...sort of a DMs discussion house. There's too much meta, too much this system does that, too much gosh-isn't-this-game-I-like-cool-out-of-the-box in internet rpg discussion land. This place is a little better than rpg.net for this particular thing, but only a little. Dragonsfoot is pretty good for this (probably the best site out there, actually) but there's too many strictures on what systems you can work with and it's only OOP D&D and C&C. Some of the other OD&D sites I'd say something similar for, but membership is smaller. The Forge gives great feedback on some topics but it's too focused around designing your own rpg.

I don't want a site for automotive start-ups or practical or applied theory, I want a site for guys who chop up lowriders out of factory models in their garage.

So like Rubio's post about designing an alternative magic system for 3.5, that's pretty cool, and I don't even like 3.5. I want a board where lots of GMs and players get together to talk about their games and their ideas for homebrewing them, adventures they are writing, that kind of thing. Where the emphasis is on self-directed improvisation.

I guess what I want is a site like the early issues of Dragon magazine, really.

So, there's my little rant du jour, which will in all likelihood change nothing anywhere. But I'd totally rather hear, say, jreints post about his latest D&D game and the house rule tweaks he made to it, or Zach post some homebrewed monster for palladium fantasy and explain what tactics he wants to use for it, or Settembrini tell us what situation the characters in his game are in and ask what's the most fucked-up thing that could happen to them right now to make the adventure more inspiring, or Akrasia post his homebrewed magic rules for C&C, or whatever. I want to talk about the games we play without any move towards abstraction or generalization - just 'here's this stuff I did for my game - isn't it cool, any advice, how can I make this thing work' type stuff.

Minimize the meta. Peace out.

Is the "The Craft of Gameplay (and Actual Play) " forum here closer to what you want?

So, essentially, you're proposing a forum with a cheetos-ist orientation towards GM'ing?  With a meta-anti-meta outlook?

Eh, start a thread on whatever topic you want to discuss here or at another site and weed through the crap to get at the gems.

Not even cheetoist. All gaming orientations are welcome in my book, actually, just so long as people are talking about what they're concretely doing. Statting up the fastest guns who never lived for Dogs in the Vineyard or Dust Devils or "hey, check out this fucked-up situation I made for my Sorcerer game" are fine with me too. Just, you know, so long as there's some actual game content in the post.

John, yeah, there's more stuff in there of the kind I'm talking about per post. But I think separating off actual play from the main forum hurt rpg.net and I don't like it here either. The main forums are less fun for me to read at both sites without that stuff in it, and they seem to focus the posts at both sites towards the kind of empty-air gab that I'm increasingly comfortable doing without.

I know, CWR. Bitching threads like this are part of the problem. But I am frustrated.

I want something like a fanzine, I guess, where we're all here to show off our stuff and talk about it with each other, instead of gassing about generalities, or even analyzing our own experiences.

That's about all I've got to say on the issue, I guess. Maybe I'll go dig around in the stuff I'm working on and start posting about that instead.

I'd love to, Calithena, but all my work deals with my own games, and I don't want to bore folks with stuff they can't use.

-clash

Clash,

I would totally be into seeing what you come up with for your own games, and the potential of that stuff as sell-me threads is probably way higher than general descriptions of mechanics, etc.

Seriously, I'd way rather read about PCs or NPCs for your systems and the adventures you're running with them than most of the stuff people post about on rpg boards. Even though I don't own them (though I've had my finger on the button to order starcluster twice now...) I still think I get more out of those kinds of posts than others.

Other's mileage seems to vary, but that's where I'm at.

Quote from: Calithena.... Maybe I'll go dig around in the stuff I'm working on and start posting about that instead.

Your D&D homebrew rules might be a good start!

Cal, have you tried the Treasure Tables forums?  You might dig that.

Also, since I'm pretty sure my D&D players aren't regulars here (except maybe Pat, from whom I can hide nothing anyway) I'll totally start posting more about my campaign.

EDIT: It has begun.

I'll post about the BW game. Maybe you can help out.

Just start a thread. If you post it, they will come. You want the gold, go digging for it, don't sit there quietly hoing for it to fall in your lap. Start a thread.

I could tell you about my character...


...what?  

Quote from: CalithenaMinimize the meta. Peace out.

It's kinda presumptuous to go around telling people what they should talk about. If they wanted to "minimize the meta," that's what they'd be doing. Apparently what you want isn't what most people want. Start discussions yourself. If people join in, cool; if not, tough. You can't make people like what you like.

I've got to back up Jrients: Treasure Tables is Awesome, and probably exactly the kind of thing you're looking for.

I also see some questions like yours, with great responses, on the roleplaying (roleplayers?) Livejournal community.

But Treasure Tables is a stable forum with all sorts of threads like the ones you seem to want, so it would fit right in.

-Andy