Quote from: BedrockBrendan;385441This is a winning concept. I can feel it.

Feel it?  I can taste it!  I am breaking out the Cayenne Dragons and the Nacho Seasoned Orcs to take down the spell-casting Mayo and the rough and tumble BBQ sauce tanks.   I'm almost halfway done with my Abandoned Refrigerator of Stinky Doom campaign setting.



"Rusty Scalpel Games" sounds like horror or ultra-grit WW II.

My suggestion for your company is that you create WTF you enjoy most.   Nobody knew they wanted Shadowrun or Deadlands until those showed up and people said, hey that sounds fun and it sold.   Plus, if you aren't deeply inspired to write XYZ book, then that fucker ain't gonna get done.

Hell, many of us who LOVE our personal RPG projects haven't gotten them done.   Everything in this hobby is a labor of love (yes, even WotC stuff).

So the REAL question here is this: What RPG product have you deeply wished existed that YOU have never found?  

When you figure that out, create it.

Quote from: Insufficient Metal;385461Pfft, well if you're not going to take me seriously I see no reason to support your venture!

Personally I just find the question too open to answer properly.

Who said I'm not taking you seriously?  I mean clearly a d12 game of condiments vs. herbs is a fantastic idea, but before I move on it, I at least have to pretend like I'm considering other ideas.

Yes the question is very open.  I just thought there might be some kind of knee-jerk answer that all RPG players give and that was what I was looking for.

Quote from: Rusty Scalpel Games;385474Who said I'm not taking you seriously?  I mean clearly a d12 game of condiments vs. herbs is a fantastic idea, but before I move on it, I at least have to pretend like I'm considering other ideas.

Quote from: Rusty Scalpel Games;385474Yes the question is very open.  I just thought there might be some kind of knee-jerk answer that all RPG players give and that was what I was looking for.

I guess if I were to give knee-jerk answers, they'd go something like this.

• The world has enough western fantasy RPGs / old school D&D clones. Please, no more.
• In fact, no more retro anything. If I want to play games from the fucking Eighties, I'll play games from the fucking Eighties.
• I like space opera / sci-fi so I'm always up for more of that.
• I also like pulp adventure, noir, etc.
• I'd rather see new original settings than stuff based on existing properties
• Hong Kong Action Theater! was a great idea for a game with a terrible system. I think someone should make a kung-fu game with lightning-fast mechanics and lots of panache.

So that's my knee-jerk answer. Whether or not it's remotely useful to you is for you to decide. But I largely agree with what Spinachcat said above -- I'd rather see your vision and enthusiasm at work than anything. If you build it, they will come, and all that.

Quote from: Rusty Scalpel Games;385474Who said I'm not taking you seriously?  I mean clearly a d12 game of condiments vs. herbs is a fantastic idea, but before I move on it, I at least have to pretend like I'm considering other ideas.

LOL Win.

Quote from: Spinachcat;385468So the REAL question here is this: What RPG product have you deeply wished existed that YOU have never found?  

When you figure that out, create it.

Thank you for the advice.  I think I'll use your question as a starting point.  After I answer it, I'll ask a bunch of other people (as many as possible) if they think my product idea is wanted/needed before I get started.  Frankly, I do want to make some money off the project and so I think it's important for me to focus on what others want.  That said, however, I will not do anything that I don't feel at least ~90% passionate about.

Fuck whatever anyone else says.  You have to design a game/world that you feel strongly about.  If you try and pander to us jerk-offs you'll be spinning your wheels for ever.

It's tantamount to putting up a blanket question "What is your 4 favorite Flavours" then trying to build the ultimate food around them.  

Seriously Design a game you like first.  We'll crtique the hell out of it gladly and freely and some of that will be actually quality advice.  It's perhaps at that point where it's worth taking some suggestions.

I see a lot of calls for games based off TV shows. CSI House ER all come to mind.

Pete

Quote from: Insufficient Metal;385476



I guess if I were to give knee-jerk answers, they'd go something like this.

• The world has enough western fantasy RPGs / old school D&D clones. Please, no more.
• In fact, no more retro anything. If I want to play games from the fucking Eighties, I'll play games from the fucking Eighties.
• I like space opera / sci-fi so I'm always up for more of that.
• I also like pulp adventure, noir, etc.
• I'd rather see new original settings than stuff based on existing properties
• Hong Kong Action Theater! was a great idea for a game with a terrible system. I think someone should make a kung-fu game with lightning-fast mechanics and lots of panache.

So that's my knee-jerk answer. Whether or not it's remotely useful to you is for you to decide. But I largely agree with what Spinachcat said above -- I'd rather see your vision and enthusiasm at work than anything. If you build it, they will come, and all that.

It's definitely a starting point, thank you.  One person does not a consensus make, but if 10 people tell me they want a revamped kung-fu game, then I may be on to something.

I'm not attacking your game company here or making any sort of a slam on you, but I do have a valid question I'd like answered if you would: Why do you call your company "Rusty scalpel Games"?

I mean, a rusty scalpel is something that's just innately bad. I would not want a rusty scalpel used on me or anyone I cared about unless there was no viable alternative, so why did you name your company after something that can only have negative connotations?

If you had a thing for scalpels, "Obsidian scalpel" would have been better. I just can't understand someone using a name that can have only negative connotations for a company.

As I said, I am simply curious, just like I'd be if someone named a soda "Dogfart cola"...

Quote from: Cylonophile;385574I'm not attacking your game company here or making any sort of a slam on you, but I do have a valid question I'd like answered if you would: Why do you call your company "Rusty scalpel Games"?

I mean, a rusty scalpel is something that's just innately bad. I would not want a rusty scalpel used on me or anyone I cared about unless there was no viable alternative, so why did you name your company after something that can only have negative connotations?

If you had a thing for scalpels, "Obsidian scalpel" would have been better. I just can't understand someone using a name that can have only negative connotations for a company.

As I said, I am simply curious, just like I'd be if someone named a soda "Dogfart cola"...

Ha ha, I like "Dogfart cola"!  

Seriously though, I named my company "Rusty Scalpel Games" because I used to be a surgeon about 10 years ago.  I chose "rusty" to indicate that I (the scalpel being a proxy) haven't operated in a long time.  Other names I had considered were "Dead Surgeon Games", "Fallen Surgeon Games", and "Hey I'm That Guy Who Used To Cut People Open But Now I Don't Games".

My impression is that it's very hard for an independent company such as yours to sell core rules.