All Entries in the "rant" Category
Are Role-Playing Games Gambling and Therefore Potentially Addictive?
Gambling is the act of risking something of value on something an unknowable outcome. It is my sincere belief that all role-playing games, even the ones with no obvious random component (ie dice), involve players risking something of value on an unknowable outcome and, therefore, are gambling. Before I get angry comments about diceless or [...]
A Plea to Role-Playing Game Publishers: 4 Things All Games Need on the First Day of Publication
Role-playing games are my hobby of choice and I deeply respect anyone that manages to get one published. That said, I think many publishers overlook some critical game components when releasing new games. These are items that often make the difference between a game that gets played and one that sits on my shelf and [...]
Write the Damn Ending First!
Some say the journey is more important that the destination. I disagree. No matter the journey’s quality, the destination needs meaning, a reward for the long road travelled. This applies equally to novels, television shows and role-playing campaigns. That said, many writers tend to focus on the concept and the journey while ignoring the closing [...]
GM Misery Index: PC Abilities that Cause Headaches
As I GM I welcome the challenge of creating an entertaining, challenging campaign for my players. That said, there are some player abilities that make my GM Misery Index climb like Greece’s unemployment rate. For those that are not familiar with the “GM Misery Index” is the numerical measure of pain one must endure while [...]
Patronage Publishing: I Have Reservations
Patronage projects are the latest rage in game publishing, especially role-playing games. Publishers list a project with a monetary target and once fans’ pledges reach the target, project development begins. Sometimes big contributors receive added benefits, such as direct input into the product development or an upgraded product. Initially I thought patronage publishing a good [...]
Blog Failure–Purple Pawn Judges a Game by its Cover
Purple Pawn is one of my regular (and favorite) stops in the gaming blogosphere. It is one of the few gaming sites that does not pander to a given game system and actually focuses on the games and the game industry as a whole. However, the Pawn’s recent post regarding the “Pangenre” PDF release disappointed [...]
Lair of the Liche Lord from Fantasy Nations: True Gaming
Last week I wandered into my local game store and noticed a display of new games arrayed on a table. The games were notable for their packaging and production values: plastic bags and photocopied rule books. On impulse, I picked up “Lair of the Liche Lord” from Fantasy Nations. “Liche Lord” is a tabletop war [...]
Catalyst Game Labs Financial Issues as a Teachable Moment
Catalyst Game Labs announced today that a recent audit revealed some financial irregularities, specifically some missing funds. The Catalyst press release indicates one of the owners caused the issue and is working with the company to rectify the situation. This is certainly newsworthy and I will be asking Catalyst about the future of the company [...]
How Not to Contact a Blogger about a New Game Release–Advice for Game Publishers
First off, I want it known that I like to hear from companies releasing new products. The game publishers may be in a niche industry, but it is very broad niche. There are literally hundreds of companies and I cannot possible keep track of all of their releases and activities. I need companies to send [...]
