Amazon is in Talks to Create a Lords of the Rings Series: Whadda Ya Think?

This sounds interesting. Jeff Bezos is apparently leading the charge to bring this home to Amazon. No deal has been done yet.

What brought this about? I'd read early that Amazon pretty much showed their producers and writers of original content, the door. Thanks, but no thanks. Amazon suggested it wants to get away from niche storytelling and find itself a Game of Thrones. Which is great, love me some GoT. But I love series that focus on the minutiae of a sub-culture. I hope they continue with those stories also.

But sometimes when you chase the dragon you get burned.

I say this in part because I think Peter Jackson's movie trilogy did an excellent job. He cut out most of the singing and the poetry, so for that he has my highest respect and thanks. The story has been told at a high quality. I know its been 16 years since the Fellowship of the Ring movie, but it is still fresh in my mind. Does this need to be told again? My opinion is no. Not right now. With the retelling there will be the inevitable comparison not only to the original books, but to Jackon's movies. And some may compare them to the cartoon series.

I like the idea that Amazon is hoping to fill the massive hole that GoT will leave behind when it concludes. Amazon wants to have one of those shows where people have parties when it airs. The show is an event.

Just because I don't think the story needs to be told again, doesn't mean I wouldn't watch it when it came on. Hell yeah I would. But I would prefer a new story. A new series, preferable not Shanara. Oh wait, that was also done. Please never do that one again. There are soooo many good books out there, I would think they could land one of those and create their own next event show.

I would LOVE to see a series done for the Thieves World books. That series would have everything they are looking for. A cast of fantastic characters a mile long. Interesting story plots. And it would be new ground. I think that's what most people want. I know there a ton of fans of LotR that would gobble up another version, but as much as I like a cover band, 99 times out of 100 the original is better.

If you have an opinion of Amazon producing a LotR series please comment. Or if you have a series you'd rather see them produce please add it below. It might be something I haven't heard of and would love to read.

Settings or Rules or Both and Why Not, Another Giveaway

+Erik Tenkar, the trouble maker over at his tavern region, posted a question based on a comment that +Michael S wrote in a response to a post about someone's critique of +James Spahn's very successful White Star (by the way James when is it going to be in print?).  The question is Where Should the Innovation Be - Rules or Settings?  Which was a response to Michael's comment,

Move beyond White Star for a moment... how do we encourage the next EPT? The thing that really goes beyond the same "orc and pie" or "dusty corner with 2000cp" ad nauseum? When do we get away from the D&D that has been trod and retrod and just "small changes" and really push for the stars? How do we encourage that, grow that? Do we focus on the reskins or do we take those really unique finds and give them the limelight?

Great questions.  As in all cases on this blog I can only answer for myself and what I prefer.  As is the entirety of the OSR we are all smart enough, creative enough to make the choices that suit us best.

While I am interested in new rulesets, recently I have been reading Torchbearer, I need to give Dungeon World a look, Heroes & Other Worlds, Basic Fantasy and I recently received a copy of The Burning Wheel RPG.  That's five rulesets I have sitting in a small pile behind me.  I've have dozens more sitting on my groaning bookshelves.   Even my favorite system, Swords & Wizardry, has different rules systems (Core and Complete) and within them there are different editions.  So for me, new rulesets is not what I'm looking for. 

A picture of someone else's groaning book shelves.

 However, I am always looking for ideas to improve the ruleset I prefer.  There are a few things in Torchbearer that I might try to staple onto my S&W game.  But will I run a Torchbearer game, probably not.  It's interesting, it's innovative (to me), but I'd rather stick to a system I am familiar with and add on to it.  Does that mean people shouldn't create new rulesets?  Absolutely they should.  There is a reason why my shelves groan with all those different RPG rulesets.  I read them like fiction.  For ideas.  And to see what goes on behind their GM screen. 

To me it's an artform.  Folks can draw a maps of the same place, paint a picture of the same object or write a story about the same event and all of them will be different.  To me, the interesting thing is to see other folks' interpretation.  I know when I am looking at other maps I steal from them all the time.  While I will never have the artistic talent of +MonkeyBlood Design, +Pär Lindström, +Gus L, +matt jackson, +Dyson Logos or +Simon Forster, I try to learn from them.  See how they do things.  Hoping to improve my own style.

That's what rulesets do for me.  Teach me another way of looking or approaching a ruling.  Options are always good to have.

Setting are something I value.  Again, not as a whole.  Even when I was a snot-nose kid with a head full of hair and still figuring out if the Weapon Speed rule was stupid or was I missing something.  I love new settings.  Again.  Read them like fiction.  Again.  I pick things out of them I like and place them into what I'm doing.  When I find a cool culture or religion I try to integrate it into my setting.  I've been connected with two recent Kickstarters that feature settings and backed a couple more.  And I'll probably back others as they come out.

Here's the thing.  Back when the original neckbeards were creating their thing there were very few of them doing it.  So if someone popped out a setting or ruleset it was significant.  Even through the 80's if something new like that popped up it was like a shiny new thing.  But today, and this is especially true of the OSR, people are creating innovative settings and rulesets all the time.  Can we see it clearly?  No.  So much comes out it is nearly impossible to find and them all.  The subject of White Star that started this conversation, James created something that has been lingering for a while, but he was the one who was able to grab this amorphous idea and mold into something usable for a lot of people.  That is all you can ask.

Alright, now to the giveaway.  I recently ordered a batch of Starter Adventures and one of the copies got a little dinged up in transport.  Here's how this will work, might make you work for it a little.  If you give me an opinion about the subject you'll get entered twice for the giveaway.  If you don't want to give an opinion, comment and you'll get a single chance. 

I'll keep the window open for entries until tomorrow morning sometime.  Say 12 EST on the 22nd of May.   I will then randomly roll to determine the winner.  

What I Look for in a Gaming Product

Let me say this is just an off the cuff blog and not much has gone into this, but with so many people putting out their own products, including myself, I thought I would discuss a little of what I look for.  There are three main categories of products, rule sets, supplements and adventures.  At least that's how I break them down.

Rule Sets:
I usually only purchase fantasy setting products.  I will on occasion by Chthulhu and some mystery, but both of these are to add elements into my fantasy settings. I am not a huge fan of sci-fi or modern or historical warfare.  They don't float my boat, peel my banana or get my cookies off.  I'm not sure if I have a 'type' of fantasy rule set I like since I love rules light retro clones, but I also love the details of GURPS.  I will buy rule sets that I love to read if I find the material interesting enough, but never play such as Pendragon and Hackmaster 4th edition. 

Supplements:
These products tend to be my biggest section of purchases.  I love to read monster manuals and the one thousandth take on an orc or troll.  I love reading those specialized ecology books that goes into minute details about a critters bowel movement.  World building, city building, village building, building buildings books are almost an automatic buy.  Same as class construction or handbooks focused on a single class.  These are hit or miss.  Some are excellent, but a lot just suck and are just retreads by nothing new publishing.  Meta gaming stuff like publishing advice and artwork are great.  What I don't like is a lot of crunch in these.  The main reason why I disliked 3.5 so much was because of all the space stat blocks took.  It s 100 page book, but stat blocks take up 60 of those pages.  Hit the snooze button and I'll pass.

Adventures:
I buy a handful of these even though I write a bunch myself.  Tell me a good story with the adventure.  Don't just randomly roll on a table and plop it in the numbered room.  Take the time to tell a story and how its fits within it.  When I finish a module and feel dissatisfied I will take another look to see why I didn't like it and most of the time the adventure feels forced or like I said above, someone got happy with random tables, but didn't put the effort into smoothing out the edges and telling a story.  Its what I look for an adventure.  Without a story its not an adventures its just encounters. 

When I write my own products I write adventures and supplements I would want to buy.  I don't think you'll ever see an adventure of mine full of stat blocks or non-story driven.  I almost cringe when I say that because I think WoD gave being storyteller a bad name.  I always preferred story arcs over episodic encounters.

Speaking of gaming products I got two more scenarios done tonight for my new Starter Adventures.  The artwork is coming in and I'm very happy with it.  This is the first product I will have with original artwork so I am excited to see what it will look like when its done.  Have a great night.  I am exhausted. 

It's All in the Name

I am not a huge fan of fantasy names that are unpronounceable. I know when I am reading a fantasy novel and I come across a name like Tzrabroldvro the Wonderfully Dull, it becomes T or just plain dull. I would hurt myself if I tried to pronounce it. I say keep it simple and have some relevance linguistically and culturally. Too many folks just throw a bunch of letters together turn on the blender and make names out of the mess. You don't want reader to work that hard pronouncing names, but rather enjoy the story and adventure.

I know when I name my characters it's a critical step. A good name makes all the difference in how you play the character and how much you can get into it. The name become a part of that character's personality and how I play them. But I've made characters that I've never played in a game and use the names in stories, for NPCs and the occasional blog. The most successful names and memorable names I've had were just off normal a bit. Tastes of course vary, but my blog home, Gothridge Manor, is based off a character I ran called Vander Gothridge. Always liked that name. Used it in the MMORPGs I spent too many hours on. But the point is the name is easy to pronounce. No one will risk a sprained tongue saying it and it's easy to remember.

One side note, I just watched an interesting documentary on MMORPGs called Second Skin on Hulu. I think August 13th is the last day it will be on so give it a watch. It's pretty good.

My Top Five Movie Sword Fights

These choices are made from the movies I have seen. There are a lot of sword flicks out there I have not seen so of course they cannot be included. This list is the top five sword scenes that I remember and loved the best. Oh, and the movie quotes I am doing are from memory so they may not be exact.

5. Seven Samurai. Pick any sword fight in this movie. This movie captures the danger of sword fighting and how most are afraid to get into a serious fight. Some take a swing then run away. Watching Kyūzō with his calm and confidence use his sword with such efficiency was incredible. It really showed the difference of a true master swordsman vs. a soldier who hacks.

4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The sword fight with the Black Knight wasn't much of a fight, but more of a carving. Even though it wasn't much of a fight once you have seen it you aren't likely to ever forget it. "Tis but a scratch."

3. Star Wars. The first light saber battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan. Most will choose the first battle between Luke and Vader, but the first light saber duel stuck in my head for years after I first saw it. I racked my brain for years trying to figure out why Obi-Wan waited for Luke to witness his death. He just gave up. I mean what the hell, the kid lost his mother, doesn't know his father is the evilest man in the universe, and now uncle Ben decides to give him another dose of trauma.

2. Princess Bride. The fight between Indigo Montoya and Westley on the Cliffs of Insanity. This was such a great fight. "Why are you smiling?" "Because I am not really left handed." And it twists again. Not only is the sword play excellent, but also funny as hell.

1. Rob Roy. The final sword fight between the light footed, dexterous Cunningham (Tim Roth) against the strength and wide swinging Roy (Liam Neeson). I believe this most realistic sword fight on film. Roy dragging his sword blade on the floor, the small but draining cuts from Cunningham's sword and the unrefined determination of Roy at the end of the scene is what makes this sword fight stand out above all the others.

Honorable Mentions
Troy: The battle between Achilles and Hector. This movie could have also been called, Look at the Pretty Men Fight.
Blade: The final battle between Blade and newly transformed Blood God. Snipes should have sheathed his sword after the first movie.
The Count of Monte Cristo: The final battle scene between Edmond and Fernand. Justa all around great movie.
Excalibur: The fight between Arthur and Lancelot. "You have broken what could not be broken." Still my favorite King Arthur movie.
Hawk the Slayer: The final battle between Hawk and Zoltan. One of the best worst fantast movies of all time.

Today's Youth in Gaming

There's been rattling in the blogosphere about the kids of today and the future of RPGs. I've worked extensively with school-ages children over the past 12 years. In that time I've worked with over 100 children and families so I have some insight on how they think and why. Even with my experience I will never claim to be an expert because I never stopped learning from them. So not once will I say, "Because I'm me and I say so".

There are so many ways to approach this subject. I've heard the arguments that kids of today don't like to read. Of course there are those who don't, but there are many who still read and read a lot. The children who read today are better read than the kids I knew when I was young. Most gravitate to the biggies like Harry Potter, Twilight and whatever else is out there. But they are reading. And in my opinion the biggest and widest range of reading material out there getting the kids attention is the manga books. I know very little about them, but I know both girls and boys liked them and the trend is obvious these days. Go to a Barnes or Borders, the manga books selection is growing and in the prime traffic area.

Again there has been a lot of talk about the future or lack of future of RPG and the apparent success or the failure of RPGs making money. I tend to be more laid back on these subjects know that the ones who are smart and willing to evolve will survive the rest will fade into the mist of nostalgia. I see a good portion of the RPG community fading into that mist especially us old farts. I stand on the edge of the mist happily. The kids of today are not going to like what we liked. Games that evolve to capture the kid's attention will capture their money. I am not a lover of 4th edition D&D, but I think they were brave enough to take this step. They are appealing to the mass of WoW gamers and all the other MMORPGs look a likes. But WotC failed again to have the foresight to get their shit together and have that web based tabletop up and running. Personally, I don't understand how a company with that many resources continually screws the pooch.

The point is, we can continue to make the same old games and throw different descriptions on hit points, armor class, make up fancy names for equipment and monsters, but it's the same game. It's a game fewer younger people are interested in. When my generation of gamers started we were all on the same level. Everyone was figuring out this wonderful new game. We were all on the same mission. D&D was pretty much the only system so there were no arguments about editions or which system to play. It was simple. We just wanted to play.

Today there are thousands of forums and thousands of blogs dedicated to every minute detail. Can you imagine being an 11 year old kid walking into this massive world of conflicting ideas of systems, rules and editions spattered across the web? It's so much easier o fire up the XBox 360 and go hunt down your friends in Call of Duty 4 or go on a raid in WoW.

But do I think the gaming industry is dying? No. Can money be made in the gaming industry? Sure. Can you make a living from the gaming industry? A select few possibly. Do I think the kids of today will join RPGs? Absolutely. They just aren't concentrated in one area like they used to be.

Now go call your friends and get a game going. It's the weekend. Game on!

Doom? Oh, the Drama.

I agree with Rob at Bat in the Attic that if a quality and innovative product is created then it will sell. A profit can be made. What I am having a problem with is all the prognostication about industry booms 'once in a generation'. There's not enough information to make such a comment. Gaming has been around a little over thirty years, that's not even two generations. Yet I hear this comment over and over again. I think we need to get a real perspective of how long this hobby has existed. The once every generation seems a bit dramatic to me.

The problem and the asset for RPGs is the majority of the players are capable of producing their own campaigns and supplements. This is self-evident with all the people who blog who are putting out their own independent projects.

And I am guilty of this as much as anyone, but it seems so many of us are looking to the past of the industry instead of the future. We can only milk the past for so long. I'm a huge fan of the Old School Resistance, but I am also looking for that new project out there that's going to excite me. Something I've never seen and not something I get because it reminds me of days gone by.

Will it take 20 more years for the gaming industry to see another 'boom'? I doubt it. The boom will take as long as it takes for someone to create it.