Quote from: Zachary The FirstI would just like to say thanks for the review: it was the deciding factor in me purchasing this game.  Keith, this game is excellent.   Haven't had the chance to pick up the Companion yet, so I'll poke around for another review more pertaining to that as well.

Luke:  I agree with Mcrow, man.  You seriously need to think before you post on here, because you're really coming off as a bit of an ass.  I'm a big fan of what you've done, but you gotta control that blood pressure, baby.

Thanks for picking up the book Zachary.  I hope you get a chance to play and enjoy it.

Some of the stuff in the Companion I have posted to the wiki on my site, such as my article on Creating Cults.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI would just like to say thanks for the review: it was the deciding factor in me purchasing this game.  Keith, this game is excellent.  

There you have it folks, direct evidence that my reviews generate sales!!

Send your books or PDFs my way, and you too will have Zachary the First and other persons of interest buying YOUR game!

RPGPundit

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI would just like to say thanks for the review: it was the deciding factor in me purchasing this game.  Keith, this game is excellent.   Haven't had the chance to pick up the Companion yet, so I'll poke around for another review more pertaining to that as well.

Its a good game and even if you aren't into all the forge stuff its still a good game.

Welcome back Zachary! Where the hell have you been? We have missed you around here.

Quote from: McrowIts a good game and even if you aren't into all the forge stuff its still a good game.
 
Welcome back Zachary! Where the hell have you been? We have missed you around here.

Thanks, guys. I'm sorry--transitioning from military to civvie life, finding a job, etc., took a little longer than expected. (Believe me, I lurked every chance I had).  I had to cut way back on a lot of my gaming activities--one of the reasons RPG Blog is on permanent hiatus. But I'm back in the groove, so you'll definitely be seeing me around here much more.

Indeed, welcome back!

RPGPundit

Is the "luke" who posts here is actually Luke Crane, author of Burning Wheel?

If that's so, I'd like to tell you that you are acting unprofessionally.  Unlike Keith, whose game I will certainly look into more (cool wiki, Keith!)   .  Luke, you are not acting in a way that I would expect a professional to act.

I was going to buy your game, if you are the author of Burning Wheel, but now I know I'm not.

That won't hurt your sales, I know, but I want you to know that while I take Pundit's vitriol with a grain of salt (he's not in business, and isn't selling anything in a literal sense) yours does nothing but make you look like a jerk.

I hope your game does well, but I will never play it.

Quote from: joewolzIs the "luke" who posts here is actually Luke Crane, author of Burning Wheel?

Himself.

Quote from: joewolzIf that's so, I'd like to tell you that you are acting unprofessionally.  Unlike Keith, whose game I will certainly look into more (cool wiki, Keith!)   .  Luke, you are not acting in a way that I would expect a professional to act.

I was going to buy your game, if you are the author of Burning Wheel, but now I know I'm not.

You are aware that Luke is just one guy doing this as a hobby, right? It's not like he's wearing a tie and punching 9 to 5 interacting with high profile clients. These are hobby websites and one of the few advantages of this small industry is the genuine interaction we get with creators such as Luke.

Expecting someone to act "professionally" is ridiculous. Now, that doesn't mean I don't expect integrity (keeping your word, providing some customer support if possible and of course, delivering products that were ordered) but please, put down the crack pipe and stop expecting some average Joe to put on a corporate face just because he's selling his small-time game.

Quote from: joewolzThat won't hurt your sales, I know,

Actually, in such a small hobby, and with sales sometimes having a viral effect, you're hurting him but just a tiny little. I think it's sad that you're punishing yourself by not buying a game just because the designer made a fool of himself here.

But I'll tell you one thing that might comfort you: You're not missing anything. Burning Wheel is a below average, forgettable game.

"Not acting unprofessionally" might be a bit too unfair, too much to ask of small-time authors.

"Not acting batfucking nuts", on the other hand, would not be.

And Luke has gone beyond the professionalism spectrum straight into Bat Country.

RPGPundit

I wouldn't take what Luke is posting too seriously or hold it against his games.  He's playing the role of the anti-RPGPundit somewhat.  Luke is characterized as one of these so called "swine".  He's actually pretty civil and responsive on his own forums.  Just comes here to blast off both barrels to defend himself or friends of his.  I've never met the guy, so take from that what you will.

Quote from: Consonant DudeYou are aware that Luke is just one guy doing this as a hobby, right? It's not like he's wearing a tie and punching 9 to 5 interacting with high profile clients. These are hobby websites and one of the few advantages of this small industry is the genuine interaction we get with creators such as Luke.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable in not looking at a game because the designer acts batshit crazy in one of the only forums I read regularly.

Quote from: Consonant DudeExpecting someone to act "professionally" is ridiculous. Now, that doesn't mean I don't expect integrity (keeping your word, providing some customer support if possible and of course, delivering products that were ordered) but please, put down the crack pipe and stop expecting some average Joe to put on a corporate face just because he's selling his small-time game.

You're right, it is too much of me to ask that a hobbyist be "professional," I guess I picked the wrong words: Pundit had it more in line with my reasoning.

It's not too fucking much to ask that someone who is selling a product not act batshit insane.

And "put[ting] on a corporate face" has nothing to do with being relatively civil, especially when you're posting to a forum which may contain potential sales.  I expect someone who is running a business, even as a hobby, to act a bit more in tune with someone who is running a business.

Quote from: GunslingerI wouldn't take what Luke is posting too seriously or hold it against his games. He's playing the role of the anti-RPGPundit somewhat. Luke is characterized as one of these so called "swine". He's actually pretty civil and responsive on his own forums. Just comes here to blast off both barrels to defend himself or friends of his. I've never met the guy, so take from that what you will.

I am going to hold it against his games.  He can set up a sock puppet account to be a complete jackass, or act batshit crazy.  I think he was unnecessarily caustic in his post, he struck a nerve.

Given the production values of Burning Empires, I can tell you safely that Luke is not just some average schmoe gamer cranking out a product in his basement.  

That was a quality book with many many man hours of work going into it and a very impressive credits page.  It was, to be blunt, a professional company product. Sadly the man behind it can be less so.

Unlike Joe and a few others here, I could care less about the personalities behind my products. I want a game, not a new friend.  Still they have a solid point.

Quote from: joewolzI don't think I'm being unreasonable in not looking at a game because the designer acts batshit crazy in one of the only forums I read regularly.

Man, look around. This forum is filled with people going way farther than Luke. He just basically said the review was bullshit and the reviewer sucked in a language much milder than what I've seen out of the Pundit.

Regardless, it's really none of my business if you want to base your purchases and your enjoyment of RPG products on things as fucking futile as whether the author is rude or not to someone you don't even know.

We're not even talking about making a stand on working conditions, political views or something like that. You're going to base a purchase decision on the author being rude to one of the most outrageous personalities in roleplaying fora.

Anyway, as I said you ain't missing out. The game is a waste of money. But sooner or later you will find out that many game designers who interact on the net do blow a fuse once in a while. And being on this very forum, nobody in his right mind could blame them. Gamers are extremely demanding and blunt. Why should writers and designers cuddle them?

Frankly, he can be as rude as he likes to me; I would never have bought his game in the first place.  Logically, however, there are some people who's purchasing decisions are affected by whether the author acts like a primma donna or runs around screaming like a loon over reviews for products that are not even his own; so a smarter person would have maintained more dignity.

RPGPundit

I think I figured out why he's taking offense. You mention that you suspect Conspiracy was written first and then changed to add in a bunch of Forge crap? Well that may or may not have happened, it's immaterial. (How would we know anyhow, right?)

However, Luke did do that with Burning Wheel.

Quote from: Abyssal MawI think I figured out why he's taking offense. You mention that you suspect Conspiracy was written first and then changed to add in a bunch of Forge crap? Well that may or may not have happened, it's immaterial. (How would we know anyhow, right?)

However, Luke did do that with Burning Wheel.

Yup, it might be a case of having hit the nail too close there; in fact, some people have made the same criticisms of BW that I made of CoS, namely that all of the good parts are the parts that do not appear to come out of Forge Theory, and all the Forge stuff worstens the game.

RPGPundit