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Serf posted:It's a shame that PA has gone to poo poo recently because they are still doing D&D games once a year at PAX and using 5E but I won't touch any of that with a ten-foot-pole anymore. As I understand the general quality of their D&D games has fallen downhill as well.
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Mar 19, 2015 21:33
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Serf posted:It's a shame that PA has gone to poo poo recently because they are still doing D&D games once a year at PAX and using 5E but I won't touch any of that with a ten-foot-pole anymore. I think it's interesting to point out too that WotC has no D&D presence at PAX since 5e was announced. I was running 4e for them at PAX East a few years back, and there were maybe 100 tables filling up constantly. Last year, for 5e, it was handled by a different company and was shoved into a back corner of the tabletop area. They had like five tables and no games scheduled after 6pm. Games on Demand, for comparison, had six tables and we had games going from 10am to midnight all weekend. I know Pathfinder had a larger presence than D&D last year and this year.
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Mar 19, 2015 21:40
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Evil Mastermind posted:I think it's interesting to point out too that WotC has no D&D presence at PAX since 5e was announced. I can't speculate on their motivations, but maybe it's because they tried to revitalize the game with 4E, and then eventually caved to the requests of the old guard and now no longer want to be seen as repeating 4E in any way, shape or form? I mean I came into the hobby with 4E and I dunno how it was for the launch of 3E but it seemed huge when 4E came out. Between the PA podcast and the pretty prominent displays it got in my local comic shop and places like Waldenbooks/Barnes and Noble it felt like they were pushing D&D hard. You could go to a bookstore/gaming store and pick up any of the books and those nice starter sets at any time. If I got a wild hair up my rear end and wanted to buy 5E there's like one copy at the comic shop and none at the other bookstore in town. It feels like they're not even trying anymore, and maybe part of that is they're no longer looking to pick up new players and know that the portion of their fanbase they're appealing to will pick the game up regardless of any marketing? Also it sucks remembering the 4E launch because it so quickly went from "this looks cool" to "this sucks and is bad and if you like it you're a terrible person" around here. I remember dudes loudly and vehemently trashing 4E in the comic shop and the owner marking it all down 50% to "get rid of it and make more room for Pathfinder" which worked out well for me because I picked up a bunch of 4E books/minis on the cheap but was kinda depressing to watch. Funny thing is he still has a whole shelf of 4E stuff and I sometimes pick up something because it gets him going on a huge rant.
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Mar 19, 2015 21:50
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Blades is literally everything I like in elfgames, but for some reason I can't pinpoint I just fail to be excited about it. Perhaps it reminds me about Project Dark and makes me feel like a space citizen for backing it. A space citizen eating a doobie dog.
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Mar 19, 2015 21:51
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Two things I love about Blades: You heal by indulging in your vices. The combat action is specifically called "murder".
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Mar 19, 2015 21:55
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I'm a little wary of just how much money + stretches Blades is bringing in, and while his honesty is great I'm not a fan of "half done" books on Kickstarter. Still,
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Mar 19, 2015 21:57
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Thing is, John Harper already has some games out that you can download for free and see "does this guy seem like the sort of person I want to back/a total flake y/n?" That's a big factor for me in determining that it's worth an impulse back because he's not just some complete unknown who all at once showed up with this REVOLUTIONARY NEW IDEA FOR ALL YOUR RPG NEEDS after clearing out his 401K. I'm a little leery of the whole "runaway stretch goal" thing too, but honestly at this point even if only the main game itself ever sees the light of day I'd be fine with that (I mean I want the stretch goals too, but I backed because the game itself seemed cool, not some hypothetical hack down the line).
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Mar 19, 2015 22:20
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Serf posted:I can't speculate on their motivations, but maybe it's because they tried to revitalize the game with 4E, and then eventually caved to the requests of the old guard and now no longer want to be seen as repeating 4E in any way, shape or form?  If WotC wanted to truly distance themselves from the apocalyptic 4ailure that is 4e then they should give out all 5e material for free, because as we all know, 4e was made to make money.
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Mar 19, 2015 22:26
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Kai Tave posted:Something to note is that John Harper clarified that if you back at the Tinkerer level I think it's called (the all digital tier that gives you access to the source files) that you'll also receive the Kickstarter exclusive stuff that comes with the hardback tier as well, so if a physical copy isn't 100% necessary for you that might be a more affordable option that doesn't cause you to lose out on anything. Yeah, but I like what I've seen enough to want a hardback. I've missed out on getting print stuff for a couple of games I ended up really liking and I don't want that to be the case this time. I kind of wish I could justify going up to $100 to get the source files, but that's a bit silly.
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Mar 19, 2015 22:26
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Lichtenstein posted:Blades is literally everything I like in elfgames, but for some reason I can't pinpoint I just fail to be excited about it. Perhaps it reminds me about Project Dark and makes me feel like a space citizen for backing it. Looks like it's Nightfall on your KS expenditures then
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Mar 19, 2015 22:41
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Evil Mastermind posted:Two things I love about Blades:  .  Guess it's no bars for me from now on for a few weeks, considering how much crap I've spent money on lately.
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Mar 19, 2015 22:59
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Yeah, if it wasn't John Harper, I wouldn't back a game in such an unfinished state. But I think I'll go in for $20 based on his past work. I have confidence he'll make something cool.
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Mar 19, 2015 23:43
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It's not really unfinished, though. The game system is written, the only thing still in writing is the setting guide.
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Mar 19, 2015 23:55
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Previous work usually doesn't count a lot for me on Kickstarter, because delivery is always volatile. I mean, if he was a complete unknown, I wouldn't back at all, but that's why I'm wary instead of mocking.
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Mar 20, 2015 02:27
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Serf posted:I can't speculate on their motivations, but maybe it's because they tried to revitalize the game with 4E, and then eventually caved to the requests of the old guard and now no longer want to be seen as repeating 4E in any way, shape or form? I mean I came into the hobby with 4E and I dunno how it was for the launch of 3E but it seemed huge when 4E came out. Between the PA podcast and the pretty prominent displays it got in my local comic shop and places like Waldenbooks/Barnes and Noble it felt like they were pushing D&D hard. You could go to a bookstore/gaming store and pick up any of the books and those nice starter sets at any time. If I got a wild hair up my rear end and wanted to buy 5E there's like one copy at the comic shop and none at the other bookstore in town. It feels like they're not even trying anymore, and maybe part of that is they're no longer looking to pick up new players and know that the portion of their fanbase they're appealing to will pick the game up regardless of any marketing? Yealling at customs for buying your product is bad business. A good way to NOT get repeat customers.
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Mar 20, 2015 03:17
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I wish 4th ed being released hadn't coincided with a sharp decrease in quality of the prepainted minis. By the time they recovered in quality no one was playing the skirmish game anymore.
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Mar 20, 2015 03:37
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Covok posted:Yealling at customs for buying your product is bad business. A good way to NOT get repeat customers. Yeah, if you yell at customs enough they'll just seize your product and maybe arrest you. Never yell at customs.
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Mar 20, 2015 04:38
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Mormon Star Wars posted:Yeah, if you yell at customs enough they'll just seize your product and maybe arrest you. Never yell at customs. What? I just meant it's a good way to get people to not come back. Repeat business is vital to the long term success of a business. Edit: Also, for reference, he is yelling at customers for buying an edition he dislikes. Covok fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Mar 20, 2015 |
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Mar 20, 2015 04:46
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Covok posted:What? I just meant it's a good way to get people to not come back. Repeat business is vital to the long term success of a business. 
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Mar 20, 2015 04:52
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MadScientistWorking posted:You spelled customer wrong... Now I feel dumb. Really dumb.
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Mar 20, 2015 04:53
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It's okay, Covok. I still like you.
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Mar 20, 2015 05:17
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Evil Mastermind posted:It's okay, Covok. I still like you. Aw, thank you. I still like you, too.
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Mar 20, 2015 05:25
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That makes two each!
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Mar 20, 2015 06:23
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Covok posted:Yealling at customs for buying your product is bad business. A good way to NOT get repeat customers. People used to tell me they didn't go to that comic shop because the atmosphere was really lovely and I never knew what they meant until I started buying 4E stuff there. Like every time I'd buy a book he'd try and sell me on Pathfinder of 3.5 instead, roll his eyes when I insisted, and even get his regular customers in on it. After my group had basically all the 4E stuff we wanted, I stopped going there for like 2 years even for comics and Magic cards. The owner now has other people running the store, and they're much more laid-back so I've started going again. I had a fantastic time running 4E for my friends, but starting there was like taking a swan dive directly into the toxicity of the hobby from the get-go.
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Mar 20, 2015 10:38
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My club is planing on two things that I'm wondering if anyone can help me with. 1) They want to run Tomb of Horrors like a tournament. I know that D&D tournaments were a thing in the past. Does anyone know how that works? 2) They want to make a list of Free RPGs to share with members. I know of a few -- D20, PF, FATE, Eclipse Phase, Risus, 13th Age, etc. --, but does anyone know of a good, comprehensive list of Free RPGs? Serf posted:People used to tell me they didn't go to that comic shop because the atmosphere was really lovely and I never knew what they meant until I started buying 4E stuff there. Like every time I'd buy a book he'd try and sell me on Pathfinder of 3.5 instead, roll his eyes when I insisted, and even get his regular customers in on it. After my group had basically all the 4E stuff we wanted, I stopped going there for like 2 years even for comics and Magic cards. The owner now has other people running the store, and they're much more laid-back so I've started going again. Well, it's good you got past Groggy McNeckbeard storeclerk and had fun. The hobby needs more people who are willing to try new things and not be obnoxious and awful.
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Mar 20, 2015 17:36
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A list of free RPGs? Check the OP http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3534648&perpage=40 Dr. Lunchables fucked around with this message at 17:50 on Mar 20, 2015 |
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Mar 20, 2015 17:48
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Comprehensive list, no, but you can generally find a bunch of free RPGs or freely available WIPs on people's websites or blogs. John Harper, for example, has released a bunch of stuff for free on his site. There's also Graham Walmsley (really only Cthulhu Dark, though), John Walton's blog, some stuff you can find on evilhat's website (at least an alpha doc of their unreleased game Schizonauts). Then there are the Game Chef sites, 24hr rpg design competition and 1km1kt, but the quality and playability is a lot more variable because anyone can enter the competitions and anyone can put stuff up on 1km1kt. EDIT: or use the power of gunes.
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Mar 20, 2015 17:50
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Covok posted:My club is planing on two things that I'm wondering if anyone can help me with. I do! You play as normal, add up all GP and XP at the end (including the GP value of any found magical items), subtract the XP of any character who died, and that's your score. You're also going to be giving the prize to the team that cheats and reads the adventure, otherwise flip a coin, because Tomb of Horrors sucks poo poo and is stupid as hell! Megaman's Jockstrap fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Mar 20, 2015 |
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Mar 20, 2015 18:06
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Almost all of John Harper's RPGs on his website are free. Except the Greek Heroes one.
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Mar 20, 2015 18:06
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You may also enjoy Violence and Freebase.
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Mar 20, 2015 18:15
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Megaman's Jockstrap posted:I do! You play as normal, add up all GP and XP at the end (including the GP value of any found magical items), subtract the XP of any character who died, and that's your score. Thanks for the advice. Considering that the event itself is not super well publicized -- the festival it is a part of is --, there are few people in the club who even play D&D, and the guys who do don't want to play out a sense of fairness: we should be good. Probably not. It depends. It is what it is at this point, they are gung-ho on it. Probably because most of the e-board has never run/played D&D before and, those who have, have never done an edition before or after 3rd. Edit: Why subtract the XP of people who died? Doesn't that punish you for making it far in then dying? Lord Frisk posted:A list of free RPGs? UnCO3 posted:Comprehensive list, no, but you can generally find a bunch of free RPGs or freely available WIPs on people's websites or blogs. John Harper, for example, has released a bunch of stuff for free on his site. There's also Graham Walmsley (really only Cthulhu Dark, though), John Walton's blog, some stuff you can find on evilhat's website (at least an alpha doc of their unreleased game Schizonauts). Then there are the Game Chef sites, 24hr rpg design competition and 1km1kt, but the quality and playability is a lot more variable because anyone can enter the competitions and anyone can put stuff up on 1km1kt. Galaga Galaxian posted:Almost all of John Harper's RPGs on his website are free. Except the Greek Heroes one. UnCO3 posted:You may also enjoy Violence and Freebase. Thanks everyone. I will use these to get a good document going. You were a big help. Covok fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Mar 20, 2015 |
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Mar 20, 2015 19:19
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Covok posted:Thanks for the advice. Considering that the event itself is not super well publicized -- the festival it is a part of is --, there are few people in the club who even play D&D, and the guys who do don't want to play out a sense of fairness: we should be good. Probably not. It depends. It is what it is at this point, they are gung-ho on it. Probably because most of the e-board has never run/played D&D before and, those who have, have never done an edition before or after 3rd. I'm just quoting the rules that were quoted to me in the early 90s. I think the point is: don't die and don't throw away characters to advance. If you simply must do an Old School Tournament Play would you consider Against the Giants instead of Tomb of Horrors? Admittedly it's pretty monochromatic in encounter design (first you encounter mostly Hill Giants, then Frost Giants, then Fire Giants) but it was designed for tournament play and comes with pregenned characters oh and also it's not a stupid overrated piece of poo poo. It's a genuinely classic dungeon crawl that introduces the Drow (first appearance ever in these adventures which is pretty cool IMO) and I highly, highly recommend it if you're going for Old School Glory.
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Mar 20, 2015 19:33
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That's a good idea - Against the Giants is a cool adventure, less well-known, and full of interesting ways to die that are considerably less arbitrary than Tomb of Horrors. (Fewer of them are 'squashed by giants' than you might think, too.)
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Mar 20, 2015 20:24
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Yea if you want "old D&D hard" Against The Giants is way better because at the very least when you're bullshit killed because you rolled one dice bad, you see how in the hosed up D&D logic of the world it happened. There's almost no 'you failed to tap the door three times and say the word fartknocker in Elf talk, you turn to ash' poo poo.
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Mar 20, 2015 20:43
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Tomb of Horrors is one of those grog touchstones where a bunch of old shits tell you how hardcore they were to survive it and then you go look at the actual module and start laughing a lot and saying "No, no way, no one could survive this. This is garbage poo poo for idiots." If anyone tells you they survived Tomb of Horrors cold (i.e. never hearing anything about it beforehand beyond "it's hard", never reading it) they are...how to put this? Lying their asses off.
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Mar 20, 2015 20:53
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Megaman's Jockstrap posted:Tomb of Horrors is one of those grog touchstones where a bunch of old shits tell you how hardcore they were to survive it and then you go look at the actual module and start laughing a lot and saying "No, no way, no one could survive this. This is garbage poo poo for idiots." If you don't... well, yeah, you're hosed.
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Mar 20, 2015 21:15
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How does the list look so far? Any big ones I'm missing? I know I didn't get all of them, but there are a lot! As for Tomb of Horrors, they seem pretty set in having it be the Tomb of Horrors. Probably because of name power. I agree that is pretty B.S. and I will talk to them about it, but, for now, I'm going to act as if we're staying the course. I think you, though, for bringing up this alternative. Also, what edition is best for either of those adventures? Edit: Also, can I legally link Marvel FAESRIP? Covok fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Mar 20, 2015 |
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Mar 20, 2015 21:43
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The adventures are both made for original Advanced Dungeons and Dragons by E. Gary Gygax, so that's what you have to run them in.
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Mar 20, 2015 21:47
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Megaman's Jockstrap posted:The adventures are both made for original Advanced Dungeons and Dragons by E. Gary Gygax, so that's what you have to run them in. Got ya. So, either way, they expect me to learn that in a week. Heard that's one hell of a nightmare. Why did I agree to this?
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Mar 20, 2015 21:47
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Covok posted:Got ya. So, either way, they expect me to learn that in a week. Heard that's one hell of a nightmare. Why did I agree to this? Because somebody in your club got the idea in their head from somewhere that old school Dungeons and Dragoning is a cool fun experience that you're going to have a blast with. And I hope you do! Good luck.
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Mar 20, 2015 21:53
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