Has the RPGA failed?

[diaglo]

I have to say ... even after all this time, I don't totally know what the RPGA's purpose is. I was even a member for a while (to get the free stuff and because at the time some of that free stuff -- i.e. Polyhedron -- could provide valuable pre-3E hints/news). But I never "did" anything with the membership per se.

ditto.

it has more people in it that have groups already. just look at the old Jolly Blackburn comics.

 

[Bill Muench]

Devoutly Apathetic: Well, if you are Jonathan, reply to your darn emails sometime.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

As long as we are griping about the RPGA, I'd like to add that the lack of a uniform, national (for the US) organization is a killer.

Well, what makes certain other regions "good" is the volunteer work of those gamers in those regions. The RPGA hasn't done a damn thing to make any region good or bad.

I don't want to volunteer; I want to play. If the RPGA can neither facilitate me playing nor me meeting new games, then it is useless to me.

Understandable that you only want to play, most gamers, most RPGA members, even most RPGA members in those "good" regions. If anyone is going to facilitate you playing, or meeting new games, it is going to come from the volunteering of fellow gamers in your area.

Of course, being located in Ohio, you're closer than most of the rest of the continent to the RPGA's biggest conventions, GenCon Indy, Winter Fantasy, Origins. No, I don't mean that the RPGA puts those conventions on, but it is at those conventions where the biggest gatherings of fellow gamers assemble to play at RPGA tables. That's about the best that the RPGA itself will do to "facilitate" what you desire.

Other than that, yes, the RPGA is useless to you.

 

[philreed]

Derbacher, please e-mail me at roninartspresident@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Some interesting points about getting sanctioned.

How does that work for say, Dungeon Magazine and other official products. Are they automatically sanctioned?

I have a friend who does it and I'll see him tonight at my Cthulhu game. I'll ask him. Since I'm not busy packing for GenCon.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

As long as we are griping about the RPGA, I'd like to add that the lack of a uniform, national (for the US) organization is a killer. I keep hearing great things about other regions, but that does me no good since I live in a certain region (Veluna / Ohio) and am not going to travel out of state just to play D&D.

Ironically, that's what most players see as a strength of the current Living Greyhawk campaing (the only one with the regional divisions)--regional variation. While many players would like to play adventures from other regions no matter where they game, the regional variations make LG interesting (a little healthy competition between regions improves the writing). And at Winter Fantasy, they have an "open slot" where you can play modules from any region.

As for having to travel, well, pity the poor Perrenlanders. Their region is an entire continent + (Australia and New Zealand). They have to leave their continent to play a different region. Whereas in the great state of Ohio, you can leave the state within what--three hours at most?--no matter where you are?

And I don't want to hear someone tell me that I should make it better by volunteering. I don't want to volunteer; I want to play. If the RPGA can neither facilitate me playing nor me meeting new games, then it is useless to me.

Fair enough. But, like a lot of things in life, you will get out of the RPGA what you put into it.

 

[Guillaume]

As for having to travel, well, pity the poor Perrenlanders. Their region is an entire continent + (Australia and New Zealand). They have to leave their continent to play a different region. Whereas in the great state of Ohio, you can leave the state within what--three hours at most?--no matter where you are?

It's not a continent, but Quebec (Tusmit) is rather large. From where I live, it's a six hour drive minimum before I can change regions. Also, staying in Canada, whether I go east or west, I'm still in the same region (Ket). Not a lot of variety if you ask me.

 

[Ed Cha]

Maybe I don't quite "get" the RPGA, but why do they even bother doing their own adventures? All I've heard are terrible things about the ones they've got. Why don't they just make official picks of published adventures and run them into a series somehow? It would help the adventure-publishing industry and get people playing some great games.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Maybe I don't quite "get" the RPGA, but why do they even bother doing their own adventures? All I've heard are terrible things about the ones they've got. Why don't they just make official picks of published adventures and run them into a series somehow? It would help the adventure-publishing industry and get people playing some great games.

That's just what I was thinking. Both Necromancer Games and Goodman Games continue to produce high-quality modules on a regular basis - for example, Goodman's Dungeon Crawl Classics number nearly 20, and there's no end in sight. Surely there could be some agreement reached between these companies and the RPGA that would be mutually beneficial?

 

[Glyfair]

Maybe I don't quite "get" the RPGA, but why do they even bother doing their own adventures? All I've heard are terrible things about the ones they've got. Why don't they just make official picks of published adventures and run them into a series somehow? It would help the adventure-publishing industry and get people playing some great games.

I think that's because people are more likely to complain than compliment. I have heard some good things about some adventures the RPGA puts out. One of the Mark of Heroes adventures I think was pretty good in isolation (unfortunately, it really had no Eberron flavor). However, the number of complaints I've seen are much higher than the number of compliments.