Ken Hite has officially gone off the deep end. I mean, I had some hope, despite both writers' propensity for showboating and acting like spoilt primmadonnas, that Hite and Laws' new take on Call of Cthulhu, the one that's being designed with the "GUMSHOE" system, would have something worth reading at least.

Now I'm fairly sure that's not going to be the case.

People's Exhibit A: on his blog, Ken Hite calls Don't Rest Your Head "Second Generation Indie gaming (that) has fully internalized the post-Ron, post-Vincent indie design aesthetic in a way that old fogies like myself haven't."

People's Exhibit B: Hite is working on something called Adventures Into Darkness, an RPG book that's a "Golden Age superhero sourcebook for an alternate history where H.P. Lovecraft survived his cancer and became a comic-book writer".

I mean, first, what the shit is this guy on??

Second, if you have this kind of woolly-headed admiration for the utter crapulence that is indie design's "pretentious gimmicky weirdness for its own sake" method, how can what you produce end up being in any way better, or even not worse, than a truly classic game like CoC?

Of course, all the intellectualoids and would-be artistes around will hail it as the best thing since slice bread and forever use it to "suggest" gamers play it instead of CoC, or D&D for that matter, on the officially stupid Swine Forums.  Of that I am sure, since Hite has intellectually prostituted himself, shit, degraded himself in order to be allowed into the cool kids club. This is sort of the equivalent of Graham Nash putting out a Rap album in a desperate and utterly misguided attempt to still be relevant.

RPGPundit

I've been a fan of Hite's for many years and think he's a great choice. I would guess that he's run more games of CoC at cons and in his home game than any other professional writer.

That alone makes me confident he'll do a great take on CoC.

I mean, it's always possible he lets his creative impulse get the better of him, but he's a real authority (imo) on running horror games in general and CoC in particular, so I feel like they're in good hands.

Chuck

Don't Rest Your Head: teh suxxorz. To the point where that spelling was actually necessary.

As for Lovecraftian Superheroes, it's called Hellboy.

Quote from: RPGPunditPeople's Exhibit B: Hite is working on something called Adventures Into Darkness, an RPG book that's a "Golden Age superhero sourcebook for an alternate history where H.P. Lovecraft survived his cancer and became a comic-book writer".

I have to admit, I think this sounds pretty cool.

Quote from: beejazzAs for Lovecraftian Superheroes, it's called Hellboy.

...if, admittedly, a bit familiar.

Quote from: laffingboyI have to admit, I think this sounds pretty cool.

Same here. If it can be pulled off, it'd definitely be interesting.

Rumors from the front is the "new wild spin" of Gumshoe's system is not really "new wild, or even spun"--appearently in regarding following a mystery if you roll success you get a clue, rather than say, I don't know what--rolling successes and not succeeding and stalling out the mystery? I can't think of  a game I've run but one where it stalled out like that (and part of that was one player through a fit and discounting other players input that stalled--not the mystery.)

I am so sick of Cthulhu. If I never hear one more Lovecraft reference it will be too soon.

Quote from: droogI am so sick of Cthulhu...

You may be sick of Cthulhu.  But Cthulhu is not sick of you ...
:greatcthulhu:

Quote from: RPGPundit... stuff ...

Y'know, I'm not sure why any of this stuff constitutes a reason not to at least check out the game.  (That is, if you're interested in another take on Cthulhu.)
:confused:

Having read Nightmares of Mine several years ago, I'm 100% convinced that Ken Hite is better qualified to write a Cthulhu RPG than any other game designer currently working in the hobby industry. I'm not so sure about Robin Laws, however.

Quote from: jdrakehHaving read Nightmares of Mine several years ago, I'm 100% convinced that Ken Hite is better qualified to write a Cthulhu RPG than any other game designer currently working in the hobby industry. I'm not so sure about Robin Laws, however.

Oh right, I forgot that Hite wrote that.  That book fucking rocks.  :win:

Quote from: AkrasiaYou may be sick of Cthulhu.  But Cthulhu is not sick of you ...
:greatcthulhu:

"Bah!" I say. "Humbug to Cthulhu!"

I predict a mess to rival Bruce Baugh's Gamma World.

Hite, Laws and Cthuhlu :

:hmm:

:ponder:

:win:

Regards,
David R

Quote from: jdrakehHaving read Nightmares of Mine several years ago, I'm 100% convinced that Ken Hite is better qualified to write a Cthulhu RPG than any other game designer currently working in the hobby industry. I'm not so sure about Robin Laws, however.

He also wrote GURPs horror, an excellent resource for horror gaming and especially horror GMing imo.

Not to mention that he has been PAID to run CoC, a distinction Im guessing not many game designers share

Chuck