Kevin Crawford is almost an auto-buy for me. His stuff works when actually playing the game, which greatly increases the value of the product.
 
People like Hite, Stolze, Detwiller will also raise my interest in a product while some other guys will lower my interest in it.
In general, though, I will not reach a decision based on names alone.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Will you buy games based on who the designer is? Or refuse to buy games on that basis? Or do you never even consider the name on the product?

I use what I know (if anything) about the designer's previous work to inform what I think it'll be like. But mostly I like detailed simulationist tactical stuff, so that means I'm mostly deciding to avoid most things. I bought ADOM Lite because I like the designer's computer game, even though I don't really like the mechanics and it's pretty D&D-esque. I bought Aquelarre and some other things based on what people here wrote about the games, not the designers. The posts like "Celebrity designer X is making the next version of Game I Never Liked" repel me. Unless it were Steve Jackson.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Will you buy games based on who the designer is?

Rarely, as I buy games depending on what I am interested in at that time.

If I saw a D100 supplement by Loz Whittaker, Pete Nash or Steve Perrin then I'd probably buy it, as I would expect it to be good.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Or refuse to buy games on that basis?

Never.

I have never seen a supplement or RPG set of rules that stank because of the author.

Also, I never, ever, think of the politics or personal history of an author when buying an RPG book. In fact, I rarely know of the backgrounds of the authors, except for a very few well-published cases.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Or do you never even consider the name on the product?

If I know the author, or know their material, it might influence me positively, but the subject matter and games system would influence me a lot more.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Will you buy games based on who the designer is? Or refuse to buy games on that basis? Or do you never even consider the name on the product?

Sometimes? I know a Palladium/Kevin Siembieda book is gonna be full of inane diatribes but juvenile fun. Pondsmith had a very good rep up until CP 3.0. I'd pay attention if his name was on a project, but I've had to take a "wait and see" attitude due to his recent performance. Steve Jackson's stuff is clever but dry.
That's all off the top of my head. I don't think there's anything I must buy or refuse to buy based on the designer, but it does inform my decisions.

Quote from: Luca;965799Kevin Crawford is almost an auto-buy for me. His stuff works when actually playing the game, which greatly increases the value of the product.
 

Oh yeah. What I've bought (SWN) has been useful both in itself and as a source of ideas for other RPGs. Highly recommend.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Will you buy games based on who the designer is?

Strictly speaking - No. But I will give designers that I like from past experiences a definite look at their stuff.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Or refuse to buy games on that basis?

Until very recently - no. But since the whole SJW-thing really took prominence in our little community, and some of the mods at that other site who happened to be game developers, treated me rather shabbily - I take special note to not purchase anything made by them or the companies that *avidly* support those dev's views. Sure I realize they're hired guns etc. and my personal boycott means nothing. But I say fuck them. And I'm fine with them saying the same to me. They've said worse. And my gaming endeavors has suffered precisely *zero-percent* for taking this position.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Or do you never even consider the name on the product?

For reasons cited above - I do consider those names. This doesn't mean that for those people that share the views of those I boycott that I won't consider their products. Not at all. In order to get on that tiny list, you have to have said/done something directly to me. And even then, if it's just words, no problem. But you need to take it to some extreme levels of dumbassery to get there.

There's a handful of authors that I know will deliver enough useful content to make it worth buying no matter what.

There's some I know that won't write a game I'll want to play regularly because they don't define roleplaying the same.  However some of those are also interesting designers I might buy just to see what they've cooked up this time around.

There's not really anyone I won't buy, period.

The willingness of gamers to cry for their bright shiny despite whatever the designer or company has done is sometimes well past appalling.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Or refuse to buy games on that basis?

When they have a bad track record.

Quote from: Omega;965937The willingness of gamers to cry for their bright shiny despite whatever the designer or company has done is sometimes well past appalling.

Who do you suggest be blacklisted?

Quote from: antiochcow;965941When they have a bad track record.

Yeah. For example, any interest I might have had for the Robotech Tactics kickstarter was heavily influenced by my knowledge of Palladium games.