I still like the idea of giving the buyers more choice, but this would be more on the “buy on the spot” thing. I hate buying a book for 30€, when I only need a part of it. If they could split it into smaller and cheaper parts I could imagine even spending more money in the end. Instead of having an Martial Power book with content for four classes, having 4 seperate books for 10€ (not hardcover, softcover would be enough for me) would get me buying just for the class I need instead of skipping the book as it is to expensive.

The same could be true for monsters. Having smaller monster manuals for “kinds” of monsters (Undead, Dragon, Lizards, Gonblins, etc…) with lets say 64 pages softbinding for 10 Euros. I could see myself buying one each month for a new adventure.

@Jay No argument that my solution turns rpgs into commodities. That said, there is always a place for the fine craftsmanship of an artisan. Complete, single author RPGs will still exist, just in a much less common form.

@CC I disagree. Integration is nice, but I always thought I could do “better” than the author in certain areas. Now I can get exactly what I want without having to rewrite the entire game.

@Helmsman true enough. I hate buying all the fluff when all I need is character generation and some stats.

Part of the problem is that RPG’s are about storytelling. They require crafting and designing the individual parts to complement each other. I could see something like a “select the game system” sort of thing, with downloads customized to the system, but the level of customization you’re describing would preclude a lot of the design space you’d usually have open to you for RPG design, I think.

Still, I’d love to be proved wrong. It would be an interesting design exercise to try.

A great RPG isn’t just a set of game mechanics or setting fluff any more than a movie is just a script. For me, it’s also the presentation of all of the elements that really hooks me in and begs me to play a game. It’s the amazing art that was tailored to the specific game, the layout that makes the whole thing look good, and, above all, the passion that the creator had for his creation that brought the entire project together into a cohesive whole.

The Frankenstein’s monster that you are suggesting would likely be missing that last piece. Imagine going to the movie theater and having the theater giving you a list of options for the movie that you would like to see, then creating it on the spot based on your choices. Could this possibly be a great movie? Could it even be a good one?

I’m a fan of the internet age as much as the next guy, but there’s no reason to force it on to things that don’t need it.

Some years ago I participated in a wiki where we designed modular rpg systems (and had theory articles and whatnot). Unfortunately that project died due to the number of active participants being around four. The wiki files might still be intact somewhere, if you are interested in, say, taking on that particular project.

http://www.untoldthegame.com

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