RPGDX > Forums > General Discussion > Where Are the Garage RPG Players?

RampantCoyote

So we've got (far too few) "homebrew" RPGs that get released from time to time, from free RPG Maker titles to Spiderweb's games to the latest roguelikes to "big" titles that look only a few steps behind a modern AAA retail title.

So here's the million-dollar question: Who's playing these games, and where are they? Are there forums (beyond here, naturally, since most of us are gamers as well as developers, and the obligatory RPG.NET and GameDev.net communities) where the players congregate? Or are they just scattered around the web, periodically hearing about these games via word-of-mouth?

If I wanted to talk about my favorite new or upcoming non-mainstream RPG (Like The Last Scenario, Eschalon: Book 1, Geneforge 4, whatevah!) discuss hints and tips, and find out what's coming next, is there a common place I'd go, or would I just have to hunt down the developer's website?

Yes, I'm wanting brain dumps of your favorite CRPG-related hangouts... :)
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Tales of the Rampant Coyote - Old-School Game Developer talks Indie Games, RPGs, and the Games Biz

cowgod · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:01 pm Post subject:

Why not just post about these games here? I'm sure someone will reply.

I did a Google search, and most rpg forums seem to be focused on pen-and-paper rpgs, not computer rpgs.

RampantCoyote · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:29 am Post subject:

Yeah, that's what I was noticing too. It's just that RPGDX is more developer-centric.
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Tales of the Rampant Coyote - Old-School Game Developer talks Indie Games, RPGs, and the Games Biz

Verious · Mage Joined: 06 Jan 2004 Posts: 409 Location: Online

There is Gaming World, but they seem to be on hiatus right now. Gaming World tends to focus primarily on RPG games developed with "rpg makers".

cowgod · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:05 am Post subject:

I found a site like that when searching with Google (it might even have been the same site).

That isn't quite the same though. RPG Maker games can be fun, but they're not as fun as games like Geneforge.

I know there should be a forum like the one RampantCoyote is looking for, but finding it is another matter entirely.

Hajo · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:20 am Post subject:

In the past newsgroups used to be a good discussion and announcing ground. There used to be some well structured and populated groups about game design and development.

Quite some time ago I lost my access to newsgroups (beyond google groups which is awkward). I must say I couldn't find a forum that matched the newsgroups yet. I'm searching, too.

Most RPG forum sites seem to have very low traffic :(

Actually I like the 'privacy' of this place with only few visitors, but usually high quality contributions. So I can ask without half the world getting to know what is going on ;)

RampantCoyote · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject:

True enough. I was just curious if there was a better clearinghouse of information that players would be familiar with.

The big example (for me) being The Last Scenario, and even The Broken Hourglass. Jason Compton was kinda upset about that one. Besides being the producer for TBH, he's a contributing editor for PC Gamer magazine - and while interviewing me as the RPG section editor for The Great Games Experiment for PC Gamer, he found out I'd never heard of his game in development.

I was annoyed too, because it SHOULD BE a pretty high-profile RPG.

It made me wonder where our audience is, besides each other? There SHOULD be one. The closest I can find is RPGCodex, RPGWatch, and RPGDot... and they all specialize more in western-style RPGs (which I admit, I have a little bit of a preference for myself). And the latter two are more focused on mainstream RPGs, but are willing to cover indie titles.

RPGCodex is definitely indie-oriented, but it's heavily oriented towards the grousing Fallout-fan crowd.

I would love to orient Tales of the Rampant Coyote / Rampant Games in that direction, but it takes a lot of time / effort / money to grow an audience from scratch like that.
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Tales of the Rampant Coyote - Old-School Game Developer talks Indie Games, RPGs, and the Games Biz

Hajo · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:38 am Post subject:

I came to your forum since it seemed to be read by many people. I think your blogs easily will attract more people to the forum, but most likely designers and developers, not necessarily the players.

I could imagine that your forum will develop to a nice meeting place for designers and developers.

Captain Vimes · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:00 pm Post subject:

Where are the garage RPGers, you ask?

Hi.

Haven't played that many, on account of a crappy connection, but there are a few I really like. GearHead Arena, for example, and Lynn's Legacy. Kambou: The Great Kanji Adventure was fun too. What happened to that guy? I want him to finish the game so I can complete it.
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RampantCoyote · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:09 am Post subject:

So what forums / sites do you frequent besides this one to find out about these RPGs?
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Tales of the Rampant Coyote - Old-School Game Developer talks Indie Games, RPGs, and the Games Biz