Atgxtg Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I think RPG fans, in their (generally laudable) brand loyalty can sometimes forget that competition is actually good for the consumer. Can be good. Competition isn't good of itself. It can be good or bad. For example, look at how standardized formats for video players is better than several competing formats. Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vile Traveller Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Can be good. Competition isn't good of itself. It can be good or bad. For example, look at how standardized formats for video players is better than several competing formats. Right, but that standardisation is the result of competition - the brand most popular with the largest market* is the one that sets the standard. I expect future generations of D100 systems will grow out of both BRP and Legend to some extent, that extent depending on which of the two sells better. *And we all know what the largest market is in video technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agentorange Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Special Unit 2, we barely knew ye. Alas, poor Space Above And Beyond, I knew him well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Right, but that standardisation is the result of competition - the brand most popular with the largest market* is the one that sets the standard. Not quite. At least not in either of these cases. The VHS/Betamax war was won by the rental porn industy, the Blu-ray, HD-VDV war is in "wait mode" with many sitting on the fence to see which side gets the best support. With RPGs I doubt the standard free market economy model even applies. By the standard business way of looking at things, neither BRP nor Legend are worth supporting. Too much time and money going after too little market share. Heck, BRP shouldn't even exist if you look at this from a business standpoint. I expect future generations of D100 systems will grow out of both BRP and Legend to some extent, that extent depending on which of the two sells better. I hope not. Because then we'd probably end up with a D100 that is heavily influenced by D&D, which probably sell more product over a long weekend than BRP or Legend will over a year. Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 "Heck, BRP shouldn't even exist if you look at this from a business standpoint." The game that wouldn't DIE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 "Heck, BRP shouldn't even exist if you look at this from a business standpoint." The game that wouldn't DIE!!!! Well, technically it isn7t the same game, but rather a series of similar games, most of which have died. Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoking Frog Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Well, technically it isn7t the same game, but rather a series of similar games, most of which have died. Yes. You can't talk about the economic viability of BRP in the abstract; you have to talk about the viability of Chaosium and the various books or series that they publish. Or about the viability of the other companies doing BRP or BRP-like books. Call of Cthulhu has been a viable product line for decades. The BRP system has some independent value, of course, but I can't see it helping out "stinkers" like "BRP Protozoa: Adventure Roleplaying for Single Celled Animals" or "BRP Sloths: Roleplaying a Really Slow Pace." But RQ Vikings (and presumably Mythic Iceland) will have some viability just because every red-blooded RPGer has got to like vikings at least a little. Quote My avatar is the personal glyph of Siyaj K'ak' a.k.a. "Smoking Frog." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdavies2720 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Oo..oh! I could write BRP Sloths! My campaign is in every-other-month rotation at our game store, so 6-8ish sessions a year: "Help, help the goblins are raiding the grain shed...Right, we're heroes, we're on it...help help...yep, we're saving the world...hurry!...yep, just got out of the tavern...quick, over here...dang, I forgot my axe-hold on...please!...ok, I'm ready...please hurry...sorry, I've forgotten what we're doing?...saving the village from goblins...right, lead on...oh dang, the goblins have left... how come we never get to fight in this campaign?" Steve Quote Bathalians, the newest UberVillians! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 You know the jokes do help topoint out one of BRps weaknesses. BRP doesn't have any settings that are getting supplemental support, the way the other successful systems do. Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 (edited) And that's it in a nutshell unfortunately. I think we'll see sporadic support for new settings (Future Earth perhaps), although this is just as likely to come from another company (eg: Alephetar doing support for ROME, for instance), but I doubt Chaosium will be able to put out any heavy support for any non-Cthuhlu lines. Call of Cthuhlu is great, and so are it's 'sub-lines' such as Gaslight and Invictus, but a few more completely separate settings would go a long way; at least a well-supported fantasy setting would make me happy. I really got into the system through RQ, not CoC. I played Elric/Stormbringer and CoC, but RQ has been my fall back system, so personally I'ld like to see a gritty fantasy setting or perhaps psuedo-historic ancient and/or medieval setting supported by Chaosium. I get my fix for this from Mongoose ( and now also Alephetar), but I would feel more confident in BRP's future if something like this was heavily supported by Chaosium, considering they started the whole shebang. 'Future Earth' certainly has the potential if it can become as detailed as the Cthuhlu line. In short though, if you're not into Cthuhlu Mythos then it's unlikely that you'll be attracted to BRP as a newbie as 85% (or more) of BRP's setting are for Call of Cthuhlu. It worked well for White Wolf to have one mega-setting, but World of Darkness had so many variations and possibilities that each addition to the line was almost a distinct setting in itself, something pretty unique really. I absolutely love the Lovecraftian supplements, but I just wish there was more non-Cthuhlu supplemental support coming out of Chaosium these days. Edited June 26, 2011 by Mankcam Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmitchell Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I absolutely love the Lovecraftian supplements, but I just wish there was more non-Cthuhlu supplemental support coming out of Chaosium these days. Yet another Catch-22 ... Chaosium can't afford to support other lines until they're popular, but they won't become popular without support. Existing popular lines belong to other companies: Issaries has Glorantha, Mongoose has Moorcock (AFAIK), and other licenses cost money. Short of adapting something in public domain (Allan Quartermain the RPG?), they'll probably have to throw brand new worlds into the market and hope one becomes successful enough to justify sequels ... in the ever-shrinking RPG business during a recession verging on depression. Quote Frank "Welcome to the hottest and fastest-growing hobby of, er, 1977." -- The Laundry RPG Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vile Traveller Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Barsoom. Is that public domain yet? Don't think they can afford the Night's Dawn licence, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Barsoom. Is that public domain yet? The early novels are public domain in the US, but not in Europe, and once the US applies the Berne Convention they are also no longer public domain in the US. Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 And that's it in a nutshell unfortunately. I think we'll see sporadic support for new settings (Future Earth perhaps), although this is just as likely to come from another company (eg: Alephetar doing support for ROME, for instance), but I doubt Chaosium will be able to put out any heavy support for any non-Cthuhlu lines. Call of Cthuhlu is great, and so are it's 'sub-lines' such as Gaslight and Invictus, but a few more completely separate settings would go a long way; at least a well-supported fantasy setting would make me happy. I really got into the system through RQ, not CoC. I played Elric/Stormbringer and CoC, but RQ has been my fall back system, so personally I'ld like to see a gritty fantasy setting or perhaps psuedo-historic ancient and/or medieval setting supported by Chaosium. I get my fix for this from Mongoose ( and now also Alephetar), but I would feel more confident in BRP's future if something like this was heavily supported by Chaosium, considering they started the whole shebang. 'Future Earth' certainly has the potential if it can become as detailed as the Cthuhlu line. In short though, if you're not into Cthuhlu Mythos then it's unlikely that you'll be attracted to BRP as a newbie as 85% (or more) of BRP's setting are for Call of Cthuhlu. It worked well for White Wolf to have one mega-setting, but World of Darkness had so many variations and possibilities that each addition to the line was almost a distinct setting in itself, something pretty unique really. I absolutely love the Lovecraftian supplements, but I just wish there was more non-Cthuhlu supplemental support coming out of Chaosium these days. Your conclusions echo my own in several (much) earlier threads. Lovecraft is great, but Chaosium needs to get out of the Cthulhu ghetto to continue to be a viable RPG publisher. Exciting, original settings that show off what BRP can do are what is needed to draw players and customers. Beloved as RuneQuest is, the license slides around like a melting pat of butter. Chaosium needs its own unique material, not licensed properties, to keep on keepin' on, especially since Cthulhu material is now being published by other companies for other game systems. If Super Sentai Cyber Sloths, the RPG is what it takes, so be it. So far, BRP Rome seems to be the lead contender, although Chronicles of Future Earth is promising. Other entries, while well received by the BRP faithful, haven't grabbed and held the larger gaming community's attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vile Traveller Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Announcement from Mongoose on Legend: This October sees the release of the Legend RPG, a new fantasy RPG using the acclaimed RuneQuest II mechanics. Currently being worked on by Gareth Hanrahan and written by Lawrence Whitaker and Pete Nash, the new Legend line will be published in our 'half-size' format, priced at $19.99/£9.99, making it better value than ever. Legend will be 100% compatible with current RuneQuest II books [...] Glad to hear that Gareth will be involved in the de-RuneQuestifying. Still not convinced that I'll pick it up, given the onslaught of RQ6. Although for some reason I'm not very upset by the Legend cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightshade Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Ironically, I'm actually more likely to pick this up now that its been de-Gloranthafied. While I was always a big RQ fanboy, I found Glorantha quickly palled on me (which is ironic, since viewed from a distance (in the form of Red Moon, White Bear for example) it looked pretty cool to me, but up close and down in the trenches, not so much). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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