Taboo to follow White Wolf?
TempvsMortis:
I know EXACTLY how you feel, and it always makes me really paranoid (and I think makes me a better writer, because I'm let my ideas cook more so they're less cliche). Example: Thaumaturgy. That's the single best word for sorcery in the English language, but because frakking vampire used it first now you're just ripping off WhiteWolf. I love WhiteWolf (the new edition can go die in a fire) but seriously, Mark Rein*Hagen was so prolific that he basically monopolized half of all the good ideas. I think really though, if you product is better than theirs, and better by a significant margin, then people ignore the old one (if anything, it gets looked down upon). Think of BSG; it's the perfect example. And D&D has been redone, that's how GreenRonin made its name, and really just proves the point. Sure new ideas are good (particularly the good ones) but if they're not executed right, then what have you really done? All you've done is set the stage for someone ELSE to become known for the thing you did. D&D may be famous, but there's a REASON there's a whole crowd of people who play RPGs who bash the game, even now with 4E, even though they came up on it (me being part of that community). D&D may have been among the first to create the RPG community, but many people played it not because IT was good, but because RPGs were good, but then once they experienced another RPG (even D&D-esque fantasy one) that with superior crafting they shifted over without blinking.
Basically, what I'm saying is: Be original AND effective; and if you can only pick one, pick effectiveness.
Ron Edwards:
I think the thread is winding up in rant mode again, especially since the topic seems to be how an unspecified "them" is reacting. It's easy to work oneself up into a froth by imagining what someone else says, or over-extending what a few people have said.
First Oni, is there any chance of you discussing your publishing decisions about Apocalypse Prevention to illustrate the positive side of the issue you've brought up?
For example, referencing my experience, publishing a game with a single-word title concerning magic use (Sorcerer) was not planned as a counter or reaction to Mage, but as it happened, people who noted the similarity in title style were then pleased or at least productively jarred by the game's profound difference from Mage.
Best, Ron
First Oni:
Of course, i love talking about my game. I guess the first positive thing that i did was to take stock of all the games to which Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. will likely get compared. Most play testers have said that my game is mostly like a cross between Hellboy and Men in Black. As Men in Black doesn't have an RPG, i jotted the Hellboy RPG on my mental list. Because my game uses horror influences (and a lot of my fan writing had been for white wolf games), i knew i'd be compared to them as well. I have vampire and wolfmen in my game, so i add Vampire: the Masquerade, Vampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, and Werewolf: the Forsaken to the list, even though they aren't the focus of the game.
So, as a publisher who believes in his game and knows its good and bad points, I actually thought long and hard about things that i can say to break the thought that my game is similar to these. Comparisons to Hellboy are very light and its never been said in negative way, so i actually don't mind it because it is kinda similar to Hellboy, even though i've only seen the movie once and it was way after coming up with the concept. But i do emphasize that my game is not government based and has more demon races to choose from than just Hellboy and Abe. :-P When comparing against Vampire, i simply let it be known that my vampires are a completely different breed, as they aren't undead. I'll let that one lay in secrecy for a bit. My wolf people are also more like the classic wolf man movies than gaia-worshipping furries. ;-)
In the end, it's all about self confidence. I know my game is new, different, and worth playing. Those that don't want to give it a look because it may have a vampire are missing out in my opinion. I'm finishing up the principle writing and editing as we speak and am having a ball. The feedback I've received is highly positive and I expect great things for my game, with comparisons or not.
-Oni
PS: the single-word titles get less kickback than say "Title: Subtitle" games. Because WW seems to have a monopoly on those as well. :-P
Ron Edwards:
That sounds quite fun, all 'round, and I'll be checking it out soon. I think your conclusions about confidence are spot-on.
Best, Ron
edited when interrupted by a toddler - RE
Valamir:
Yeah, that was my first thought...Supernatural Men in Black...that could be fun.
BTW there was a MiB RPG...it was one of WEGs d6 line.
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