One of the things I miss about the early days of the Old School Renaissance is how many blogs there were and how interconnected they all were. There was a lot of discussion back and forth between this blog and that one. Someone would make an interesting – or controversial – post and the next thing you knew, there were lots more posts commenting on it. This created a really dynamic ecosystem of personalities and ideas that gave those early days a distinct vibe that I just don't feel anymore, but I'm old, so that might just be me.
Sadly, I don't read as many other blogs as I used to do in those heady days. Consequently, I often miss really excellent posts, like this one, which was pointed out to me by Geoffrey McKinney, a longtime reader of this blog, as well as an accomplished old school game writer. The post, over at the A Knight at the Opera blog, talks at length about "the best RPG cover of all time," namely that of the 1977 Traveller boxed set. It's an excellent post with which I completely agree and I'm grateful to Geoffrey for pointing out to me.
Since I've been talking a lot about Traveller here lately, I thought it'd be worth sharing more widely. Head on over to A Knight at the Opera and give it a read. Be sure to leave a comment, too, if you like it. I'm sure the author would appreciate knowing that something he's written is being enjoyed. I know I always do.
Hear hear! I guess maybe I'm just old, too. After obsessing about comic blogs for a while, it was OSR blogs that finally pushed me into the waters myself. And without assuming I would have made a splash anyway...alas, I got into the game a little after the golden age. Blogs are still my favorite way of sharing ideas online!
ReplyDeleteIt's not just you; the "scene" is definitely less dynamic than it once was. I'm sure that's partly because the newness has faded, but it must be noted that the endless mire of social media (and, lately, the rise of Discord) has absorbed a lot of what used to take place on blogs -- not just in the OSR, but more generally.
ReplyDeleteAcross the board Blogs seem to have waned over the last decade. Many have moved to Substack to monetize their writings and I suspect more new writers are there. And so many social media platforms are about these days. I do like Discord, but I love coming across a great blog with a big back catalog of posts going back 10-20 years!
DeleteThe Google+ days really took the wind out of the blog sails for a while too. The blogs actually rebounded a bit after that closed down.
DeleteThere are a lot of great RPG podcasts and youtube channels out there, and those platforms have algorithms that will actively push your content. Blogs dont have that, and will therefore always have a more niche, "hardcore" crowd. On the plus side, with no pressure to cater to an algorithm, blog writers can kind of follow their own muse.
DeleteHey James. Thank you so much for this. I'm astounded that either you or Geoffrey McKinney have even heard of me at all, let alone have read and enjoyed one of my blog posts. Honestly, the reason I started blogging in the first place was because I, too, miss the old days where there were so many active, interacting bloggers producing so much interesting stuff. I hope I'm helping to keep that flame lit.
ReplyDeleteA Knight At The Opera was actually the first OSR blog I regularly read.
ReplyDeleteHere's the blog post James and I have enjoyed so much:
ReplyDeletehttps://knightattheopera.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-best-rpg-cover-of-all-time.html
I'm really enjoying the stuff you're writing about classic Traveller.
ReplyDeleteI bought Mongoose Traveller around 2011ish because I'd heard about Traveller being that game where you could die in character creation. Haven't had a chance to get it to the table yet with all the fantasy stuff I've run. Your posts inspired me to pull it out and take another look as well as print the Facsimile Edition off for a binder and present both to my group as options when our current D&D game wraps up.
If we do Classic, I'm planning on running Shadows as an introduction based on the recommendation you gave it.
I've just read all your historic posts, now I have Knight at the operas to read! Bonus thanks to both of you
ReplyDeleteMy own preference for blogs over videos and podcasts is a significant part of why I comment on them as much as I do. Even if it accomplishes little toward influencing search engine results, the engagement is hopefully good for morale. I know my own blogging would be more regular if people commented more, especially with so much of what does come in being spam these days.
ReplyDeleteSome of us are still fluttering along. I still have a list of blogs from 2009 that I still add to on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I long for those days myself. It was a time of wonder and excitement. Reading those blogs inspired me to start my own. I'm afraid that my best blogging days are probably behind me at this point. My frequency has really slowed down to almost nonexistent at his point. Back in the day, all of those great blogs added to the momentum and I - and many others - contributed and kept the ball rolling.
ReplyDeleteAs a survivor myself from those bygone days, I recognize that feeling James describe. The big hullabaloo over G+ passed me by, and since then I have stopped caring about people that try to talk "OSR" or whatever nonsense they call it. I'm now clearly an old man raging shaking my fist at the clouds.
ReplyDeleteBTW it looks like google have one again made the comment function break down.