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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5092007" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 171: July 1991part 3/6Forum: James R. Collier replies to the criticism of The Enemy at the Gates. Just as the real world has fantastical areas like Hollywood or Dubai, where all the cool stuff is supported by a serious inflow of money from around the world, so should at least one or two magic heavy cities be possible in a campaign world, even with D&D's pricing system for employing spells commercially. When effects don't have an expiry date, even if you can only afford one every few years, they really add up. So let there be fantastic stuff. Jager McConnell thinks that computer games can satisfy the roleplaying itch if done right, such as in the Ultima series. People are unlikely to react in the same way to all the situations, and a little randomisation can ensure that experiences are different even with the same player. Oh, and my 40 mb hard drive is more than big enough to handle a few roleplaying books. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> Bring on the digital age! Glenn Pruitt also thinks that more advanced AI than they currently have could satisfy the GM'ing role. It might actually work. Take an advanced chatbot, fill it with all the data from the forgotten realms books and novels, and see what happens. It would be the biggest canon lawyer evar, and quite possibly insane as well, but it might get close to passing the Turing test. Matt Heuser, on the other hand, remains dubious about computer adventure games. They're all a bunch of railroads where there are tons of things you can't do, that commonsensically you could in reality or with an actual DM to arbitrate them. Not that some modules don't do that as well. Rahasia sux! I'm guessing you never picked up the Dragonlance adventures if that's the one you criticise most. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> Mario Sismondo often winds up playing additional PC's as well as DM'ing, but tries to do so fairly. Remember, they're people in the game, not avatars of you. Daniel J. Cuomo also plays and DM's simultaneously, but does so in a group where the current DM rotates. This of course keeps people from abusing knowledge when they're god, because if they do it, the next person can do likewise or reverse their ill-gotten gains. The social contract is much easier to enforce when you aren't dependent on any one person. The marvel-phile: Another example of the growth of dark edgy anti-heroes here. Darkhawk! Isn't that just a perfect name for this kind of character. Disillusioned about the law after witnessing his father taking bribes, he's discovered a magic amulet, which gives him powers, but the more he uses it, the more trouble he has controlling his temper, causing him to hurt the ones he loves, make stupid decisions in the heat of battle and drive people away. AAAAAAAAAngst!!! :shakes fist at sky: He even went on to join a superhero group called The Loners. (I have no words, save possibly oxymoronic) So this was another sign of the times that I thought was pretty awesome back then, but like shellsuits, getting off your face on E's and believing that the fall of the berlin wall meant the end of war and global tension, now just seems amusing and faintly embarrassing. Still, at least I can enjoy it ironically. The role of books: Renegade by Gene DeWesse gets a better review than most Star Trek books have managed here. It doesn't venture too deep into the characterisations of the characters, but at least that means it doesn't mess them up like certain other writers. Achilles choice by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes works rather better as theoretical sci-fi than an actual story. The psychological exploration that would give the themes of sacrifice for power resonance for the reviewer just aren't there.Blind justice by S N Lewitt is reviewed in a somewhat pretentious way, as the reviewer tries to live up to the cleverness of the book. I do so love it when they try themed reviews. I shall have to experiment with doing a few myself. The paradise war by Stephen Lawhead gets a moderately negative review. The mythical elements jarr with the self-invented ones, and the pacing is unpleasantly uneven. While curious about what happens next, the reviewer can't say he enjoyed it. Good night, Mr Holmes by Carol Nelson Douglas is a book about Irene Adler, and her adventures before she crossed the master detective's path. It manages to both complement and contrast with the existing canon, with Irene and her sidekick putting their own spin on the mystery solving business. The initiate brother by Sean Russel is an oriental adventure. (although not set in Kara-tur, despite using the same name for the empire) It gets a so-so review, doing ok as a story, but not actually feeling very oriental beyond the names. Needs moar research.</blockquote>

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