Newt Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 "evil competition"TM.Ooooh I'd love to be the Evil Competition TM I could get up to all sorts of wacky hi-jinks and all sorts of unmentionable liquids could be deposited in Jeff Richard's sacred coffee at Continuum Really guys you need to get over the idea that us D100 publishers (even accidental ones like me) conspire against each other. In fact behind the scenes there's a fairly regular flow of friendly emails and cooperation. Oh and we hang out at the same cons and like TALK to each other 4 Quote Head Honcho of D101 GamesPublisher of Crypts and Things/Monkey/OpenQuest/River of HeavenThe Sorcerer Under the Mountain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDLeary Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I like the new Header, but would like to make one suggestion.It has Stormbringer on it, which is not currently offered by Chaosium. I would like to suggest that item be changed to Magic World, which is a current Chaosium title, offered in PDF like Superworld is. SDLeary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjbowser Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 It would be beneficial if the header graphic of the site mentioned that it was the "official Chaosium forums" or whathaveyou. That way, casual visitors will know where they are.And maybe a link from the menu on Chaosium.com... Quote Various RPGs I've worked on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baulderstone Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Really guys you need to get over the idea that us D100 publishers (even accidental ones like me) conspire against each other. In fact behind the scenes there's a fairly regular flow of friendly emails and cooperation. Oh and we hang out at the same cons and like TALK to each other Yeah, yeah. I know a "keep your enemies closer" strategy when I see one. You aren't fooling anyone. It is true that the animosity between game fans seems to completely disappear at the designer/company level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsanford Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Lets play nice with our new friends. Yes, BRPcentral is home for a vast network of systems based loosly or strongly on the backbone of BRP. There are some systems here barely related at all. And yes, Steve, it does feel invasive, especially after all the recent changes. BUT hopefully the veterans here will recognize having new faces, perspectives, possible writers, and stimulating conversations is a fine step forward. Things will need tweaked/added/possibly removed and that is what Rick seems to be asking advice for. I for one welcome you and your fellow Gloranthians. If for nothing else than to introduce you to the sweet gooey goodness that is Magic World. I agree with Chris. I have been to the previous Glorantha forums and in terms of people being polite and supportive it was similar to BRP Central. Welcome aboard! 1 Quote Check out our homebrew rules for freeform magic in BRP -> No reason for Ars Magica players to have all the fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOB Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 It would be beneficial if the header graphic of the site mentioned that it was the "official Chaosium forums" or whathaveyou. That way, casual visitors will know where they are.And maybe a link from the menu on Chaosium.com...You'll note there's a new BRP Central - Chaosium header here, and a link to Chaosium.com. And now there's a link to BRP Central in the menu over at Chaosium.com too.Many thanks everyone for your helpful feedback and support as we make this transition! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nDervish Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 If you preferred us to say, "BRP Central is where Chaosium says lots of cool stuff more often than in other forums", instead of "BRP Central (basicroleplaying.org) is the new official online forum for Chaosium" that wouldn't be an issue. The word "Official" wasn't used to mean we intend to enforce rules, limit discussions, or drive away "evil competition"TM.I think that would at least be more clear. My initial impression of the announcement was essentially that Chaosium had decided to focus their efforts on this forum, but that the forum itself would remain essentially unchanged - the same old "BRP Central", not the all-new "Chaosium's BRP Central", if you will. The existence of this thread made me wonder if I'd misunderstood, though, since it could be read (although I now see that this was not your intent) as something of a "now that Chaosium's in charge, what should we change?"Unfortunately, I don't have the marketing chops to come up with a suggestion for how to phrase it that I'm entirely happy with, but I think it would avoid confusion to frame it as something like "official Chaosium support and community interaction will be provided via BRP Central" rather than "BRP Central is the official Chaosium site", since, in most cases, "the official Company X site" is a site run entirely by Company X. It has Stormbringer on it, which is not currently offered by Chaosium.The header also includes RQ6, which is not currently offered by Chaosium either. In fact, the pictured RQ6 cover has TDM's logo visible in the lower right corner.Perhaps it's still meant to be a BRP Central banner, not a Chaosium-and-only-Chaosium banner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 The header also includes RQ6, which is not currently offered by Chaosium either. In fact, the pictured RQ6 cover has TDM's logo visible in the lower right corner.RQ6 is officially licenced to TDM by Chaosium though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 In addition to the above, my guess that Stormbringer is featured in the banner pic because it does have its own sub-forum here under "More from Chaosium". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trifletraxor Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I think that would at least be more clear. My initial impression of the announcement was essentially that Chaosium had decided to focus their efforts on this forum, but that the forum itself would remain essentially unchanged - the same old "BRP Central", not the all-new "Chaosium's BRP Central", if you will. The existence of this thread made me wonder if I'd misunderstood, though, since it could be read (although I now see that this was not your intent) as something of a "now that Chaosium's in charge, what should we change?"The forums started changing after Chaosium's decision to move in and will probably continue to be in a transitional period for quite some time. Chaosium now have much more place on the site with the Chaosium family of games and Chaosium staff is also moderators here now, but are not excluding discussions about related games from other publishers. We'll work to have the forums work as well as it can for the entire tribe, which now have grown to include HeroQuesters, more Gloranthaphiles and more Cthulhu cultists, as an addition to the old d100 crowd. Quote Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub! 116/420. High Priest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiorgan Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 <obscure joke mode> Let's rename this forum Gleemax! </obscure joke mode>Certainly this forum is changing. It won't be the "old good BRP Central" anymore. It will become something else and I'm very curious to see what it becomes exactly. I'm an old Chaosium fan and Glorantha fan (I cannot boast being a Gloranthan scholar, though) and so I look forward to interesting times. I'm rooting for Chaosium.I have two suggestions for Chaosium concerning these forums:1) Hold periodical Q&A sessions. Create a forum devoted to that. I'd love to see a mix of topical sessions (on BRP Essentials, the RQ, 13A in Glorantha, the boardgames lines, ...you name it) and "Ask me anything" sessions with specific people (possibly including Chaosium "heroes" like Greg and Sandy).2) Be very clear on what you really want from these forums. To me there are only two meaningful options: either this is Chaosium's corporate forum or this is an independent forum that Chaosium elected as its vehicle for discussion. I'd be happy with either. But, "something in between" does not work. BRP Central has always been a happily anarchic place. Think hard whether you REALLY want it remain like that. It would be unfortunate to be very open now and then regret it and enforce more moderation afterward. Also, gradual, stealthy changes are not well perceived. Make a plan, announce it loudly and implement it. There will be some people who don't like it. But they will like even less if you leave room for ambiguity. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 1) Hold periodical Q&A sessions. Create a forum devoted to that. I'd love to see a mix of topical sessions (on BRP Essentials, the RQ, 13A in Glorantha, the boardgames lines, ...you name it) and "Ask me anything" sessions with specific people (possibly including Chaosium "heroes" like Greg and Sandy). Q&As would be a great idea. Presumably Chaosium would like to attract even more people to this forum, and this would be a great way of doing it. The better the content there is on the forum, the better the chances of attracting people and making them stick around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vile Traveller Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Given that better communication was the stated goal some Q&A threads would be de rigeur. There are a lot on the Dragonsfoot forums and they are very popular and effective. There's even a Greg Q&A on the Acaeum, of all places. They could be either directed at specific Chaosium staff or specific Chaosium lines.Of course, that means you need to commit to answer reasonably regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nDervish Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 2) Be very clear on what you really want from these forums. To me there are only two meaningful options: either this is Chaosium's corporate forum or this is an independent forum that Chaosium elected as its vehicle for discussion. I'd be happy with either. But, "something in between" does not work. BRP Central has always been a happily anarchic place. Think hard whether you REALLY want it remain like that. It would be unfortunate to be very open now and then regret it and enforce more moderation afterward. Also, gradual, stealthy changes are not well perceived. Make a plan, announce it loudly and implement it. There will be some people who don't like it. But they will like even less if you leave room for ambiguity. Seconded and heartily emphasized, although I'd also like to suggest the converse:Think hard whether you REALLY want to rein things in. Granted, I'm a relative newcomer here, having just signed up last spring, but I like the happy anarchy; I don't give a damn one way or the other about Chaosium; and the more I learn about Glorantha, the less I like it. If this site turns into "Chaosium and Glorantha über alles!", there's a good chance I'll be out of here, and I doubt I'll be the only one. And I'll be leaving with a very bad taste in my mouth after a couple rounds of "Generic RQ6? No, no, no... it needs to be married to Glorantha! Generic BRP Central? No, no, no... it needs to be The Chaosium Forums!"BRP has attracted fans well outside the circles of Gloranthaphiles and the Cult of Chaosium. Be careful in your attempts to bring BRP-related products back into the fold, lest you drive us out in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonewt Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 (edited) Certainly this forum is changing. It won't be the "old good BRP Central" anymore. It will become something else and I'm very curious to see what it becomes exactly. I'm an old Chaosium fan and Glorantha fan (I cannot boast being a Gloranthan scholar, though) and so I look forward to interesting times. I'm rooting for Chaosium.Remember that before now the forums here worked reasonably well. While the original team are being very welcoming, it would be rude to remove what they originally came here for (as well as other side-effects).1) Hold periodical Q&A sessions. Create a forum devoted to that. I'd love to see a mix of topical sessions (on BRP Essentials, the RQ, 13A in Glorantha, the boardgames lines, ...you name it) and "Ask me anything" sessions with specific people (possibly including Chaosium "heroes" like Greg and Sandy).It would also be a good and consistent move to include other D100 authors in Q&A sessions as well. For example systems such as OpenQuest and Revolution, and source material such as Merrie England and Delta Green.2) Be very clear on what you really want from these forums. To me there are only two meaningful options: either this is Chaosium's corporate forum or this is an independent forum that Chaosium elected as its vehicle for discussion. I'd be happy with either. But, "something in between" does not work. BRP Central has always been a happily anarchic place. Think hard whether you REALLY want it remain like that. It would be unfortunate to be very open now and then regret it and enforce more moderation afterward. Also, gradual, stealthy changes are not well perceived. Make a plan, announce it loudly and implement it. There will be some people who don't like it. But they will like even less if you leave room for ambiguity. If this is to be Chaosium's corporate forum (as opposed to independent), well, it would have probably been a better move to have Triff spin up a second instance of the Forum software and database, and point the corporate forum domain name at that (rather than undermining and losing a lot of good will).However, from what has been communicated over the last several days in these forums, IMHO, it seems that these forums will be independent, with a focus of supporting Chaosium (together in harmony the rest of the BRP/D100 family) with Chaosium using them as a formal communication medium. Even so, the Chaosium link in the forum toolbar seems a bit one sided. Edited October 23, 2015 by dragonewt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiorgan Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Ah.. another suggestion. You could add a Pendragon forum. I've always thought of Pendragon as a BRP half-brother and as the missing link between BRP and Hero Quest. Do you remember PenDragon Pass?I know that Pendragon is currently published by Nocturnal, but it's definitely part of the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooley1chris Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 It would also be a good and consistent move to include other D100 authors in Q&A sessions as well. For example systems such as OpenQuest and Revolution, and source material such as Merrie England and Delta Green.The authors to these works are active members on these forums and always answering questions about their fine products. My point of a private thread for Chaosium was to add a bit of obligation to them since they'll have "a stronger presence" here now. Quote Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507 My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I think there is a slight "conflict of interest" issue in this otherwise extremely useful thread.The original question by Rick Meints is correctly phrased as a "Please help Chaosium make this forum work better as its own means of communication". However, many people are replying as though the question was "How to make this forum more useful to users". The two things are not the same, although achieving the former undoubtedly facilitates the latter.The consequence is that we are slowly and subtly thread-jacking a discussion which Rick and MOB are actively following, turning it into a more general debate about the forum, including the non-Chaosium sections.Now, I would happily add one consideration or two, but since these are not strictly Chaosium-related [I am a member of the Evil Competition(TM), after all], I do not wish to contribute to the thread-jacking. Normally, I would open a split thread, but I think that a discussion about "the forum as a whole" is better not open by the owner of one sub-section. Sverre, if you agree with my distinction between "Give feedback about the forum as a whole" and "Give feedback about how you want Chaosium to use the forum", would you open an "official" feedback thread about the whole forum? 1 Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soltakss Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Lets play nice with our new friends.I thought they were old friends ... 2 Quote Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. www.soltakss.com/index.html Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonewt Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 (edited) I think there is a slight "conflict of interest" issue in this otherwise extremely useful thread.If blindly helping Chaosium undermines what is already at BRP Central, then that effectively undermines the potential for a collaborative environment with the "old" and the "new" coexisting and supporting each other. It would be optimal to maintain a consistent broader support, which in theory will ultimately support Chaosium. Therefore, ensuring that there is fair representation for all parties and products (as originally supported by BRP Central, adding more Chaosium) will help Chaosium. I don't think that there is anything to fear, however the tendency to only focus on supporting and making changes that only consider Chaosium creates a discrepancy and could be misinterpreted as an invasive bias.All content and vendors need to be treated equally, otherwise this site risks becoming a purely Chaosium site at the cost of removing what the site originally was (not adding to it) and the impact to those who used it for what it was. Note that the title of this thread says "website", not the Chaosium specific forum or sub-forums.Alienate the users and you have a lesser site, fewer to promote Chaosium and fewer to spend money in Chaosium's direction. Which is not in Chaosium's favour.Many people want to work alongside with, and support, Chaosium to ensure that it has a healthy an respected future. Just be mindful to not trample the little guys, which while might not be intended, can be the result of unchecked enthusiasm. Edited October 23, 2015 by dragonewt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baragei Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 BRP Central has been preaching the Chaosium-psalms since the beginning, and it has done it in its own (and very amicable and productive) way. I don't think giving the official Chaosium-crew admin-rights in subforums is going to change that. I, for one, warmly welcome their presence. It is long overdue.Nor do I think that the influx of new posters from the flat, mythical world of Glorantha is going to change it.As for what the forums can do for Chaosium (apart from non-BRP subfora and setting up dedicated Q&A's and promotions), I ask instead what Chaosium can do for the forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vile Traveller Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 As for what the forums can do for Chaosium (apart from non-BRP subfora and setting up dedicated Q&A's and promotions), I ask instead what Chaosium can do for the forums.Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelbiros Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 More themes! Call of Cthulhu and Glorantha would be welcome additions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwyn Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 More themes! Call of Cthulhu and Glorantha would be welcome additions.Click Home. They're third and fourth down from the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelbiros Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 I meant themes as in the pictures at the top of the page; the forum skins rather than the forums themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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