tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post4948556722252131263..comments2024-03-09T19:23:22.482-03:00Comments on The RPGPundit: Blue Rose is Meaningless Until Someone Has Played it Longer Than The RPGPunditRPGPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17267330191433119298noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-50141753449040648322021-02-18T10:45:19.729-03:002021-02-18T10:45:19.729-03:00I can’t understand what you are saying. You also s...I can’t understand what you are saying. You also sound a bit.... weird. Things branded as “Shadow” are things we are not going to argue wether or not are wrong. A thing don’t need to be aligned with the Shadow to be negative. Jarzoon’s whole deal is fighting the Shadow, and it’s a dystopian theocracy.Arthurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06210568125666325241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-90518556957310693312018-09-22T17:40:56.549-04:002018-09-22T17:40:56.549-04:00haters gonna hatehaters gonna hateMerlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16618265564967537493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-86956001743499944942018-05-15T13:47:41.802-04:002018-05-15T13:47:41.802-04:00I like the setting. When I picked up the initial g...I like the setting. When I picked up the initial game (on a con, I like being weird and unfamiliar games at cons) I had just played a whole lot of Mutant Chronicles, Exalted and World of Darkness. <br /><br />"Oh hey, a setting that isnt a barely contained gauntlet of existential horror where reality itself hangs in the balance? That is insane."<br /><br />The still drying bits of it that was basically Star Wars with a paint job was fun to. <br /><br />It is sad how progressives have tarred that kind of setting. <br /><br />When I had the first book there was one guy who refused playing with me and I did not understand it at first, but now I kinda get him. I still like the setting but I cannot quite enjoy it like I used to. Jack Coyuerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09892002512731030731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-72161937009334544322017-05-31T14:03:10.584-04:002017-05-31T14:03:10.584-04:00I bought the new AGE version - never played or hea...I bought the new AGE version - never played or heard of the old version previously. I've play a whole lot of D&D and a smattering of other systems. I bought Blue Rose because of the art and the fact that the setting encourages heroism by Pcs. It's an interesting tone shift from the CN all loners parties that sometimes form - an setting that encourages/emphasizes relationship based play. Rules and setting are full of fun hooks for adventure. It also feels like a game where the character matters more than the sheet. Haven't run it yet, but I look forward to it.The Gentlebeasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04296462919058628236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-317902893822943152017-01-24T09:24:08.475-03:002017-01-24T09:24:08.475-03:00Thank you!Thank you!RPGPundithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17267330191433119298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-53372541574307127362017-01-24T08:48:55.183-03:002017-01-24T08:48:55.183-03:00Have no experience with playing the setting and wi...Have no experience with playing the setting and will keep it that way after reading your (and other's) take on things. I obv downloaded the PDF to help out my fellow plebeians in need of a pirated copy but holy shit the setting sounds fascist. Now perhaps this would be fun if it were created to be a fascist setting and the characters are underdogs trying to introduce some form of rebel society but hell no not like this. Thanks for writing, I always enjoy reading your scribbles.Lord Thomas of Yorkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01289734444008361602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-27676443270882276452017-01-17T18:51:17.335-03:002017-01-17T18:51:17.335-03:00I have to agree that the progressive warning signs...I have to agree that the progressive warning signs leap from that link to GR's article. While I probably don't agree with much of their politics, I support their right to create whatever they like. If it's a good product it'll do well. If it's not it won't. As far as calling any reasonable detractors racists/homophobes/etc., that's not OK. If people rant that it's a "stupid, gay-ass game", well, the butts will be hurt and stones thrown. And rightly so. In the end I don't give two turds about what people make because the market will (should) decide.<br /><br />As far as stopping the bullshit attacks, censorship, shaming, ruinination of livelihood and every other bad thing idealogues have been doing, well, that's a whole other can o' rotten beans and I don't have the answer or else I'd share it and we'd all get along. That would be boring. :)Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616038481515514604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-20787273607487136082016-11-30T11:33:47.360-03:002016-11-30T11:33:47.360-03:00I agree that Blue Rose was woefully underplayed, a...I agree that Blue Rose was woefully underplayed, and that its vocal support does not necessarily reflect its actual game playtime support. would suggest, however, that there are much better ways to support your argument about the relatively underplayed status of Blue Rose without making yourself a partisan in the "culture war" debate, in which you may set yourself into too staunchly of an adversarial opposition to people who may otherwise agree with your base assessment. I have no intention questioning or attempting to trump your boast of having played more Blue Rose sessions than anyone, as I just ran a short mini-adventure. But then I switched to True20. <br /><br />I would argue that the importance of Blue Rose has less to do with the setting itself, but, rather, the importance of its system within the narrative of the "d20 OGL Renaissance," particularly for the success of Green Ronin Press. The mechanics of Blue Rose provided greater streamlined simplicity in comparison with 3E D&D, with its reduced classes and d20 for everything. Your own impressive 130 sessions using the Blue Rose rules and mechanics attest to the robustness and usefulness of the system. The success of Blue Rose spurred the development of True20, which became one of my favorite systems during the 3E-4E era. It was like Open Source d20. It was easy to kitbash, alter, and tinker around. But Blue Rose very much stood as the sort of flagship and prototype of the True20 system, regardless of one's opinions on the setting itself. That contributed towards its iconic status. It's similar to how the Dragon AGE system spurred the Fantasy AGE system, again, for Green Ronin, or Numenera spurred the Cypher System for Monte Cook Games. <br /><br />With Fantasy AGE now becoming one of Green Ronin's new go-to in-house systems, I am glad to see Blue Rose receive an update, regardless of political motivations, because it represented a seminal moment in the d20 OGL Renaissance for me. The Fantasy AGE system is far from perfect. I personally have grievances with how Green Ronin did not so much simplify or streamline AGE but made annoyingly unneeded readjustments that did not address balance issues or rules complications. But I'm still happy to see Blue Rose come to the Fantasy AGE system. Blue Rose inspired me to use its rules in other settings and worlds, and I hope that it inspires me again in a similar fashion. PhDTwentyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14286420076884965728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-1422024499802557462016-08-24T08:30:56.669-04:002016-08-24T08:30:56.669-04:00Fighting Fantasy is the best FantasyFighting Fantasy is the best FantasyTiwakinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12565198632661570100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-65621714990365295512016-07-01T13:46:09.976-04:002016-07-01T13:46:09.976-04:00Yeah. I think it came across one Facebook feed or ...Yeah. I think it came across one Facebook feed or another.<br />Based on what you wrote I don't think I'd like the game and setting as much as I would like to. I'm one of those straight and narrow religious zealot types, after all. At least that is what I am working on. It seems that very few of the romantic fantasy authors ever wrote in a perfect society as they saw it. And yes, I do read that stuff. I read a lot more of it as a kid, and it still has a lot to do with how I envision worlds and play these games. The numbers are great, but the relationships are better, provided you have a game go on long enough to develop the narrative.<br />I will say that I do like 'Fantasy AGE' but I don't think it really stands out above any other rule set. I have not played with or read True20, but it sounds cool, though the title always hit me as pretentious. GM-Chugoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05843647818099142698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-90457467849576812082015-06-30T05:02:09.829-04:002015-06-30T05:02:09.829-04:00On the strength of this blog entry, I am... backin...On the strength of this blog entry, I am... backing the Kickstarter.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362005037339813366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-64731477915821339372015-06-29T03:21:39.664-04:002015-06-29T03:21:39.664-04:00Hmm, has this blog entry been linked somewhere, or...Hmm, has this blog entry been linked somewhere, or something? RPGPundithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17267330191433119298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-67062556002354233352015-06-28T21:57:36.646-04:002015-06-28T21:57:36.646-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-41363808556112361972015-06-28T20:39:23.281-04:002015-06-28T20:39:23.281-04:00Wow! I expect vitriol like that from those gamer g...Wow! I expect vitriol like that from those gamer gate idiots. I guess I need to pay more attention to my part of the gaming hobby for this sort of Fox News level of martyr complex and "I'm right, you're wrong"-ism as well. (Seriously, your take on how their alignment system seems a little extreme compared to how it's presented.) So I suppose I ought to thank you for letting me know that the pencil and paper end of things has this issue as well. <br /><br />Thanks?<br /> <br />Anyway, I was looking for a good core book for Age anyway, and I suppose this is gonna hit the spot. So thanks for that too? <br /><br />I for one look forward to having the completed book in my hands, and playing a Blue Rose game myself, probably in the core setting (since I always thought it was neat, reminded me of Valdemar, the brand of romantic fantasy that I believe they sight as an inspiration for the game, fyi).<br /><br />Don't know how I feel about psychic cats though. Not a big cat fan. But, hell's bells, I suppose I should try and keep an open mind about them.The Ogre (aka, Matt)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01022478609061693524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-88940557169315916032015-06-25T13:38:31.417-04:002015-06-25T13:38:31.417-04:00I've seen it, yes. And blogged about it recent...I've seen it, yes. And blogged about it recently.RPGPundithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17267330191433119298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-41465533597706910832015-06-25T08:53:46.417-04:002015-06-25T08:53:46.417-04:00https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504269797/blu...https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504269797/blue-rose-the-age-roleplaying-game-of-romantic-fanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-79426810982024864472015-06-22T01:10:33.728-04:002015-06-22T01:10:33.728-04:00Jesus Christ GhostWhistler, what the actual fuck i...Jesus Christ GhostWhistler, what the actual fuck is wrong with you? Do you know how insane, weaselly and...well, *stupid* you sound? Is this really the hill you want to die on?Burnouthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10302650619877009335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-6239210733367973662015-05-18T07:27:20.500-04:002015-05-18T07:27:20.500-04:00When the game explicitly defines the "asshole...When the game explicitly defines the "assholes" being kept out of government as people who value the rights of individuals above the nebulous concept of the good of the 'collective', then you have fascism. RPGPundithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17267330191433119298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-51554494689239277832015-05-18T05:18:13.662-04:002015-05-18T05:18:13.662-04:00Which leads me to my second point. Yes, Green Roni...Which leads me to my second point. Yes, Green Ronin are totally trolling you. And you know what? I think that's wrong.<br /><br />I'm sad to say so, but it's true - the original game is not espousing some kind of collectivist fascism, I still have no idea where you even get that from, but it's definitely far more interested in striking a blow against the "grimdarkness" that John Snead hates than in being playable. Far more interested in that, in fact, than in actually portraying romantic fantasy well. You are partially right in what you say there - the typical romantic fantasy protagonist, in my experience, runs away from a repressive culture and joins a super-progressive special order. Blue Rose have the Jarzoni as a token repressive culture to run away from, but everyone except the Jarzoni are portrayed as super-nice, and while there are special orders (far too many, in fact), they are described in a very sketchy way, as if Snead knew they were supposed to be there but didn't understand what they were actually for.<br /><br />And as for the new edition... well, I read the announcement. They actually went right out and said, "we're doing this to piss off the Bad Elements in the community and make it clear to them that they should drop dead!" And then when someone on rpg.net pointed out that this was perhaps unnecessary, plenty of people (including Snead himself) haughtily declared that it was their duty to inform people who were "on the wrong side of history" (actual quote) that their days were numbered.<br /><br />Because wanting to attack and offend a certain group of people is a GREAT reason to publish a game that's all about tolerance, of course. God have mercy.<br /><br />So, yeah. I disagree with you about the game. I am sorry to say that I agree with you about its supporters.<br /><br />(incidentally, I have run several Blue Rose games over the course of four years, so I've gotten my money's worth out of those books several times over. Though I admit that my most successful games were the ones set in Kern. I like my romance nice and Gothic)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-72563429506460409152015-05-18T05:17:51.717-04:002015-05-18T05:17:51.717-04:00I wish to say the following: 1) You are wrong abou...I wish to say the following: 1) You are wrong about almost everything you say about the Blue Rose game and setting. But oddly enough, 2) you are right about one thing - this game really does seem to exist to (and seems to be almost solely getting a second edition to) piss a certain type of gamer off.<br /><br />First off, collectivism? I have no idea where you're even getting that from. Did you miss the part where being sufficiently rich and successful in business gets you an actual seat in the government, just to ensure that the interests of dashing entrepreneurs are being sufficiently represented. If anything, I'd call the setting almost obnoxiously individualistic, with everyone being oh-so-careful not to stop on anyone else's precious individual rights.<br /><br />And fascism? Where, exactly? The Aldin government never seems to do anything very much other than slay monsters, arbitrate disputes and solve an occasional murder - it barely seems to have any policies at all, let alone any programs for shoving them down people's throats. "Any attempt to change the system is punishable by exile"? Where do you get that from, exactly? Exile is mentioned, but only as a final punishment for people who won't stop killing and stealing even after the nobles have given them a stern talking to - if there was anything in the setting description about people getting exiled for advocating reform, I missed it. In fact, the whole Merchant's Council thing, the richest people getting to form one full third of the government? That was a pretty big change to the system, back in the day. Apparently no one got exiled for it.<br /><br />I would also point out that Aldis isn't actually a utopia - it's got a system for keeping assholes out of public office, which helps a bit, and it's rich enough from trade and natural resources that it can afford to let everyone get a little slice of something, which probably helps more, but there's still criminals, corruption, the threat of war, and of course plenty of monsters lurking everywhere. But here I actually see your point, because while this is the case, it's not really presented terribly well; the tone in the book is one of snide "look how perfect everything is!" self-congratulation, with the actual flaws and problems grudgingly added onto it so that the PCs can have something to do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-11149335248410505472015-05-17T13:49:23.129-04:002015-05-17T13:49:23.129-04:00"The one thing that isn't opinion"? ..."The one thing that isn't opinion"? Please, your original argument was full your personal opinion. Even your title is opinionated and full of delusions of grandeur. You are trying very hard to prove your point against a setting that you don't even enjoy. You circle talk and ignore parts of others' arguments that prove you wrong or at least opinionated. <br />Just Move The Heck On and spent your time, money, and creativity on something else. You just seem to like to complain and bash other people. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-2962157064122693952015-05-17T13:41:57.512-04:002015-05-17T13:41:57.512-04:00"The one thing that isn't opinion"? ..."The one thing that isn't opinion"? Please, your original argument was full your personal opinion. Even your title is opinionated and full of delusions of grandeur. You are trying very hard to prove your point against a setting that you don't even enjoy. You circle talk and ignore parts of others' arguments that prove you wrong or at least opinionated. <br />Just Move The Heck On and spent your time, money, and creativity on something else. You just seem to like to complain and bash other people. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-50720750666377089792015-05-17T05:44:44.878-04:002015-05-17T05:44:44.878-04:00Let's address the one thing in your post here ...Let's address the one thing in your post here that isn't just a statement of opinion: that "the game focuses on people who like a particular type of fiction". The fact is, as I've pointed out in other recent blog entries on the subject, Blue Rose doesn't even do a good job of representing the genre of Romantic Fantasy. Which leads me to think that either the designers made some critical errors of setting-creation based on total misreadings of the genre that could only be qualified as gross incompetence, or that the whole "romantic fantasy" thing was more of a convenient cover for promoting a setting that isn't actually a good representation of romantic fantasy but is definitely a good representation of their Portlandia wish-fulfillment.RPGPundithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17267330191433119298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-80627310243305656562015-05-17T00:12:12.880-04:002015-05-17T00:12:12.880-04:00Just because you don't like a setting does no...Just because you don't like a setting does not mean it is horrible and that it is a politically incorrect world. Idealistic? Maybe. Wiccan? Yes, but it is not hipster. The two terms do not even mean the same thing. Please have some understanding of the social groups you are bashing before you so crudely insult them both. Fascist? Maybe to you; we are all entitled to an opinion. I do not see it myself.<br />I've been a fan of the setting for a long time. I've played in the setting, wrote fiction in the setting, and ran game in the setting. You have your right to not like Blue Rose and or Green Robin. I do however think you are reaching a bit on your assumptions for GR's intent for the game. Just because the game focuses in on an audience that likes a particular type of fiction, does not mean it is lame nor does it mean that the people who like the game are smug as you put it. Tamora Pierce and the other authors given inspirational credit do have a fan base. If it is not your cup of tea, then buy something else. I hate to break it to you, but all publishing companies want to make money. That is the point. Wizards of the Coast, Piazo, White Wolf, and all the other gaming publishing companies do the same thing. Fundamentally, they are all businesses who want to earn money.<br />Also, you say you have ran a Blue Rose game for a long time, but your description describes a completely different setting paired with Blue Rose's True 20 system. That is NOT the same thing. You have not ran a Blue Rose game at all. <br />I respect your opinion, but not your desire to insult others based on your own smugness.I hope you can move on and find a game you do enjoy. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600947515654238699.post-38568252690769184902015-04-15T18:08:53.390-04:002015-04-15T18:08:53.390-04:00I think like many RPGs, whether someone enjoys Blu...I think like many RPGs, whether someone enjoys Blue Rose or not depends on how the GM interprets the source material and whether the players are satisfied with that interpretation. I have been running a Blue Rose game for about two and a half years now, although our weekly sessions are only two to three hours (I also had to cancel a number of sessions when going through school). I used a FATE derivative for the rules set but kept the setting more or less intact. The game has actually proved pretty popular at the local game shop, and about 20%-60% of my Blue Rose player base participates in the Warhammer 40k RPG that I have been running most of the time since Dark Heresy first came out in 2008.<br />I have, however, moved a bit away from the somewhat bowdlerized descriptions of the peoples and countries found in the core rulebook and adopted the significantly more nuanced interpretation found in the World of Aldea sourcebook. Regardless, Game Designers Workshop has taught me to treat all game settings as being described by an unreliable narrator or otherwise dubious source, and I have been required on several occasions to expand on the information in the game books while staying true as possible to the details presented in the background material.<br />I do not think any of the above has detracted from my Blue Rose game, and my players have told me that they have been enjoying the both the game world and my campaigns. About half of my scenarios have used the adventure seeds found in the game books, although I often spiced them up a bit. In the Phantom of the Blue Rose, a darkfiend (basically a demon), was posing as the schools theology mistress and was stirring up trouble among the students for her own amusement. I populated the school with a number of fairly detailed NPCs, the characters partly inspired by Dario Argenti’s The House That Screamed.<br />Sometimes moral ambiguity developed naturally in the story as well. One of the characters is a rhy-cat (a giant, intelligent Siamese cat), whose village was massacred by mercenaries working for a timber company. The PCs were able to track down one of the mercenaries who participated in the attack who had been living the intervening years riddled with guilt. The PCs simultaneously need the man’s testimony to bring down his accomplices and their employers, while half of the party (including an expatriate from the setting’s relatively narrow-minded theocracy) feel that the mercenary’s crimes merit an immediate and somewhat drawn out death.<br />In brief, there has been plenty of room for battle, shades of grey, and even grittiness, themes that one can find in many of the romantic fantasy novels that reportedly inspired the game. The manner in which Kethrys punished the bandit leader in one of the books from Mercedes Lackey’s Vows and Honor series was talion-inspired, vigilante justice (justice that did not have happy long-term consequences). Lastly, while I am admittedly uncomfortable on occasion with how good and benevolent the game world can be, from a moral standpoint, the world of Aldea is much closer to the U.S., Canada and Western Europe than any other fantasy game.Ersatz Haderachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16442577156015971418noreply@blogger.com