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Steve Jackson's Total TDS Brain Rot

Started by RPGPundit, November 04, 2024, 04:36:00 PM

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zircher

My brother worked for Evil Stevie for a while as a staff artist.  I think he got paid barely more than minimum wage.  Once he got some skills and a portfolio, he left Austin so fast he literally got a speeding ticket on the way out. 
You can find my solo Tarot based rules for Amber on my home page.
http://www.tangent-zero.com

Brigman

No huge fan of the man.  When I was doing art for Amarillo Design Bureau - and SJG by proxy, via their "GURPS: Prime Directive" line - he was a PITA over art I'd already done and had approved by ADB, wanting revisions to finished pieces because "he said so". Even got insulting with me over it.

That said, I don't wish him any harm. He made some great gaming products going way back.
PEACE!
- Brigs

Cathode Ray

I personally know someone else who wasn't paid for his/her art for SJG.
Creator of Radical High, a 1980s RPG.
DM/PM me if you're interested.

M2A0

Quote from: zircher on November 06, 2024, 07:42:45 PMMy brother worked for Evil Stevie for a while as a staff artist.  I think he got paid barely more than minimum wage.  Once he got some skills and a portfolio, he left Austin so fast he literally got a speeding ticket on the way out. 

Outside of WotC, nobody pays well in the industry. 10 years ago a Privateer Press salary was 1/3rd of a WotC (Renton) salary in a higher cost of living town (Bellevue).

David Johansen

I won't say nobody makes it rich in the industry but it's pretty much easier to make a buck in any other industry in the universe.

As much as I disagree with Steve Jackson on any number of things (and I consider his policies aroung GURPS to be far more relevant to me than his politics) he has kept a gaming business going all these years and paid his people, I respect that.  It's his platform and he's free to do what he wishes with it but I doubt the people his politics might influence aren't big GURPS fans any how.
Fantasy Adventure Comic, games, and more http://www.uncouthsavage.com

Omega

Quote from: Cathode Ray on November 07, 2024, 02:38:31 PMI personally know someone else who wasn't paid for his/her art for SJG.

Fucks sake! How many people was SJG fucking over then?

Omega

Quote from: David Johansen on November 07, 2024, 07:28:43 PMI won't say nobody makes it rich in the industry but it's pretty much easier to make a buck in any other industry in the universe.

As much as I disagree with Steve Jackson on any number of things (and I consider his policies aroung GURPS to be far more relevant to me than his politics) he has kept a gaming business going all these years and paid his people, I respect that.  It's his platform and he's free to do what he wishes with it but I doubt the people his politics might influence aren't big GURPS fans any how.

Except he did not pay his people, or payed them chickenfeed. I have even less respect for him and Reed now learning that this was not just one or two people getting screwed over.

RNGm

#22
edit:  The rant is still there but it's just been pushed off of the front page.   At first I thought they had disappeared it like their comrades at gamers4harris did with their entire website but it's still up in the SJG post history.

https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/November_2024

David Johansen

Quote from: Omega on November 08, 2024, 05:17:40 AM
Quote from: David Johansen on November 07, 2024, 07:28:43 PMI won't say nobody makes it rich in the industry but it's pretty much easier to make a buck in any other industry in the universe.

As much as I disagree with Steve Jackson on any number of things (and I consider his policies aroung GURPS to be far more relevant to me than his politics) he has kept a gaming business going all these years and paid his people, I respect that.  It's his platform and he's free to do what he wishes with it but I doubt the people his politics might influence aren't big GURPS fans any how.

Except he did not pay his people, or payed them chickenfeed. I have even less respect for him and Reed now learning that this was not just one or two people getting screwed over.
Well, then, he's a jerk, though it's pretty standard in the industry.  I guess it depends on the deal, some people are just happy to get their work in print.  Others are starving to death and desperate for the cheque.  For the record, Zircher's work was some of the best SJG had at the time and I always wondered if the poster was connected with the artist.  If I ever did do a universal 3d6 game it would be awfully tempting to use former SJG artists.
Fantasy Adventure Comic, games, and more http://www.uncouthsavage.com

Almost_Useless

His TDS has been getting bad for a few years now.  Honestly, I just wish he had really gone nuts about six months earlier.  I had been getting fed up with WotC and decided GURPS would be my go-to system.  I went big (for me) on a couple of sales they ran and had about 2/3 of the 4e stuff I really wanted.  Then the Supreme Court decision on Roe happened and he lost it.  I don't even want anything to do with it now.

I mean, I can handle the idea that people have different opinions from mine.  That's all I ask for back.  Take my money, give me your product, and we both act like normal people.  Is that really so much to ask?

Exploderwizard

Quote from: Almost_Useless on November 10, 2024, 12:45:30 AMHis TDS has been getting bad for a few years now.  Honestly, I just wish he had really gone nuts about six months earlier.  I had been getting fed up with WotC and decided GURPS would be my go-to system.  I went big (for me) on a couple of sales they ran and had about 2/3 of the 4e stuff I really wanted.  Then the Supreme Court decision on Roe happened and he lost it.  I don't even want anything to do with it now.

I mean, I can handle the idea that people have different opinions from mine.  That's all I ask for back.  Take my money, give me your product, and we both act like normal people.  Is that really so much to ask?

There is no reason not to enjoy the products you have. I have a massive 3rd edition GURPS book collection and Steve being a complete tool is not not going to spoil my enjoyment of them. I don't buy current stuff because they are not producing the types of product I want.
Quote from: JonWakeGamers, as a whole, are much like primitive cavemen when confronted with a new game. Rather than \'oh, neat, what\'s this do?\', the reaction is to decide if it\'s a sex hole, then hit it with a rock.

Quote from: Old Geezer;724252At some point it seems like D&D is going to disappear up its own ass.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;766997In the randomness of the dice lies the seed for the great oak of creativity and fun. The great virtue of the dice is that they come without boxed text.

Ruprecht

Quote from: M2A0 on November 07, 2024, 06:49:52 PMOutside of WotC, nobody pays well in the industry.
I've heard that Lamentations pays their contractors properly.
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing. ~Robert E. Howard

RNGm

Quote from: Exploderwizard on November 10, 2024, 09:17:43 AM
Quote from: Almost_Useless on November 10, 2024, 12:45:30 AMHis TDS has been getting bad for a few years now.  Honestly, I just wish he had really gone nuts about six months earlier.  I had been getting fed up with WotC and decided GURPS would be my go-to system.  I went big (for me) on a couple of sales they ran and had about 2/3 of the 4e stuff I really wanted.  Then the Supreme Court decision on Roe happened and he lost it.  I don't even want anything to do with it now.


There is no reason not to enjoy the products you have. I have a massive 3rd edition GURPS book collection and Steve being a complete tool is not not going to spoil my enjoyment of them. I don't buy current stuff because they are not producing the types of product I want.

Or just sell it on the secondary market to potentially prevent him from making money on another direct first time sale to a new customer that was planning to purchase it regardless.  If you can recoup some of the money back, save a fellow gamer some money, and prevent money from going directly or indirectly into his coffers at the same time then that's the RPG equivalent of making lemonade out of lemons.

jeff37923

Quote from: Exploderwizard on November 10, 2024, 09:17:43 AMThere is no reason not to enjoy the products you have. I have a massive 3rd edition GURPS book collection and Steve being a complete tool is not not going to spoil my enjoyment of them. I don't buy current stuff because they are not producing the types of product I want.

^^THIS^^
For the love of God, this is a point that I tried to get across in the gamers4harris thread.
"Meh."

Almost_Useless

Quote from: Exploderwizard on November 10, 2024, 09:17:43 AMThere is no reason not to enjoy the products you have. I have a massive 3rd edition GURPS book collection and Steve being a complete tool is not not going to spoil my enjoyment of them. I don't buy current stuff because they are not producing the types of product I want.

Logically, I know that.  I still refer to the historical supplements for stuff.  My problem is that I tend to be an evangelist GM.  I still think it would be fun to do my own "Powered by GURPS" fantasy game just for my own use, but I don't want to bring him any new customers.