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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 6104135" data-attributes="member: 177">Don't mistake misunderstanding for an attempt to put words in your mouth.  It read to me like you effectively had a thing against computer-based character and character sheet management.  Don't want words put in your mouth, don't do it to others. Where did I say anything like "you are wrong to like..."?  I didn't.  I'm saying that the market, as an aggregate, needs some things for a game to be really viable.  Those things may run contrary to your personal tastes.  Sorry, but that's the way things go some times.  I, personally, would like to fly without aid of large machines - damn that law of gravity!Well, that depends.  You were really thin on defining "successful", "robust" and "viable".  I answered those with a particular image in my head of what those terms mean.However, there's a whole bunch of small games out there that are perfectly nice.  They may lack a little in robustness (insofar as they are narrowly focused in genre and scope), or successfulness (I have zero expectation of ever just running into a group for one of these games - I'd have to bring the game to them and teach it to them).  But they are still awesome games that fit in one book - that book may be over 100 pages, but it is still just one book.  You want a nice short, rules light game, go look at "<a href="http://www.oldschoolhack.net/" target="_blank">Old School Hack</a>".  No, really, go look at it.  It is completely free, and only 26 pages.  We'll wait....Meanwhile, for X-mas my wife gave me a one-book indie game called "How We Came to Live Here" which is designed to have games inspired by the myths of the Native Americans of the southwest.  Odd thing, has, in effect two GMs, and a number of novel mechanics...Also meanwhile, I'm reading a draft of the upcoming "Atomic Robo" rules from Evil Hat Productions.  FATE-based, it too is likely going to be a single book game, and it has one of the most creative science mechanics I've ever seen, and a really novel way to deal with development of not just the PCs, but the organizations the PCs work for, by way of hooking into, of all things, the combat mechanic!None of these games will be major economic successes like D&D or even a White Wolf game.  None of them will appeal to a gearhead.  But they all have novel mechanics and good play experience for the right kind of players.Do you still want to continue asserting that there's only steak out there?  Because in so saying, I think your ignorance of the offerings is showing.  I think I have already pretty much put a hole through your "there's only steak out there" idea.But, that being said, you cannot actually reinvent the market.  That's a marketing-speak fallacy.  "The Market" is people.  You can't reinvent the people (short of hitting "the Singularity", or massive genetic engineering programs, or something, but anyway...).  You can reinvent the game so that it is appealing to more people.  And guess what? That's already happened!  World of Warcraft, and every other MMORPG (see that RPG in there?) is a re-invention of tabletop RPGs.  It is so reinvented such that the play experience is really very little like the tabletop experience.  See above referenced games.  Simple games exist.  Lots of them.  If you don't recognize that, then you are the one in denial.  They don't come to the forefront because the things their qualities also limit their economic potential and broad market appeal.</blockquote>

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