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BRP thread on rpg.net


Jason D

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I can't be bothered to post on RPG.net anymore.

I am doing a lot of work and studying abroad this year (and next). Currently, I'm in NZ which gives me more scope for internet socialising, but for the most part I don't have time to get involved in the fracas I usually get on that site. This site is nice and relaxed, and everybody is pretty open-minded -so it's a good alternative for me I feel.

I'm just tired of being spoken to like a pariah on that site by all sundry, every time I express an opinion. I've never felt welcome there for 10 odd years. Maybe it's just me - and the way I express myself. On the other hand, the last time I checked on their forum they had an 11+ page thread wherein somebody had asked the question 'what would you do with Chaosium if you have a million to spend?' (paraphrasing). I don't think I could have stomached getting involved**.

Not one person seemed to come up with the radical notion of.....y'know...developing some new ideas and new settings or getting more support for the existing games! In almost all cases, there were just a bunch of people finding ever more elaborate ways of bashing the games they currently had, and/or suggesting ways to rui.....ah...modernise them in 101 incompatible directions. To me that just sums it up. I like critical analysis, and debate about tinkering and the like, but I'm just getting too old for that kind of crap.

**If I had a million to donate to Chaosium, I'd set it up as a non-profit organisation that would protect the integrity of the game company, the titles and its fanbase from the sharks, but hey...

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Not one person seemed to come up with the radical notion of.....y'know...developing some new ideas and new settings or getting more support for the existing games! In almost all cases, there were just a bunch of people finding ever more elaborate ways of bashing the games they currently had, and/or suggesting ways to rui.....ah...modernise them in 101 incompatible directions. To me that just sums it up. I like critical analysis, and debate about tinkering and the like, but I'm just getting too old for that kind of crap.

Sorry you had that experience, but I'm not sure if you read the same thread I did ("Chaosium and You"). The one I read was full of people talking about bringing back previous game lines and increasing support for existing product lines.

I'm talking about posts 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19, 20, 24, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 37, 38, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, etc... right up to the 118th post, the last one so far.

Each of those was fairly positive about Chaosium, Call of Cthulhu, BRP, etc. and was suggesting new licenses, expanding existing lines, and getting new writers and licensees in the fold.

People talking about changing the rules systems were in a distinct (and to be honest, put-upon) minority. There were snarky folks, and people with crap attitudes, but no more so than any message forum usually provides.

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Well maybe it's just my perspective then - but it has been coloured by a fair whack of experience. A quick glance at the threads recently just reminded me that the place is not where I'd enjoy hanging out, and it's certainly not a place where my views are respected or liked. Too much baggage, I guess....but each to their own and all that.

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Guest Vile Traveller

I gave up on RPG.net years ago as a haven of really rude pseudo-intellectuals, but I posted something to the BRP thread to help spread the word. :)

Same here. I prefer to stick to forums with more focus, because you're less likely to get trolls who really have no interest in your game but enjoy crapping on your thread. But I do occasionally pop up, when reminded, to spread the good word.

:innocent:

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I gave up on RPG.net years ago as a haven of really rude pseudo-intellectuals, but I posted something to the BRP thread to help spread the word. :)

I've always found gamer forum discourse sort of interesting. But, I'll also say that folks can go ad hominem over there pretty quickly. I peg that sort of callowness on the demise of reasoned public discourse in general. Something probably to do with the ease and facelessness of Internet communication.

I think this forum, on the other hand, is so strong because of the sort of gamer drawn to BRP. (Please excuse me if I paint with a broad brush here). It seems to me the BRP gamer is, in general, older, more broadly read, and has probably been involved with the BRP community since the days when it was knit together primarily with print fan publications and fan-driven (not corporate-sponsored) conventions, which I think makes for a more congenial atmosphere.

Having said this, I am now going to post in that rpgnet thread. ;)

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I'm another one that pretty much gave up on posting on RPG.net for similar reasons. Occaisionally there is some interesting stuff there, but if you buck the conformist line you just get dumped on. I think Kairos has it right, BRP attracts a different kind of gamer.

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I find rpg.net to have a very high noise to signal ration.

Most of it seems to be:

I think game X sucks. Tell me why it doesn't.

I think game X is great. Tell me why it isn't.

I don't understand what game X is about. Please it explain it to me.

Give me your opinion of my stupid idea for a: (character, bad guy, campaign etc).

Then of course there are the people who post long rambling articles on their theory of rpg games.

There are two types of gamers. Those who play and those who talk about playing. rpg.net seems to have lots of the latter.

I do visit there sometimes and there have been some interesting threads, but not many.

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Also, awesome avatar!

Thanks! :)

The wife and I collected the complete ELFQUEST hardcovers last year. I'd forgotten how good the story and the setting were. I hadn't read the complete series until then, so I hadn't seen/read the pre-battle elf orgy in the last book! :thumb:

I've been poring over ElfQuest lately and am amazed at how good and straightforward a game it is.

I agree. It's be a great version of the system. Got my hands on the game last year, too.

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I agree with most of what has been said about rpg.net and their forums. However, I do like their columns, especially my own, A Bit of History.

The thread in question is generally a good one. I saw a lot of people working on campaigns, some very good ideas, a great variety of genres, and folks talking about converting other companies' settings into BRP. That speaks volumes about the strength of BRP.

The Chaosium and You thread had too many "I'd sell it off and do something else" or "I'd change the entire BRP system because its not modern, hip, cool, what ever".

If you are also on rpg.net, I am Sand Rodent over there.

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