Quote from: Ian AbsentiaYou forgot:

• Weirdly vitriolic response from people who are apparently unfamiliar with his work.

QFT.  That, and people who apparently didn't even read the rant properly.  It's not like he's walking away because nobody bought Mysteries of Mesoamerica... HE HASN'T EVEN RELEASED IT YET, FUCKWITS!  He's walking away because he's burnt out on doing all the work himself.  He's hardly the first person, inside or outside the hobby, to have that experience.

And whatever I may think of his rather bizarre rant (I don't think he was serious about the Nyarlathotep part, or at least I hope not...), I bet there are plenty of folks who would happily pay for a CoC supplement (a) about Mesoamerica, and (b) written by one of the DG contributors.

KoOS

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaYou forgot:

• Weirdly vitriolic response from people who are apparently unfamiliar with his work.

Ian when you wrote this....you were aware what site you were posting on, right?

Regards,
David R

Quote from: jhkimIt seems to me that you're trying to divide things into a false dichotomy of good, clean-cut action (like Indiana Jones or presumably Doc Savage) versus cerebral exploration of inner life.  Many pulps were neither.  The typical "stories of the macabre" might have less outright combat than a typical adventure tale -- but it wasn't exactly cerebral.  The same goes for pulp romance stories, that were often transgressive.

It seems to me you're confusing your interlocutors. I do not equate the absence of an inner life with good clean fun. Again, Conan doesn't have an inner life.

Quote from: SpikeI could totally kick the shit out of you.


Seriously.

And my black lord, Nyarlathotep would totally take a crap on you for the affront to one of his minions.  Ïa, ïa! Ftagvernügen!

!i!

OK, maybe I wasn't making myself clear here.  It seemed to me that there was a false dichotomy being presented.  

Quote from: Pierce InverarityHowever, IMO it doesn't address what looks like the real divide among people who unlike the plush doll faction still take the game seriously: Is CoC pulp or is it personal psychologizing horror? Is it Masks of N, or is it Ken Hite?

I don't really see this divide.  As far as I've seen no one plays Call of Cthulthu isn't purely psychological horror -- there's always monsters and/or the supernatural.  The divide is more between impersonal horror where the PCs are often more like professional monster-hunters, and personal horror where the PCs are more connected to the horrors.  Both of these are consistent with both pulp in general and Lovecraft specifically.  There are plenty of Lovecraft stories where the protagonist discovers horror in his own self or his ancestry, say, but also ones where the horror is more external.

I wish there were as many Aasimov-fish-readers as there are Lovecraft exegets...:rolleyes:

We talk about RPGs, WOTC brings up MMORPGs.

We talk about RPGs, Koltar brings up TV shows.

We talk about RPGs, John brings up novels.

You know what the crisis is about?

Nobody trusts an RPG to be an RPG any more. It must be a derivate of some other fucking thing in order to be valuable.

By itself, it is nothing.

All other things aside, I agree that Cthulhu fandom has tamed and disenchanted the mythos. It should ideally be some dark, immense and monstrous thing lurking just on the edges of your field of vision, not the geek chic of Cthulhu slippers and yellow sign fridge magnets. By having been thoroughly explored and dissected, the mythos has lost what made it alluring in the first place, and been reduced to a quaint and safe joke.

Behold: these are the dangers of "worldbuilding".

Quote from: MelanAll other things aside, I agree that Cthulhu fandom has tamed and disenchanted the mythos. It should ideally be some dark, immense and monstrous thing lurking just on the edges of your field of vision, not the geek chic of Cthulhu slippers and yellow sign fridge magnets. By having been thoroughly explored and dissected, the mythos has lost what made it alluring in the first place, and been reduced to a quaint and safe joke.

Behold: these are the dangers of "worldbuilding".

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

The only real way to do Mythos right anymore, is ditching the Mythos.

What would you be left with, J?

Quote from: Pierce InverarityWe talk about RPGs, Koltar brings up TV shows.



By itself, it is nothing.

Only if its similiar to the type of RPG being discussed.


- Ed C.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityWhat would you be left with, J?

Well, to me, the think that appeals about the Mythos is more the feel of the universe, it's denizens, the stories and themes and approaches to storytelling.

It's perfectly plausible to do your own modern interpretation or spin on that style of story, whilst ditching the actual particulars and canon references, and wind up with something that feels both fresh, and familiar.  

It's been done in other media numerous times, so I don't see why it can't be done in roleplaying games.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityWhat would you be left with, J?

The concept of an empty and uncaring universe which may snuff you out in an act of random chance.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityWe talk about RPGs, WOTC brings up MMORPGs.

We talk about RPGs, Koltar brings up TV shows.

We talk about RPGs, John brings up novels.

You know what the crisis is about?

Nobody trusts an RPG to be an RPG any more. It must be a derivate of some other fucking thing in order to be valuable.

By itself, it is nothing.

Mmmm. I don´t think so. I think it´s a problem of most peoples limited range of arguments. Hammer & Nail, so to speak.

Add to that: Many people havbe a limited understanding of RPGs. See Mike Mearls and Traveller.

Quote from: MelanThe concept of an empty and uncaring universe which may snuff you out in an act of random chance.

I'm very fond of the idea of alien races who really are alien in mindset, who don't even view us humans as equivalent lifeforms.  

And that whole madness thing is pretty damn cool if you ask me.  The idea that there are things and places and bits of knowledge in this world that the human mind can so little comprehend that only insanity can possibly follow from it's experience.  

I just think there's so many different things you can take from those stories and games without focusing on the particulars of a lot of bug-eyed monsters everyone's seen a million times.

Afterall, isn't that how much of the non-Lovecraft Mythos stuff got started anyway?  Taking the themes and mood and concepts, and spinning off in a million directions with it?