Greyhawk Grognard - May installment of Castle Greyhawk
- Thread starter grodog
- Start date
You'll find my name on several of Gary's products, including Yggsburg and Upper Works. I'm not lying about knowing him Jaerdaph, okay.
Now granted, if people are more Greyhawk fans than Gary fans, and want to see an old-school version of the castle, that's one thing. And maybe it's a good product overall. I was just disappointed that people seemed more interested and excited in getting a castle that was "in the spirit", than the real thing. It made me a little sad--but then again, I tend to be a fan of the authors than of the creations themselves.
Just please don't call it a "Tribute to Gary", since I highly doubt he would see it as that.
Now granted, if people are more Greyhawk fans than Gary fans, and want to see an old-school version of the castle, that's one thing. And maybe it's a good product overall. I was just disappointed that people seemed more interested and excited in getting a castle that was "in the spirit", than the real thing. It made me a little sad--but then again, I tend to be a fan of the authors than of the creations themselves.
Just please don't call it a "Tribute to Gary", since I highly doubt he would see it as that.
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I think it's great someone is taking up the slack after the TLG version fell through.
I expect Gary Gygax would have wanted people to buy any authorised version Gygax Games puts out. I don't think he was a jerk (generally speaking), so I don't think he'd have minded this fan effort in the interim.
My own view is that if GG puts out a version, and it's good, people should buy it. In the interim, no use worrying about it.
I expect Gary Gygax would have wanted people to buy any authorised version Gygax Games puts out. I don't think he was a jerk (generally speaking), so I don't think he'd have minded this fan effort in the interim.
My own view is that if GG puts out a version, and it's good, people should buy it. In the interim, no use worrying about it.
Right. I imagine EGG would want people to play his game, not build a shrine out it.
Actually, I can say with about--say 80% probability of accuracy here--it would have irritated him somewhat S'mon, because even though he had no control over what WoTC and TSR could do, it still bothered him. He didn't like unauthorized versions of stuff, and a "fan project" would probably count as that, even if it was free. I think the fact that it's being released in a semi-pro format instead of just something like personal campaign notes would have bothered him. Of course, if Gary was still alive this "interpretation" wouldn't have likely had an impact as it does with him dead and CZ canceled for a few years.
True, but the very fact of creating another version of the Castle is sort of fetishization of Greyhawk and/or old-school gaming, and that's it's own form of Shrine-hood.
I think the best way to honor Gary is not only to play games and purchase stuff he's written, but to create NEW stuff, your own original stuff. The biggest tribute would be to create your own worlds, own campaigns, own games, not stuff based on Greyhawk or another campaign world, or games from/based-on D&D or the OGL or the like.
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Voadam
Legend
I'm sure people would be interested and excited about getting the real thing. Right now you can not get the real thing. You can get this, so people are excited about getting this.
Strange. Nearly every Gygax book I own (especially Upper Works) contains quotes directly from Gary that say "Make your own," "make it your own," "change this to suit your vision," etc.
And a huge part of what Gary himself did was promote the sharing of people's house rules, plots, etc.
Granted, I do kind of see your point that he wouldn't want another version published, but this isn't exactly "published" and it's more like someone saying "Here are my (well edited) play notes on my version. Use some of it, change lots of it, do what thou wilt." Exactly the words Gary used over and over again about his published works.
You are a smart guy with excellently well-thought-out opinions, but really, I think you're taking an angle that seems odd in this instance.
Voadam
Legend
I don't think its sad, I think it is simply the reality. I'm a fan of Gary's because of his creations, I didn't correspond with him (well no more than a few times on here) or personally know him or know that much about him. I am a big fan of D&D and of the work's he created though. I heard he's a nice guy but the honest truth is that I am a fan of D&D and Gary's creations more than of Gary himself.
Being sad and disappointed that many people are more fans of the creations which people enjoy rather than the person who was the creator, who most did not know personally, seems to be an unreasonable reaction.
Well, when it has covers, professional-quality maps, etc, and is being toted as a product, it seems less like a fan product and more like a pro-competition. And Gary was real critical of the "free content" movement.
I guess I was more irritated with some of the comments of this being the real thing and both the projects author and fans taking shots at GG, as well as my own perplexed view of why this was so popular because the whole point was to get Gary's take--either his own hand or an authorized and trusted co-creator. (And all these people saying "we've waited for 30 years--well, if you waited THAT long, what's wrong with another year or two").
Voadam
Legend
1 Do you think people have been happy waiting that long? Continuing wrong is I think the concept here. 31 or 32 year delay is worse than 30 years.
2 Its a one or two year wait from now as opposed to getting something now and getting "the real thing" later.
3 No guarantees it will come out in another year or two.
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