Luke agreed to answer some of my (and I suppose also other) questions here.

Quote from: AlnagNevertheless for the matter of facts. I would like to hear some facts about you, your motivations, your methods, reactions to your methods and your opinion on "dark side" of the forge/indie movement and such things. We can open new topic for that, because this one is seriously derailed. You can of course request something similar from me, if you wish...

Please respect the nature of the thread and try not to derail it from its Questions & Answers nature. If you want to comment, do it elsewhere.

Neat! I'll answer what I can to the best of my ability. Alnag, please try to read my posts charitably and I'll do the same for yours -- let's try to assume the best of each other. We are fighting with a language barrier and it'd be shame to let that get in the way.

-L

1) So, well... as far as I am able to perceive, you claim, that there is no war (war between Forgies and say the rest of the RPG gaming world, or traditional players or whatever is the proper name). How would you describe the situation then?

2) You publish a game and not only one, if I am correct. What were your motivations for doing so? There are plenty of games out there, why to make a new one? Why bother? Why dilute already quite diluted hobby?

3) I've often note claims of some people, that only indie games produce inovations to otherwise stanganting RPGs? How do you feel about this? What is you position?

That might be a good start I guess. Sorry for any mistakes. It is my first Q&A in english

1) Well, I've been friends with Ron, Matt S, Clinton, Ralph, Mike, Jake, Jared, Vincent, Em, Tony, Matt W, etc. since 2003. I've organized the Forge Booth for Gencon twice. I'm a moderator at the Forge. So I've got an insider's view. And I can tell you, we don't sit around talking about how we're out to get you guys. If anything, we think it's funny how militant and angry some of the reactions are.

We're just a circle of friends doing what we love.

2) In five years, I've published 2 games (not including the revision), one anthology, 3 supplements and helped produce Judd's Dictionary of Mu. (I think it amounts to 10 books in all.) I decided to publish out of sheer bravado -- like many others, I felt like I had a new perspective to offer. I think Burning Wheel is still a fresh take on fantasy gaming.

3) I don't know about that. I don't think anyone is the only source of anything. I do think the culture of small press and "indie games" is currently an innovator in the hobby and industry. I know for a fact that designers at big houses are playing small press games (and enjoying them). I also feel that, outside of the small press stuff, tabletop RPGs seemed to have stopped experimenting in the late 90s and early 00s. I see a lot of games with a new cool setting draped over the same basic rules structure. But that last part is only my opinion.

How's that?

Nice, thak you. Let's follow with some of the new directions derived from your answers then...

4) I must admit, I hesitate, how to formulate this question. Why do you think, the negative response is funny? What is the funny part, because I don't get it. To me, it is more sad, if anything. Also, do you have (have you had) some urge to react to it somehow?

5) yet in reaction to answer one... and what is it, you actually love?

6) Also, some people might have a feeling, that some proponents of indie-movement are elitists. (Hence the denomination "swine", I guess). That they perceive themselves as better than rest of the players. Do you think that you are eltist? Or do you think, that there might be this feeling in indie-movement or someone in particular?

7) That is quite impressive amount I guess. So, it was a bravado that made you publish these games. What is it now, that drives you to publish new versions and/or supplements (I've heard about some Japanese one, I think). Is it still bravado or something else? Any new motives appears during that time?

What do you think, are the reasons for that lack of experimentations of big houses? Also, I've heard that claim about designers at big houses playing small press games and also opposite frome some of these designers. Any acutal evidence for that?

9) I must ask in reaction to nr. 3... what is you personal opinion of d20 movement and its impact on a hobby, experimentation, inovation, small press and big houses etc.?

Ok! More answers.

4) I think it's funny because we're being accused of being these evil people waging a war to destroy fun, but I hang out with the accused all the time.  I've worked in film, television and advertising; I know evil. They're not evil. The furor of the accusations is pretty amusing from where I'm sitting.

5) I love making and playing tabletop roleplaying games, and playing games in general.

6) There are elitists in every group. I get called an elitist all the time, 99% of the time it's on the internet. Doesn't bother me at all. My actions speak for themselves. In the end, if I'm remembered as an elitist, then so be it. I try to share my experience and knowledge and help publishers get started on the right foot all the time.

7) It's really not that many books. I'm sure Clash and Bill have produced more in the same amount of time. I keep doing it because I love it. I want to keep pushing and experimenting and playing games!

Pure speculation: The RPG industry thought it was dead in the post-Magic, post-Pokemon world. It had fallen into a comfortable place prior to Magic and Pokemon and when that world got rocked, things must have looked pretty grim. As it turns out, it was just a shake up and things are bad, but it's certainly not the end.

8b) I'm friends with Mike Mearls and I know he's played Inspectres and I'm pretty darn sure he looks forward to his annual OctaNe game at GenCon every year. Black Hat Matt (of White Wolf fame, don't recall his last name) sat down and played Burning Empires with me at Origins and we had a good time. Ken Hite (formerly of SJG) loves Burning Wheel and Sorcerer. Peter Adkison (former CEO of WotC) played Bill White's Ganakagok (how's that for obscure) at Origins and loved it. He also comes to the Forge Booth every year and pretty much buys one of everything.

9) That's a mighty big question. I think the short answer is "I think DnD, d20 and OGL are great!" I don't think it had an effect on experimentation and innovation, at least not the radicial stuff that I'm thinking of. I think it had a great effect on publishing houses big and small.

How's that?

So your position then, Luke, is that there is absolutely no just cause in the negative reactions people give out to the Forge and the Forge's games/mentality? There is no elitism going on in the "indie Movement"?  There is no condemnation going, whole or partial, open or implied, of regular roleplayers?

If that is so, then I'd be very interested to hear your explanation of WHY you think these reactions happen.  I mean, your prior comments indicate that you DO in fact acknowledge that they exist, that a lot of people online are upset with the Forge for SOME reason; so what do you think that reason is?

RPGPundit

Luke> Have you considered releasing a toolkit addendum to Burning Empires that would let players bust open some of the more setting-specific details (for example, the bonuses given to either side during the world burner or the skill list) to make it a generic sci-fi RPG?

Luke, I know you don't really discuss future releases, but what would say Burning Wheel will be looking at in terms of support in terms of stuff published by you in the near future (outside of your GC release)?  It's a game that has a lot of fan material already; do you see plenty more out there for you personally to do with it?

Q: Where did you get those bitchin' red eyeglass frames?

Pundit,
It's an oddly framed question. I could answer it with a broad "of course there might be cause," but that's not productive.

I think the Forge as a faceless group is an entirely benign entity. I think that group has made and is in the process of making roleplaying games better and more fun.

I think that there are individuals within the group who are caustic or indigestible. Their opinions seem radical and exclusive, but this is the case within any group. Especially a group dedicated to change and experimentation. It's also natural to react in a hostile manner to change and radical ideas.

I do not think mainstream games and gamers are an aggreived party in the Case Against the Forge. The people I know who have come out of the Forge movement are generally open-minded and wish to see all rp gaming prosper. The faceless group of individuals who congregated at the Forge are not in concert to bring down Wizards and establish a new world order. But tabletop RPGing is on the slide. So there's a lot of room for growth and change.

Pseudo,
Yep. Not on the BWHQ table at the moment, but it's definitely on the To-Do list.

Zach,
At least two more "core" books for BW.

James,
Lenscrafters!

thanks, guys.
-L

Have you considered other setting-specific applications? For example, you have Burning Wheel for fantasy and Burning Empires for sci-fi, but have you considered a modern detective (or espionage or whatever) version?

In Burning Empires, it is mentioned that the game is meant to be a competition between the GM and the players.  Yet, some aspects of the game (for example, difficulties and award points) break entirely if the GM is antagonistic.

Is the game truly supposed to be a competition with the GM constrained and using every tool available to him to cause his opponents to fail, or is the GM supposed to take it easy on the players (like most games)?

What was the highest level you played a D&D character to?

I think, we are touching some interesting stuff. I hope it is not too harsh for you. ;-)

10) about that evil accusations... I think, one of the reasons for perceiving the Forge as evil is the common nature of "Forge attack". Let me explain. Once the discussion for one of the Forge-proponents became to harsh, he suddenly summons 2d6 others to help him. Or so it seems... it makes an impression of conspiracy. Do you think this is happening? And if so, is it conspiracy or maybe natural impact of the character of Forge community? Or maybe it is just in the eye of beholder?

11) about helping other publisher... so you are not scared of possible competition? Do you percive the RPG market as competition at all? Does your possible rivals stimulate you to making better stuff or not?

12) yet about innovations... 7ème Cercle, Alderac Entertaiment Group, Atlas Games, Eden Studios, Fantasy Flight Games, Green Ronin Publishing, Guardians of Order, Pelgrane Press or Rackham... Big Houses or Small Presses? Innovative or traditional in last years?

13) and yet another about innovations... do you think your games are innovative? Which parts do you suppose are the most innovative? Where did you inspired, where does the ideas come frome? What were your RPG inspirations?

14) about pushing... do you think one can be pushing and experimenting so much, that he leaves the RPG field altogether and start to doing something completely new? Maybe without noticing first? Is it possible, that your or some other games you know are actually near to this?

Nevertheless I must say your answers are impressive so far. Maybe it will in the end offer some middle ground to find a common standpoint. Well, we will see...