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CRPGAddict

7hm

Scholar
Joined
Oct 29, 2010
Messages
644
Not enough been said about this guy.

Anyone else reading his blog?

Right now he's into Nethack and his latest post details why Nethack works as an RPG - how you can actually roleplay it, as compared to some of the other games he's played like Ultima 2 or some of the early failed efforts in the RPG genre.

I disagree with some of his takes (too story oriented) but you have to respect how hardcore it is to spend 6+ hours on some nothing game from the mid 80s to try and find value there.

The next couple months will be really interesting as he gets into the games from the late 80s. He's going to get bogged down with some of the long ones but there are some classic games on the horizon.

Edit: To clarify - this guy is going through every CRPG released for the PC (or as far as he can tell) and blogging his experiences. His spreadsheet tracking his progress, which doesn't show his current attempts, is up to about 520 hours so far. He's played the majority of them to completion and spends a minimum of 6 hours on each. He tries to go through unspoiled where possible, or minimal spoilers if he gets stuck.
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
"I disagree with some of his takes" is an understatement. The guy's a paradox, a weird combination of super-hardcore (he spent 4 months and a zillion characters on Rogue because he absolutely insisted on beating it fair and square) and super-retard (he fits just right in the "how to role-play in Oblivion" UESP page). He's also got an unhealthy obsession with reminding us that he has a life, a wife, and loves to oggle girls; again the constant claims of "I'm not a nerd" are weird for someone calling himself The CRPG Addict and playing every single CRPG ever released. Some of his criticisms are super-derp (he hated Wiz 4 because it required having played Wiz 1-3 - hello, this game was specifically targetted at people who knew those games like the back of their hand). Most of his posts are a good read though. The MM1 and Beyond Zork ones really stand out. The particular post you pointed out, however, made my brain hurt so full of derp it was.
 

7hm

Scholar
Joined
Oct 29, 2010
Messages
644
Sceptic said:
"I disagree with some of his takes" is an understatement. The guy's a paradox, a weird combination of super-hardcore (he spent 4 months and a zillion characters on Rogue because he absolutely insisted on beating it fair and square) and super-retard (he fits just right in the "how to role-play in Oblivion" UESP page). He's also got an unhealthy obsession with reminding us that he has a life, a wife, and loves to oggle girls; again the constant claims of "I'm not a nerd" are weird for someone calling himself The CRPG Addict and playing every single CRPG ever released. Some of his criticisms are super-derp (he hated Wiz 4 because it required having played Wiz 1-3 - hello, this game was specifically targetted at people who knew those games like the back of their hand). Most of his posts are a good read though. The MM1 and Beyond Zork ones really stand out. The particular post you pointed out, however, made my brain hurt so full of derp it was.

That's not the only reason he gave for hating Wiz 4. His "give up" post was pretty harsh towards the game. Also - hardcore is one thing. This:

Apparently, this is some graffiti "carved in stone" (the Oracle's hint) in the original Wizardry.

is probably another. That's a pretty valid complaint for any normal person.

I take some of what he says with a grain of salt - knowing that he seems to care more about story and character development (more than just numbers) than I do, but for the most part his criticisms are fair.

I'm really curious how he would review a more modern game. He seems to like Oblivion for what it is, but also has indicated he sees a decline in modern RPGs.
 

Fowyr

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Messages
7,671
His choice of games are very strange. Looks like he picks games almost at random, only by year. I understand that when you played most of the classics and searching for some overlooked game, but his goal seems not only unreachable (it's OK, I have almost similar goal :M), but means to attain it seems flawed too ("let's pick a bunch of games, play it and measure it mostly by story"). Nevertheless, I :salute: him.

BTW, I played Wiz4 before Wiz1 :M

Also "Roleplay in the Space Invaders", LOL.
 

Zeus

Cipher
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Messages
1,523
Maybe because he doesn't feel like being called a super-retard for roleplaying Oblivion?
 

Zomg

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
Bad time to link him with that Roguelike Roleplaying thing as the top post, I think his high level criticism is kinda half-baked but his LP-like posts are almost always good.
 

roll-a-die

Magister
Joined
Sep 27, 2009
Messages
3,131
Yes I imagine he would be considering he would be joining within that year, most likely.
 

Zeus

Cipher
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Messages
1,523
Konjad said:
Does he know about existence of rpgcodex anyway?

He has to. I mean, if The Vede knows about RPG Watch, there's no way Mr. Oldschool RPG hasn't heard of RPGCodex yet.

Now, what he thinks of this place is another matter... ;)
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
See that's what I was talking about. The guy makes me want to repeatedly smash my head (maybe I should smash his instead? :rodin:) whenever he writes about role-playing or tries to make one of his editorials or does that silly GIMLET, but whenever he just sits down and actually writes about the game itself, what he's doing in it and what he's discovered, he's a great deal of fun. His latest post (Playing, Dying, Screaming, Restarting) is a joy to read.
 

crpgaddict

Educated
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
26
See, this is feedback that I can use. Most of the people who actually comment IN my blog seem to provide positive feedback, so I don't know what types of postings readers appreciate and which ones they don't. They certainly don't use the little "reactions" boxes the way they're intended.

On the other hand, I LIKE writing my "editorials" and "silly GIMLET" postings, and the blog is primarily an outlet for me to do what I want to do (I mean, if I was getting paid for it or something, I'd have to be more responsive to readers, but as it is...). For those who feel as you do, I hope my volume of postings when I "just sit down and actually write about the game itself" are still enough.

Sceptic, even though most of your comments were negative, they're the most detailed feedback anyone has thought to write in a while (even if you didn't write them specifically for me), so thanks. At the very least, you've made me realize I need to inject less of my non-CRPG interests in my postings. Please come by and comment in my blog now and then.

Fowyr, I'm not picking games at random; I'm trying to play every CRPG in each year. Konjad, as to what I think of the place--well, I don't get most of it. But I'll try to remember to check in now and then.

7hm, I really appreciate the thread. I got an extra 200 hits yesterday.
 

crpgaddict

Educated
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
26
The Vanished One said:
@crpgaddict
I noticed the STALKER games in the CRPGs list, but they really don't belong there.
Thanks. I'll probably be dead before I get that far anyway. Technically, I'm not following Arcanum's list but one I created myself as a synthesis of MobyGames, Wikipedia, and Arcanum's. Even then, I start researching games that are coming up and weed out the ones that shouldn't be called CRPGs. By the time they get to my "recent and upcoming" list, they ought to be pretty solid. Even then, I screw up occasionally (First Expedition), and I'm breaking the rules so I can play "Pirates!" for one or two postings.
 

Konjad

Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2007
Messages
3,930
Location
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
crpgaddict said:
Konjad said:
Well. We don't know what he thinks now but if we troll his blog... :smug:
I'd really appreciate if you didn't do that.

I was just kidding so fear not, codex will not hurt you... yet I guess :smug:


As for your blog it is indeed fun to read but I don't read everything since I visit it just from time to time. All I read are cRPG LPs though, when I see something else I tend to skip it because while I like your LPs very much I found everything else pretty boring.
 

zeitgeist

Magister
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
1,444
crpgaddict said:
Thanks. I'll probably be dead before I get that far anyway. Technically, I'm not following Arcanum's list but one I created myself as a synthesis of MobyGames, Wikipedia, and Arcanum's. Even then, I start researching games that are coming up and weed out the ones that shouldn't be called CRPGs. By the time they get to my "recent and upcoming" list, they ought to be pretty solid. Even then, I screw up occasionally (First Expedition), and I'm breaking the rules so I can play "Pirates!" for one or two postings.
Just out of personal curiosity, who is your current audience, and who is your target audience? Can you describe your average reader (if you've done any research into your readership), and contrast this with your ideal intended reader? Who are the people you're trying to target (how old are they, what are they likes/dislikes, how long have they been playing video games, etc.) and how much of the writing is specifically tailored to suit that intended market, as opposed to just writing your own thing and hoping for a readership to form somehow?
 

grotsnik

Arcane
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
1,671
Nice chap. He's got himself another reader.

I can see what Sceptic means about the opening emphasis on 'I'm not your standard nerd, I actually have a sex life and take exercise!!', and I don't think he means that you shouldn't bring your personal life into your blog as much as that you're doing so quite self-consciously.

I get it; there's a negative stereotype of the nerdy RPG fan, and you instinctively want to react against that, but I think you're better off just letting your enthusiasm for the games come through rather than feeling you have to start out by justifying your hobby to the reader.

Anyway. On to the...actual RPG articles.

crpgaddict said:
Konjad, as to what I think of the place--well, I don't get most of it.

Heh, I can well imagine.
 

Fowyr

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Messages
7,671
First, I simply don't know how many old games you played early, before you started this blog. Playing one game after another consecutively, based on the year of the making, surely path to understand big picture of the genre, but way too slow. Why not play cornerstones of the genre first and armed with knowledge judge what is good and bad accordingly? And you always may return for several years back in your list and find another good title.
Why not play original and fun games like Crescent Hawk Inception, Pool of Radiance, Wasteland, Dark Heart of Uukrul, Magic Candle first? I picked random names of good games from your list. Certainly, I don't want bash man who plays obscure old games, but I feel what you may miss many things.
 

Zomg

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
Well if you're going to the effort to blog so much about video games I hope you don't give a shit about any audience but yourself. Any criticism I make of it is strictly for other readers, not you. Do what you want and let people grind their nerdteeth or RSS you as they see fit.

But the Codex is an old hive and we've been doing various abstact criticism of RPGs forever, there are factions and old hat arguments everyone is sick of and etc. so there's never going to be a way to please us on that front.

Edit - Also I love the one-after-the-other style he's using, in large part because he is hitting a lot of stuff I have never heard of even as a serious CRPG nerd, like that weird Sword of Glass game. Plus it really brings a lot of historical trends out of the mists.
 

crpgaddict

Educated
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
26
zeitgeist, I honestly have never taken the time to think of any of your questions, so I suppose the answer is I'm writing my own thing and hoping for a readership to form somehow.

Based on the comments I get, that readership HAS formed, and there are individual commenters that I particularly like to hear from, so to some extent I guess I write with those individuals in mind rather than any consideration of broader demographics.

Frankly, I decided to start the blog because I figured if I was going to spend so much time on CRPGs, I might as well create something tangible out of the experience. It doesn't matter that what I'm creating is kind-of goofy; it's still better than finishing a game and announcing "I won!" to the empty air.

Naturally, I'm curious how people react to the blog. I installed Google Analytics, and when I see a spike from a particular referring source (as I did yesterday from rpgcodex), I poke around and see why. But I think I'd still write the blog even if I had no readers at all, because it's a journal about something that--however stupid--is a big part of my life.

grotsnik, I agree that my opening posting was a bit self-conscious. Keep in mind that it was not only my first CRPGAddict posting but my first blog posting. I really didn't know what I was doing or how to get started, and I frankly felt a little silly about the whole thing. Many times I've considered returning to it and editing it, but I figure that would be dishonest somehow. Most of the rest of my non-CRPG references have been attempts to explain absences, but I agree they come off the way you suggest, and I'll tone it down.
 

Hell March

Educated
Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
64
crpgaddict said:
I installed Google Analytics, and when I see a spike from a particular referring source (as I did yesterday from rpgcodex), I poke around and see why.

That's a little...schizophrenic. Isn't the point of the blog to chronicle your experiences with CRPGs, not to bathe in the criticism of your readers? Regardless, I enjoy your blog; and please do continue posting on this prestigious site :salute:
 

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