[Merged] Hackmaster reviews?

[Blacksad]

I'll chime in.

I too think that hackmaster shouldn't be in the review section, while godlike or everquest should.

If it is to be included, the AD&D ESD by WotC should also get in, those are new release too, in a different format.

Plus, at the beginning, Eric N. website was to be the repository of all 2e converted to 3e, so with the conversion still going on (even if there is much less now) review of 2e ESD witch have a conversion on the website would have a purpose in par with the website origin and curent title.

 

[rounser]

I'm much more interested in all things D&D than I am in all things d20. At the end of the day d20 isn't the main attraction, nor the main event - it's simply riding on D&D's coattails. I know this is not what d20 enthusiasts want to hear, but I think that it's the truth.

I'd welcome it if ENWorld expanded scope into other editions and versions of D&D. If RPG.net can review old supplements from past editions of D&D, then why not this place?

 

[JeffB]

I'm much more interested in all things D&D than I am in all things d20. At the end of the day d20 isn't the main attraction, nor the main event - it's simply riding on D&D's coattails. I know this is not what d20 enthusiasts want to hear, but I think that it's the truth.

I'd welcome it if ENWorld expanded scope into other editions and versions of D&D. If RPG.net can review old supplements from past editions of D&D, then why not this place?

My thoughts exactly...It says D&D/D20 at ENWORLD homebase. We discuss the various editions here (though prior edition threads here generally turn into "(insert prior edition name here) SUCKS" threads), why not allow someone to put up a review of a HM product (which is OAD&D/AD&D2 with a few house rules) if they wish?

I understand that there may be some overzealous fans of HM ( or whatever else) that may inflate the review rating, yet I don't think that's any different than what happens now with many of the D20 reviews. People like to write reviews of things they really like (or really hate); the game engine matters not.

Must the game (D&D as a whole) be taken so seriously? I find the "opposition" to HM I've seen in varuious places on the net absolutely ludicrous (while I own the HM PHB, I don't play so don't paint me as a overzealous HM fan).

These are fan reviews, big deal. It's not like ENWorld is some kind of "official" reviewing site that must uphold Government Standards.

 

[Skarp Hedin]

This might be overly complicated, but couldn't Hackmaster reviews be excluded from the statistic section? Perhaps they could be shunted into a directory that's ignored when the reviews page calculates the d20 top-ten list. As I say, that might be more complicated than warranted, but would seem to address many of the objections.

 

[Psion]

It's not like ENWorld is some kind of "official" reviewing site that must uphold Government Standards.

I'm sorry you don't take pride in the service that ENWorld review provide for the d20 fans. I do.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

My apologies. No reason to get bent out of shape over this.

Exactly. We have conflicting viewpoints on this, but you are far more conversant with the subject, so I'll yield to your wisdom on this matter.

 

[Corinth]

Like that is going to happen?

That how Consumer Reports, film and music reviews work; this is common practice in mainstream society, and gamers are no different.

Originally posted by rounser
I'm much more interested in all things D&D than I am in all things d20. At the end of the day d20 isn't the main attraction, nor the main event - it's simply riding on D&D's coattails. I know this is not what d20 enthusiasts want to hear, but I think that it's the truth.

I'd welcome it if ENWorld expanded scope into other editions and versions of D&D. If RPG.net can review old supplements from past editions of D&D, then why not this place?

D20 is now quite a viable entity in its own right, thank you. D&D may be on top, but it's now more like the kung-fu master and his cadre of specialized students/allies rather than a mother and her infant children.

As this relates to EN World, this is the D20 community site. All D20 publishers acknowledge this, and they do so by making a concerted and consistant effort to maintain a visible presence at this site. They work with EN World for mutual advantage, which has the effect of further promoting D20 as a whole throughout the gaming world. Allowing HM into the review system would do the same damage as allowing the BRP version of Call of Cthulhu or the D6 version of Star Wars: dilution of EN World's value as a D20 community through the weakening of its focus; if you want non-D20 games reviewed, you can get it at RPG Net.

EN World is the best D20 site around, and it has the strongest community. Anything that would dilute that focus would damage the community and threaten its devolution into irrelevance, so it must not be done.

 

[JeffB]

Psion,

Come now...That was not meant as a "slam".. merely the truth. The reviews here by the staff folks such as yourself and many others are quite good, and deserve merit, but they still are fan reviews, which other than picking apart on mechanics "compliance level" are highly subject to personal opinion/tastes.

Of course you should take pride in your reviews, you work hard on them (as do other's) and do agreat job, but at the end of the day it's just one guy's (or gal's) opinion about a game-book; No more valid than the reviews at RPG.net, or anywhere else.

ENWORLDS reviews might be the best out there, but they STILL are FAN reviews of game products. I don't see how adding HM reviews to the site will hurt anything, nor do I think it will "tarnish" reputations or "credibility". If anything it's likely to sell a few more products fro Morrus, help inform some folks who may have been on the edge of buying/not buying, and it also just might make someone pick up a book, play the game and have some fun, which really is what it's all about whether the game is HM, 3E, SWD20, WoT, CoC, AD&D, OD&D, PLayer's Option or whatever else.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Jeez...if I'd known it was going to turn into the latest firestorm, I'd've never piped up.

I will yield to Psion's wisdom on the matter. He knows and understands more about this than I do. If I want to write a review of a HackMaster product and post it on this site, I'll just do it on the message boards. No harm done.

Besides, I haven't been able to log in to the reviews page in forever anyway. Keeps telling me I have the wrong password...

 

[Crothian]

The reviews here by the staff folks such as yourself and many others are quite good, and deserve merit, but they still are fan reviews, which other than picking apart on mechanics "compliance level" are highly subject to personal opinion/tastes.

I'm not sure if you can consider them fan reviews. These people are the official reviewers of the site and are given free copies of things to review. This makes them a few steps above people like myself, who buy the products and then review them. Now, they may not be on Salary, but that would be more because this is a free site.