OgreCave

In an article in The Guardian today, a reporter reflects on the softening of Lovecraftian merchandise – not its salability, mind you, but rather its hopeless horror being glossed over a bit in favor of a fluffy, cartoony look. This is nothing new: the Great Old Ones have been presented with their hard edges sanded off for many years now, and it certainly wasn’t to teach kids about the Cthulhu mythos – it was to sell. One of the nerdiest properties after Dungeons & Dragons has always been Cthulhu (whether speaking of Chaosium‘s Call of Cthulhu, or just the works of H.P. Lovecraft), and if there’s anything us nerds love, it’s toys and collectibles.

(As an aside, when I ask my 12-year-old daughter what she knows about Cthulhu, she tells me he’s “like an octopus guy, who’s really big, and lives underwater, and eats people, and there’s only one of him.” H.P. Lovecraft? Never heard of him. Yes, I know – I’ve failed to teach her. I know. You’re missing the point.)

Is the “cute-ifying” of all-powerful Cthulhu the makings of controversy, or just clever marketing? These days, there’s cute/plush/Bratz/LEGO/Hot Wheels versions of nearly every popular theme, including zombies, vampires, and demons. An untapped market is hard to resist, especially when the burden of screening and/or explaining the eldritch content is so easily passed to the parents. A Mini Plush Cthulhu (from Toy Vault) was the hot item to send to new gamer parents for a time (Matt Forbeck received four at once a while back), and that (innocent?) trend has broadened considerably since those days. Now Lovecraft fans can select everything from children’s book parodies and dice games to fuzzy Cthulhu slippers and My Little Cthulhu (complete with victims).

Ultimately, selling cute Cthulhu isn’t a bad thing at all. If companies can support Lovecraft fans with products they (or their children) enjoy, more power to them. Just because my daugther grew up around a large plush Cthulhu (which she pronounced “Toolu” until she was 5 or so), it doesn’t automatically mean she’ll be playing through Mansions of Madness anytime soon, if ever. That’s okay. She’s aware of Cthulhu (a startling notion, if you think about it…), and has a vague notion of a larger storyline that she can investigate at her leisure.

If she ever does, though, I’d better teach her more about Lovecraft, or the guys at Chaosium will sic the gugs on me again.

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From a somewhat disturbing post over on Story Games:

And yet another different D&D freelancer friend said:

“This is why D&D 4E is called an indie game. It tells you how to play. Many of us know that the rules are better than they have ever been design wise but that’s not the point. Look at Iron Heroes designed by Mike Mearls. The same people who loved that game, a game which was similar to 4E in many ways, hated 4E. Why? They actually like the rules in many cases. But they don’t want to be told this is the way to play. These games are about people. They are about friends. And you don’t know my friends better than I do.”

Now, that’s just the opinion of one alleged freelancer, and even if we took it as truth, it doesn’t pose a large problem… unless you’re interested in the accessibility of D&D. The trouble with not telling people how to play is it limits the game’s growth to the oral tradition. A new group, as in people who don’t know (or don’t know they know) anyone else who plays, must fill in that deliberately larger gap between the rules and the table all on their own, which A) has a lot of known bad side effects, and B) simply fails more often – often enough that I’d guess it doesn’t replace players faster than they drop out.

By returning to not (fully) telling you how to play, Wizards is accepting that D&D is inaccessible from the outside and that the best it can do is reclaim some old players. As we’ve discussed, with D&D Next they’re likely really just aiming to win back recent converts to Pathfinder. That’ll do, corporately speaking; that’ll hold the line. It disappoints those of us who’d rather that D&D were closer to a living part of gaming culture than an archival piece, but it does suit Hasbro’s general M.O. and stated reason for investing in D&D at all: getting value out of a brand through an array of ancillary products. Hell, I kind of don’t know why they don’t just distribute the core RPG books for free. (They haven’t said they won’t, of course; in my view it’d be a smart way to return to the PDF market.)

There are ways, though, that Wizards could make the oral tradition more effective. They’ve announced that they are revamping the D&D website, which is good, but my confidence is a little low that they’ll be able to do what’s really required: utterly changing their online corporate voice. If they did manage it, they could be the oral tradition, the place people go to see and hear what this hobby is and what it looks like when people live it. The right selection of official YouTube videos alone would be a great step towards clearing away the annoyingly persistent confusion about just exactly what it is you do when you play D&D.

That would possibly reopen the door to the world at large. But from what we know right now, that isn’t a goal.

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Yesterday Wizards announced they’ll be reprinting the 1st Edition AD&D core books in new collectible (in the pre-Magic sense of the word, thanks) editions this April. We can only assume that the choice of reprinting this particular edition, rather than the white box or something else you can’t readily find in free boxes on the curb, was chosen for reasons of rights and convenience on Wizards’ part. It would certainly speak volumes about the supposed commitment to embracing all editions in D&D Next if some other reprints got the same treatment.

EDIT Mike is a jerk: it makes a certain amount of sense that this is a reprint of the last major edition of D&D that Gary Gygax was personally invested in, since the books are a benefit for the Gygax Memorial Fund. Okay then.

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Taste the excitement. For those who missed, D&D Next (that’s all they’re calling it thus far) has been announced, and an open playtest set to begin in the spring can be yours if you go click on one of a selection of shiny red buttons. Here’s what I had to say on the Twits:

• I don’t envy WotC right now. They can’t possibly do it right for most people, and most people will say so.
• All WotC’s horses and all WotC’s men want to put the fractured play base together again. (4E didn’t start the breaks, but did worsen ‘em.)
• And amazingly, they have something resembling clear messaging about just that! It’s all over this Mearls interview.
• The danger now lies in how that openness comes across. 4E’s strength was you could come in totally cold and actually have a successful game.
• A D&D-for-everyone has a hard job if it wants to be that accessible. (As I’ve written lately, I think Risk Legacy can be a guide here.)

On the “D&D Next” topic: this is significant. Everyone on Twitter, and I’m sure other places as well, is screaming about “5E” but no one at Wizards is saying the number 5. That’s because (turn back now if you fear rampant speculation) Wizards wants “editions” to go away. They create confusion amongst consumers. Wizards doesn’t much care about our nerdfights – there will always be nerdfights – but once it got so bad that Pathfinder actually made a dent in the consciousness of consumers outside the nerd bubble, that got their attention. By and large, the mass of D&D players (the ones who get it at Walmart-or-whatever) don’t even notice independent games, and certainly not fantasy ones; Wizards would like it very much if those folks never notice those games again.

And as far as listening to your fans… it can be done right, and it can be done wrong. For now, I’ll call it a good thing that it’s going to be done at all.

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Risk Legacy is the game of the year. I know, I know, but: even if the persistent nuisance of the core Risk die mechanic isn’t something you can overlook, think of the effect that Legacy will have on future games from (the wealthier amongst) other game publishers. Specifically, imagine what co-op games will do with it. More generally, look at how Legacy introduces new mechanics slowly over time and compare it to the Fluency Play model. Then think of those poor bastards who read about, say, Agricola in the newspaper’s annual board game review and decide to try to use it to institute game night with their family. They’re going to create a lot of confusion, and probably an impression that games in general aren’t for them. The same game, with most of the complexity initially hidden inside little “achievement” envelopes, would be many times more learnable and accessible. The problem isn’t confined to new or casual gamers, either; ask me how I’m doing at absorbing the rules of Eclipse. Better yet, don’t.

And that’s all leaving aside the sheer joy of playing the thing – which, to be fair, may be due in part to shock value that’ll fade once more games of this nature hit the market. (At the very least, I want to see Monopoly Legacy.) This is the new best practice for doing any kind of campaign play in a board game. Don’t just spell out a campaign in the back half of the rulebook, make it theater. Risk Legacy oozes theatricality starting when you crack the seal on the box, and going forward through just about every step (except the rulebook, which is more straightforward for obvious reasons). This is the essence of what a campaign is for, as role-players know; hell, it’s the reason role-playing was made.

This is just my pick. Allan may have a different one. Also if you don’t own Ascending Empires we can’t be friends, so don’t think you can slack off there.

So yeah, we didn’t do a gift guide. Let’s be real, you didn’t have any money to buy people things with anyway. Pook very kindly put some of his picks up in various categories; I don’t feel super qualified to make a call on RPG of 2011, in part because I seem to be doomed to stay 6 months behind, at least, on actually playing anything. I’m tempted to say that the RPG of the year is Kickstarter – if you get your build right, that’s one hell of a reward cycle.

Give us your picks in the comments. Just keep your damn Skyrim off my lawn.

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While some of the OgreCave crew have been taking a little time off (call ‘em mental health days, call ‘em school/divorce/new baby recovery days – whatever), causing us to skip this year’s OgreCave Christmas Gift Guide, longtime Cave Dweller Matthew Pook has scraped together a quick list of gift suggestions that would make any Ogre proud. Anyone still searching for beyond-last-minute gift ideas – or wondering what to spend holiday gift certificates on – should head over to read Reviews from R’lyeh: The OgreCave.com Christmas List. The rest of the staff here at OgreCave appreciates the assist, Matthew. We’ll have your back next time, for sure.

Of course, if you really need a gift now, you can always resort to an electronic goodie or two. Pathfinder RPG fans might enjoy Hero Labs for the Pathfinder Beginner Box (Lone Wolf Development; Free!); and gamers in general are likely to find something worthwhile in the Super Indie Bundle, offered on Steam for a limited time – 10 games for $19.99 is hard to beat!

Be well, and happy holidays!

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While there’s always some new Eurogame or RPG coming along, it seems less often that you hear about a new, interesting all-wood abstract strategy game… I’ll do my best to remedy that — I’m told that a new one is hitting the market tomorrow!

In Perigon from Clarendon Games, each player controls four pieces that live in grooves in the board and move by rotating around intersections of the grooves. There is also a neutral flag piece which can only be moved by connecting to it with your own pieces. The object of the game is to capture the flag and move it through your opponent’s side of the board and onto a goal line. Of course, like many simple but deep strategy games, it’s probably easier to play than to describe — you might get a better idea of how it works by watching this video.

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‘Tis Halloween, and while we’ve been dealing with Real Life ^TM issues a lot lately, the Cave dwellers don’t want to leave you in the dark… at least, not without something creepy to stalk you. So today we offer Demian’s review of Atlas Games’ Cthulhu Gloom. Is it better than the original game? More importantly, is it fun? If you’re lucky, and offer him some candy, Demian might tell you.

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The entries in the 2011 Windhammer Prize for Short Gamebook Fiction have been made public, and voting is open until October 30th. If you’re a fan of interactive fiction and want to reap the fruits of this year’s competition, just visit this page. As the competition page so eloquently puts it, “within these entries can be found humour and madness, domestic terrorism and desperate stands, and the dangers that can be found in both inner and outer space.”

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To welcome you back from the long weekend, we’ve posted two new reviews today. First, Dennis has taken a look at a new take on “fantasy sports” in the form of VicTim Games’ ScrumBrawl. This fast-paced arena sport board game pits fantasy beasts against each other in such a deadly game, the ball might even explode! Then Daron clues us in to the first graphic novel reviewed at the Cave, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Plague, Volume 1. Though the comic brings certain clichés back to the table, Daron still thought we should know what Shadow Plague has to offer. Have a look – we’ll have more reviews dished up shortly, so check back early and often.

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So, you’ve probably noticed a distinct lack of… well, anything here for a bit. More of a bit than usual, that is. We’ve had multiple CaveDwellers going through major Real Life^TM events, both happy (congrats to Lee and Demian on their newborn babies!) and unhappy (working through divorce, myself). This last item has been the main issue impeding site progress. But rest assured, OgreCave has plans in the works, and you’ll be seeing more new reviews (Lee has managed a few lengthy reviews, for example, despite recently becoming a father), coverage of gaming events (PAX coverage will commence shortly – watch our Facebook page!), and our podcastery will resume. So to sum up: if you missed us, we’re sorry, and thanks, ‘cuz we’re not done; if you didn’t… well, we’ll show you why you should have.

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Marking the midpoint of Gen Con Indy for the past several years, the ENnie Awards were held again last night at the convention. For the second time in a row, Paizo Publishing swept the awards, coming away with nine gold awards, including Best Production Values, Best Setting, Best Supplement, Best Adventure, Fan’s Choice for Best Publisher (Wizards of the Coast took the silver), and Product of the Year (for the Pathfinder: Advanced Player’s Guide). This year’s winners also included multiple nods to The Dresden Files RPG, which won for Best Writing, Best Rules, Best New Game, and Best Game, and took second for Product of the Year. Wizards of the Coast grabbed a gold award as well, for its Castle Ravenloft Boardgame, and a few silvers. As always, OgreCave congratulates all the winners and nominees – merely appearing on a list of such formidable products is quite an achievement.

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There’s an item of interest over at RPGnet, and it brings attention to a massive research project many gamers will be interested in. Shannon Applecline’s Designers & Dragons: The Column launched today, bringing back his detailed histories of various game companies – from Atlas Games to Wizards of the Coast – that first appeared in his A Brief History of Game columns. Obviously the new column is primarily timed to give some love to Designers & Dragons, Shannon’s book coming soon from Mongoose Publishing, which compiles and greatly expands his old columns. However, in the months ahead the new column will expand its historical coverage to encompass a wider range of companies. Keep an eye out for these – it’s often surprising to hear how your favorite publishers got their starts, or how they faded away.

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Since we’re on the cusp of Gen Con Indy, it’s that time again. At tonight’s annual Diana Jones Award presentation, it was revealed that Jason Morningstar’s Fiasco has won this year’s prize. As you may recall, Fiasco was up against two other powerhouse roleplaying titles, The Dresden Files RPG and FreeMarket, as well as the board games Catacombs and Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space. Jason Morningstar won the award previously in 2008 for Grey Ranks, so maybe he’s getting good at this game design thing. Congrats again to Jason, and to all the well-deserved nominees.

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Fantasy Flight Games just announced it has entered into a licensing agreement with Lucasfilm Ltd. for the rights to publish card, roleplaying, and miniatures games based on Star Wars. FFG also announced the first two Star Wars game lines the company plans to release – the X-Wing miniatures game and Star Wars: The Card Game, both scheduled to launch in early 2012. This take on a Star Wars card gaming experience will take the cooperative approach – which, other than a deck-building game like Dominion, might be the only approach that hasn’t been tried yet. Meanwhile, X-Wing will be “a tactical ship-to-ship combat game” with “detailed painted miniatures”, multiple scenarios and tools to create more. (see below for full press release)

Read more…

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As is the way of such things, the 37th Annual Origins Award winners were announced this weekend at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH. As many roleplayers expected, Evil Hat’s Dresden Files RPG did very well this year, winning both Best RPG and Best RPG Supplement. Wizards of the Coast’s Castle Ravenloft took the prize as Best Board Game, while Back to the Future: The Card Game from Looney Labs won the Best Traditional Card Game category, and Zombie Dice by Steve Jackson Games won Best Family, Party or Children’s Game. Click through to the full list of winners below for more details.

Read more…

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At long last, we’ve posted our two interviews from KublaCon 2011. Now you can listen to each Gaming News Update episode in glorious… um, audio. First up is Jason Bulmahn of Paizo Publishing – the master of Pathfinder tells us all about the newly-released Ultimate Magic, the upcoming Ultimate Combat, and mentions other projects, including the recently announced Pathfinder prepainted miniatures from WizKids.

Next, you’d better get pumped up for Free RPG Day, because the fifth anniversary of the event is tomorrow! To that end, Aldo Ghiozzi of Impressions and Free RPG Day tells us about this year’s goodies, the best ways to support and enjoy the event, and a tie-in with this year’s Origins Game Fair (next week!).

Be sure to visit OgreCave’s Facebook page to check out our KublaCon image gallery. While you’re there, become a fan – we’ll be giving away a few prizes this summer, but if you’re not a fan, you get nuthin’.

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The nominees for this year’s Diana Jones Award have been announced, and there’s some heavy hitters in competition this time. In no particular order (other than that given on the press release), the nominated games are:

• The Catacombs board game (Sands of Time Games)
• The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game (Evil Hat Productions)
• Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space board game (Cranio Creations)
• Fiasco (Bully Pulpit Games)
• FreeMarket (Luke Crane and Jared Sorensen)

The winner will be announced the night before Gen Con, as always, and will join the exclusive club of past winners, which includes the roleplaying games Nobilis and My Life With Master, the Ticket to Ride board game, the card game Dominion, and industry figures such as Peter Adkison, among others. (See below for the full press release)

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A pair of new reviews are up today. Troop movements for the Summoner Wars game continue, and Lee is back to provide military intelligence in his review of the wargame’s Cloaks and Jungle Elves Reinforcement Packs. Then Demian gives us a look at a simple-yet-engaging game of mathematic puzzling, Tom Jolly’s Got It!. Click through to find out if you should add these goodies to your collection.

By the way, stick with us here and on our OgreCave facebook page for reports from this weekend’s KublaCon 2011. And if you’re at the show, say hello to any ogres you might come across.

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One of the biggest game conventions, the Origins Game Fair, has just announced that starting next year, the show will take place at a new time of the year – Memorial Day weekend. (Yes, for those of you paying attention, that’d be this weekend, next year.) According to the announcement (also copied below), the move has allowed the convention to cut hotel and exhibitor costs, but some fans fear this could disrupt the established pattern of regional shows. Some industry folks also speculate the new show dates are too early, moving Origins out of the summer vacation months, thereby making students less able to attend.

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Paizo Publishing and WizKids Games made the announcement today that WizKids will create a set of pre-painted miniatures for use with Paizo’s Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, due October 2011. Whether this experiment will lead to more pre-painted figures remains to be seen. Many gamers feel this partnership is just in time to pick up where Wizards of the Coast left off, after the Dungeons & Dragons publisher decided to discontinue its D&D Miniatures sets.
[UPDATE: New press release copied below, with FAQ]

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Attention all aspiring god-killers: Ryan Macklin (yes, of the Internet) has just posted a Mythender character creation preview that you can download, test, and provide feedback on – it’s an early draft, but should give you a sense of the game’s epic flavor. If you don’t know what Mythender is, your priorities are screwed up, buddy. Look, just go back and listen to our Gaming News Update interview pod