My rant at RPG.net

[ced1106]

Well, at least you wrote something. I bet the average gamer would let Chaosium (and any other company with business problems) slowly fade from memory and buy something else. TORG anyone?

Yep, RPGnet isn't for anyone who doesn't have an asbestos wardrobe, but I have noticed that they'll allow topics which were banned on EnWorld.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

 

[randallorndorff]

Well, Joe, you have to remember that RPG.net is frequented by some of the most effeet, snobbish, and spiteful gamers on the 'Net. I mean, they have some good columnists, and I read the reviews there on a daily basis, but I think I have yet to see a thread not degenerate into massive flaming of one sort or another. They also all hate d20 to death.

Huh.

So I guess I must hate d20. Guess that means I can't play in that 3E Planescape game. Or that Hollowfaust game. And I have to sell back 2 shelves worth of d20 material. And I have to cancel my preorder of d20 Modern.

Or maybe you are making broad generalizations that do not apply to the individual.

In all seriousness, I post a RPG.net, but I lurk here, at Hero's website, and Green Ronin's at well. Oddly, I don't feel conflicted at all.
--
Randall

 

[buzz]

Or maybe you are making broad generalizations that do not apply to the individual.

I thought it was pretty clear that I was.

Read my post. I said "is frequented by". Sure, there are plenty of cool poeple that hang there, too (like Alan Kohler!), but man, a more paranoid group of d20-bashing regulars I've never seen.

I still like their reviews and many of the coumns, as I said. Aeon's columns are fantastic.

 

[randallorndorff]

I thought it was pretty clear that I was.

Heh heh.

Just so you know, there are no hard feelings over here. I understand RPG.net's rep, and sometimes I think it earns it. However, I do enjoy the flame wars. Its like driving past a train wreck, but its ok to enjoy it 'cause nobody died. And once in a while you get some interesting stuff going on, like the crazy racists who wanted to shut it down.

To bring my postings back on topic, I see where JoeGKushner is coming from. Looking at the majority of CoC's supplements it would appear that I am not their target demographic. And I think it would have been good if they would have jumped on CoC d20 right off the bat. As it stands now, I think I would make more sense as a GM to use d20 Modern and import the SAN rules into them, especially if I were to to Delta Green (for the 3rd time I might add (1st with d20 rules); Pagan Publishing rules!!!).

 

[WayneLigon]

Re: Man, talk about impatient

I really can't see why your complaining. I waited 18 years for Chaosium to release Hero Wars. You need to master your patience karma, dude. Aaron

Hero Wars has been available for some time now, but I find very few people know about it. It sounds like they're getting ready to revise the game as it stands now, though, so hold of buying right yet.

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

Seriously?

Seriously!

Wow. I can't imagine anyone having major problems with the HERO5e products released so far. I hereby declare that you're on crack. That, or not much of a HERO fan.

I have been playing Hero and using it as my system of choice since 1981. I have virtually every edition of every game that they have done (except for Cyber Hero and the Giant Robot game[bleargh]). I just find Steve Long's stuff to be overly verbose and needlessly complex.

My best example is Ninja Hero vs. The Ultimate Martial Artist. Ninja Hero is more direct, gives a better feel for the genre and is generally better written. Mechanically a lot of the effects in Ninja Hero are done in a more intuitive and simple way than they are in tUMA. Don't even get me started on Dark Champions. Also why does Steve Long feel it necessary to rebuild every iconic character on 600 base points. They just seem to come out as a hodgepodge of points and powers rather than an elegant character design.

As far as 5th edition stuff goes... enh... I'm not overly impressed. Getting the edition out is a good thing. Giving more examples is a good thing. Changing Shapeshift into some weird illusion power is totally screwed up! And I found the new layout of 5e (with the skinny little sidebars) to be questionable, at best.

The point remains, however, that they've been through serious business upheavals, have only 5 people working at the company, and yet meet deadlines, keep their fan base interested, and put out products a cut above the norm.

Yeah, I'm glad their getting product out, and I admire Steve Long for his focus and tenacity.

 

[buzz]

My best example is Ninja Hero vs. The Ultimate Martial Artist. Ninja Hero is more direct, gives a better feel for the genre and is generally better written. Mechanically a lot of the effects in Ninja Hero are done in a more intuitive and simple way than they are in tUMA.

It was my understanding that these books serve two different purposes. UMA is a book of mechanics and guide to applying HERO to martial arts techniques, while Ninja HERO is a genre book. E.g., the former is Champions, while the latter is Champions Universe.

Don't even get me started on Dark Champions. Also why does Steve Long feel it necessary to rebuild every iconic character on 600 base points. They just seem to come out as a hodgepodge of points and powers rather than an elegant character design.

Okay, you lost me here; what's an "iconic character" in HERO? Lidda? Krusk?

As far as 5th edition stuff goes... enh... I'm not overly impressed. Getting the edition out is a good thing. Giving more examples is a good thing. Changing Shapeshift into some weird illusion power is totally screwed up! And I found the new layout of 5e (with the skinny little sidebars) to be questionable, at best.

You need to re-read the power description. You simply have the option of choosing whether it affects one, some, or all Sense Groups. This, like a lot of other powers in HERO, is probably to allow shape shift to mimic various effects in addition to literal "shape-shifting". It does all the physical effects that Images can't do.

And the layout, while not up to par with say, WotC products, is worlds of an improvement over earlier editions, IMHO.

Yeah, I'm glad their getting product out, and I admire Steve Long for his focus and tenacity.

Assuming this comment wasn't backhanded, at least we can agree on something.

Again, the point was about how the size of a company isn't necessarily an excuse for not producing product in a timely manner.

 

[Balbinus]

D20 CoC specificially does not use challenge ratings for encounters, on the basis that "fair" encounters are irrelevant to the horror genre.

I doubt the exclusion of level indicators in the Dunwich book is accidental, CoC games aren't about meeting a fair challenge. All Chaosium are doing is keeping that feel for the game, a feel explicitly referred to in the d20 rules.

On rpg.net incidentally, there are a huge number of pro-d20 people and many who play nothing else. Judgemental much?