I really want to reply here. but the place to discuss the economy overall isn't on the gaming threads. Pundit's subform has a thread for it though.

Quote from: FASAfan;1136701In fact, I bought the core ACKS books only after I learned of all the silly, white knight crap the author was getting. I support OSR and I love Pundit's stuff, too.  I've happily bought it.  I'll basically support anyone (after a bit of research) who's been boycotted or has been threatened with such by the great woke legions.

This. "Voting with your wallet" has to include spending money on products from those small publishers we like, as well as refraining from purchasing from those we don't.

Quote from: FelixGamingX1;1136783Very optimistic, be prepared though. The second wave will truly test us as a functional society.
It will be several years until we fully understand the massive economical damage inflicted by covid.
Small businesses going bankrupt is sadly only the beginning. I fear a total chain store capitalist takeover.

Only if we have an alternate universe to compare it with.

Quote from: Zalman;1136792This. "Voting with your wallet" has to include spending money on products from those small publishers we like, as well as refraining from purchasing from those we don't.

Stick with 3.5 OGL then, don't buy a 5th edition or 6th edition.

Quote from: Tom Kalbfus;1136780That's only because of the virus. The economy is fine, it just has been put on pause.

The economy was on the verge of collapse: Seigniorage does not work. It does, however, keep asset price bubbles inflated. Debt levels are 50% higher than the GFC - and that's before taking into account the massive explosion in unfunded liabilities.

If anything, the virus will be a convenient scapegoat for the collapse that was going to happen anyway.

Quote from: Scrivener of Doom;1136800The economy was on the verge of collapse: Seigniorage does not work. It does, however, keep asset price bubbles inflated. Debt levels are 50% higher than the GFC - and that's before taking into account the massive explosion in unfunded liabilities.

If anything, the virus will be a convenient scapegoat for the collapse that was going to happen anyway.

Economy never fully recovered since 2007, but in the last 3 years things were definitely walking in the right direction. And then I haven't left the house much since Mid March. Dollars not circulating x few million people = Recession time
Think I'll be working from home till next year, I don't miss the outside world at all.

will say the mental gymnastics from the butt kissers trying to say what Paizo did is good and okay is kind of sad. "well it's okay to have skull and shackles as a pirate themed AP because pirates are not a problem in America yet playing as fantasy police is because of the issues with police now.

Quote from: Scrivener of Doom;1136800The economy was on the verge of collapse: Seigniorage does not work. It does, however, keep asset price bubbles inflated. Debt levels are 50% higher than the GFC - and that's before taking into account the massive explosion in unfunded liabilities.

If anything, the virus will be a convenient scapegoat for the collapse that was going to happen anyway.

We don't know what was going to happen anyway, we only know what did happen.

Quote from: sureshot;1136805will say the mental gymnastics from the butt kissers trying to say what Paizo did is good and okay is kind of sad. "well it's okay to have skull and shackles as a pirate themed AP because pirates are not a problem in America yet playing as fantasy police is because of the issues with police now.

Depends on what kind of pirates, we have copyright pirates that can copy their books and sell them on the street, if the cops are defunded, then it's too bad for Paizo, because then they would have no one to call, I hope they realize that!

Quote from: Zalman;1136792This. "Voting with your wallet" has to include spending money on products from those small publishers we like, as well as refraining from purchasing from those we don't.

   Which is why I've been making a point of buying independent novels and RPG supplements, supporting some new publishing houses, and backing Kickstarters lately.

  At this point, the 'biggest' publishers I pay attention to are probably Troll Lord Games, Pinnacle Entertainment Group, and The Design Mechanism.

TBP also finally got wind of it and fun enough not much traffic for the thread on the D20 Fantasy section unless it is hidden somewhere else .

Quote from: Armchair Gamer;1136809Which is why I've been making a point of buying independent novels and RPG supplements, supporting some new publishing houses, and backing Kickstarters lately.

  At this point, the 'biggest' publishers I pay attention to are probably Troll Lord Games, Pinnacle Entertainment Group, and The Design Mechanism.

The Indie market's being taken more serious since a few years back. 10 Years ago, anything labeled indie was a hard pass.
The problem with that is, people abuse privileges to push biased agendas through literature, not much different than the news.
There are small publishers out there that all they do is spread misinformation and throw dirt at others hoping to benefit themselves.
You have no idea how tough, and disgusting it can be for legit writers to come to the surface. It's like a trial where you start in the maze-like sewers and have to make your way to the surface. When you finally see the light of day, you're still covered in shit, until you can finally take a shower and breathe.

Sometimes you see buyers bitch and moan about stupid things like, a barely noticeable pixelated art or how they believe they are entitled to more because their dollars are worth gold, how your game should be more like so and so, or this and that, etc...

I'm still surprised there's no rating protection on dtrpg. I can't sell my games for under a certain amount because of bogus 1 star reviews (like what happened to Knights & Legends 2e) without comments that actually explain why. It's a lose or lose for independent writers. Specially in a market where SJW/woke people have a large percentage of influence. That's why I wish people were less of jerks and appreciated the games real independent writers take their time and money to develop.

Quote from: FelixGamingX1;1136821I'm still surprised there's no rating protection on dtrpg.

Because then it will be a paid feature used to support the big names primarily . While consumers sure as heck can be entitled, I'm not sure how your argument isn't reversible on its head. How your not entitled to their money, and how much labor they went through to get that money, and how your not entitled to their praise.

Quote from: Shrieking Banshee;1136823Because then it will be a paid feature used to support the big names primarily . While consumers sure as heck can be entitled, I'm not sure how your argument isn't reversible on its head. How your not entitled to their money, and how much labor they went through to get that money, and how your not entitled to their praise.

Greetings!

Hey Shrieking my friend! Well, what is with the assumptions of "entitlement" at all, you know? Make a good product--and *some* people are sure to appreciate you and your work--while other people for whatever reason, will not approve of whatever you do. Fuck 'em, you know? You can't please everyone. Some people too, tend to be negative and hyper critical, and enjoy grinding anyone for anything, you know?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: Tom Kalbfus;1136748Their first edition. Core rules are good, they are just a slightly modified version of D&D 3.5, I don't like buying adventures as $39 hard cover books that cover levels from 1 to 20. I don't want my campaign to be dictated by chapters in a 1 to 20th level adventure. I like the original concept of a dungeon, you know an adventure which provides your character with no more than 3 levels of advancement, a dungeon should cost no more than $10 to $15 at most, the DM should be able to insert it into his campaign rather than have the adventure be the campaign!

Yeah, I have seen their first edition -- still hate the aesthetic. I cannot stand anything 3.x/PF after years of trying it. I still keep hearing Fantasy Craft is the perfection of the 3.x/PF aesthetic, and one day I may try, but I have less patience with 'suffering for my fun' as it were. Better to enjoy what I like, life is short. And you do the same, too! Enjoy your fun!

That said, I do think your comment on Module Size is an interesting topic. I think Paizo is very savvy that their customer model is mostly "completionist collectors" who no longer play regularly. It is sort of like the comic book market with fans who aged from neurotic children who had to read every issue into OCD adults with a bigger toy budget but no longer read the pull list issues they keep in perfect condition.

Which, sure, I get it: Cater to your fans! But also you need to get new blood.

And I think their (Paizo) vision of new blood is Twitter analytics-based, which is... questionable (see: Comics brave new world of 2014... ). Whereas I believe you (and DCC) are correct: Smaller, Cheaper Digests/Issues for players who don't have time to prepare. I see an opportunity there, and outside of DCC and Roll & Told comic seems woefully empty real estate.

Reminds me, I need to return to my idea using CCG cards to generate Micro-SandBox & their Domain BBEGs... Sorta like old Birthright domain folios but way smaller in scope.