MCG Press Release

[Stacie GmrGrl]

I'm really trying to figure out how he has accrued so much popularity in the industry that some people think he's such an amazing RPG designer/writer.

I'll agree that he has done some cool things, but I don't think his stuff is all that great.

 

[Morrus]

I'm really trying to figure out how he has accrued so much popularity in the industry that some people think he's such an amazing RPG designer/writer.

I'll agree that he has done some cool things, but I don't think his stuff is all that great.

IMO, D&D 3E was a major event in tabletop roleplaying, and anyone on that team - especially the core designers like Monte Cook - deserves enormous amounts of credit for what they achieved. That game is still going strong in the form of Pathfinder 15 years later.

A lot of his material is very creative and flavoured, so it won't be for everyone. But for those who click with the flavour, it's very good.

On the innovation front - I agree it's a strong word, especially in tabletop RPGs which are all essentially derivative of each other. I don't think that precludes innovation, of course - I'd argue that the OGL was innovative (Ryan Dancey's brainchild, but Monte Cook was part of that team); I'd argue that leading the charge into PDF publishing was innovative - he was one of the first, if not the first, to actually say "this can and will be my *primary* business model". An entire industry has grown up around that concept.

Neither of these things are super-innovative in a larger context - obviously open source licenses and ebooks were around long before. But in the context of RPGs, I think Monte Cook was near the forefront of changing the industry, even if that was the intention at the time.

 

[JeffB]

his business accomplishments may be worthy of praise.

but game-wise, I don't see it. 3.0 may have been a big leap forward for D&D, but it was about 13 years behind the trend in RPG mechanical design. I think and claims there are as charitable as his press release

At any rate some people like his writing/style but I am not one of them. Cool guy though and I enjoy listening to and reading his interviews.

 

[delericho]

I like Monte Cook's stuff, but this phrase is a bit over the top!

I think it's ridiculous.

It's a press release. Of course it's over the top!

"Monte Cook has a new product. Eh, it's okay I guess. Plus, he has a record of doing stuff that some people like. You should buy it!"

Doesn't really have the same ring, does it?

 

[Morrus]

but game-wise, I don't see it. 3.0 may have been a big leap forward for D&D, but it was about 13 years behind the trend in RPG mechanical design.

Really? 1987?

 

[JeffB]

Really? 1987?

Star wars rpg. Single unified mechanic rolling vs a dc/tn. Unified mechanics went all the way back to tunnels and trolls, traveller, runequest....75, 77, 78.

3e brought nothing new in game mechanics. It simply got rid of many restrictions and transferred existing AD&D-isms into a more modern system design.

Just like 4e skill challenges.....seems like a big deal if you don't have any experience with other games, but HeroWars (issaries,inc) was doing the same thing 7-8 years prior to 4e.

 

[Morrus]

Star wars rpg. Single unified mechanic rolling vs a dc/tn. Unified mechanics went all the way back to tunnels and trolls, traveller, runequest....75, 77, 78.

3e brought nothing new in game mechanics. It simply got rid of many restrictions and transferred existing AD&D-isms into a more modern system design.

Just like 4e skill challenges.....seems like a big deal if you don't have any experience with other games, but HeroWars (issaries,inc) was doing the same thing 7-8 years prior to 4e.

Well, by that definition, rolling dice to determine an outcome goes back centuries. That doesn't mean that the latest games are centuries behind in game design. All RPGs are derivative of each other. I can see an argument that that means they mght not be innovating, but not that they're 13 years behind.

There's a big difference between "it isn't innovative" and "it's behind".

 

[JeffB]

I am simply referring to the " innovation," that Cook, Tweet, et. al. brought to 3e. They updated to a more modern standard. There was no real innovation as far as game mechanics. I don't see Monte as an innovator at all.

But, I'm not here to argue semantics or the history of RPG design, Russ. We will just have to agree to disagree.