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Done being Indie. Need a new term.

Started by Levi Kornelsen, October 22, 2008, 05:56:31 PM

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Levi Kornelsen

October 22, 2008, 05:56:31 PM
I'm tired of being "indie by default".  Indie has all these shades of meaning that have to do with an author taking total control of their stuff, as opposed to "some other hierarchy, or obligation set" having even a share of that control.

'Taking Control' is boring.  But, equally, giving control to a hierarchy of some sort smells bad to me.  I want to share with other gamers, and involve them, in the stuff I do.  I am not a rugged individualist among other rugged individualists, and do not want to be painted as if I was trying to be one or trying to posture as one.

Does "Mutual" sound good, or stupid?

StormBringer

#1
October 22, 2008, 06:07:18 PM
How many times have I already told everyone to drop 'indie' already?

Answer:  A lot.  :)

How about 'Open Designer'?
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Silverlion

#2
October 22, 2008, 06:10:05 PM
How about just being Levi, game designer. Make your games, just games and carry on?
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Levi Kornelsen

#3
October 22, 2008, 06:12:44 PM
Quote from: StormBringer;259456How about 'Open Designer'?

It has a nice sound...  

But (to me!) it feels like it excludes people writing "living rulebooks", and those freely sharing stuff while retaining copyright.  Which I like less; I want to be able to welcome such people into being whatever it is that I'm calling myself.

Levi Kornelsen

#4
October 22, 2008, 06:13:47 PM
Quote from: Silverlion;259457How about just being Levi, game designer. Make your games, just games and carry on?

Because I'm so connected to Indie people (many of whom I dearly love) that I feel like I need a thing to call myself just in self-defense.

J Arcane

#5
October 22, 2008, 06:25:16 PM
Quote from: StormBringer;259456How many times have I already told everyone to drop 'indie' already?

Answer:  A lot.  :)

How about 'Open Designer'?
That just makes me think Open Source, and as I've discussed before, there are almost no RPGs that have ever been created or licensed in a fashion consistent with the spirit of open source.
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StormBringer

#6
October 22, 2008, 06:31:20 PM
Quote from: J Arcane;259463That just makes me think Open Source, and as I've discussed before, there are almost no RPGs that have ever been created or licensed in a fashion consistent with the spirit of open source.
True, not entirely open source like software, but it is fairly accurate.  I posted links to Creative Commons on my forums so people would have a better idea of the different ways one can publish.

But open gaming is closer to open source than TSR was, or WotC is now.
If you read the above post, you owe me $20 for tutoring fees

\'Let them call me rebel, and welcome, I have no concern for it, but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul.\'
- Thomas Paine
\'Everything doesn\'t need

Levi Kornelsen

#7
October 22, 2008, 06:35:21 PM
Quote from: StormBringer;259465True, not entirely open source like software

Regardless, I'd prefer to keep my own clashes with purists like J Arcane down to individual disagreements.  I suspect such a moniker would look like I'm constantly peeing in the pool, rather than just having head-butting moments.

flyingmice

#8
October 22, 2008, 06:46:04 PM
Quote from: Levi Kornelsen;259459Because I'm so connected to Indie people (many of whom I dearly love) that I feel like I need a thing to call myself just in self-defense.

Funny, I haven't thought of you as particularly "indie" for a long time now, Levi. You went beyond those particular chains maybe before you realized you had. I was going to suggest "Game Designer" too. Considering you put your games into the public domain, you're more open than most "open" software designers, and no less so than the most open.

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JongWK

#9
October 22, 2008, 06:49:50 PM
At core, you are a game designer. Everything else is just a tag to apply when needed.
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~~Gary Gygax (1938 - 2008)

Levi Kornelsen

#10
October 22, 2008, 06:54:24 PM
Quote from: JongWK;259472At core, you are a game designer.

At core, I'm a giant nerd.

But I digress.  I put this here, rather than in off-topic, because I do have to pay attention to the impression people just glacing at my webstuff get.  And I suspect that many of those people are coming in with the vague impression of "indie-ness".  Correcting that quickly, and trying to give an accurate impression, is a quasi-sorta-marketing thing.  And I think having a "thing I call myself' would help.

Or do you think I'm out to lunch on that?

Zachary The First

#11
October 22, 2008, 07:17:06 PM
I'm with Jong--I like "Game Designer".  I mean, that's what you do, and as for people scanning forums, hey, you're in a place where these small-press and indie dudes hang out, so you're clearly in the mix somewhere, right?
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JongWK

#12
October 22, 2008, 07:20:06 PM
Quote from: Levi Kornelsen;259474At core, I'm a giant nerd.

Fine. You are a giant nerd with beautiful game designer wings.









Yes, that's an actual wingfic joke...
"I give the gift of endless imagination."
~~Gary Gygax (1938 - 2008)

Levi Kornelsen

#14
October 22, 2008, 07:26:26 PM
Quote from: Zachary The First;259479I'm with Jong--I like "Game Designer".  I mean, that's what you do,

Er, but it's not all that central to where I'm going.  Yes, I write games, and use my stuff openly.  I also write articles on gaming and about ways to tinker with games - and for many people, that's where the value is at.  And I'm happy to host articles and files (including games) for others.

All those things, for me, are one giant seamless brick.  More or less an  "ideology", even.
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