Quote from: RPGPundit;523857It begins by saying that you'll basically need to read the entire gamebook, the novels, and anything else you can get your hands on.

In general, this is the sort of thing which has turned me off from many IPs.

When I found out how much reading/video material was required (whether real or perceived) for some IPs, I decided it wasn't worth my time and effort to go through it all.  (ie. Such as the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Dragonlance, pre-4E Forgotten Realms, The Sopranos, Simon & Simon, 24, etc ...)

This may be a personal character flaw on my part, but I have an extreme "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to stuff like this.  For reasons I don't understand, I either have to read/watch all the novels/books/episodes, etc ... or I won't bother with the IP at all.

For an IP which I have never read/watched before, which has several dozen or over a hundred novels, I just won't bother with it at all.  (Same thing with a tv show that I have never watched before, which has over 75 episodes).

As a corollary in a perverse way (in hindsight), I found it "liberating" when several rpg supplement treadmills I was on, came to an end.  (Whether figuratively or literally).

"Literal" past examples of this are:  Mongoose Runequest 2, 3PP 4E modules from Goodman, etc ...  and more recently WotC 4E D&D and generic D&D novels in the Nentir Vale.

More "figurative" past examples of this are: Mongoose Paranoia, Dragon Age rpg (Green Ronin), Pathfinder/Golarion, etc ... corresponding to some particular "event".


At this point, I'm somewhat reluctant to jump on to any recent or future "treadmills" like:  Mongoose Traveller 2300AD, Mongoose Legend, 5E D&D, Dungeon Crawl Classics rpg, 3E Fading Suns, etc ...

If you have not seen "You, too, CAN run Empire of the Petal Throne" then I suggest doing so. It is not yet complete but it is a nice guide as far as it goes.
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Quote from: ggroy;523865In general, this is the sort of thing which has turned me off from many IPs.

When I found out how much reading/video material was required (whether real or perceived) for some IPs, I decided it wasn't worth my time and effort to go through it all.  (ie. Such as the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Dragonlance, pre-4E Forgotten Realms, The Sopranos, Simon & Simon, 24, etc ...)

This may be a personal character flaw on my part, but I have an extreme "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to stuff like this.  For reasons I don't understand, I either have to read/watch all the novels/books/episodes, etc ... or I won't bother with the IP at all.

For an IP which I have never read/watched before, which has several dozen or over a hundred novels, I just won't bother with it at all.  (Same thing with a tv show that I have never watched before, which has over 75 episodes).

if it's a RPG or book IP, if i find it interesting enough, i'll dive in.  but a tv show, no way.  don't care for that time-sink.  at least with reading materials you can do it relatively anywhere, and your own pace.

Quote from: Greentongue;523943If you have not seen "You, too, CAN run Empire of the Petal Throne" then I suggest doing so. It is not yet complete but it is a nice guide as far as it goes.
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As I pointed out in the other Tekumel thread, this is somewhat better.

RPGPundit

Quote from: beeber;523952if it's a RPG or book IP, if i find it interesting enough, i'll dive in.  but a tv show, no way.  don't care for that time-sink.  at least with reading materials you can do it relatively anywhere, and your own pace.

Before 2011, I was very much like this.

During 2011, I gradually became the opposite.


Over 2011, I more or less stopped playing any regular rpg games, and only played a few occasional one-shot evening rpg games.  There was no point anymore in buying new rpg books if I was not going to be using them in an actual game (ie. 4E D&D, Mongoose Runequest 2, Pathfinder, etc ...).

I started buying and watching dvd season sets of tv shows.  (Mostly dvd sets I found in the bargain bins for $15 or less each).  Before 2011, I had very little to no interest in buying tv shows and movies on dvd.

For example, all the cash I originally had budgeted for buying new 4E D&D books (and other rpgs) in 2011, I ended up spending it all on buying the dvd sets of all 9 seasons of X-Files, all 7 seasons of MacGyver, all 8 seasons of Magnum PI, all 10 seasons of Stargate SG-1, etc ...

I didn't see any point in sinking more cash into 4E D&D, when my previous 4E group died back in December 2010.  I also didn't see any point anymore in buying more Mongoose Runequest 2 books, when my Runequest one-shot evening games were discontinued indefinitely.  (The other players didn't seem to like Runequest).

The time I use to sink into preparing for and playing my D&D games, now goes into watching these dvd sets of tv shows.

Also over 2011 and up to today, I've been reading less and less sci-fi and fantasy books.

For some reason, many novels I started reading seemed kinda generic or outright boring, that I stopped mid way without finishing.

These days I just don't have the patience anymore, for completing books which don't really capture my interest in the first several chapters.

Quote from: ggroy;524374Also over 2011 and up to today, I've been reading less and less sci-fi and fantasy books.

For some reason, many novels I started reading seemed kinda generic or outright boring, that I stopped mid way without finishing.

These days I just don't have the patience anymore, for completing books which don't really capture my interest in the first several chapters.

I seem to have the same problem. I don't know if it's a symptom of getting older or if today's stuff just really sucks.

Judging by every thread regarding them on this forum, I think that Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 are the hardest ones for some folk to get their heads into.

BTW, the novels aren't the best place to start.

Quote from: Xanador;524386I seem to have the same problem. I don't know if it's a symptom of getting older or if today's stuff just really sucks.

I think it is from becoming jaded. Once you have seen enough, it all starts to seem the same.

As the difficulty of getting several adults together on a consistent basis becomes more, the thrill of playing the same old thing becomes less.

This is why, for me, Magic the Gathering is still attractive. It provides fun, variety and an excuse to socialize while not requiring the same people to show up every time. While the basics of play are not complex, the consistent winning can be. With Archenemy and "Horde Deck" play against a GM can even be simulated.

*** But yeah, a lot of "today's stuff just really sucks"
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Quote from: Blackhand;524398Judging by every thread regarding them on this forum, I think that Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 are the hardest ones for some folk to get their heads into.

BTW, the novels aren't the best place to start.

"Gods in Heaven Forbid People Play Games Other Way Then I Do."

Warhammer is probably the easiest setting possible, because of Europe's rip - off.

Quote from: Xanador;524386I seem to have the same problem. I don't know if it's a symptom of getting older or if today's stuff just really sucks.

For myself, I can say definitively that it is the former case of getting older.

Awhile ago I was reading some HP Lovecraft stuff, which seemed kinda generic on a first read that I didn't bother finishing.  Similarly with some books by Moorcock and Phillip K Dick.  (These are titles published decades ago).

Quote from: Greentongue;524431I think it is from becoming jaded. Once you have seen enough, it all starts to seem the same.

...

*** But yeah, a lot of "today's stuff just really sucks"
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This is typically what happens as one gets older and has "seen it all" (whether figuratively or literally).

Stuff is rarely as exciting the second time around, and subsequent repetitions/iterations.

i stopped hanging with my gaming group 2009-10, so any purchases i make now are really just for reading, with the occasional stab at character generation.  i still read (more often on lunch hour) but my downtime is mostly video games these days (ps2, wii, sid meier's pirates, WoW).  

any purchases also tend to be stuff i wanted back in the 80s, or a pdf if it's something newer.  can't justify the shelf space if i'm not using it.  rogue trader was an exception, as i found a copy for half price on ebay

Quote from: beeber;524451i stopped hanging with my gaming group 2009-10, so any purchases i make now are really just for reading, with the occasional stab at character generation.

I did the "buying rpg books for reading" thing over 2010 and into early 2011.

I picked up the monthly Pathfinder adventure path books and various Golarion supplements for about a year and a half, after Paizo had already fully switched over to the Pathfinder rpg ruleset.  But after about a year or so, I found these titles to be rather generic and sometimes boring as reading material.

Similar story with 4E D&D + Essentials books, and also Mongoose Runequest 2.

Though eventually I may "complete" my collection of 4E D&D books, once they start showing up in the bargain bins.  (The last official WotC 4E book will be released in two months in May 2012).

Quote from: beeber;524451any purchases also tend to be stuff i wanted back in the 80s, or a pdf if it's something newer.  can't justify the shelf space if i'm not using it.  rogue trader was an exception, as i found a copy for half price on ebay

Same here.

I occasionally pick up old 1E AD&D modules I find at 2nd handed bookstores.