There’s a PixelDan interview with “the Horsemen” (Jermey and Treadway I believe) talking about the TTRPG… it’s based on 5e, it sounds like they over thought “poppin’ n’ swapping’” into a system that’s not just “your character has weapons and armors”, and they say what sets it apart from other from other games is they’ll have minis and maps!
Anyway, someone who knows D&D go watch the video and rip it apart
Okay so... wasn't likely to be much meat here since the entire video is like 6 minutes. I watched it. Some notes:
1.) So tired of hearing someone at 4H make excuses for why they, a massively successful studio with decades in the business, have to keep going back to Kickstarter to do anything. The lamest excuse so far was this one: Kickstarter is a great place for RPGs to get discovered. Fucking what? Are you guys like... some tiny indie studio with no brand recognition or something? Fuck off.
Yes, I understand lots of companies go back to KS over and over again, and I generally think -all of them- are full of shit in their reasoning. It's easier money. It's less risk. That's it. Just say it or don't say anything.
2.) There will be toys in the KS. I actually... kind of disagree with this decision. I think it's a little bit backhanded. Yes, ML is a toyline first. But you're running a TTRPG KS. I genuinely think it should sink or swim on its own as a product and not be (inevitably) bolstered by tons of action figure sales. Because if you're just going to do the latter -- see point number 1: just sell toys, because you are a toy company, and then use the profits to make a TTRPG. No KS necessary.
I know, I know; people are going to want the toys and be excited to buy the toys. That's totally true. Action figures just don't belong in a TTRPG Kickstarter.
3.) Dan refers to the minis as 'game pieces.' Dan... goddamn dude...
4.) Dummy talking says the point of using 5E is to make a game people who know the rules can easily play, and that people who've never played can easily learn. No one that actually plays D&D has ever accused 5E of being easy to learn. This guy doesn't know shit.
5.) Same dummy: 'It will be playable with minis, minis will be part of the campaign.' What the fuck is this dumbass talking about? D&D is ALWAYS playable with minis, but minis are not 'part of a campaign' because that's not what 'campaign' .. means? Like.. fucking what, dude? Minis are part of the campaign? Like my character is aware they are in the game and have to control their own miniature on the battle map? No, of course not. That would be fucking stupid. Just like that comment.
6.) Same dummy says there will be game mechanics that involve actually having the figures. So this is fucking Skylanders or ..Amibo? Is that what that shitty game that no one cares about anymore was called? How the fuck do you make game mechanics, within the framework of 5E, that requires the use of action figures? Or even minis? If the former; that's just completely fucked and these guys are morons of the highest order. If it's the latter - the minis are representations of your characters in the world. You don't have rules that REQUIRE the use of them, as THEY are representations of your use of the rules.
7.) Eric says 'we were inspired by roleplaying games' regarding designing Mythic Legions. I'm assuming by that he means they stole a bunch of RPG artwork to design their products.
8.) Eric: "If you're a gamer, you're gonna love this." I fucking doubt it, sir.
9.) Dummy again: Claims that the person doing all the work on this is a member of the studio that is "a long time gamer." In other words; NO professional experience developing or designing TTRPGs. The 4H, probably out of pure greed, have decided to do everything in house, including things they definitely do not fucking know how to do. Terrible idea. Gamers aren't gonna love that, Eric. Real gamers like games developed by people that have some idea what they're doing so that the game doesn't release as a broken, unplayable mess.
10.) Dummy: "When we go live with the Kickstarter, the game is done. It's ready to go.... our goal is deliver within 6 months." What. The. Fuck. Okay, there's actually a lot wrong with this. First of all, one of the most expensive parts of developing a TTRPG is -developing- it. Tons of money (often via time) goes into this. If you've already finished the game, as in the game is essentially ready for public release, then you DON'T NEED A FUCKING KICKSTARTER. Just use your decades-long successful company to fund the PRINTING and take fucking pre-orders, you clowns.
But also, they said the KS is going live fairly soon, and yet I haven't heard a SINGLE whisper about what the playtesters think. Games that are ready for release have been exhaustively playtested. When was the playtesting - how many playtesters were there - what were their notes and what changes did you make based on their feedback? How many actual total games were run - how many hours of gameplay? Fuck off with this.
My takeaway overall here is this: Either these guys are legitimately fucking con-men and this entire thing is just another product to slap their branding on and sell, mostly by selling you toys that have no business even being included here; or they really are absolutely fucking clueless about this. Either way I imagine this will be a pretty shit fucking product. Hell, just the fact that everything they claim to be doing is fitting into ONE book is weird as hell. Even from an established company I'd be a little concerned about that. From these guys? Just make toys. If your world wasn't literally nothing more than a slapdash of stupid names plastered onto a cardback, companies would be coming to you to license stuff like this. They're not. Says it all.
