Which RPG designers don't play RPGs? Are they evil?

[eryndel]

Not that I'm a Monte Cook or even a Kevin Siembieda, but I've been playing this hobby since I was quite young and am already indoctrinating my own spawn. Fortunately, all the wonderful writers and designers I've worked with also run pretty regular games.

If this is a problem in the industry, I haven't seen it.

 

[Ottergame]

BLACK LIST
------------------------------
Kevin Siembieda

Pft, I stopped playing Palladium years ago. Hated Rifts the first time I played it, the only thing I played for more than a couple sessions was TMNT. Liked it, but the skills system in Palladium is just a joke.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

I have certainly seen enough products where I assumed the writers must have never played a game in their lives.

 

[philreed]

Kevin Siembieda of Palladium Books no longer games. And it shows when you look at the mess that is the Palladium rules system. Palladium badly needs a rules overhaul. And a d20 version of Rifts!

I'm not sure where you got your information but this isn't true. Kevin and I have had talks about his games -- in person and on the phone -- and he sounds more like an excited gamer when talking about his games than any other designer I've met.

 

[Buttercup]

I know of at least one writer who produces adventures for a major d20 publisher, but loathes d20. He plays an earlier edition of DnD. His material is "translated" into 3.5 by editors.

Would you be talking about E. Gary Gygax?

 

[Akrasia]

Would you be talking about E. Gary Gygax?

Oh right!

I know of at least TWO writers who produce adventures for a major d20 publisher, but loathe d20 ...

 

[Thanee]

Are these people evil?

They are most certainly neutral from the D&D alignment perspective.

I cannot imagine a game designer, that doesn't play the game in one way or another. Simply not possible.

Bye
Thanee

 

[diaglo]

the guys who came with the 2edADnD line on up.

 

[Umbran]

Are these people evil?

I'll chime in the perhaps unpopular opinion that these people are not evil. I'd go for "shortsighted" and "disconnected from the source of their income", but not evil.

In the end, what matters is the product. What the authors and designers do in their own time for their own amusement is none of our concern.

BLACK LIST
------------------------------
Kevin Siembieda

Okay, maybe I'm taking this too seriously, but still. Please, let's stop that nonsense right now.

Basing a condemnation (even half-jokingly) upon third party information is... well, it's rude and rumormongering. Even on the first shot, you've already seem to have gotten it wrong. It's a bad policy, so please don't encourage it.

 

[Buttercup]

I agree with Umbran. The "Blacklist" idea is taking it a bit far, especially if you get it wrong.

And no, they're not evil. But I do have to wonder, given that writing RPG material isn't all that good of a living, why someone would do it if they don't like the hobby? Not liking the specific system one is writing for is bad enough.