D&D 4E Inspires me to play something else

It's been awhile since I've blogged. Lots has been going on, some good and some not so good. I'll update you more later. I kind of hate to make my first post in awhile be a rant, but heck, maybe a kick in the pants will get someone off their duff and do a better job. Who knows?

It seems like every time I read an article about D&D 4E or read something in one of the rulebooks, it inspires me to play a different game instead. It's not all bad, however. There are some things 4E does right, but it's a pretty sad commentary on a game that was once great as far as rpg's go. Of course, even when it was great, it had many problems.

Fortunately, a good GM and good players can help make any game more fun. But GM's and players shouldn't have to work so hard at it. Just one of the reasons why I set down to revamp my own RPG in the first place. And just as WotC is looking back on 4E now and trying to sort out what to do about the mess they made and how to fix it, I've looked back on Cosmothea, even in the middle of revamping Cosmothea 4.0 and saw that some of my own design decisions should be reconsidered. And so I'm working on a 5th edition now.

Now mind you, my own players could gripe about plenty of things they don't like about Cosmothea, since it's incomplete, with more holes than Swiss cheese, and we're still using some temporary rules, but that's just it - those are temporary holes and issues - I'm not claiming my game is all done and the hottest thing out there, like WotC was. I'm not working on Cosmothea 5E because I want to make a boat-load of money. WotC has no choice in the matter. No matter how good D&D were to get, they are forced to change it. Period. Whether for the better or worse, they have to change things.

So, what are the sorts of things I read in DnD 4E that bug me? Well, lots of things, like healing surges, lack of an interesting magic system, the way roles hamstring creativity, the way the class powers largely all feel the same, item creation, lack of significant non-combat skills, the combat lag issue, just to name a few. It's just a shame that WotC had so much talent and potential and still managed to put out a game that fails on so many levels.

Now, if you are enjoying 4E, I'm not saying you are a knucklehead or anything, I'm glad you're having fun. I'm just saying they could have done a much better job and it's a shame for those that want to play DnD that they didn't.

And then we have indie designers like myself, who barely have two pennies to rub together, and so of course we can't afford to invest like the bigger companies to put out a beautiful product, though we can put out one with decent rules, given enough time. Me, I'm stubborn, and I insist on putting out a product with high production values or none at all. But that's another issue - we aren't designing 8 hours a day - we just don't have time for that sort of thing, so games like Cosmothea take forever to produce.

My own budget is still languishing, but I'm not giving up. As I said, games like DnD 4E inspire me that there's still room out there for better games! Gamers aren't stupid, nor are they silent about what they dislike. They will only stand for WotC's games for so long, and then as many have already jumped ship to Pathfinder and other games, more will follow.

So this means that WotC is backpeddling fast, as some of their articles suggest. Mike Mearls all but said 4E was a blunder. The sad thing is how many people spent money on DnD 4E when they could have invested in better games. I used to be a WotC online guide of sorts and so WotC gave me my 4E Phb free as a "thank you for my service," but I must admit I did pay for a few of their products to check them out. And I must admit that when I heard they were coming out with a 4E years ago, I never suspected they would toss D&D into the trash, make a totally different game, and call it DnD.

Like I've said before, they did some things right, but I still haven't found a game that will replace Cosmothea for me, and so I'll keep plugging away at it, on a poor man's budget till something changes. Meanwhile, a full staff of WotC designers, Green Ronin Designers, and other designers who actually get paid to design full time, will work at a much faster rate to try and do something worth playing.

A Company with Passion (Part 2 of 2)

All my life, I've met people who were smarter, richer or more talented. But only a fool gives up just because there's someone out there who's more qualified. If we let that stop us, we'll never get anything done. Many of the greatest achievements of man would never have come to pass. Just because someone's smarter, doesn't mean they are the right person for the job. Just because someone has more money than you, doesn't mean they can do what you can do. Just because someone has more talent, doesn't mean they have your vision, your passion, your creativity, your potential. I've met many people who seemed to have loads of potential, but never seemed to get anywhere. Because Potential is not dependent upon intelligence, money or even talent. Not really! Sure, those help, and I'd like to think that the team and company we've put together does have a reasonable amount of each, but true potential often requires other, less obvious traits.

Look back over history and you'll find numerous examples of people that seemed to have little or no potential, yet they accomplished far more than anyone could have imagined. The exciting thing for those of us, who are smart enough to know there are smarter people out there, is that there's far more to being successful than having a high IQ, piles of money, and a big resume. Passion and faith can move mountains, conquer kingdoms, produce works of art and literature that touch their fans to the core, and accomplish more than intellect, money or talent could ever hope to achieve alone. We are our own greatest enemies. No one can defeat us but ourselves. QT Games may never produce an award-winning RPG or board game, novel or other product. We may never win the hearts of millions, inspire someone to make a movie about our storylines or setting, but our potential can only be snuffed out by losing faith, giving up, and cowering in the face of great odds, never chasing our dreams nor giving it all we've got. All it takes for us to be defeated is for us to do just that.

Intelligence is hard to come by. Wisdom is cheaper and will often get you farther. But if you must have someone who is smarter on board, get someone. Money is hard to come by, but it should never be considered insurmountable. There's lots of money out there. If we need more money than we have available, we'll move toward acquiring more. If you think for a moment about how much money you likely throw away on entertainment over the course of the year, you likely have more money than you realize. You might have just enough. If we need more talent, we'll work hard to develop it, and bring more talent on board as needed.

Figure out what you need, and go after it. Do your homework. Be positive. Be realistic. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses and if you have a team, then those of your team as well. Be motivated. Be prepared. We've done these things to the best of our ability. We'll keep doing them. We'll likely make mistakes, get beyond them and move forward in faith. Believe you can do it? Great, then follow your dream!

Success requires movement. Action. Sacrifice, Passion and Faith. I have all that. My team, according to his or her own passions and goals shares these to one degree or another. Each will have to face the future with their own eyes and make their own decisions. Indeed, these are exciting times. As success is not dependent upon being smarter, richer or more talented, I believe we have little to fear. Just as I can use improvement, so can they, but we are not giving up. We refuse to allow our weaknesses to overcome us, stifle us. Come what may, I have no regrets and I don't believe they will either, not if they share my view of potential and success.

Of course, not everyone is meant to write the world's greatest song, paint the world's greatest painting, win an Oscar, etc. and that's OK. We may never win anything, become rich and famous, but we can accomplish much if we're willing to - if we don't give up! Being happy is nothing to shirk at, and we may well accomplish more than we even dream, if we're committed - If we share the qualities I've described. Regardless, you can never let others drag you down, stifle your enthusiasm, rain on your parade, and if they do, you don't have to choose to give up, throw in the towel, allow others to diminish your potential, drag you down.

Each member on the QT Games Design Team, just like you, has the potential for greatness. It may not seem that way to you, but as history shows us, potential often lies not in those obvious, visible qualities, but in the invisible. It only seems like the most successful people are the smartest, richest, most talented, best looking, whatever. How many at the top have fallen? How many through history have risen from meager beginnings to topple empires and change the world. How many talented people do you know that have never been on American Idol or who had potential, but never followed up on it? Do you have a passion for producing a great RPG game and the faith to follow up on your dreams? Contact me. I'd love to talk with you!

Together, we can accomplish anything, period. It doesn't mean we will. We are our greatest enemies after all. We can shut down our own dreams; let our passion fade away as so many people do. We can let ourselves become distracted by meaningless pursuits, that's what has defeated so many around us. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm too driven for that outcome. I'm too ... stubborn. The future is a great mystery, but if we don't try, if we don't give it everything we've got, then we've already failed.

People of passion don't let little things get in their way. We all have setbacks. Life doesn't always go the way we want it to. Things don't always work out, but people of passion have true potential and can accomplish much. The most powerful things in the universe, such as love, hate and faith, are invisible. So if someone tells you that you don't have what it takes. If you look at yourself and you don't think you have what it takes, don't believe it! The heart can be deceiving above all things. If you don't have passion, find it. If you don't have faith, find it or ask for it. Hang out with people who have it! If you need to improve your education go back to school, read a book, do something! Think. Dream. Pray.

If we don't chase our dreams, we'll always regret our inaction, always wonder what could have been, and never live the sort of lives we were meant to live. And if we do reach some measure of success as the world sees success, well that will be cool, but success should never be the goal, nor riches, nor being the best at something - just doing our best at something. So, yeah ... these are exciting times indeed!