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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BiggusGeekus" data-source="post: 2409568" data-attributes="member: 1014">This is hardly Dragons' fault.  TSR had to give up a lot because they neglected to secure all rights and some of their content providers pointed out that it left TSR in a very legally fragile position.Yes, gamers want more control over their own characters.  This is why I permit powergaming at my table when I DM.  If a guy spends two hours pouring over the rules to eek out an extra +1 to hit under some specific circumstances, I see no difference between that and a guy who spends two hours developing his character's backstory.  Both of them are putting time into their character.  I want to encourage that.  Call it "muchkinism" if you will, but I think players should be more involved in the game and you can't enforce roleplay, you can only encourage it.Yes it it more complex.  It is also more concrete.  I also played in 1e and 2e and there are fewer arguments about what can happen with what consquences.  I -- and feel free to disagree -- would prefer bizarre rules to rules that are made up and changed at the DMs whim.  It is not the DMs game.  It is everyone's game and everyone should know what rules they are playing by.  I also remember the old fights.  They were worse.  The figher and cleric would both charge in.  The cleric would whap innefectually with his mace while the fighter did all the real work.  Then, after the combat, the cleric would heal the figher up.  Now the heals happen in combat more often and if they don't happen there are greater consequences.I can not argue against any of that.  I would reccomend some computer tools to generate statblocks and encounter levels, but I admit it's harder under 3e.Yes.  It's pretty bad being a d20 writer.  But I find it ironic that he's compaining about large books.    I also note that he ignores the huge increase in the cost of paper that happened around 1995.  Publishers aren't exactly getting rich and consumers want a higher quality product.  Yet still we have these large books.  Back in 1990, books were thinner and there was less attention to game balance.  So if you discovered by 5th level that you had a gimped character who was never going to ammount to be more than a sidekick, you were stuck with that.I completely agree.  And I don't think a lot of d20 writers should settle for what they get.  I think they should branch out.  I know I can't even afford to pay someone 1 cent per word, which is why I don't reccomed that people work for me.There is a metric ton of stuff back in the 1980s that was perfect garbage.  And this is where Mr. Publisher and I deviate.  There were entire product lines that were complete trash.  And remember, there was no internet.  You had to typically go on the copy on the back of the book to determine if a product was any good.  Actually, you generally had to buy an entire box of crap.  I remember buying one RPG that had no character generation system.  The DM/GM/Referee decided what your abilities and skills were and if you disagreed you had to shut up and deal with it.  This was roleplaying back in 1985.  Yes. I recently exchanged emails with someone who I consider to be an exceptionally talented writer.  He said that he was unwilling to work for royalties because that depended on the publisher doing a good job promoting the product.  It cuts both ways.  I think Green Ronin does things the best.  They generally give you a flat fee and if you have outstanding sales you get a bonus.  I would do that, but then I can't afford to pay people 1 cent a word.Yes.  No. Irrelevant.  I'm sorry.Yes, RPGs are not a gold mine.  They're not a silver mine.  They're not a copper mine.  They're barely even a salt mine.  If you don't want to write for RPGs for economic reasons, I totally understand. No.  If a writer is only creative if he gets paid what he thinks he should then I don't want him working for me.  I don't know what magic dollar value in the writer's head is where he'll do the real quality work versus just producing a given word count.  A game rule should appear in a book because it's good, no other reason.  If a guy I'm hiring says "gee, I'd put this rule in but Mr. Geekus is a tightwad" then I don't want him working for me.  Either accept the terms and do your best or go to another field where they will almost certainly pay you better.Irrelevant. Writing for hire may or may not be a poor way to do buisness.  There are plenty of companies that do just fine with that.  Other companies fall on their face.  The terms of hire aren't the problem.  I have found some amazing writers on the internet who do incredible work for free.  The money isn't the issue.  Knowing what is a good product, knowing if a writer is up to it, being able to edit that work, and having a buisness model that can support the product all weigh a lot more heavily.And I'm sorry.  I'm sorry we lost you Mr. Publisher.  I'm sorry I can't afford you.  I'm sorry you looked at the 3e rules and decided they were too complex so you never appriciated what you can do with them.  I'm sorry you feel that powergamers don't have a place in RPGs.  You are quite a talent.  The industry could use you.  Happy gaming.edit: clarity</blockquote>

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