[Monte Rant] Designers who think they're above roleplay

[ColonelHardisson]

Re: Re: [Monte Rant] Designers who think they're above roleplay

I vaguely wonder how many people designing games think the people who play RPG's are lifeless losers, really.

I'm willing to venture that the number is probably a lot larger than many of us would like to think.

 

[Holy Bovine]

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/

They aren't exactly a SMALL company, but they aren't exactly WotC or WhiteWolf, either.

Thanks Tsyr! I don't know how I forgot about these guys in the first place (I get so confused by all the letters used to identify companies/games etc. ). i really want to get a good look at Dragonstar but my friendly-local-games-store doesn't have a copy and my Unfriendly-local-game-store is a scary, scary place to enter .

Guess I'll just have to break down and buy it sight-unseen (ie have them order it).

I have also heard good things about Spells & Spellcraft and the Traps and Treachery series (didn't know they were from FFG though).

 

[Darklone]

Re: Re: Re: [Monte Rant] Designers who think they're above roleplay

I'm willing to venture that the number is probably a lot larger than many of us would like to think.

That would explain a lot.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

WoTC has the best production values in terms of art and having slick looking products. But in my experience the books could have been bound better, and the layout and page design of the PHB & MM could have been better done. The Living Greyhawk Gazeteer is cool, but could have used some of the DM info that was contained in the 1e boxed set, resource & trade maps for one. The map was a dissapointment compared to the old maps as well. The D&Dg book isn't that great, so I'd say they struck out on that one. The classbooks are a hit or miss proposition and very poorly edited. Now Green Ronin is putting out great material at a great price. 14.95 for Legions of Hell or Armies of the Abyss! There are a lot of ideas and hooks in those books, not to mention great demons & monsters.

 

[Henry]

I would have to throw my hat into the ring and state that Fiery Dragon Productions are also an excellent quality smaller publisher with many experienced authors contributing quality material.

...And for some reason, a little firm by the name of Malhavoc Press seems to have escaped everyone's knowledge, too, speaking of small publishers with quality work, thankyouverymuch.

No one needs to write Monte or Sean as "ex-WotC shills" - their work stands on its own as being noteworthy even without WotC production values behind it.

Quality has nothing to do with size (this applies to many avenues in life)

 

[sircaren]

Thanks Tsyr! I don't know how I forgot about these guys in the first place (I get so confused by all the letters used to identify companies/games etc. ). i really want to get a good look at Dragonstar but my friendly-local-games-store doesn't have a copy and my Unfriendly-local-game-store is a scary, scary place to enter .

Guess I'll just have to break down and buy it sight-unseen (ie have them order it).

I have also heard good things about Spells & Spellcraft and the Traps and Treachery series (didn't know they were from FFG though).

Hmmm, FFG is on my top 5 list right now of publishers. I've bought all 4 of their books in the above mentioned series. I think Spells & Spellcraft is the best, followed closely by Traps and Treachery. Wonderful, wonderful stuff there.

 

[Nightfall]

Originally posted by SSS-Druid:
I know for myself, I'm involved in no less than four games right now, two of which are Scarred Lands games, Mightier Than the Sword, which is set in Lokil and The Serpent Amphora Cycle, which is the playtest group for the Cycle that will be seeing publication this year.

I am also due to be starting up another, The Seventh Gate, a Hollowfaust game, once my roommate situation is all steady again. I hate it when campaigns end because people move; but, by the same token, it allows me start afresh, too.

Okay I admit it, I want to know more about these adventures! I know about Serpent (a little) but could you elborate on Mighter than the Swrod and The Seventh Gate? I REALLY like to know more about these! PLEASEE!!!

 

[Kichwas]

Maybe you didn't; but from the replies it seems like a lot of people did miss this part of my opinion in comparring small versus large design houses:

The production values may suck, the design and art may suck. But the ideas are usually better.

By design in that quote I mean graphic design.

The big houses can turn out a much better looking product, but I find the ideas tend to more 'conformed', less original.

And I would not be suprised if that is in large part due to them having many game designers who do not enjoy or even play the games.

In the small press; it's much more likely we're getting stuff made by people who are 'in the tenches'. Quality results are more varied because writing skill is less tested, but it's also less 'conformed by the machine of industry'.

 

[Mortaneus]

As far as the D&D d20 publishers go, I'd have to say the big three are WotC, SSS, and FFG (for dragonstar....speaking of which, where is that galaxy guide???).

Mongoose is pretty cool, and their arcana series has some really interesting takes on magic. The Quint books, however, have a lot of stuff that I have outright banned in all games I run. They don't mesh well with the rest of the system, or are simply broken (esp the fighting styles).


However, broadening the question to include all d20, D&D or not, I'd have to say the current title holder for best d20 book is, hands down, AEG for Spycraft. That single book is, IMHO, better than anything so far released for d20, including the basic 3 books for D&D3e.

Going with the idea of rolling for quality, AEG rolled a 10, rolled a 10 to verify, and got a 10 on the third roll, resulting in an instant kill.

I just hope the future spycraft releases compare to the first one in quality.

Oh, and a quick question for the crowd: What would you think of AEG releasing a supplement that converts D&D over to use their overhauled combat system?

 

[RangerWickett]

I want you to know that I, as a D20 Publisher, think that you are losers with no life, but that's not the problem. No, the problem is that you are all stupid munchkins. All of you. Especially the moderators here.

Because you suck, it is my sovereign duty to write well enough that even your pea brains will be lofted to the halcyon heights of true roleplaying. Without my aid, you will all be content to just roll dice with no thought toward story, but it is my dream that after you read my books, you will spend days in fevered writing, preparing for your next game. This is my goal.

Amen.

The above does not reflect the beliefs or opinions of anyone at ENWorld or Natural 20 Press. Rather, they reflect the beliefs of Fiery_James, or was that Fiery_Jason?