Goblinoid Games has a spiffy new website. I'm glad to see this, since lots of people have been asking me about Labyrinth Lord lately -- must be something in the air -- and it's good to be able to point to an honest-to-goodness website for more information.
From the looks of it, some terrific things are in the offing from Goblinoid. In addition to all their excellent products, there's now a "Labyrinth Lord Society" in the works, as well as a OGC library of LL-related content. I also noticed, with some pleasure, that Goblinoid is now taking submissions and paying for them -- a very good sign.
All in all, looks good things are happening for the publisher of Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Dwimmermount Play by Post
For those who are interested, I'm going to be running a Dwimmermount play by post game over at the OD&D Discussion boards. The game will be something of an experiment on several levels, so I'm hoping I get a goodly number of players. The face-to-face Dwimmermount game is continuing, of course, but I am curious to see how well the campaign's format and my own refereeing style translates into a new medium. I've had mixed success with play by post games in the past. Here's hoping this new effort is one of the good ones.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Reason 1 Why Fight On! is Awesome
Amidst all the Sturm und Drang regarding Ron Edwards's recent article, it's very easy to forget that there is other content in issue 6 of Fight On! -- 120 pages of it, in fact. I'm still working my way through the current issue, so it'll likely be a few more days before I do a formal review/commentary on it, but I did want to highlight one -- of many -- reasons why I think Fight On! is a remarkable periodical: it includes articles for use with the original Empire of the Petal Throne game.Indeed, every issue since the second has included an article dedicated to EPT and that's an amazing thing. Even more amazing, I think, is that these articles appear with the blessing of EPT's creator, M.A.R. Barker. EPT's setting, Tékumel has a much-deserved reputation for being impenetrable to those initiated into its mysteries, but that impenetrability is, in my opinion, a function more of later additions and expansions to the setting rather than anything stemming from EPT itself. By my lights, the Tékumel presented in EPT is very accessible and largely consonant with most sword-and-planet literary/gaming conventions In other words, it's a perfect world for old school gaming of the sort that interests me these days.
I've stated before that I think it's a pity that Tékumel scares so many gamers off. As with many other settings I could mention -- the Third Imperium, Glorantha, to cite two examples -- Tékumel grew in accordance with the great gamer vice of "More! More! More!" The end result is something that, while fascinating as a work of one man's imagination, is simply too intimidating for most roleplayers. The original EPT is largely free of that and that's why it's so great to see articles about it in Fight On! Perhaps more people will finally give it a whirl and enjoy it, not as a work of fantasy ethnology and linguistics, but as a very open-ended science fantasy sandbox game that has way more in common with Howard, Vance, and Burroughs than it might appear at first glance.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Ritual Purity
So the latest issue of Fight On! is out -- probably the best one to date -- and all everyone's talking about is a four-page editorial cum advertisement by Ron Edwards, intellectual godfather of The Forge (and, I am reliably told by telepaths on the Internet, my secret ally in plotting the destruction of old school gaming).
On one level, the reaction to Edwards's article is unsurprising. He's generally been no ally of those of us who prefer older games and older styles of play. Nor does he, by his own admission, have much experience playing D&D, which is (at present anyway) the cornerstone of most discussions of old school gaming. The actual contents of his piece range from the interesting (his reminiscences of the gaming scene in 1970s California) to the laughable (his unsubstantiated assertion that either Geoffrey McKinney or Jim Raggi -- or indeed anyone in the old school renaissance -- bowed to "Victorian societal values" in their offerings).
Once you get beyond that -- and I admit that my first reaction was incredulity too -- what's the big deal? Fight On! is the flagship publication of the old school movement and, as such, has always been a very "big tent." It's included articles by all sorts of people, many of whom disagree with one another quite vehemently. I'll readily admit that I've not cared for many of its submissions. Heck, I'll go farther and state that I'm not actually a fan of big tent philosophies in the first place, but, again, so what? There are still 120 other pages in issue 6, particularly the two awesome dungeon levels by David "Sham" Bowman and Tony "Wheggi" Rosten. In what way did Edwards's article, foolishly provocative and blatantly self-promoting though it was, take away from the rest of the issue's amazing contents?
The real "crime" here is that Edwards's editorial was a missed opportunity. Despite all the hue and cry, there are a lot of similarities between the indie RPG movement and the old school renaissance, starting with the wholesale rejection of the corporate model of RPG design and the embrace of new methods of distribution. There's a lot we could learn from each other. Moreover, I consider Ron Edwards's Sorcerer & Sword to be a fascinating examination of the swords-and-sorcery genre. My many quibbles with that book aside, Edwards is clearly a thoughtful writer and a fan of many of the same literary sources the old school loves so dearly.
His Fight On! piece could have been so much better than it was. He could have drawn on his early gaming memories, his love of S&S stories, and his wealth of experience in shepherding the indie RPG movement to offer some useful insights to us in the old school revival. What we got instead was a bit of agitprop riddled with factual errors and used to promote his new game. It's all so disappointingly pedestrian. Edwards's piece isn't a bad piece because it was written by Ron Edwards; it's a bad piece because it's so poorly written and nakedly self-serving.
What a shame.
On one level, the reaction to Edwards's article is unsurprising. He's generally been no ally of those of us who prefer older games and older styles of play. Nor does he, by his own admission, have much experience playing D&D, which is (at present anyway) the cornerstone of most discussions of old school gaming. The actual contents of his piece range from the interesting (his reminiscences of the gaming scene in 1970s California) to the laughable (his unsubstantiated assertion that either Geoffrey McKinney or Jim Raggi -- or indeed anyone in the old school renaissance -- bowed to "Victorian societal values" in their offerings).
Once you get beyond that -- and I admit that my first reaction was incredulity too -- what's the big deal? Fight On! is the flagship publication of the old school movement and, as such, has always been a very "big tent." It's included articles by all sorts of people, many of whom disagree with one another quite vehemently. I'll readily admit that I've not cared for many of its submissions. Heck, I'll go farther and state that I'm not actually a fan of big tent philosophies in the first place, but, again, so what? There are still 120 other pages in issue 6, particularly the two awesome dungeon levels by David "Sham" Bowman and Tony "Wheggi" Rosten. In what way did Edwards's article, foolishly provocative and blatantly self-promoting though it was, take away from the rest of the issue's amazing contents?
The real "crime" here is that Edwards's editorial was a missed opportunity. Despite all the hue and cry, there are a lot of similarities between the indie RPG movement and the old school renaissance, starting with the wholesale rejection of the corporate model of RPG design and the embrace of new methods of distribution. There's a lot we could learn from each other. Moreover, I consider Ron Edwards's Sorcerer & Sword to be a fascinating examination of the swords-and-sorcery genre. My many quibbles with that book aside, Edwards is clearly a thoughtful writer and a fan of many of the same literary sources the old school loves so dearly.
His Fight On! piece could have been so much better than it was. He could have drawn on his early gaming memories, his love of S&S stories, and his wealth of experience in shepherding the indie RPG movement to offer some useful insights to us in the old school revival. What we got instead was a bit of agitprop riddled with factual errors and used to promote his new game. It's all so disappointingly pedestrian. Edwards's piece isn't a bad piece because it was written by Ron Edwards; it's a bad piece because it's so poorly written and nakedly self-serving.
What a shame.
Retrospective: Bushido
When gamers talk about "medieval" or "feudal" Japan, they're usually referring to the Sengoku or "Warring States" period of the mid-fifteenth through the beginning of the seventeenth centuries. This was a period of decentralization and destabilization, as power shifted away from the shogunate to local daimyos, bringing with it lots of military conflict and political intrigue. This makes it well nigh perfect for the kinds of mayhem characters in RPGs create, which probably explains the appeal of the era -- well, that and the ninjas.The difficulty with Sengoku era Japan is that it takes place not only in the past but also in a foreign country. Most gamers haven't the foggiest notion about Japanese culture beyond what's been popularized (typically inaccurately) through comics, movies, and TV shows. To create a RPG set in the era that hits all the right notes is thus a difficult task. Many gamers want their historical games to be "authentic," but don't necessarily want them to be "realistic." That is, they're not content with games that get socio-cultural details wrong, even as they're not so keen for those details to get in the way of creating the cool character of their dreams.
It's a tough line to walk and, in my experience, very few RPGs of this sort ever succeed completely. One of the rare exceptions is 1981's Bushido. Published by Fantasy Games Unlimited and written Paul Hume and Bob Charette (who'd go on to lasting fame with their game Shadowrun), Bushido opted for a what might be better called a "mythic" approach to the Sengoku period. That is, the game's setting, Nippon, is historical Japan -- the place names and geography are the same -- but it's not strictly historical, since it's filled with ahistorical NPCs, events, and, in some cases, supernatural beings. It's a bit like the Ars Magica approach to medieval Europe, albeit subtler, since Nippon is much more "realistic" overall than AM's Mythic Europe. Consequently, Nippon somehow doesn't come across as nearly as intimidating as it might if it were presented simply as historical Japan, thereby making it a far better RPG setting in the process.
As a game, Bushido is very interesting. Its rules are complex, although not as complex as one might expect from an FGU product. Much detail is given to combat, which is both expected for an RPG of the era and for one set in medieval Japan. Of course, Bushido has rules for far more than combat, including skills, ki powers, and magic. As one would expect, the game also treats questions such as honor and status within Nipponese society, as well as how one acquires and loses them. It's here, I think, that Bushido really shines, at least if my experiences with the game are any indication. Players quickly acclimate themselves to the rhythms and values of Nipponese life once they see that many of the usual RPG problem-solving tactics will get them killed or, worse, ostracized. There's something truly glorious in observing this transformation in one's players and it's a testament to good game design that such a transformation is even possible, let alone likely.
I have a lot of fond memories of Bushido, which always struck me as more "serious" than any of its competitors, including TSR's late entry Oriental Adventures. I often call Bushido the "Japanese Pendragon" and I think it's apt: both games treat their subject matter with respect, adopting an approach that's neither too historical nor too fantastical, a middle road that encourages good roleplaying in a culture whose values are often at odds with those of contemporary Western society. That's an impressive achievement in any era. That it was achieved more than 25 years ago is all the more remarkable.
Plus, you've got to love any game whose random encounter table includes almost as many different types of "rude peasants" as the Dungeon Masters Guide does harlots.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Mutant Scavengers of the Ruined Earth
Following in the footsteps of Nicolas Dessaux's Searchers of the Unknown, Kyrinn Eis has created her own minimalist RPG, the post-apocalyptic Mutant Scavengers of the Ruined Earth. Great stuff there for fans of Gamma World style science fantasy fun.
Thanks to Sean Wills for pointing it out to me.
Thanks to Sean Wills for pointing it out to me.
Matt Finch Podcast
The Game's The Thing has a nice interview with Swords & Wizardry creator Matt Finch. It's well worth listening to.
Some LL Revised Comments
Lest I am accused of simply being a PR machine for old school publishers, I wanted to say a couple of things about the announcement of a revised edition of Labyrinth Lord. Firstly, and most importantly, I think it's terrific that a retro-clone will be available in distribution again. LL had been available in stores in the past, but fell victim to the financial collapse of its distributor. A revised edition is a good time to jump back into the fray, I think, and I'm very happy to see that Dan Proctor has done just that.
I'm also happy that it'll be the inexpensive paperback version that'll make its way to store shelves rather than the hardback version. I say that because, much as I love hardcover books -- I'll almost certainly be snagging a hardcover version of the revised edition when it's convenient -- I think the old school renaissance best shows off its virtues in the form of inexpensive paperbacks. The hobby is already filled with enough expensive hardcovers as it is. More to the point, the types of old school games that are currently the focus of the revival don't need hardcovers, given their length and scope. To me, softcovers telegraph the idea of books that are meant to be used in play and play is another important focus of the revival. These games aren't reference works or art objects; they're rules for play.
Now, allow me to be gloomy and say that I do not believe that having Labyrinth Lord (or any other retro-clone) in distribution is going to set the world on fire and give birth to a new Golden Age. As Jeff Rients powerfully pointed out years ago, that ship left the port long ago. Old school gaming will, at best, enjoy another (much smaller) faddishness for a time and then most everyone will go back to doing what they were doing before. I happen to think that's OK, actually, because I'm not here for the money and fame (as if there were any). All this said, I think there are enough gamers out there who'd be interested in retro-clones like Labyrinth Lord that their being able to pick up a copy in the local game store is a boon for all concerned. Remember, too, that Lulu's shipping costs are prohibitive for people in many parts of the world, so a distribution deal will help some of them.
Second, LL Revised will be perhaps the first "professional" retro-clone released to date. Not only will it be available through "regular" channels, but all its art was contracted and paid for by Goblinoid Games. For some, that's probably not a big deal and, for some others, it may have even be a negative, given the emphasis the old school renaissance has placed on community sharing and collaboration. For me, I think, once a product starts making money, it's important that all involved are fairly compensated for their contributions. Most old school products these days don't make enough money for that to be an issue, I suspect, so I take this as a sign that Labyrinth Lord is entering "the big leagues," said big leagues being entirely relative and probably a figment of my over-active imagination.
All in all, I see this latest news to be a huge positive for the old school renaissance and I hope that other retro-clones will follow in its footsteps.
I'm also happy that it'll be the inexpensive paperback version that'll make its way to store shelves rather than the hardback version. I say that because, much as I love hardcover books -- I'll almost certainly be snagging a hardcover version of the revised edition when it's convenient -- I think the old school renaissance best shows off its virtues in the form of inexpensive paperbacks. The hobby is already filled with enough expensive hardcovers as it is. More to the point, the types of old school games that are currently the focus of the revival don't need hardcovers, given their length and scope. To me, softcovers telegraph the idea of books that are meant to be used in play and play is another important focus of the revival. These games aren't reference works or art objects; they're rules for play.
Now, allow me to be gloomy and say that I do not believe that having Labyrinth Lord (or any other retro-clone) in distribution is going to set the world on fire and give birth to a new Golden Age. As Jeff Rients powerfully pointed out years ago, that ship left the port long ago. Old school gaming will, at best, enjoy another (much smaller) faddishness for a time and then most everyone will go back to doing what they were doing before. I happen to think that's OK, actually, because I'm not here for the money and fame (as if there were any). All this said, I think there are enough gamers out there who'd be interested in retro-clones like Labyrinth Lord that their being able to pick up a copy in the local game store is a boon for all concerned. Remember, too, that Lulu's shipping costs are prohibitive for people in many parts of the world, so a distribution deal will help some of them.
Second, LL Revised will be perhaps the first "professional" retro-clone released to date. Not only will it be available through "regular" channels, but all its art was contracted and paid for by Goblinoid Games. For some, that's probably not a big deal and, for some others, it may have even be a negative, given the emphasis the old school renaissance has placed on community sharing and collaboration. For me, I think, once a product starts making money, it's important that all involved are fairly compensated for their contributions. Most old school products these days don't make enough money for that to be an issue, I suspect, so I take this as a sign that Labyrinth Lord is entering "the big leagues," said big leagues being entirely relative and probably a figment of my over-active imagination.
All in all, I see this latest news to be a huge positive for the old school renaissance and I hope that other retro-clones will follow in its footsteps.
Labyrinth Lord: Revised Edition
Coming in September 2009! Labyrinth Lord: Revised Edition is a new printing of the classic Labyrinth Lord rules, which fixes known errata. In addition, a new cover and all new interior art has been added courtesy of the very talented Steve Zieser! This edition of Labyrinth Lord will be appearing in game stores in November, but will be available for online sales in September via Lulu and from Goblinoid Games direct to retailers. The paperback version ($21.95) will be in distribution, and a hard cover ($31.95) will be available exclusively online.
Like the previous edition, a free complementary electronic book will be made available in addition to a rich text file. The free electronic book will be without art, but a heavily discounted full art version will be available for $4.95 at Your Games Now and RPGnow. We’re taking this approach because Goblinoid Games is the first publisher of a neo-retro game to buy all of the interior and cover art, and to continue hiring freelancers we have to charge for the updated and improved edition.
The free complementary edition will have the same pagination as the art version and print version, making it a useful free tool so all players can get the rules, with the same pagination to ease reference, free for online and at-the-table play.
The electronic version will go on sale concurrently with the POD version at Lulu.
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