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CB Guide Volume 2 {Discussion}

Started by Ishmayl-Retired, October 18, 2006, 10:17:17 PM

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Ishmayl-Retired

October 18, 2006, 10:17:17 PM Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Xeviat
Discuss what you like, dislike, etc about the second issue.  Feel free to leave your thanks to Eldo and staff for an excellent job, as well.
!turtle Ishmayl, Overlord of the CBG

- Proud Recipient of the Kishar Badge
- Proud Wearer of the \"Help Eldo Set up a Glossary\" Badge
- Proud Bearer of the Badge of the Jade Stage
- Part of the WikiCrew, striving to make the CBG Wiki the best wiki in the WORLD

For finite types, like human beings, getting the mind around the concept of infinity is tough going.  Apparently, the same is true for cows.

Hibou

#1
October 19, 2006, 08:25:00 AM
Kickass.
[spoiler=GitHub]https://github.com/threexc[/spoiler]

SA

#2
October 19, 2006, 09:28:28 AM
Just a few niggling issues:

"The Horror" really left me hanging.  It gave one good example of how to implement it (I've done similar to great effect), but could have benefitted from being a little more general.  Thanfully, WitchHunt elaborates, but had the end read "more on horror later in the issue!" or somesuch, it would have alleviated much of my initial sense of disappointment at the brevity of the article.

"The Gates of Hell" is good and all, but it seems more like a summary than a review.  If I want to know specifically what material is covered in the book, then the review suffices, but it doesn't really give me any idea how well this is achieved.  I would have preferred to at least hear something like "the wording in the spell seed descriptions is rather ambiguous, and leaves the DM at somewhat of a loss as to how they can be applied in play".  Nevertheless, it was well written, and served a purpose, albeit not the one I'd expected.

No real issues with anything else in the issue, except...

More!  It's an awesome periodical, but it seems over too quickly...

'Course, if that's a problem, maybe I should stop bitching and really think about making some contributions of my own.

Elven Doritos

#3
October 19, 2006, 09:31:10 AM
Quote from: Salacious Angel'Course, if that's a problem, maybe I should stop bitching and really think about making some contributions of my own.

Truer words hath never been spoken, my man...
Oh, how we danced and we swallowed the night
For it was all ripe for dreaming
Oh, how we danced away all of the lights
We've always been out of our minds
-Tom Waits, Rain Dogs

SA

#4
October 19, 2006, 09:36:04 AM
;) Then I'll do just that.

But where's the discussion thread gonna be for the next issue?  I want in!

Elven Doritos

#5
October 19, 2006, 09:38:50 AM
Y'mean this?
Oh, how we danced and we swallowed the night
For it was all ripe for dreaming
Oh, how we danced away all of the lights
We've always been out of our minds
-Tom Waits, Rain Dogs

Ishmayl-Retired

#6
October 19, 2006, 02:38:22 PM
Quote from: Salacious Angel"The Horror" really left me hanging.  It gave one good example of how to implement it (I've done similar to great effect), but could have benefitted from being a little more general.  Thanfully, WitchHunt elaborates, but had the end read "more on horror later in the issue!" or somesuch, it would have alleviated much of my initial sense of disappointment at the brevity of the article.

Heh, I'm flattered that you took my little story and editorial to be anything more than it is.  :)  I wasn't really going for the full-blown article per se.  :)
!turtle Ishmayl, Overlord of the CBG

- Proud Recipient of the Kishar Badge
- Proud Wearer of the \"Help Eldo Set up a Glossary\" Badge
- Proud Bearer of the Badge of the Jade Stage
- Part of the WikiCrew, striving to make the CBG Wiki the best wiki in the WORLD

For finite types, like human beings, getting the mind around the concept of infinity is tough going.  Apparently, the same is true for cows.

Túrin

#7
October 19, 2006, 05:44:55 PM
It was listed in a way that made it initially indistinguishable from magic, I mean from a full-blown article, at least until you'd hit the end of page one of the article and wondered where the rest was. ;)


Excellent issue. Lots of thanks to ElDo and his staff (Natural 20, Raelifin and Epic Meepo, if I'm not mistaken)! Praise goes to all writers (I had the praises written out for each article individually, but then my post vanished, sorry guys).

As a minor point, I wouldn't put two reviews next to each other, especially not as the opening articles of the Guide.

As another minor point, I thought there would be a Theme Wars article in this issue (hence I thought I could safely refer to the terms Ethocentric and DivSet)? Wasn't CYMRO dealing with this?

Túrin
Proud owner of a Golden Dorito Award
My setting Orden's Mysteries is no longer being updated


"Then shall the last battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Melko, and on his right shall stand Fionwe and on his left Turin Turambar, son of Hurin, Conqueror of Fate; and it shall be the black sword of Turin that deals unto Melko his death and final end; and so shall the Children of Hurin and all men be avenged." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Shaping of Middle-Earth

Elven Doritos

#8
October 19, 2006, 05:47:39 PM
Quote from: TúrinAs another minor point, I thought there would be a Theme Wars article in this issue (hence I thought I could safely refer to the terms Ethocentric and DivSet)? Wasn't CYMRO dealing with this?

Túrin

The DivSet wrap-up was something like 27 pages, so we're saving that for a "special edition" when we're content lite.

That's why we put in the blurb, so all is well. :)
Oh, how we danced and we swallowed the night
For it was all ripe for dreaming
Oh, how we danced away all of the lights
We've always been out of our minds
-Tom Waits, Rain Dogs

Túrin

#9
October 23, 2006, 10:35:57 AM
Something I just noted: on the Index page of the new issue, the Contributing Authors line hasn't been changed. It lists the same people as in issue #1, which is slightly off.

Something else which I noted as I was looking for this thread so as to post the above note: why is this thread in the Dragon's Den and not in the Campaign Builders' Guide subforum? Even Campaign Elements and Design, Meta and the Cogs seemed more likely places to me, so I had a hard time finding this thread.

Túrin
Proud owner of a Golden Dorito Award
My setting Orden's Mysteries is no longer being updated


"Then shall the last battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Melko, and on his right shall stand Fionwe and on his left Turin Turambar, son of Hurin, Conqueror of Fate; and it shall be the black sword of Turin that deals unto Melko his death and final end; and so shall the Children of Hurin and all men be avenged." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Shaping of Middle-Earth

Elven Doritos

#10
October 23, 2006, 10:57:16 AM
Quote from: TúrinSomething I just noted: on the Index page of the new issue, the Contributing Authors line hasn't been changed. It lists the same people as in issue #1, which is slightly off.

Something else which I noted as I was looking for this thread so as to post the above note: why is this thread in the Dragon's Den and not in the Campaign Builders' Guide subforum? Even Campaign Elements and Design, Meta and the Cogs seemed more likely places to me, so I had a hard time finding this thread.

Túrin

I've posed these questions to the appropriate authorities in the past; Meeps is going to get me a revised version as soon as he can, and I have no clue why this thread is in the wrong forum.
Oh, how we danced and we swallowed the night
For it was all ripe for dreaming
Oh, how we danced away all of the lights
We've always been out of our minds
-Tom Waits, Rain Dogs

Ishmayl-Retired

#11
October 23, 2006, 04:38:38 PM
heh... whoops!  my bad   :weirdo:
!turtle Ishmayl, Overlord of the CBG

- Proud Recipient of the Kishar Badge
- Proud Wearer of the \"Help Eldo Set up a Glossary\" Badge
- Proud Bearer of the Badge of the Jade Stage
- Part of the WikiCrew, striving to make the CBG Wiki the best wiki in the WORLD

For finite types, like human beings, getting the mind around the concept of infinity is tough going.  Apparently, the same is true for cows.

Thanuir

#12
October 24, 2006, 09:44:47 AM
It doesn't have much advice on actually designing settings. The advice on scaling is nice, but how does stuff like that actually affect play? Does it really matter? Is this a function of play style?

That would be very valuable content.
I, unfortunately, lack the expertise to write such articles on settings.

Raelifin

#13
October 24, 2006, 10:58:29 AM
Scaling is important in determining the distance between two points. Why is this important? Mainly for travel times in games, but also for developing internal realism for the system.  I don't think play style factors in at all, really. For horror or romance, for grit or high fantasy, it never hurts to ask "Are we there yet."

I think you're looking for the same thing I am when it comes to the guide - world design theory and practice. Existing content doesn't do any good, because we're builders! We want to make it ourselves! It's only the meta-advice that really makes an impact.

Correct me if I'm wrong there. I just made muchos grande asunción (and my Spanish sucks ^_^).

Thanuir

#14
October 28, 2006, 12:32:42 PM
[blockquote=Raelifin]I think you're looking for the same thing I am when it comes to the guide - world design theory and practice. Existing content doesn't do any good, because we're builders! We want to make it ourselves! It's only the meta-advice that really makes an impact.[/blockquote]Mostly theory, but it can often be advanced through practice.

That doesn't mean ready content; more like advice on what kinds of content are good for which purposes, how do they interact, and that sort of stuff.

(I usually don't measure distances in anything but days of travel; my point about play styles and such was more generic, as in I want some content on how setting desgin affects them. That said, travel time is not important for all styles. It can often be handwaved when skipping to the next interesting event. Also, games spanning very long time periods (e.g. Ars Magica or Pendragon) usually make specific distances less important.)
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