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The "Maid" RPG: Real or Hoax?

Started by RPGPundit, October 08, 2008, 05:21:32 PM

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noisms

#30
October 09, 2008, 09:21:03 AM
Quote from: One Horse Town;255111If this is indeed the case, is makes the choice to translate this particular game rather telling, does it not? Although i certainly gather that there is worse stuff out there.

Courting controversy for its own sake indicates one of several things; seeking infamy, a cover for a lack of talent, amorality, or cynical marketeering. Often it indicates more than one of those.

I'm not convinced this was translated for the sake of courting controversy alone, but the pattern in other games from associated stables is there.

In this case I'm not sure it's about courting controversy. That's a particular bug bear of mine, but I'm willing to give the translators of Maid the benefit of the doubt. I think it's rather the case that they know there is a big market for anything Japanese when it comes to Western anime/manga geeks, and they saw the opportunity to make a few quid on the side. It's cynical, but in a different way.
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droog

#31
October 09, 2008, 09:24:36 AM
Quote from: One Horse Town;255113Very true, David. It does seem that the proportions are hugely skewed though.

It seems that some people here are highly skewed about anything that has a whiff of the Forge about it, if you ask me.
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One Horse Town

#32
October 09, 2008, 09:27:00 AM
Quote from: noisms;255115In this case I'm not sure it's about courting controversy. That's a particular bug bear of mine, but I'm willing to give the translators of Maid the benefit of the doubt.

Same here, for now.

QuoteI think it's rather the case that they know there is a big market for anything Japanese when it comes to Western anime/manga geeks, and they saw the opportunity to make a few quid on the side. It's cynical, but in a different way.

Maybe.

One Horse Town

#33
October 09, 2008, 09:30:59 AM
Quote from: droog;255116It seems that some people here are highly skewed about anything that has a whiff of the Forge about it, if you ask me.

You've been here long enough to know this. It was meant to be a place to talk about traditional games. It's odd, granted, that most threads started about these things come from the strongest critics. If they didn't, perhaps that focus would be stronger. :idunno:

shalvayez

#34
October 09, 2008, 09:40:28 AM
Maid looks like a crock of shit to me, but only because ALL anime looks like a crock of shit to me. No, really, Japanese animators have already ruined Saturday morning cartoons, don't let them ruin RPGs.
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droog

#35
October 09, 2008, 09:42:14 AM
QuoteIt's odd, granted, that most threads started about these things come from the strongest critics.
It's not odd. Some people like to demonstrate moral outrage.
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History lives in the books at home
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newtmonkey

#36
October 09, 2008, 10:07:48 AM
I currently am living in Japan, and there was a copy of this game sitting on the shelf of the gaming store closest to where I live.  So it does exist.  I can't say how popular it is or anything.  When I last went to the store no one was even remotely interested in the RPG section (besides me).  Everyone was off in the card games section or in the creepy models section.
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walkerp

#37
October 09, 2008, 10:41:55 AM
I have the tiniest of knowledge about Japanese RPGs but I suspect that a lot of them are very similar to RPGs we already have over here and Maid represented something that was truly unique.  Also, it's in a single, small book.  So it may have been more of a question of finding something that would have its own niche rather than courting controversy.

I know that the company is currently working to translate other games and that Maid was more of an initial volley.  So we'll see if the next game is Tentacle: the Raping or something interesting but less controversial.
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Hobo

#38
October 09, 2008, 10:46:04 AM Last Edit: October 09, 2008, 10:51:09 AM by Hobo
Quote from: DeadUematsu;255089It's not a bad game but I would only play it with the right people (people who aren't sick fucks). The major draw for me is that game filled with random charts and uses them extensively in play.
Desire to play this game definitionally makes you a sick fuck, so you're outta luck there.  :)

droog

#39
October 09, 2008, 10:50:55 AM
See, another one.
The past lives on in your front room
The poor still weak the rich still rule
History lives in the books at home
The books at home

Gang of Four
[/size]

One Horse Town

#40
October 09, 2008, 10:55:25 AM
Quote from: droog;255141See, another one.

I think he was being all ironic and stuff.

Besides which, what is your opinion about this sort of stuff? You might not agree with mine, but i've put them out there when these threads have cropped up.

JongWK

#41
October 09, 2008, 11:04:33 AM
Quote from: walkerp;255138I have the tiniest of knowledge about Japanese RPGs but I suspect that a lot of them are very similar to RPGs we already have over here and Maid represented something that was truly unique.  Also, it's in a single, small book.  So it may have been more of a question of finding something that would have its own niche rather than courting controversy.

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jhkim

#42
October 09, 2008, 11:19:35 AM
Hm.  Well, I don't own the game and don't have any intention to buy it, but I did play it at GenCon and have perused both the original Japanese and the new English translation.  

It definitely caters to a fetish in a sense, but there's no sex or nudity in the game.  So it doesn't seem very different to me from many other games that are liberally sprinkled with bikini-clad babes and so forth.  For example, the Conan RPG has a topless woman on every other page of the book (as a prominent part part of the border illustration) -- and I'd say caters to a fetish.

Seanchai

#43
October 09, 2008, 12:18:45 PM
Quote from: One Horse Town;255090There's an interesting thread about the game on tbp right now.

I haven't seen the game, but it seems like folks making a mountain out of a molehill.

Seanchai
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One Horse Town

#44
October 09, 2008, 12:29:49 PM Last Edit: October 09, 2008, 12:33:54 PM by One Horse Town
Quote from: Seanchai;255158I haven't seen the game, but it seems like folks making a mountain out of a molehill.

Seanchai

Depends really. The point of an actual play in a rulebook is to demonstrate the rules in action and a typical session isn't it? If the translators wanted to remove what they term as the "creepy-sexy" from the game, they should have been all over that AP like a rash. I'm taking their word for it that it was a mistake, but i'm not totally convinced it can be done, given the genre. What the hell is "funny-sexy" in the context of this game and the protagonists anyway?
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