OSRIC Award

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 6:17 pm

There has been some discussion both here and on Dragonsfoot about how to make potential customers aware of which OSRIC products are the cream of the crop.

I believe it's time for K&KA to weigh in on this, possibly by giving an award of some kind.

At K&KA, of course, the parameters of that award wouldn't just be based on overall quality. In terms of 1e this is a fairly narrowly focused site. We support not just 1e but a particular vision of 1e, and a K&KA award should reflect the "old school" nature of a product (though we all differ on what exactly is comprised by that term).

What do people think about a poll to award a K&KA award to a "best" Osric product? Say, with a cutoff date of December 31?

JCBoney · Post by **JCBoney** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 6:27 pm

Fine idea. Will this be a yearly thing, semi-annual, or what?

What about awards for particular areas: best module, best artwork, etc.?

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 6:28 pm

SemajTheSilent wrote:Fine idea. Will this be a yearly thing, semi-annual, or what?

What about awards for particular areas: best module, best artwork, etc.?

Good questions. What do people think?

Stormcrow · Post by **Stormcrow** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:08 pm

I wonder if Dragonsfoot or even (gasp!) ENWorld might be a better site to host such an award. Since K&KA is the host of OSRIC itself, it might not do to show biases against particular products. If Company Z produces an OSRIC-compatible brand that brings in d20-isms (for example) and this site slams it in an opinion poll, the producer of Brand Z may feel slighted by the rules-host itself and discontinue its product line.

TRP · Post by **TRP** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:25 pm

Stormcrow wrote:I wonder if Dragonsfoot or even (gasp!) ENWorld might be a better site to host such an award. Since K&KA is the host of OSRIC itself, it might not do to show biases against particular products. If Company Z produces an OSRIC-compatible brand that brings in d20-isms (for example) and this site slams it in an opinion poll, the producer of Brand Z may feel slighted by the rules-host itself and discontinue its product line.

I'd think businesses would be driven more by the bottom line than any particular editorial position taken by a website. If their product is selling well it would be a poor business that cuts off it's nose to spite someone else's face.

The original Jackass The Movie did very well at the boxoffice, despite being panned by nearly every critic. The producers were so distraught, they made a sequel.

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:27 pm

Stormcrow wrote:I wonder if Dragonsfoot or even (gasp!) ENWorld might be a better site to host such an award. Since K&KA is the host of OSRIC itself, it might not do to show biases against particular products. If Company Z produces an OSRIC-compatible brand that brings in d20-isms (for example) and this site slams it in an opinion poll, the producer of Brand Z may feel slighted by the rules-host itself and discontinue its product line.

Excellent point. Although the flip side of it is that K&KA shouldn't sell out its identity just because OSRIC was created here and hosted here. Certainly DF would provide a fairer judgment on a product's overall quality, I think. We're actively biased here, as a group, about certain things. That's a good thing in terms of being a message board; we're a community with preferences. Giving an award that's specifically along the lines of what K&KA prefers would be a good thing for those looking for the really oldschool stuff. It gives more information to the potential buyer.

ENworld is an interesting idea. There are lots of folks there that I think ought to be here ... but for whatever reason they aren't. I have no idea how we'd do such a thing on ENworld, though. Just post a poll, you figure?

Kellri · Post by **Kellri** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:46 pm

Host the award on K&K, but make regular announcements on ENWorld. Just my 2 cents.

AxeMental · Post by **AxeMental** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:54 pm

I think a pole like this would get lost at Enworld, so here would be better.

thedungeondelver · Post by **thedungeondelver** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:14 pm

You can feel free to do it on the Delver's Dungeon if you like.

TRP · Post by **TRP** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:24 pm

Either here or at Delver's would be a good choice.

I can't think of any other site that would have a relatively unified 1e front. There are other sites which are highly informative and worthwhile, but in the end, their focus is divided among systems, and even versions within systems. There is nothing wrong with that, but OSRIC is decidely a single system, single version vision. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:47 am

TheRedPriest wrote:Either here or at Delver's would be a good choice.

I can't think of any other site that would have a relatively unified 1e front. There are other sites which are highly informative and worthwhile, but in the end, their focus is divided among systems, and even versions within systems. There is nothing wrong with that, but OSRIC is decidely a single system, single version vision. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.

OSRIC is definitely a single system. And to us here, it's single-vision as well. That's why I think a K&K award should be not just about quality but also for sticking within that vision (or pushing the envelope of old school gaming in the "right" way).

But it's an open system. I can envision, say, a highly creative Spelljammer module that wouldn't fly here (sorry for pun) but that could interest a lot of DF gamers. Even a fairly old-school module with computer-generated art would operate under a handicap with those of us who have strong feelings about aesthetics.

It's my hope that OSRIC will take a decidedly old school direction, and I'm going to work like anything to produce materials pushing it in that direction. So are we all, just as we've worked to support that type of gaming under AD&D. But P&P and I can't mandate that. The very structure of OSRIC - using 1e instead of 2e - is a big step in that direction.

This is why a K&K award will help buyers with specific information and help encourage publishers in the old-school direction, not to mention toward high-quality materials. We're expected to have that "old school" bias, and this site should provide information to the members who share that bias. (I use the word bias in the non-pejorative sense).

Putting an award up on ENWorld or at DF would certainly have the advantages we've talked about, but the disadvantage is that it silences K&K's efforts to support and maintain OSRIC in its current "old school" orientation. All we have is carrots - no stick.

AxeMental · Post by **AxeMental** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:06 am

Also, we're going to come off as snobs going to someone elses web site and shoving down their throat what we think is good or true AD&D. In such a situation such a pole would cause friction and splinter what has become a united front (even amongst those of different gaming systems). If a person wins here the others involved can chalk it up to the tastes of its members. If at DF it'll become a battle of idiology (what cover art is best, how much story to include, etc.)

The more I think about it the better I think that K&K is the best choice. DDs would also be good, but doesn't have people checking in as much. Also, K&KA is not considered nuetral territory (as is DDs place) and for the reasons of sticking to one strict definition (as Myth mentioned) I really think K&KA is the best place for this.

BonesMcCoy · Post by **BonesMcCoy** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:25 pm

AxeMental wrote:... pole ...

Why you keep using that word? I do not think it means what you think it means.

stranger · Post by **stranger** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:49 pm

BonesMcCoy wrote:
AxeMental wrote:... pole ...
Why you keep using that word? I do not think it means what you think it means.

I've seen the art he keeps posting, I am quite sure he knows exactly what it means.

AxeMental · Post by **AxeMental** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:58 pm

I'm afraid I'm one of those dyslexics,

spell how things sound if I'm not being careful. What sucks is this kind of thing sneaks through spell checkers.