Complete Book of Elves writer to apologize for his work on video

Libertad · March 07, 2013, 07:36:17 PM

Here's the video!

From the Torment Kickstarter:

QuoteLast, but most certainly not least: Upon reaching $2.5m, we will send out a special video from Colin. Those of you familiar with Colin’s very early work may recall that he wrote the Complete Book of Elves for 2nd Edition AD&D. You AD&D players may remember how dreadful this work was, making elves so incredibly powerful and unbalanced that all of our AD&D games were henceforth ruined until 3rd Edition D&D came to save us. (This is a slight overstatement. We could just pretend the book never existed, after all. That’s what I did…) Fortunately, Colin wrote that over 20 years ago and he’s learned much since then. =) Plus he’s the creative guy on Torment and Adam and I aren’t going to let him get too close to the gameplay systems. Just kidding. (Mostly. )

But we’ve always felt that he owes us for polluting our campaigns with his bizarre passion for elves. Thankfully, Colin seems to have gotten through his elf-fetish years but his penance isn’t yet complete. He has apologized before, but somehow I find it lacking. I don't know about you, but I want to see him say it. So as part of our update celebrating this Stretch Goal, Colin will apologize publicly for this sin of his youth through a special video.

Thoughts?

AteTheHeckUp · March 07, 2013, 07:42:13 PM

The Complete Elf Book was what we got upset about before God invented 3rd edition.

I'm not a big fan of elves as treated in xD&D anyway, but the CBoE didn't seem any worse than anything else in the line.

flyingcircus · March 08, 2013, 08:06:55 AM

Never used the book in the first place, so never affected me....

Piestrio · March 08, 2013, 08:25:39 AM

That's pretty funny

deadDMwalking · March 08, 2013, 09:49:02 AM

I'm saddened that Colin feels the need to apologize for a creative work at all. I found the book engaging and exciting. It helped fuel my desire to continue playing the game. Later I decided that I had a different vision for elves, but that would not have been possible without the critical examination of elves as portrayed in numerous sources including particularly the Complete Book of Elves.

No creative work is above critical review (even negative critical review), but that's much different from apologizing for the act of creation.

I'm not familiar with the Kickstarter, but I'd be likely to withdraw my support for any product that added this type of ridiculousness for extra money.

Daddy Warpig · March 08, 2013, 11:03:04 AM

Quote from: deadDMwalking;635386I'm not familiar with the Kickstarter, but I'd be likely to withdraw my support for any product that added this type of ridiculousness for extra money.

Seriously? An author taking the piss out of his own work, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, offends you?

I'm not urging you to donate — I'm not — but why should that bother you so much? I thought a similar moment in one of the "Shadowrun Returns" videos was hilarious. (Guy getting pelted with Nerf darts, IIRC.)

To each his own, but your stance is puzzling.

Benoist · March 08, 2013, 12:31:41 PM

It's pretty funny, and goes to show they know exactly what type of audience they are going for, which probably liked Planescape Torment, probably played AD&D2, and therefore, probably knows about the Complete Book of the Elves or could very easily understand what Colin means with little to no context. It costs zero dollars, and gives the funders the feeling of belonging, of being "in on the joke" with the rest of the "community" etc. It's good PR.

Baron · March 08, 2013, 12:40:02 PM

Pretty funny idea. I've only glanced through some of the 2nd ed books (1st ed fan here), but I can imagine...

Good luck on your kickstarter. Although I think I'll stick with actually preordering/ordering products. From what I understand, a kickstarter is a 'donation' with no guarantees. At least if a preorder goes south, you can dispute any credit card charge.

Daddy Warpig · March 08, 2013, 12:48:37 PM

I found the aforementioned "Shadowrun Returns" video, here. The guy being pelted is the Executive Producer for the 2007 Shadowrun FPS, for Xbox 360. It s-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ucked.

The Butcher · March 08, 2013, 12:51:05 PM

This is awesome not so much because CBoE was so bad (it was bad, but certainly not forgive-me-for-unleashing-this-upon-the-unsuspecting-world bad), but because of the precedent it opens.

In the same (tongue-in-cheek) spirit, I'd love to see whoever wrote Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand apologize in a similar manner. Or Justin Achilli for using and abusing foul language in an attempt to sound edgy (Clanbook: Giovanni, anyone?). Or the author of Chaos Factor. Fuck me, White Wolf has a lot to apologize for.

What about you? Who would you like to apologize, and for what?

Kaiu Keiichi · March 08, 2013, 04:52:48 PM

Quote from: The Butcher;635424This is awesome not so much because CBoE was so bad (it was bad, but certainly not forgive-me-for-unleashing-this-upon-the-unsuspecting-world bad), but because of the precedent it opens.

In the same (tongue-in-cheek) spirit, I'd love to see whoever wrote Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand apologize in a similar manner. Or Justin Achilli for using and abusing foul language in an attempt to sound edgy (Clanbook: Giovanni, anyone?). Or the author of Chaos Factor. Fuck me, White Wolf has a lot to apologize for.

I agree about DSOTBH, but I ran Chaos Factor for my Mage group as a high octane fueled chase, and my group loved it, especially the big battle with Sam Haight and his super magick staff at the end.

No work of art that, but man we got some good gaming mileage out of old Sam.

DSOTBH would have been OK if it didn't share the same setting as V:TM.

The Butcher · March 08, 2013, 05:11:04 PM

Quote from: Kaiu Keiichi;635484I agree about DSOTBH, but I ran Chaos Factor for my Mage group as a high octane fueled chase, and my group loved it, especially the big battle with Sam Haight and his super magick staff at the end.

No work of art that, but man we got some good gaming mileage out of old Sam.

DSOTBH would have been OK if it didn't share the same setting as V:TM.

I know, I know, I'm being cheeky. Both DSotBH and Chaos Factor are glorious gonzo jewels in their own way, God knows I've had some pretty wild stuff happen at my own games, and especially LARPs. I'm talking about Black Spiral Dancers setting (bale)fire to huge portions of the city, and Methuselahs duking it out on the street with massive collateral damage (both from the fight and the inevitable Masquerade cleanup). There's a lot to be said about over-the-top grimdark supers WoD. Not all of it bad even.

Wolf, Richard · March 08, 2013, 08:45:13 PM

I never thought the book was that bad. The only thing that was OP in it was the Bladesinger which IIRC let an elf Fighter/Mage wear armor, but I might be recalling that incorrectly anyway.

There is just this Internet nerd disdain for elves that I just don't get.

Black Vulmea · March 08, 2013, 10:33:49 PM

Quote from: Wolf, Richard;635553There is just this Internet nerd disdain for elves that I just don't get.

It's not the elves.

It's the annoying gits who tend to play them. A lot.

jeff37923 · March 08, 2013, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: Wolf, Richard;635553There is just this Internet nerd disdain for elves that I just don't get.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;635561It's not the elves.

It's the annoying gits who tend to play them. A lot.

This.

In AD&D2, casting Haste cost a year of life in the character affected. So we would end up with Players having elves who demanded Haste be cast every combat because they lived a thousand years and could afford to age some while the lesser races (like humans) were just Mayflies meant for death. It damn near took a punch to the face before I was able to convince these guys that they were killing my human character through old age because of this.

This was all in RPGA games, which is also one of the reasons I dislike the RPGA.