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I'm not a big fan of LG either, although I have used a few of the modules, but I'm more excited by the prospect that Castle Greyhawk will renew Wotc's interest in doing Greyhawk material. Who knows, we may even get an updated sourcebook before 4e rolls around.
I'll agree that Mona's devotion to the setting may be the one thing out there that's keeping Greyhawk alive. I'll also concede that, in the absence of Gygax or Sargent, he is perhaps one of the select few that can actually write for the setting, not to mention rally support for new material within the turning gears of Wizards. But maybe that power is limited. Let's face it, Greyhawk fans have wandered the desert for quite some time now. Castle Greyhawk would represent Wizards first significant use of the license in 5 years, a veritable lifetime to gamers. No one, not even the most optimistic among us expected this, especially at this time, but if it signals the advent of new material (and not just a one-off money grab), then it's something to herald. Suffice to say, a lot depends upon its success, and sadly, that success will only eat into Gygax's Castle Zagyg. I'll probably end up buying them both as I suspect they will offer a lot in the way of gaming and source material, but I wonder how many others among us will do the same.
CraigClark, You're splitting hairs, and badly at that. Gygax still owns enough of the license through his novels to make Zagyg as genuine as it could be. It's not a sourcebook, it's a castle, and he doesn't need to have everything in Greyhawk at his beck and call to recreate his fabled adventure, however varied it may be in the final tally. Besides, the authenticity of Gygax's work isn't in question here, you're just blowing smoke to distract from a rude gesture on the part of Wizards, who, as it was mentioned before, have had the oppotunity to produce Greyhawk material at any time over the last six years but chose this moment to steal the spotlight from the guy who made it all happen. But I guess that's par for the course for Gary, to be undercut and have what he loves taken away from him. Like others, I just hope he finishes the series so we can enjoy one last go round with the old master.
Looks like we've won, folks. Now let's roll the credits and get on with the business of producing decent D&D articles for a D&D magazine.
Hard to believe our opinions have resulted in the improvement of Dungeon. I'll wait until the page is replaced with something better before believing it.
The fact that the article sucks ***** should be enough to remove it from the magazine. But barring such wisdom from my fellow gamers I will say this, if it is indeed 'tolerable,' as a few of you have pointed out, then consider the fact that it has no place in Dungeon. It is NOT a gaming article. Never has been, never will be, no matter how much Wil dresses it up as such. Put it somehwere else, for the good of us all. Place it alongside a column in Dragon, or perhaps the latest issue of'Everything you've ever wanted to know about Star Trek (but were afraid to ask).' Anywhere but Dungeon.
As long as I'm paying for this magazine, I can talk about the signifigance of a single page for as long as I like... So to sum up (for what feels like the twelfth time), Wil Save offers nothing, folks. It is a non-gaming article dressed up otherwise and schleped off on a gaming community Paizo thinks will swallow anything. But we don't and, frankly, it is a mystery to me how this so-called article continues to speak to anything but gaming and keeps its status in the magazine. Someone clear up the mystery, please. Has Wil inked a deal for Mona's soul? Has he got the goods on these people and we're gonna have to endure thias tripe for another year? My advice for Wil Save is simple: axe this faux gamer while the magazine still has material to be proud of. Don't settle for four out of five stars week after week, Paizo. Drop Wil off at the nearest startbase and get back to the real work of D&D, while we're young.
If previous columns by Wheaton weren't evidence enough of the fact that Wil Save needs to be discontinued, this month's offering should be more than enough to seal the deal. I'll be honest: I look for something of value or interest when I read Dungeon, and usually I find it, but my frustration with Wil Save lies in the fact that there is little or nothing I can take away from the artciles, be it instruction or entertainment. It is, in my opinion, utterly devoid of ANY redeeming qualities. What has Wil offered us in these last few articles? A chance to peer into the troubled psyche of an aging child-star? A chance to peer over his shoulder at a gaming convention? This does not make for good reading, people. Not even dentist waiting-room reading. If I want to know the day to day thoughts of Wil Wheaton, I will read his blog. Otherwise, give me something I can enjoy, because reading this article is like having one's gums scraped. When Wheaton deigns to talk about gaming, he barely touches on D&D at all, preferring to go on and on about his hero Steve Jackson, who, by the way, does NOT deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the all-time greats of RPG game design. To date, Wil Wheaton has managed to dodge the subject of his articles more effectively than anyone entrusted with such a column, and remarkably, he keeps his job. Go figure. I was lost on the merits of this article from the beginning, but now it seems like a perverse joke to keep it going, like painting a giant bullseye on Dungeon's forehead and waiting for the vitriol to come rolling in.
Better art will, in no way, save an otherwise crappy column. Might pretty it up for a while, but that's about it. I second the motion on renaming Wil Save "Jar Jar Lives!"
I have disliked this article since its inception. As Samantha so eloquently said in another post, the article's purpose is misused by Wil in an attempt to keep his life on the front burner for all to see... *theme music plays* It's the Wil Wheaton Show! With this week's guest star, D&D! Also starring, a lame tacked-on sub-plot somehow envolving Star Trek! Don't worry, folks! Wil will make it work!
Thank you, Samantha. I couldn't have said it any better, myself. Now, let's hope a few other people start paying attention.
IMO, the latest installment of Wil Save perfectly exemplifies why it was a bad idea from the start; the majority of the article is devoted to Wil's anxiety over being a child star and how he began to feel alienated when many of his viewers rejected his t.v. personality. The article is only incidentally about gaming, but as usual Wil felt the overlap was sufficient for him to roll out his life story once again. I'm starting to wonder how many times we will be subjected to the Star Trek sub-plot in these articles. I guess all roads (and future coloumns) do lead back to the decisions Wil made as a teenager. Koldoon - You said that he could relate to this column because, like Wil, you too are a middle-aged gamer. Frankly, I feel that has nothing to do with Wil's most recent article. Were you a former child star ostracized when your popularity soured? I seriously doubt it. Did you ever feel that you couldn't attend gaming conferences because of public dislike for your career choices? Again, I doubt it. So unless I get some acting credits under my belt soon (and maybe a millionaire gambling buddy to boot), I seriously doubt I will be able relate to this article as a middle-aged gamer.
Comparing Gygax's articles to that of Wheaton's is like comparing Mickey Mantle to Fredo the Batboy. Nobody has a burning interest to hear Wheaton's tales of D&D glory, whereas Gygax was there in the beginning, he_co-created_the game, and that drives the interest of many aging gamers who enjoy tales of the good 'ol days. When we read Gygax's articles, whether they're good or bad, many of us still feel like the proverbial fly on the wall, watching it all go down at the beginning of creation. But I feel nothing of the sort when I read Wheaton's articles. If anything, I look on him as a younger cousin who came late to the game and now tries to pass himself off as somebody who was there from the beginning. That's not to say that you have to own the white box to feel nostalgic about the game, but Wheaton's attempts at waxing nostalgic are no different than any run of the mill gamer. Let's face it: the guy has no design credits; he has_never_written about the game before this dream assignment was dropped in his lap; he has nothing to show for his good fortune other than being a former child star whose t.v. show is watched by many fantasy enthusiasts. He's simply a minor celebrity whose fame is being tapped to insure that the game reaches as many people as possible. Maybe I wouldn't feel this way if the articles were worth something, but they aren't, and I'm tired of waiting for Wil to find his voice. It may be his Wil Save, but we're the ones taking full damage.
Well, another month has gone by and we're left with another useless column by Wheaton. I'm not at all sure what it is I'm supposed to take away from this installment, but a story about Wil dropping D&D references while gambling with his millionaire buddy in Vegas does little to impress or even entertain me. By comparison, the earlier articles, which I rated as poor at best, were better than this. Again, it makes me question the whole point of the article's presence in Dungeon. If it is there to put a semi-celebrity face on the game, then it's satisfying that pledge, but accomplishing little else in the bargain. If it has a story arc to which we are not privvy, then at least throw us a bone and let us in on it, because I have no idea where this article is headed. But then, I don't think Wil does either.
I have to agree with Troy, Wil's articles have to develop, and fast, otherwise we'll be stuck reading the same aging-gamer-gets-nostalgic-watching-his-kids-roll-dice and/or remember when we stayed up all night playing D&D schtick every time he sits down to type something for the column. I'm not against letting something grow, but I've seen mold develop faster than this. Find those boundaries, mister, and cross them, pronto.
It's an excellent trend in lieu of a hardcover setting book. Erik Mona certainly knows what Greyhawk fans want. All I can say is "keep it up, good sir."
Like others, I am trying to find some redeeming value in Wil Save. The thing that bugs me the most about it is that any aging gamer could write the column. Everybody has their experiences to share, so I find little about Wil's articles that really appeals to me. Perhaps if he had some truly unique experiences to share I might be persuaded that it's not a complete bust, but it is, and that what makes it all the more depressing. Am I happy he has continued to play despite getting older and having a family and a job? Of course I am. Do I care to read about it on a monthly basis? Hell, no.
Perhaps I'm oversatating the obvious, but I'd like to see each adventure locale fleshed out with a nice regional supplement, ala the recently released City of Sterich. I say this because I remember Erik Mona mentioning that the upcoming adventure path, unlike Cauldron, will take place all over the Flanaess. I can't help but look on this as a grand opportunity to develop Greyhawk in lieu of a new sourcebook. Perhaps part of these adventures could take place outside the traditional map, anticipating the "westward expansion" that's rumored to appear in the future. Anyway, some thoughts.
You can get a lot further in life with a smile and charm person than you can with just a smile.
Erik, Now that the map of the Flanaess is said to be finished, might I jump ahead with a question on the "westward expansion?" To date, how much is known about the outlying regions of the Flanaess? I only know about the Chainmail setting and Aquarius. Is there enough material to even justify a map and, if so, would you like to flesh out additional information in adventure-form before the actual map appears? Thanks, MB
I too share in the disorientation some readers feel while reading Downer, but I think of that as a strength rather than a drawback. What's the plot? Who cares? Where's it going? Who cares? I like it because it paints in odd detail the world in which D&D creatures exist. I won't say that it humanizes them, for that would be insulting to the creatures themselves, but I will say that it gives me a perspective unavailable to most readers of D&D material. I like it. More, please.
Hey, Erik, A couple things came to mind. Have you thought to include any material from the Gord the Rogue series, or is that material verbotten? Also, what about the location of Mordy's secret castle in the Yatils? |
