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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mark" data-source="post: 4984037" data-attributes="member: 5">Mind you that all of this is in retrospect, as only can be done, but I think I would equate the early TSR days as Roman Empire, end of Antiquity times, with one main power.  Then put the GURPS/WW/RIFTS period up as the Dark Ages, still no Internet (low communications) and just some brights spots of civilization in a sea of chaos.  I think the early d20 era, up through about 2006/2007 was the true Renaissance of RPGs, lots of experimenting and many gentlepersons who had the wherewithal to dabble or strike out on new paths of exploration and discovery doing so.  We're sort of in an Industrial Revolution of RPGs now, bigger companies belching out goods with bleak prospects for the consumers, huddled in soot covered row homes, rolling their lump-of-coal dice.  Well, maybe not that bad. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />There are a few bright spots with benevolent company owners, custodians of game design liberty like GR and Paizo and a few others still producing games the way things were during the Renaissance and encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit in up-and-coming game designers by keeping the Open Game Movement alive.  One can only hope their light shines brightest when all is dark and the land is covered in . . .Did I do it again?  Sorry. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Oh, and btw, the RPG distribution system is a dinosaur run by just a couple/few companies.  Smaller distributors like Blackhawk going under just this last year are a sure sign that the model is foundering.  Advances in POD are nearly to the point where a new model will supplant the old, where smaller companies will be able to once again break into the field, communicate more readily and directly with retailers, and allow retailers to order more reasonable quantities so they do not get left holding the bag.  High quality PDFs will be the key, and something that wasn't utilized during the d20 glut that could have allowed retailers to avoid ordering too much, sight unseen, and winding up with heavily-laden discount bins.</blockquote>

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