[WFRP] Hogshead Closes Doors

[Vrylakos]

I also have to say that I'm delighted that Nobilis now has a home at GOO, renowned as publishers of vaporware. That way we won't need to see any more turgid, overwritten and overhyped product.

Well, we'll still need to put up with the hype, I guess.

Re: GOO - What game scene are you living in? Silver Age Sentinels, the various fan guides like Hellsing, Lain, Trigun, Big Eyes Small Mouth...

Re: The Hype of Nobilis - Those who like Nobilis tend to really like it. Those who don't like it really don't. Sadly, the latter include plenty of people who've never read it so they could make an informed opinion.

I play Nobilis, I play D&D. It's games, people. GAMES... surely not enough to wish ill to anyone?

Vrylakos

 

[Thorin Stoutfoot]

Thorin makes his judgments on what's good, James makes a counterstatement but -GASP- ventures to stereotype Thorin based on his prior posts. Worth crucifying with the Jolly Rancher d20? No, in my opinion. Wick was far far worse in his thinly veiled contempt for d20. James shows no contempt, though perhaps gets caught up in his hyperbole and pride over the game...

Jeez, I've probably opened up a can of worms here.

Nicely taken out of context, whoever you are. Check out my reply at the bottom:
http://trio.rpg.net/rf08/read.php?f=461&i=36&t=1

Dear Mr. Wallis,

I write to you as a customer --- I have bought at least one of your products, so I can call myself that.

Did you see me write any comments about the contents of Nobilis? No. I don't own the product, and can't comment about what's inside.

I did, however, comment on the reviewer's praise of a game he has read for 2.5 hours and then gone on to state that everyone *needs*. To my mind, the only game you *need* is one that you will actually play. If I had to choose between a platonic ideal of a game, versus one that I can play with my gaming groups week after week, there is no doubt in my mind which game is "best." Games do not serve anyone's purpose sitting on the shelf, and to my mind, talking about reading the game as opposed to playing it will do Nobilis an injustice.

To date, of all the Nobilis reviews on rpg.net, not ONE has been a play-test review. NONE. I was commenting on the general tendency of RPG.net denizens to theorize and fantasize about the activity of gaming, as opposed to the actual sweaty, fun, and social activity of playing a game. It is something I don't quite understand (as a person who plays in 2 weekly games), and can't sympathize with.

I have no quarrel with R. Sean Borgstorm, for instance --- if you read my responses on her column, we have had a very polite exchange. She clearly has played her game, even if no one else on rpg.net has.

In any case, accusing me of lacking in imagination does nothing to promote Nobilis, or the style of role-playing you espouse. Why not tell us about a Nobilis session you have had that raised your expectation of the form of gaming you espouse? Then, perhaps, some of us philistines would be inspired to not just buy the game, or read the game, but to actually play it! Would that be such a bad thing? Or is the ideal of playing Nobilis something so far above gaming that actual play would spoil it?

And then check out James Wallis's response. Unlike you, I won't take him out of context. I'll let readers read the exchange and form their opnions by following the thread.

Like I said, my interactions with other RPG writers, authors, producers and editors have been more pleasant, by a factor of about 100. I don't have a beef with the game or with its author (with whom I've had pleasant exchanges), but James Wallis...

You draw your own conclusions.

 

[Ebeneezer]

Please, examples to back up your claim. Facts are always nice when slinging insults, after all.

Where's Tri-Stat Tekumel?

 

[Squirrel Nutkin]

Where's Tri-Stat Tekumel?

So just because one product is currently MIA, GoO is now "renowned as publishers of vaporware"?

Following this logic, I think every RPG company out there would be renowned as publishers of vaporware.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I don't work with companies that cop attitudes about D&D. That's symptom #1 of cluelessness, incompetence, and eventual ruin.

James Wallis on RPG.net
You probably would find Nobilis unplayable. That's why I'd prefer you to save your money for d20 products or whatever floats your boat.

Nobilis is for people who want to explore big ideas and themes, who believe that role-play can be much more than cathartic dungeon-bashing, who want to push this medium as hard and as far as it'll go. At a guess, I'd say most of those people use capital letters and apostrophes.

Stick to what you know. Nobilis isn't for you.

That's some serious attitude!

So... err... I suppose I'll stand by my original post.


Wulf

 

[Vrylakos]

Nicely taken out of context, whoever you are. Check out my reply at the bottom:
http://trio.rpg.net/rf08/read.php?f=461&i=36&t=1

That's the reason I supplied the links in the first place: so people could read all the thread if they wanted to. I merely posted the highlights, the source of a lot of flak that followed it. As for 'whoever I am', well "Thorin", I'm "Vrylakos".

And then check out James Wallis's response. Unlike you, I won't take him out of context. I'll let readers read the exchange and form their opnions by following the thread.

Did you notice me posting the urls for a few of the thread-heavy reviews? Did I *not* allow people to read the exchange? I suppose I could have been more specific on the thread (heck, I'll update my original post).

Like I said, my interactions with other RPG writers, authors, producers and editors have been more pleasant, by a factor of about 100. I don't have a beef with the game or with its author (with whom I've had pleasant exchanges), but James Wallis...

Were you questioning the worth of their products right after the release of a new game they had high hopes for?

You draw your own conclusions.

Did, thanks, and I invite others to do the same. I'm sorry you had this bad experience, and I think Wallis was out of line. However, I do sort of see why he said what he did, and can understand his circumstances. My bias: I play Nobilis, as well as D&D.

Vrylakos

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Based on reading that exchange on RPG.net I'd have to say that Thorin is right, Mr Wallis acts like a holier than thou a**hole whose game is above d20 players and those who don't see the merit must be lowbrow morons who can't grasp such heady concepts. Reminds me of talking to Vampire: The Pretention fans at the FLGS.

 

[whisper_jeff]

Where's Tri-Stat Tekumel?

The manuscript is in the hands of the line developer going through one final round of editing on his end and is soon going to be in editing in-house followed by layout. I won't estimate a release date because I refuse to do that until manuscripts are in hand (to avoid this exact problem of people getting all bent out of shape due to publishing delays) but suffice it to say that the book is coming soon.

Sorry, we were unable to force the writer/line-developer to give up his law practice that pays his bills to deliver the book to you lickitty-split, but the book is not vapourware - it's late. There is a difference.

Are there other examples of our "renowned" status as a publisher of vapourware or was it just that one late product?

 

[Mytholder]

Hogshead's business motto is...bah, was, "Life is too short to do business with idiots". James can be a bit snappy and abrasive online, and he rarely pulls his punches.

As for him and d20 - I know he slated a few d20 products for being crap, and he has no interest in hack and slash dungeon crawling. He wants the industry to move beyond what it started with.

An earlier interview here might be of interest.

Eh. Castigate or praise him, as you see fit.

Gar
Nobilis and d20 freelancer.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

To everyone trash-talking James and the rest of Hogshead, may your game collection burst into flames.

Well, if you carefully read what I posted, I, for one, wasn't trash-talking; I was asking legitimate questions and commenting on what I perceived to be another in a long line of game makers putting down d20 and its audience. If my perecption was incorrect in this case, I stand corrected. I still think that the loss of Warhammer from in-print games, even if temporary, is a blow to gaming, and I still think it's legitimate to ask why this has happened, and if the advent of d20 is or is not responsible, even in part.