Ultimate Game Designer's Campanion

[Crothian]

I just saw this on Mongoose's site and I haven't heard a thing about it. It sounds interesting though and I was wondering if other people have heard or have thoughts on this. Here is the blurb from the site:

"The Ultimate Games Designer's Companion is set to become the indispensible tome for every Games Master and player who whishes to create their own campaigns, settings and roleplaying games. Ever wondered just how to create a game effect that successfully models the spread of fire throughout an entire town? Just plug in the rules presented in this book and you are ready to go! Whether it is a fantasy, modern or science fiction, there is something for every creation in this book - and all rules are 100% Open Content, meaning you can freely use them in your own writing, or have them published if you desire!"

 

[Umbran]

"The Ultimate Games Designer's Companion is set to become the indispensible tome for every Games Master and player who whishes to create their own campaigns, settings and roleplaying games...."

Hm. Bluster. People have been doing just this for years without the book. Suddenly, the book arrives and cannot be dispensed with? Hardly.

The blurb tells you nothing about the content of the book, really. Not much upon which to base a judgement. *shrug*

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Well, I'm hopeful. Concinced? Ehr... No. But I do tend to like Mongoose (at least, in flavor they've never let me down, and I'm usually happy mechanically), so I'm hopeful.

 

[Umbran]

...I do tend to like Mongoose (at least, in flavor they've never let me down...).

So, was that boiled, baked, or deep fried mongoose?

 

[WanderingMonster]

Mongoose liver paté. It's Rikki-Tikki-Tasty!

 

[Zander]

I just saw this on Mongoose's site and I haven't heard a thing about it. It sounds interesting though and I was wondering if other people have heard or have thoughts on this.

I hope it covers principles of games design just as much as it does specific rules for simulating particular events. I generally prefer crunchy bits to zucchini content, but in this case I'm not sure how useful specific rules would be. Something like Greyghost Press's Games Mastering Secrets would be much more desirable than another world/city/dungeon/wilderness designer's guide. YMMV.

 

[Psion]

Re: Re: Ultimate Game Designer's Campanion

I skipped the last two ultimate compendiums, but plan to pick this one up. I fully expect much of it to be useless as some of the innovations in d20 products have not been all that clever, but I think there are a lot of neat mechanics out there.

I hope it covers principles of games design just as much as it does specific rules for simulating particular events.

I wouldn't count on it. The first ultimate guide had a very light editorial hand, and I expect this one to as well. Much like the prior ultimate guides, I expect it will be mostly assembled OGC material.

 

[Golem Joe]

"The Ultimate Games Designer's Companion is set to become the indispensible tome for every Games Master and player who whishes to create their own campaigns, settings and roleplaying games. Ever wondered just how to create a game effect that successfully models the spread of fire throughout an entire town? Just plug in the rules presented in this book and you are ready to go! Whether it is a fantasy, modern or science fiction, there is something for every creation in this book - and all rules are 100% Open Content, meaning you can freely use them in your own writing, or have them published if you desire!"

Emphasis is my own.

So if all the rules are done for you, how does is this help game designers , who would obstensibly be coming up with their own rules.

This book doesn't seem that useful to game designers except those who only play d20 and don't want to do much in their own game design. What's up with that??

 

[jester47]

FIve words:

Listen
Up
You
Primitive
Screwheads

One of, if not the best book on GMing ever written

but only because everything Jhon Four has done is spread over a bunch of articles and one book.

Aaron.

 

[Zander]

I'm not doubting John Four's talents, but the UGDC is credited to Matthew Sprange (of Mongoose), not John Four.