Re: [HOE] Hell on Earth d20

["Matthew Weaver-Uzelac" <redbird47@hotmail.com>]

>
>(Snip)
>On Tue, 11 Dec 2001 PEGShane@aol.com wrote:
>
> > We are doing Hell on Earth D20 for early next year--about April.
> >
> > Shane
> >
>
>thats not going to hold up the release of Lost Colony is it?
>or affect the release dates of any new HOE stuff?
>please?
>
><fx> Lost Puppy Look </fx>
>
>--
>  jconstable@pobox.com
>


Hey all, I don't mean to start something (so forgive me in advance if I do 
for stating my opinion) but this whole d20 bandwagon has "Bad news" written 
all over it in big blood-red letters (with smelly paint even.)
I'm sorry, d20 is a passible system for playing D+D, but it absolutle sucks 
for anything else.  Any game that is based in a modern system is hamstrung 
by the duel concepts of class/level.  Think about it.  We define ourselves 
not by a title, but by a skillset and how stong we are with a skillset.  I 
don't say "I'm an 8th level teacher," or "you only a 3rd level construction 
worker"  You say "I'm great with computers."  or "I'm rather horrible at 
sales, but I am good with my people."
When I do Archtypes for the "Gimme Shelter" Webbsite (Plug plug-happy Matt?) 
I think of a backgroud for a character, and try to include those skillsets.  
My "Savage Father" was designed around the concept of drifter-bum turned 
tribal leader living in the wilds.  What class would that be? What if I want 
to do an old soldier with an academic background (Like J.L. Chamberlin) Or a 
Maze Piarate who used to be Debutant?  What class would those be?  Classes 
narrowly define the character, but no REAL literary character fits into 
neatly defined rolls (Conan and merlin being the exceptions.)  Class/level 
LIMITS character creation.
I understand Shane&Co. reasoning behind having d20 "main books" but I'm 
sorry, the system is not as good as 80% of the games out there.  Why is 
everyone in the game design community jumping on this horse?  As I said 
before (with the exception of D+D)d20 sucks.  The only reason why it has 
this concept of "the new industry standard" is because Wizards says "this is 
the new industry standards."
So because Wizards says so, everyone converts to d20?  What the hell?  Since 
when does the game industry submit everything just because some jag-off in 
Seattle says so?  If they also said to jump off a bridge...well, you get the 
idea.  It's like Tom Sawyer whitewashing a fence telling all the boys in the 
town "oh this is so much fun."  Problem is the gaming companies are saying 
"Why sure Tom, can we do it too?"
Everyone at PEG, I do love your work, I just worry when I see everyone in 
the industry shambling down the same (very narrow and dead end) path.

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.

Doc Firefly out...

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