Issue 15

The Journal of Intrepid Adventurers.
serleran
Mogrl
Posts: 14094
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:00 am

Post by serleran »

Actually, you can often click Back and it will reload the page as it was when you entered he information, which might allow you to C&P it; I know that has happened to me, and using FF, I was able to just click Back and it would let me see what I had done -- obviously, I could not post it directly (re-log in required) but it was still there to get... might not work all the time.
_________________
If it matters, leave a message at the beep.
Serl's Corner

Taranthyll
Red Cap
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:00 am

Post by Taranthyll »

Good idea, thanks. This is what I'll do the next time I have a long post.
Fiffergrund wrote:
Perhaps writing your thoughts offline in a Word file, and then pasting them in here would prevent the problem in the future? Then, if the forum still wasn't cooperating, you could at least attach and send them to Steve and Jim directly.

Taranthyll
Red Cap
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:00 am

Post by Taranthyll »

I would like to offer my congratulations on what I think is the best issue of Crusader that I have read yet. Of course such an affirmation, though undoubtedly gratifying, is not of much use, so I thought Id elaborate with a critique of the articles explaining, in greater detail, what I liked (or disliked) and why.
Notes from the Managing Editor

This issues editorial discussed an important point the continued appeal of paper and pencil role-playing games. I might ordinarily have thought this to be axiomatic, but I have been told on numerous occasions that as online games become more advanced and sophisticated they will completely replace old-fashioned rpgs. I completely disagree, for all the reasons that James Ward mentioned in his editorial. I enjoy online games, and am an unrepentant fan of Lord of the Rings Online, but no online game can ever match the fun and enjoyment of sitting around a table with friends sharing laughter, food, and botched dice rolls. Some of the best and most memorable moments of my life have taken place at the game table and Im sure Ill never same the same about sitting at my computer. The players in my game group encompass a fairly wide range of ages from early twenties to mid fourties, and while the younger players are also online game fans, they would far rather get together for our bi-weekly game session than spend yet another evening playing World of Warcraft, so obviously traditional paper and pencil rpgs are still relevant to the younger generation. Im glad that James addressed this issue it might seem like a no-brainer to many of us, but there is a mistaken perception that our hobby is becoming obsolete. We, as gamers, need to dispel that myth.
Experience Points: Too much/too little

This was an enjoyable and thought-provoking article that was timely for me, as Ive lately been contemplating the relevance of experience points. I once ran a campaign using the Wheel of Time roleplaying game (basically tweaked 3rd edition D&D adapted to Robert Jordans fantasy setting). This game didnt use experience points at all, just recommended leveling the characters after a certain number of encounters, which usually worked out to about every three of four sessions. This was a really slick system that eliminated the need for bookkeeping. I know that this wouldnt work for games like C&C that have classes with different rates of progression, but it was a neat idea. In my C&C campaign I often get lazy and dont get around to calculating the xp until about a week after the session when Ive forgotten a lot of the details of the previous game, so I would definitely appreciate a simpler system. Anyhow, the article got me thinking and mulling again, which is always good.
Dragon Grumbles

Im thrilled that Tim Kask will have a regular column in Crusader and, while I know this isnt helpful feedback, I would be happy to read just about anything he cares to write about. I hope that Tim will just indulge himself and write whatever strikes his fancy. I would welcome a variety of different article themes, including war stories from days gone by, perspectives on game design, new ideas, or just about anything else.
Fat Dragon E-Z Terrain

I didnt mind this piece at all. Although it was mainly an advertisement disguised as an article (which I call an adverticle), I like buying new game stuff and short adverticles, such as this, are useful to help me decide whether or not I want something. After about a page or so, however, adverticles cross the line from useful to annoying. I felt that the long piece on Towers of Adventure in a recent issue occupied too much space in the magazine for what was essentially an advertisement.
A Darker Shade of Ale

Im normally not a fan of published adventures. Ever since my disastrous debut as a DM, running Keep on the Borderlands in 1980, Ive shied away from them. But I have to say I really liked this. The title alone made the adventure worthwhile. Short adventures with neat ideas are always welcome, and I really liked the idea of a sinister tavern that sells popular, albeit unwholesome ale. I wont be running this adventure, but I will definitely be yoinking the idea. Id like to see more adventures with yoikable bits, or perhaps an article with a number of short adventure seeds that CKs can use to make their own full-fledged adventures.
Marks Mechanics
Spend a few months playing with different ideas, and you will find that every system with any validity to it works well in one aspect and not so much in others. More months of use and you will realize that there is no perfect system. Amen, brother! Ive spent the better part of my entire gaming life looking for the perfect system. Ive lost count of the number of different rpgs that I have tried in my quest to find my game, and while Ive played many excellent systems that each had some cool idea or mechanic Ive never found that elusive perfect game. Under the premise that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, I have wasted untold hours fiddling with my own game mechanics, and I too have notebooks full of systems that just dont quite make it. Fortunately, C&C gives me an elegant game mechanic that I love and is flexible enough for me to pick at the loose threads that annoy me without having the whole metaphorical sweater unravel on me. Great article! It struck such a familiar chord with me that I cant wait for future installments of this column.
Aihrdian Chronicles

Having little interest in other peoples settings, Ive never read this feature, so no comment.
Troll Lord Freebies

I hate drawing maps of buildings and dungeons. Simple, old-school format maps like these are easy to scan and modify as needed in Photoshop. Good stuff thanks.
Ready to Serve NPCs

I have a gazillion ideas for neat NPCs, perhaps due to some latent multiple personality disorder or something, so while Im sure it was well-written, I have little interest in articles like this one.
Hammer and Anvil

This has consistently been the column that I have enjoyed most in Crusader and is what has kept me coming back each month. Cast a Deadly Spell did not disappoint, and was an interesting and useful aid to spell design.
Welcome to the Conquered East

I knew little about the Haunted Highlands prior to reading this article, but its description as dark fantasy that owed more to Moorcock and Howard than Tolkien suggest that it would be an excellent fit to my style of play and campaign world. Thus encouraged, I threw caution to the wind and ordered the whole DB series and now I eagerly await the arrival of what I hope will be a cornucopia of my much loved yoinkable bits. The article was also a fun read.
The Angry Gamer

Its time for the other shoe to drop. I hate this column. I always have and probably always will. Many of this features installments are filled with inside jokes and references that make little sense to those of us on the outside, thereby excluding the majority of the readership. I dont care about the junk-food preferences of people who game with the Trolls, I dont care about their opinions on political discourse on the internet, and I dont care that the managing editor has finally seized the opportunity to waste space writing about nothing. While I realize that some people like this column, I believe that self-indulgent vanity pieces like this are better posted on a blog, not in a professional gaming magazine. I like witty political satire, but I wouldnt suggest that Crusader is an appropriate forum to publish it, and unless The Angry Gamer can reach an audience beyond the Trolls friends I dont think it belongs here.

Sincerely, The Angry Reader.
Convention Blog

While Im not a convention-goer, a monthly column that provides convention news and announcements is probably useful to a lot of readers. What I think is less useful is anecdotes about what the author did at a convention. I doubt a travelogue that includes the authors topics of conversation on the drive to the convention is of interest to many people.


Monsters of Aihrde

Cool feature I generally like it. More monsters is always a good thing, but this months entry, I thought, was weak. Increasing an orcs HD to 8 does not really warrant a write-up as a new monster.

In summation, despite a few minor complaints, I think the editor and contributors knocked this issue out of the ball-park. Ive never seen an issue so dripping with gaming-goodness and stimulating articles. I love the direction that the magazine is headed in and I cant wait to read #16, which given how late my gaming store gets them, I should receive sometime in May.

User avatar
GameOgre
Ulthal
Posts: 576
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 8:00 am

Post by GameOgre »

Quote:
which given how late my gaming store gets them, I should receive sometime in May

A subscription is pretty cheap and comes to your door.
_________________
Baron Golden, Knights of the Tin Palace (GameOgre)

Subscriber to Crusader Magazine!
http://www.cncsociety.org

Post Reply