There are a lot of retro-clones (or games considered to be retro-clones) out there. My collection alone includes: Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox, Swords & Wizardry Complete, Dark Dungeons, Deeper Delving, OSRIC, Basic Fantasy Roleplaying, Beyond the Wall, and probably more than a few others I'm forgetting at the moment. I just added +Chris Gonnerman's Iron Falcon to the list. This doesn't include what I call spiritual retro-clones. Games that have that retro feel, but are original. Games like Barbarians of Lumeria, Mutant Future, and Cryptworld.
Now, let's be honest. I work a full time day job, write 20-30 hours a week, am raising a baby, maintaining a wonderful marriage and doing upkeep on a century-old home. In all likelihood, there is no way that I'll ever get to play all, or even the majority, of these games. And to be honest, a lot of the retro-clones on the market have striking similarities. So much so that it can often feel as though you're rebuying the same product that's been reskinned.
So why by a game you either already own or are never going to play?
Because it's not about the game itself. Even if I never play Iron Falcon or get to use the d30 Companion that's not the point. The point is that +Chris Gonnerman and +Richard LeBlanc work hard to make quality products and they deserve support, as do so many other authors in the OSR community. We're all small, often one-man, operations. We don't do this for the money. We do it because we love the game.
So, yes, maybe I'll never get to play Iron Falcon or Deeper Delving, but the people who made those games love the hobby as much (if not more) than I do - so when I have the means I'll always put my money where my heart is.
You see, the thing is, I have no doubt that there are others in the OSR community who do the same for me - and I thank them for it from the bottom of my heart. This cavalcade of miscreant indie publishers are in it together, we're in it for love of the game, and we're in it for as long as that passion is there. We're sure not in it for the money. At least in my case, most of that goes to fund the next project or spend it within the community.
In any case, thanks to anyone who's ever purchased a Barrel Rider Games product. It's appreciated.
And this is the way it was intended to be, without need of gatekeepers or shifting goal post arguments, just people helping others have fun.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree, I buy gorgeous creative products I will never possibly use, cause they are awesome and the creators need to see in practical terms we appreciate their efforts. The vibrant OSR community is such because it is a community, and that means we all need to pitch in in our own way.
ReplyDeleteI am totally with you, got the ones you list and a few more :)
ReplyDeleteI'll never get to play them all, but its good stuff :)