Quarantine Adventure Design Contest - The Random Generator

Malrex said:
I mean...I could be talked into it if someone wants to submit theirs for Footprints Issue #25 (and it's appropriate, i.e. no swearing stick figures) and nowhere else and doesn't necessarily have to be the winner. That might sit with me better maybe to extend this Glorious Contest for a few more days to provide more content for the masses....

Yes, I guess it's ok.
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Malrex are you saying that if someone sends their adventure to footprints, that they not publish it elsewhere (like on their blog or whatever)? Just trying to make sure I understand.

Also, I was going to send something in for Sept 1st, but THANK FUCK the deadline has been extended!!! It's one thing to write my ideas down on paper and quite another to type them up in finished form on the computer. It takes forever and I can only type at a keyboard (or sit at a desk in general) for short stretches now that my wrists are kinda fucked up.
 
TerribleSorcery said:
Malrex are you saying that if someone sends their adventure to footprints, that they not publish it elsewhere (like on their blog or whatever)? Just trying to make sure I understand.

Also, I was going to send something in for Sept 1st, but THANK FUCK the deadline has been extended!!! It's one thing to write my ideas down on paper and quite another to type them up in finished form on the computer. It takes forever and I can only type at a keyboard (or sit at a desk in general) for short stretches now that my wrists are kinda fucked up.
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Yeah...I think it's preferred not to be published anywhere else...but maybe after the release of Footprints, it would probably be ok to post it on your blog. I'm trying to release it in December. I don't make the rules...
 
Malrex said:
Yeah...I think it's preferred not to be published anywhere else...but maybe after the release of Footprints, it would probably be ok to post it on your blog. I'm trying to release it in December. I don't make the rules...
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What happened to collecting all the submissions and putting it on Drivethru to make some money for charity?
 
TerribleSorcery said:
Malrex are you saying that if someone sends their adventure to footprints, that they not publish it elsewhere (like on their blog or whatever)? Just trying to make sure I understand.
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I asked the big boss. He said exclusivity is nice, but he isn't really bothered by it. So if you wanted to submit it to the magazine and post it on your blog, that's cool. I think he wants to avoid someone coming later, asking for us to pull it from the submitted magazine so they can then sell it or something.

He also said he would prefer 0e, 1e, 2e and the retroclones in that general direction. He doesn't want to include much outside that box--like LotFP ruleset and others I dont think he would accept, but Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, OSE, etc would be fine.

This is the 25th issue for Footprints and I'll probably stepping down after this issue. So if you ever want to be published for a magazine, this could be your opportunity!

But if others want to do a charity, we could look into that instead.
Or if some want to do a charity and others want to submit to the magazine....there is just so many options out there guys!
 
Malrex said:
I asked the big boss. He said exclusivity is nice, but he isn't really bothered by it. So if you wanted to submit it to the magazine and post it on your blog, that's cool. I think he wants to avoid someone coming later, asking for us to pull it from the submitted magazine so they can then sell it or something.
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Folks here don't strike me as the "legal-action-seeking" types. I think the general vibe is more hobby-fun, less business-fun.

But I believe the solution is this:
If you want your entry to be published in Footprints, you basically agree not to sue the Footprints guys over intellectual property rights. If you can't hack that, then don't give them your adventure. Pretty basic stuff. So long as nobody is a dick about anything, then everyone is happy.

Malrex said:
But if others want to do a charity, we could look into that instead.
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If we space out the publishing of the 10-Foot-Forum Design Contest Anthology (placeholder title) far enough from the FP#25 publication date, then I don't think there would be a problem. I'm talking like a 6-month gap or so... ought to be enough time, surely.
 
Malrex, you angry drunk bastard, are right.. No one (with such and unfortunate middle-name) should have to bear the burden for everyone. Fund raise to help the people you know, not strangers. That's true purpose of a community. If we don't want corporate entities sucking off our "free" internet usage like leeches (yeah, looking at you Facebook!) or dictating the games we play (WotC), then we need some other way to share costs.

Tanstaafl.

Thank you: Yates, Marshall, and Lynch. Good things offered. Nothing asked in return.

And thank you, Malrex, for all the time and energy you pump into the hobby as well. I hope it all comes back to you somehow.
 
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As someone with a background in marketing, let me tell you that the RPG self-publication industry is a giant mess. There's no built-in audience or platforms, the market is over-saturated with products, sales are being cannibalized, entry buyers get nearly all their stuff for free which automatically devalues everything else, and then there's the Goliath that is "official D&D products" to be competing against. It's a high-risk, low-payout market; anyone with a modicum of business sense would turn tail and run the fuck away.

I realize something; the OSR/D&D/RPG/whatever industry is exactly akin to the art industry. Like art, it is born of passion and a drive to connect with people. Like art, it's very difficult to eke out a living. Like art, it's almost impossible to tell beforehand if a work will succeed or fail. Like art, for every Rembrandt, there's a million velvet Elvis paintings; for every master, there's a million people following along to Bob Ross (or in our case, Colville and Mercer). It's thankless, it's tough, and anyone with a brush thinks they can do it as well as the best. There's a reason the term "starving artist" exists; it's not a fair industry.

And like all ventures, there is a risk to be taken, be it in time or in money. Yes, it's unfortunate that their audiences have a problem when it comes time to pull out their wallets, and that makes those risks seem extra not-worth-it. Yes, it's a shame that there are good people with genuine passion who do a fuck-ton of work who aren't getting the payout they deserve. Yes, it's sad that the "titans" of our little niche industry are reduced to scraping by, shutting down, or digitally panhandling just to break even. Yes, it sucks that it takes a whole community of people to support ventures like this.

But that's how the world works. That's how people work. You may as well be angry at the sun for setting.

THAT BEING SAID, D&D (and whatever retro-clone you prefer) would not exist today if it weren't for people whose work is driven by a passion to create something from nothing. Short of the WotC writing staff, the vast majority of people who make things for our little hobby do it not because they expect to make big pay, but because they love the game and they love to create. Gygax and Arneson didn't go into this expecting to become millionaires; they did it because it they had the necessary passion for it. As did everyone who followed them to make something from nothing... and we should absolutely support that. Without those kind of passion-driven creators, the whole industry screeches to a halt. It dies.

I am grateful for every person who put their butt on the line to make works for others to enjoy, because I know it is not an easy risk to take. I am thankful that the hardships of reality have not squashed the pure drive that passion brings to keep them writing against all odds; those unsung are literally carrying this hobby, and they have my gratitude.
 
Wow...I even bolded stuff too. lol.
Rule #1: don't post when drunk.
Rule #2: be sure to follow rule #1.

But I think my point in all that mess was if we want to do a charity, we should do it for those guys, because they would never ask.
 
Yeah uh, Malrex. Maybe take 5-10% off the top next time. I know lockdowns can be boring over there in the USA, but that's why we have hobby games right?

As a counterpoint, you might dislike this link:

https://jeffro.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/my-hobby-is-not-about-making-sure-anyone-stays-in-business/

I am happy to send my adventure to footprints, or bundle it up with everyone else's for a tenfootpole team effort. It's no skin off my nose. If neither of those happen I was planning to playtest it with my group and then just put it on my blog anyway.
 
TerribleSorcery said:
Yeah uh, Malrex. Maybe take 5-10% off the top next time. I know lockdowns can be boring over there in the USA, but that's why we have hobby games right?

As a counterpoint, you might dislike this link:

https://jeffro.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/my-hobby-is-not-about-making-sure-anyone-stays-in-business/

I am happy to send my adventure to footprints, or bundle it up with everyone else's for a tenfootpole team effort. It's no skin off my nose. If neither of those happen I was planning to playtest it with my group and then just put it on my blog anyway.
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LOL...well the lockdown is one thing, but then when you got a city scrambling to evacuate due to fires and wondering where to go without getting COVID, that's when the extra 5-10% comes in mighty handy!

Ya, I didn't like the link. Glad that dude can find games and people to play with all the time. Some people can't and use forums to find people to play with online.
 
I had a big long post, but I deleted it. Malrex, I think you might benefit from a different perspective on this underground, DIY, niche-of-a-niche hobby we all participate in. But I am probably not the man to do that.

Practical Question Period:

1 - tenfootpole.org fundraiser adventure bundle for... [charity we vote on or something]?
2 - tenfootpole.org fundraiser adventure bundle for the dragonsfoot forums hosting costs?
3 - everyone sends their shit to Footprints #25 in a Blues Brothers-style hail mary, and we forget about doing our own bundle?
4 - each man for himself! send it wherever you want, put it on your own blog or mail it to your mom
5 - what would make this cooler? everybody reviews each others' modules? That sounds like possibly (even more) hurt feelings, but... fun perhaps, and a wu-tang clan level of cross-promotion would be possible.
6 - almost nobody finishes an adventure and the whole idea collapses
7 - big awards ceremony, George R.R. Martin mispronounces DP's handle during his introduction and dwells overly long on someone's unfashionable views.

Shit it's getting late. I don't mind any of these, but it would be great to get a few other folks chiming in.
I worry that this will get more difficult as more options are introduced and wheels continue to squeak.
 
Terrible Sorcery--I consider myself open minded. I like to argue and debate once in awhile, and can believe in things with a passion, but there are several times where my mind can be changed. I enjoy trying to understand where other people are coming from.

I think at this point, the whole bundle idea is just adding stress to the contest. People are having a hard enough time as it is to complete (looks like).

So maybe this round, we just have the contest, people can share their stuff on their blog or whatever and we call it good. If people are interested in submitting it to Footprints, then I'll probably take it. If people want to sell it on their own--more power to them. So I guess I'll just vote for:
#4 It might make Mom happy.
#5--I'm happy to review people's adventures but would want mine reviewed as well. No punches pulled. Not an opportunity to be a jerk, but to help people improve, so if you think feelings may get hurt, then don't sign up.

And I worry about #6.
That's my 2 cents.
 
The1True said:
Especially because of #6 we should really really avoid counting our chickens before they're hatched...
Let's look at what we've got when the smoke clears and circle back then.
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Hmm, maybe that's the smart play. Having 8 finished entries is a world away from just 1 or 2. Well back to typing mine up then!
 
Malrex said:
Terrible Sorcery--I consider myself open minded. I like to argue and debate once in awhile, and can believe in things with a passion, but there are several times where my mind can be changed. I enjoy trying to understand where other people are coming from.
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I could probably write 20 pages of shit about this. Please accept this 'cliffs notes' version and understand that while this is unenforced opinion, it's an opinion formed by years of experience in my field. Basically, my involvement in the extreme music underground for the last 15 years. Playing difficult & painful music for no money in a shitty bar for 20 people who don't care that much can really give you perspective on your life pursuits.

As Nietzsche said - "He who has a why to live, can bear almost any how."
(emphasis mine)

The underground is kept alive by diehards. Not everybody is a diehard. Most people aren't. I have friends who readily admit they would be in jail, dead or institutionalized if they hadn't started playing music. Those guys are not going to stop. It doesn't really fucking matter how difficult it gets, because all the alternatives are worse. $1300 a year in hosting costs? Guess what: I've paid that every year for a decade to maintain a rehearsal space along with three other guys (about $460 CAD/month). We're NEVER going to make that money back. So what?

I used to work 10 hours at my day job and then go into the studio for 4 every night. Five or six days a week. I saw my girlfriend for an hour a week that whole summer. I never expected a medal. If I didn't want to make that record, I would have stayed home and watched TV. Once I'd made the decision, it didn't really matter what the obstacles were. No drummer? Fuck it, I'll learn myself or figure out how to program them (did that). No vocalist? I can teach myself that too (and did - it took years). So yeah, I have put ENDLESS time into thankless tasks. Most of the time I didn't even especially like my bandmates.

We sold a handful of that record. So what? You won't find me complaining about it. As DP pointed out above, you may as well be angry at the sun for setting.

You can see the parallels, right? How much do you really want Footprints to come out? Did you understand what you were getting into? Are you ready to do all the work yourself, or begin the task of evangelising about it to drum up volunteers? Are you ready to suffer to release this fucking magazine or would you rather just watch Netflix?

If the thing you're doing is worth it, I mean REALLY worth it - there is no point in complaining. (Steve F. Yates understands this).
If it isn't worth it - just stop. There is someone else out there who wants it more.
Find something that justifies all the hard work and thankless hours you put into it.
 
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