Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Breaking My F***ing Heart


I was originally going to write up a post entitled "Three RPGs That Suck," but my brain has been preempted today by thought that has taken root and has given me no peace a'tall: designing my own fantasty heartbreaker.

No, not a retroclone. I've already considered writing up my own retro-version of B/X for mass production (something to go hand-in-hand with The B/X Companion) and discarded the idea due to A) the sheer amount of (well done) B/X clones already floating around, and B) laziness. Nope I'm talking a real-live fantasy heartbreaker of the variety described by Ron Edwards.

Just to get it out of my system.

Why now? What's prompted this? Well, truthfully the whole DCC system...it is waaay inspiring in a way that other D&D deritives (like C&C, Palladium, and HackMaster Basic) are totally NOT. I'm mainly just curious if I can work it out right now to where it would be...um...exceptionally fun. I don't know that I'd ever publish it.

Now, just so everyone knows: this is completely a hush-hush side project that needs to be kept on the DL. My wife has already laid down the law that I'm not supposed to be starting any more projects until I've finished my current ones (*sigh*) AND I need to focus on only one at a time (*double sigh*). It seems I've been stretching myself too thin lately, and until Baby D learns to sleep through the night it's important that at least one of us gets some snoozing done at night.

HOWEVER, this is just a little something I'll be tinkering with in my "doodle time" ...you know, during work meetings and afternoon breaks when I've got little better to do than fool around with stuff. Besides, I don't even have a numerologically superior name for this one...can't publish without a good name!

Okay that's it...this was just a quick "check-in" post. Tomorrow, I'll write about the three disappointing RPGs.

: )
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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 18, 2011 at 5:51 AM

    I'm doing my own RPG Game Engine...Kriegspiel RPG which I intend to make Public Property. Thus they will only be able to make Setting Material for use with the Rules but wont have a monopoly.

    I Reduced it down to 6 martial Stats (Power, Endurance, Agility, Knowledge, Judgement, Ego) which sum to a total for Action Speed (the amount of action you can perform in a turn but also the power of magic spells, Dragon breath...and performing assorted actions).

    I love creating an RPG Engine - its pure creative fun.

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  2. Anthony SimeoneAugust 18, 2011 at 6:23 AM

    Please don't tell me that you think C&C sucks!!! :-( It's really not a bad game at all! I know it's not B/X, but still... My group and I are having a great time with C&C!

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  3. JBAugust 18, 2011 at 10:53 AM

    @ Yellow: Yep.

    @ Drance: I did not say C&C sucks (I know that including it in the same sentence as Palladium may have implied that...). From what I've perused (briefly), it seems fine.

    Doesn't it change the fact it's an FHB.
    : )

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  4. FumersAugust 18, 2011 at 11:56 AM

    I agree with your wife.

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  5. JBAugust 18, 2011 at 12:40 PM

    @ Luke: You would.

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  6. Anthony SimeoneAugust 18, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    I know you didn't say it sucked ;-) But hey, DCC is also a FHB, right?

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  7. JBAugust 19, 2011 at 6:44 AM

    @ D: Yep.

    The issue with FHBs is their inherent impracticality due to their derivative nature, not any particular lack of quality. The "heartbreak" comes from trying to sell/supplant D&D (itself a mercurial beast), with a game derived from D&D.

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  8. Anthony SimeoneAugust 19, 2011 at 7:57 AM

    The whole "trying to supplant D&D with another version of D&D" aspect is what's been my big, main problem with DCC from the beginning. It was surrounded by so much pre-beta-release hype regarding how it was some huge RPG innovation...when to me, it just turned out to be really detailed house rules.

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  9. ZzarchovAugust 20, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    You know what, I sat down and made a Fantasy Heartbreaker from start to finish, published hard cover books, etc.

    Go for it. It may be that it is just one of those weird games a few dozen people play (and even then houseruled versions), but it does feel nice to look on your shelf and see something you made, from start to finish. It will also make it easier for your own local gaming group, which really is all that matters.

    Just ensure you don't think of this as a business, but rather a hobby and luxury (Akin to spending money going to the movies etc). And I personally wouldn't recommend focusing on what will sell, go straight for what you want to see.

    Just me 2c.

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  10. AnonymousAugust 20, 2011 at 12:52 PM

    I use services like lulu.com and cafepress. Make a .pdf, go print on demand, and you can keep it reasonably priced for a game group (or other fans) without having to super-inflate the cost to cover your expenses.

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  11. Rainforest GiantAugust 26, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    Here's my problem. Much of my fantasy game world comes from the same basic sources as Tolkien used, Norse myth. My grandmother told me stories of Nisse, trolls, dwarves, hulder-folk, and other creatures that inspired Tolkien et al. They also inspire me. I want nisse, dwarfs etc in my world. I also don't want to look 'Tolkien-derived'.

    I completed a world when I was eight years old for telling short stories. How long ago you ask? 'Nineteen Sixt-ummphphmm' mumble, mumble.

    It was a limited world but my own. Small villages and isolated farms girded by high mountains, dark forests, narrow fjords, and snowy prairies, (all of which featured in my grandmother's stories).

    I'd like to share it but I don't want to reinvent the wheel.

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