The Best Living Game Designer?

JongWK · January 01, 2010, 11:48:23 PM

My answer depends on how you define "best."

Pure mechanics? Monte Cook
Perfecting a single game through several editions? Greg Stafford
Project development? Peter Taylor

pawsplay · January 01, 2010, 11:51:16 PM

Quote from: Peregrin;352570I would diss Monte for pushing the whole "system mastery" bullshit, but at least he's admitted that they presented 3rd edition in a poor manner by not making it more obvious to neophytes that the rules were guidelines rather than hard-and-fast "this is how the universe works" shit some people take it for.

That, and he's a fairly nice guy.

As for designers, I don't have many favorites. But if I had to choose someone who's work I find intriguing and puts out high-quality stuff, it would have to be Luke Crane, since he's very consistent.

There are plenty of other designers that I like, but none of them really impress anything on me.

The thing is, I have no interest in playing Monte Cook's WoD, but I want to read it, just to see what he did.

Zachary The First · January 01, 2010, 11:55:13 PM

Marc W. Miller.

rezinzar · January 02, 2010, 02:16:10 AM

Greg Stafford or Steve Kenson. They both have this near magical ability to create stuff I just gotta try out. Gentlemen and genii, is my impression.

Melan · January 03, 2010, 04:04:12 PM

Kevin Siembieda, for introducing a whole lot of people to RPGs, keeping the adventuring spirit of gaming during the TSR 90s, and a whole lot more.

DeadUematsu · January 03, 2010, 10:51:48 PM

Monte Cook?

Kevin Siembedia?

No. Just NO.

Zachary The First · January 03, 2010, 11:48:17 PM

Quote from: Melan;352893Kevin Siembieda, for introducing a whole lot of people to RPGs, keeping the adventuring spirit of gaming during the TSR 90s, and a whole lot more.

Well, he made at least two RPGs that have been a lot of fun for me--Rifts and Palladium Fantasy. He worked on another, TMNT, along with Erick Wujcik. Not a bad record, I'd say.

ggroy · January 04, 2010, 01:15:38 AM

Nobody.

arminius · January 04, 2010, 04:30:48 AM

Quote from: pawsplay;352533He's good. But I'm still kind of peaved about Talislanta 3rd edition.

Why?

Lawbag · January 04, 2010, 05:25:30 AM

For me, the best games designer alive has to be John Wick. He not only has designed some of the best games Ive ever read, played and run, but he has a passion for each game he has created and his GMing advice (which forms a large part of his games) is unsurpassed...

The Butcher · January 04, 2010, 08:30:59 AM

Fluff? Kenneth Hite for gritty, conspiratorial, occult, hidden-history-of-the-world scenarios. Kevin Siembieda for over-the-top, comic-book bang-pow-zowie stuff.

Crunch? Umm, not sure. Maybe the people behind FATE (Fred Hicks) and Savage Worlds (Shane Lacy Hensley), two of my current favorite systems. Mike Mearls has my respect, even though I do not dig the crunch behind Iron Heroes or D&D 4e. And of course, the pioneers (Stafford, Perrin, Turney, Petersen, St. Andre, etc.).

Lawbag · January 04, 2010, 08:48:32 AM

Living?

flyingmice · January 04, 2010, 09:05:28 AM

My name does NOT belong on this list! It's an unintended insult to some truly awesome designers. I'm just starting to learn this craft, and I generally steal ideas from people with actual creativity. I ask, seriously, that my name not be brought up in this thread. Thank you, Dan and Tim, for the intended compliment, but when I met Mr. Gygax at GenCon the year of his death, I didn't even mention that I was a game designer, because I'm not one in comparison to him.

Thank you!

-clash

Settembrini · January 04, 2010, 09:59:36 AM

Harry Rowland.

Silverlion · January 04, 2010, 10:35:22 AM

Quote from: flyingmice;352987My name does NOT belong on this list! It's an unintended insult to some truly awesome designers. I'm just starting to learn this craft, and I generally steal ideas from people with actual creativity. I ask, seriously, that my name not be brought up in this thread. Thank you, Dan and Tim, for the intended compliment, but when I met Mr. Gygax at GenCon the year of his death, I didn't even mention that I was a game designer, because I'm not one in comparison to him.

Thank you!

-clash

Bah. I disagree. It's not always about being an "artist" sometimes it is about long term consistency and continued hard work.