> Woodelf wrote: > but this thread has also been discussing several of the other open > and not-so-open games (and thus gamers). *i'm* no better off than > before the D20STL. i *might* even be worse off--if some publishers > devote efforts to rules-intensive D20 supplements that hold no > interest for me, when they were going to use that effort for > something that would interest me; or if they alter a product in ways > that make it poorer from my POV, in order to make it work as a D20 > product. so far, i don't think this has happened (though i'm waiting > to see the Farscape game), but it is certainly a distinct possibility.
When we left TSR for Wizards, Peter sat us all down and made a proclamation: "You are not your customer. Your opinions and beliefs about what constitutes a good product are polluted by the fact that you work in the industry." I think Peter's words can ring true here as well. At some point, the hobby becomes such an important part of your life that you're no longer the typical consumer. And I think that everyone who has become totally engrossed in the minutiae surrounding the d20 STL and Open Gaming is (or has already) approaching this level where the words ring true. Because in general, I believe that consumers have been well served by the d20 and the drive to Open Gaming. They have legions of new products they can use in their game, which makes it easier to play D&D. They have a wide number of choices by a huge number of publishers who are producing products on about every conceivable topic. They're getting their D&D fix like they've never had it before. To be fair, I understand that there are a small number of gamers that only want to see new rules systems; new ways to do things that are better than the old ways. But that number of gamers is much smaller by comparison, and publishers are looking to where the consumers are right now. > actually, that reminds me: i'm more than a bit surprised that we have > seen very few or no no-rules D20 products. i'd have expected all > those "generic" supplements of yore to have been resurrected as "D20" > products, with nary a change. frex, the Central Casting books. > closest i'm aware of is the Slayers' Guides--maybe a page of rules, > all collected in one place, in a 32p book. I think you're seeing publishers create new rules around bodies of work that they own. For instance, naval rules are being published inside of a pirate game. Good Gaming! Jim Butler, President Bastion Press, Inc. http://www.bastionpress.com _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
