What PURCHASES are you RESISTING?

I think that history is correct for the Forge and its subsequent diaspora, but misses the OSR explosion that happened and has continued beyond the petering out of the Forge as a center of inspiration.

Apocalypse World is still inspiring innovative games, although you can argue that it’s not that inspired if it is a hack of another game. But games like BLUEBEARD’S BRIDE (feminist body horror) and ZOMBIE WORLD (hyper streamlined no-prep one-shots) are showing there’s a lot of life in the PBTA design school.

Yes,’what Charlie is talking about is really kind of a different strand. What I’m talking about is the much less mainstream, more atavistic OSR scene. This is where really maverick, innovative stuff like Mothership, Ulttraviolet Grasslands,
Hot Springs Island, and Lorn Song of the Bachelor are coming from. This is all going on under the PBTA strand and other small to mid level publishers.

It is very punk rock. Just like how the 1st gen punk scene reflected back on simpler, more primitive rock n’ roll, this stuff is referencing all the way back to the earliest D&D versions and styles of play but also bringing modern sensibilities. Just like punk there are and have been some bad actors in the scene, posers, hangers-on, insufferable snobs, and all of that. But it is also more inclusive and diverse than you might think.

And these folks aren’t making fucking Wendy’s commercials.

Michael Barnes wrote: Just like punk there are and have been some bad actors in the scene, posers, hangers-on, insufferable snobs, and all of that. But it is also more inclusive and diverse than you might think.

I've been seeing this stuff fly around lately and I just want to say it's nonsense. There are always "bad people" in every hobby. Every single one. This idea that OSR are evil gatekeeper and elitists is just fandom posturing. Specially coming from people who like D&D, c´mon.

Good for you to mention it.

So back on topic, I’ve realized that I need some guardrails to keep me from being stupid with purchases. So:

1. No long/heavy 2p games. I rarely play games with just one other person; on the rare occasion that I do, I can always grab a game that’s 2+. So no Imperial Struggle, unfortunately, and I need to sell Twilight Struggle.

2. No dungeon crawl or adventure boardgames. They always make me wish I was playing an RPG.

3. No highly asymmetric games. They tend to be too reliant on lots of repeat plays. I like them in theory (e.g. Sirlin’s stuff) but I never play them enough to justify them. And/or I play them more than anyone in my regular group, and then I’m better at them than everyone so it’s tedious for me.

4. No games about biological evolution. They end up irritating me because the whole point of the theory is that there’s no one controlling the process, but in games that’s the player.

Possible exception is kid’s games.

As best I can tell no evolution-themed boardgame designer has read Microcosmic God.

Humans have been guiding evolution of some life forms for a while, though.

n815e wrote: Humans have been guiding evolution of some life forms for a while, though.

I'd be into a theme about the green revolution or bioengineering, but so far all the games I've seen about evolution have been prehistoric.

Honestly, that's just a minor pet peeve of mine and not a deal breaker. It's just something I've noticed because I like games about science but end up disappointed, so I decided to add that to my list of "never shall I ever".

Having extreme difficulty resisting TROPHY:

www.kickstarter.com/projects/gauntlet/trophy-rpg

It’s custom designed to trip all my buttons. Fantasy-horror, based on a combination of the CTHULHU DARK and BLADES IN THE DARK, suitable for either one-shots or campaigns, and just generally creepy.

I’m resisting that one too...it looks interesting. I really don’t want another new system right now though.

There are quite a few Zinequests I’m on the brink with...Terror of the Stratosfiend, the Artefact, Casket Land, Willow, Phylactery...so much great looking stuff. I’m down for like 10 including the big Soul Muppet Best Left Buried quad because I -adore- that system.

I went in on Casket Land.

Fuck it I did too. We’ll compare notes. It looks awesome.

Wrong thread, gentlemen.

I resisted getting expansions and 'guidebooks' (extra missions) for Dungeon Degenerates ….. for three whole weeks !
My excuse is this will be my lifestyle game

I’m so tempted by Anachrony right now.
I just have so many games already...

im resisting purchases by trying to arrange trades for stuff i want. its a whole other hobby! it doesnt solve the issue of having too many games, and shipping adds up, but on the whole i think its better than just buying a ton more shit i dont need