are you're current favorites? Which ones that are gone or decided to stop producing d20 System products, are you sad to see go? Which non-d2o game companies are your favorites?

For me, my favorite game company, with a d20 System focus, is Goodman Games. Mainly that is my favorite right now due to the Dungeon Crawl Classics. (They rock!) DragonMech is kind of cool too, and of course they have the Complete Guides, of which I got my first one. (Found a copy of Complete Guide to Treants. Yay!) I've considered getting into Etherscope, but have yet to take the plunge. I got a copy of Primeval Groves, which has major layout mistakes, but is still an effective product. (Getting the errata helps.)

Other game companies, with some d20 System focus, that I like are Green Ronin Publishing, Malhavoc Press, Necromancer Games, Silverthorne Games, and Expeditious Retreat Press. Lately, I've also been taking a closer look at both Alea Publishing Group and Inner Circle Games, although I don't really want to buy PDF products.

The game companies that either folded or moved away from the d20 System, that I miss, are Fantasy Flight Games and Mystic Eye Games. Sure, FFG still has Midnight, but I mourned the loss of Dragonstar, Dawnforge, and the Horizon line of minigames. Mystic Eye Games was one of my favorites for Bluffside.

Another d20 game company that seems to be on the decline is Bastion Press. Their website hasn't been updated in ages and their PDF product catalog is still for 2005. I think Bastion might be going under, but it's only a "feeling".

My favorite non-d20 game company is Living Room Games, for Earthdawn: Second Edition.

Cheers!

Knightfall1972

 

[MerricB]

It's down to Wizards (and Paizo) for me, simply because of availability issues. :/

OTOH, I'm in love with Fantasy Flight Games due to their boardgames (of which my friends and I have accumulated several of late). Love that War of the Ring game.

Perhaps, as my financial situation improves, I can rejoin the wider d20 world.

Cheers!

 

[Starman]

In no particular order:

Green Ronin
Malhavoc
Fantasy Flight Games
Wizards

 

[Mark Hope]

Malhavoc, WotC, Necromancer and Paizo. Although, I see WotC as more of the "meat and potatoes" variety of company, putting out a baseline of products with a few innovations here and there. Malhavoc makes really good quality stuff with ingenious ideas and Paizo is pretty much all good all of the time. Necromancer hit my old school and adventure needs down to the ground. Beyond thosr four, I only rarely buy something from another company, and it's usually support material (dice, a flipmat, the awesome Battle Box, for example).

 

[Yair]

My favorite RPG company is Atlas Games. They make my favorite game, Ars Magica, and I both like what they put out for it and their candor in talks in forums. They also made some great d20 content, I am sad to see them leave that arena.

My second favortie is probably Green Ronnin. They just make great d20 stuff. I like the idea of their Mystic Vista line, although the one purchase I made from it (Mindshadows) didn't impress me. I also love Blue Rose, although I never got around to playing it. I didn't play much with Green Ronnin stuff, but it's still my favorite.

WotC comes next. Just 3.x alone places it there. The other content... well, while I actually purcahsed a fair bit, I found it only reasonable. The Complete Warrior was usable, sure, but it wasn't really inspiring. Love & War (by Atlas Games), on the other hand - well, that injects some flavor and ideas into your campaign.

Oh: I don't like Malhavoc. I find their products unbalancing and too out-there for me. (And I despise their OGC policy.) I almost like Iron Heroes.... but it feels raw, it needs a second edition soooo badly.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

1 Columbia Games Inc.: the only company where from whom I’ve bought all of their rpg output

2 Chaosium: for CoC

3 Issaries Inc.: Nice world, shame about the rules.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Wizards (but not the DDM department), for giving us d20.
AEG For Rokugan.
Fantasy Flight for Midnight.
White Wolf for World of Darkness

 

[delericho]

My top companies are Wizards, Paizo, Green Ronin, Malhavoc and White Wolf.

However, I've recently revised my buying policy to only include books I think I might actually use, which means books compatible with standard D&D, which in turn means that for the rest of the year I expect only to buy from Wizards, Paizo and, maybe, Necromancer.

I don't miss any companies, d20 or otherwise.

 

[Turanil]

So, which d20 games companies are you're current favorites? Which non-d20 game companies are your favorites?

-- d20 favorite: Green Ronin Publishing.
-- Non d20 Favorite: Steve Jackson Games. Although I don't play GURPS and don't intend to, their supplements are often very well done and most usable with other systems as they usually provide much more fluff than crunch.

 

[Mark Hope]

Oh: I don't like Malhavoc ... And I despise their OGC policy..

I'm not being contentious here, but I've read a couple of similar comments over the past year or so about Malhavoc's OGC policy. What is it about their policy that you dislike? I speak from genuine ignorance here - I haven't seen anything that got my hackles up and am quite interested to hear what the issue is .