Palladium?

[sydbar]

TSR also did alot of legal actions against fan sites, which is a major reason i think they went with the whole ogl thing, instead of spending alot of time going after their fans who wanted to share their campaign info with other people, it has to be cheaper at least. And i know i've been waiting for mechaoid space forever, but i still have mechanoid invasion, the reprinted mechanoid trilogy, the 3 issues released of the mechanoid comic, and mechanoids for rifts so i have pleanty of choices for running mechanoid games. I also have almost everything they have made up to about 3 years ago, when i was forced to quit my job, execpt for the original mechanoid trilogy, the weapon&armor books, and the egyptian campaign that they gave away at gen con and in dragon a long time ago.

 

[Felon]

He is a nice guy. And while people here might critize him, he has even after years of his actions, a very solid and loyal fan base. So, it is okay that he is a nice guy. He is still very loyal to his fans. I can understand his attitudes toward mudslingers, it has gotten bad over the years and I would be feed up with it too.

Seems like a pretty hollow rebuttal. So he's a nice guy and he has fans. You don't explain how that mitigates criticisms about his irresponsibility, close-mindedness, and unadaptability. He's not a victim just by virtue of being criticized.

I'm not the one who goes around initiating legal action against gamers trying to make a d20 conversion of my product.

I think a lot of that has to do with KS's weird interpretation of the law, and his unwillingness to listen to those who would correct him. He thinks he's compelled to aggressively defend his license. That's true to an extent, but mere discussion of copyrighted material does not constitute infringement, be it RIFTS, Spider-Man, or Mickey Mouse. There's no copyrighting of rules either. Copying images or large blocks of text is infringement, but as long as you avoid doing that, what is there for KS to initiate legal action over?

 

[ssampier]

Oh, how I had hoped and hoped and hoped that RIFTS would see some kind of resurrection or reanimation, in the form of a complete system overhaul, or a conversion into a system that works.

But, I guess all I have to look forward to is several more years of fan abuse.

I am sorry to hear that.

Btw, can I use steal your quote for my sig, modified, of course, "Evil never dies -- it just gets Resurrected or Animated."

 

[Crothian]

Seems like a pretty hollow rebuttal. So he's a nice guy and he has fans. You don't explain how that mitigates criticisms about his irresponsibility, close-mindedness, and unadaptability. He's not a victim just by virtue of being criticized.

Most of the criticism is pretty hollow too. People act like he killed someone and spout off based on other people's bad opinions of the guy. I'm not Palladium fan anymore but he doesn't deserve a fourth of the way he gets treated.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Most of the criticism is pretty hollow too. People act like he killed someone and spout off based on other people's bad opinions of the guy. I'm not Palladium fan anymore but he doesn't deserve a fourth of the way he gets treated.

Possibly true. I just wish that he would listen to criticism when it is deserved. The problem is that he blanks out all criticism, deserved or not. Sometimes criticism can be constructive. (Yelling 'RIFTS SUCKS!!111!' is not constructive...)

I will be honest and say that I do not much like the Rifts system (and feel mildly negative toward Palladium fantasy), but most of my dislike comes down to the complete lack of balance in Rifts. I waffle between wanting to see Palladium fall and hoping that K.S. goes and fixes the system, unlikely though that may be. He sounds like a good guy to know, and a lousy one to work for. My one encounter with him at a con, many years ago, did not impress me, though that may have been a stressful day for him.

The Auld Grump

 

[Crothian]

Possibly true. I just wish that he would listen to criticism when it is deserved. The problem is that he blanks out all criticism, deserved or not. Sometimes criticism can be constructive. (Yelling 'RIFTS SUCKS!!111!' is not constructive...)

After over a decade of mostly hearing non constructive I can understand why someone would tune it all out. Also, it is a little arrogant of people to think they know what is best for him. Just because someone has suggestions to doesn't mean one has to follow them. People have said their bit he for whatever reason choose not to follow it. After that people should really move on.

 

[prosfilaes]

After over a decade of mostly hearing non constructive I can understand why someone would tune it all out.

How many people can't complain about non-constructive criticism? Most of the complaints I get at my job are redundant and non-constructive, but that doesn't mean I should just blow off all criticism.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

After over a decade of mostly hearing non constructive I can understand why someone would tune it all out. Also, it is a little arrogant of people to think they know what is best for him. Just because someone has suggestions to doesn't mean one has to follow them. People have said their bit he for whatever reason choose not to follow it. After that people should really move on.

So if your customers tell you that they don't like your books you should not listen to them? Arrogance can be on the parts of both the speaker and the listener. I would not accuse K.S. of a lack of arrogance. (Nor myself for that matter...)

A part of it may be that there are folk who feel frustration with the people who continue to buy Rifts material, ignoring all else in the market. K.S. being fed up with this I can understand. But others want to see a game that they themselves would like to run, and this is where K.S. should listen.

Ah well, either way it is unlikely to happen. K.S. is happy with his beewax and his razor blades*, and as long as this is the case Rifts is likely to remain what it is.

The Auld Grump
*Actually that is how I first did publishing too, so I can understand his attachment, it is akin to why I paint my own miniatures rather than buy the prepainted D&D minis.

 

[Crothian]

How many people can't complain about non-constructive criticism? Most of the complaints I get at my job are redundant and non-constructive, but that doesn't mean I should just blow off all criticism.

Are the complaints coming from other people in your industry that you know or from random people across the world who mostly do so aninomnously over the net? Where the complaints come from also matters. And we don't know he is ignoring all critism.

 

[Crothian]

So if your customers tell you that they don't like your books you should not listen to them? Arrogance can be on the parts of both the speaker and the listener. I would not accuse K.S. of a lack of arrogance. (Nor myself for that matter...)

Some customers are saying that. Others are still saying he's doing a great job. And ya he might be arrogant thinking that becasue he owns the company he knows best.

A part of it may be that there are folk who feel frustration with the people who continue to buy Rifts material, ignoring all else in the market. K.S. being fed up with this I can understand. But others want to see a game that they themselves would like to run, and this is where K.S. should listen.

Do people feel frustrated with the hoards of people that only buy D&D and ignore the rest of the RPG market? THere are fans like that of White Wolf, GURPS, and I imagine most big games. I can understand that there are fans that want KS to change the game so they would like it, but why should he risk losing the loyal fans that like it how it is? And it is no sure thing that if he changed the system it would be successful. It just might not be a risk he's not willing to take.