Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 6155759" data-attributes="member: 3400">I think both of those paragraphs underline powerful motivators to play supported games. As far as the network goes, once a game is out of print, it's inevitable that the player base will erode unless it takes on a broad gamer cultural significance and becomes virtually self-sustaining. And I'm not sure I'd say any RPG has really reached that level. Ever go into a used book store looking for gaming materials? I have done that a lot over the years, and in a university city not far from some of the biggest centers of RPGing. I can say it gets a lot harder to find materials the longer they remain out of print. It has gotten difficult to find 1e and 2e D&D materials and that will make it harder to recruit new players. It will make it even harder for new groups to spontaneously generate. Easy availability of materials people can browse or that will capture someone's eye and imagination helps the game grow. Lack of them leaves a gamer pool to wither.I don't think the need for errata is a big deal unless the game's a bit of an editing boondoggle in the first place. However, additional supplements inject new ideas into a game, helping it to remain vibrant. Sure, new ideas can come from anywhere, but the impact of any one idea becomes a lot more scattered. New supplements, widely available, have a greater reach and impact.There are some games, of course, that can be long out of print and people will still avidly play them. But most of the examples I can think of are board games (though even some fans of those probably find it harder to recruit players familiar with the game). And as long as my Advanced Civilization pieces and board hold out, I'll happily play it decades after it has gone out of print. But, as a board game, it's also a complete game. RPGs are never really "complete" in the same sense. They are, by nature, open ended. There's always room for more material in the game (even if my budget cannot sustain it).</blockquote>

Verification