ENnies

Effete · August 09, 2022, 03:55:00 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 09, 2022, 03:36:54 PM
Played the board game twice. I hated it. Every faction is essentially playing its own game. Cats are not necessarily capitalists. I think they were closer to communist. Now the Birds represent a monarchy, and they can be hell to play in the board game with their weird command card rules. Lizards were a cult. Beavers were traders and a source for mercenaries...effectively war profiteers.

So, in short, I think your theory is incorrect and you're trying to overthink it. More likely is it got points for being linked to a fairly popular board game among those players that overlap into RPGs.

That's fair enough.
I was only speculating based on what I've read. I have not played the boardgame.

Eirikrautha · August 10, 2022, 12:22:35 AM

Quote from: Effete on August 09, 2022, 03:29:34 PM
Quote from: Mistwell on August 08, 2022, 04:54:24 PM

Best Game
Silver: Root: The RPG
Gold: Thirsty Sword Lesbians

So the two winners for Best Game are both PbtA games. Funny thing is, I always felt that PbtA games had a "boardgame" feel to them, so imagine my shock when I found out Root was originally a boardgame. So the runner-up for Best Game is a derivative licensed product that probably plays fairly similar to the original.

But why did it win?
It might have something to do with turning the Marquis de Cat (a playable faction in the original game) into the main villian of the rpg. The Cats are characterized by industry and expansion (it's how they win in the original game) so obviously they represent capitalism and colonialism, right? And of course the factions that win through thievery or manipulation are the "good guys."

Occam's Razor: The people voting at ENWorld are generally representative of the folks who post on their message boards, people who seem to talk about RPGs far more than they play them. I've read some of the stupidest takes (back when I actually visited that site... It's been years, and I doubt things have improved any) there, which leads me to believe that the average poster there is posting hypotheticals about what they think RPGs are like, as opposed to opinions based in experience. So, basically, they are picking RPGs as if they are mostly non-gamers... which they are...

Skullking · August 10, 2022, 04:28:25 AM

I'm sure the posters at EN World think their voting is 'stunning and brave'.

HappyDaze · August 10, 2022, 05:00:50 AM

Quote from: Skullking on August 10, 2022, 04:28:25 AM
I'm sure the posters at EN World think their voting is 'stunning and brave'.

Just like your criticism.

Skullking · August 10, 2022, 12:56:16 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 10, 2022, 05:00:50 AM
Quote from: Skullking on August 10, 2022, 04:28:25 AM
I'm sure the posters at EN World think their voting is 'stunning and brave'.
Just like your criticism.

Ba Dum Tsss

Valatar · August 10, 2022, 04:28:34 PM

I like the Root board game well enough, and I'm sure the setting could be viable for some interesting games. But anything using PbtA automatically goes right into the trash for me, because it tells me that the designer couldn't be bothered to come up with decent mechanics for their setting and just schlocked in the world's laziest system. If they had at least opted for an actual decent generic mechanics set like Savage Worlds, I'd give them a pass, but PbtA is short for zero-effort kickstarter garbage in my book, which is only borne out by bookshelf-warmers like Sword Lesbians using it.

Mistwell · August 10, 2022, 06:33:08 PM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 10, 2022, 12:22:35 AM

Occam's Razor: The people voting at ENWorld are generally representative of the folks who post on their message boards, people who seem to talk about RPGs far more than they play them. I've read some of the stupidest takes (back when I actually visited that site... It's been years, and I doubt things have improved any) there, which leads me to believe that the average poster there is posting hypotheticals about what they think RPGs are like, as opposed to opinions based in experience. So, basically, they are picking RPGs as if they are mostly non-gamers... which they are...

Pretty sure this is not a fan voting award. I think they have a panel of judges (maybe 5 of them) and they decide? I know one of the judges and I can attest he definitely games.

Krazz · August 15, 2022, 05:47:18 PM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 07, 2022, 10:15:41 PM
Quote from: Zelen on August 07, 2022, 05:38:37 PM
I stopped visiting ENWorld because their politics became insufferable. I couldn't care less about what they do, although it'd be fun to do an RPGSite awards or something similar.

Agreed.

Masters
And
Gamers
Appreciation
Award.
MAGAA.

Perhaps we could have an inclusivity award for games that welcome those shunned by the mega-corps of RPG land. And a diversity award for games covering the sort of territory that Big RPG is afraid to cover.

Mistwell · August 17, 2022, 12:05:55 PM

Guys, this is the ENNIES thread. There is zero purpose to a second thread on this same, literally identical topic.

Cathode Ray · August 18, 2022, 12:59:36 PM

I've seen the game. The only reason it won was for its title and theme, not for its content or gameplay.

Effete · August 19, 2022, 03:16:33 AM

Quote from: Cathode Ray on August 18, 2022, 12:59:36 PM
I've seen the game. The only reason it won was for its title and theme, not for its content or gameplay.

Well, it's PbtA. For some reason, SJWs gravitate toward that particular system.

zircher · August 19, 2022, 12:52:43 PM

Quote from: Effete on August 19, 2022, 03:16:33 AM
Well, it's PbtA. For some reason, SJWs gravitate toward that particular system.

It's easy to hack, people were given permissions to do so early on, and playbooks enforce specific behaviors. Not a surprise really.

I've really enjoyed some PbtA games. But then, there are also plenty of wretched ones in the mix.

Valatar · August 19, 2022, 03:15:48 PM

Quote from: Effete on August 19, 2022, 03:16:33 AM
Well, it's PbtA. For some reason, SJWs gravitate toward that particular system.

Because it's free so they don't have to pay anyone to know anything about dice or math and can focus on crapping out a kickstarter about superheroes who force hormone pills into children and set the local CVS on fire.

Effete · August 19, 2022, 03:28:41 PM

Quote from: zircher on August 19, 2022, 12:52:43 PM
Quote from: Effete on August 19, 2022, 03:16:33 AM
Well, it's PbtA. For some reason, SJWs gravitate toward that particular system.
It's easy to hack, people were given permissions to do so early on, and playbooks enforce specific behaviors. Not a surprise really.

I've really enjoyed some PbtA games. But then, there are also plenty of wretched ones in the mix.

Yeah, I'm currently in a Blades in the Dark game. Putting aside EvilHat's politics, I dig the tone and atmosphere of the setting (and the entire book is on Anyflip, so no one needs to pay a cent for it). The only issue is the GM doesn't really know how to run the game, so parts of it are a slog.

Quote from: Valatar on August 19, 2022, 03:15:48 PM
Because it's free so they don't have to pay anyone to know anything about dice or math and can focus on crapping out a kickstarter about superheroes who force hormone pills into children and set the local CVS on fire.

Is that Masks?
I heard that game is hot garbage, but I never looked into it myself.

zircher · August 19, 2022, 05:22:06 PM

Masks certainly sits at the intersection of Cool and Cringe. Some parts of it are very good, but stuff like the damage system is... well... a dysfunctional human simulator. Another big problem are the players, the rules specifically state that you can change things, but it's REEEE all the way down if you try to fix anything. The community has some serious issues. [I know this from the horror stories of a friend of mine that tried.]