Editorial RPG Codex Retrospective: Roguey dismantles white privilege in Tim Cain's Temple of Elemental Evil

[Castanova]

I enjoyed this article but I don't know why.

 

[Daemongar]

Well, since I felt like reading it and like ToEE... here are my problems with the writing. Ok, I got carried away and it's too long but the crux is that I'm not certain Roguey identified who she would be writing for. Not sure if its for codexers/casuals/normals, those who played ToEE/those who didn't, those familiar with D&D/those who aren't. A clearer voice would have worked wonders.

Paragraph 2: Identifying potions. I think this is a meta-game problem, not a first time player problem. This is annoying (to you) as a power gamer. You use buffs before each fight, you drink potions before you know what is coming up. Most first time players don’t know when to use potions for maximum effect (except heals) so casting identify after each rest wouldn’t be a big deal. Saying it was tedium told me right away this review or article may be a little nitpicky. Also, you casually mention you are playing the Co8 mod. Now I'm confused on what parts of your review reflect changes to the original or if this mod is required. Kind of a muddy approach.

Paragraph 3: These items with D&D seem to be there to outline your credibility, but not everyone sees these things as problems. If folks didn’t like D&D, well, they probably wouldn’t purchase this title, or most RPGs in general. This whole paragraph doesn’t belong in a review of ToEE. Anyone can google problems with D&D 3.5 on the internet and have a similar, if not more substantial list. Waste of time talking about the utility of D&D ability scores. Never was a slog before, doesn't rise to a slog in this game in particular.

Paragraph 4: The question you don’t answer here is: what classes are useless? It’s good to know if rogues or druids are useless or underutilized, like in other D&D games. The part about trap feats belongs in Paragraph 2 (ie: left out, or placed in better context.)

Paragraph 5: I liked the radial menu, and I thought it was clever. It was a unique approach that may have failed, but hardly a bad idea. At least there was some effort at innovation.

Paragraph 6: Meta info that the reader would have to trust you on. Too many unsupported (even if factually correct) statements.

Paragraph 7: Aren’t great, but not terrible. Since this article is mostly your opinion, what does this mean? For me, great are the IWD1/2 portraits, bad are the MM8 portraits (eh, I just didn’t like them.)

Paragraphs up to Zuggtmoy: More problems with finding the voice. References to CO8, Troika problems without substantiation. Here, YouTube links to some of your favorite tracks would have been nice, and not made me think this wasn’t just complaining. This part seems to be more of just generic bashing of Troika than something well balanced/thought out. Turn off.

Zuggtmoy section: More potshots at the developer rather than the game itself. The original module is 1st Edition and 1st Edition was sexist on its own terms. What did ToEE really do that was out of line with the source material? I agree with James Jacobs on his points. I'm ok with making a boss in humanoid form attractive/not a hag.

The rest: Not much to say on your fight reviews, other than some positive stuff for a change. Nice.

Conclusion: I agree with a lot of what you say here and this part is good, but overall the article reads like a MSNBC review of the Republican Convention: Roguey may have played the same game as me, but I wonder how much of her gaming was shaded by the baggage he/she brought to the experience. I say this as someone who knows barely anything about Roguey and just read this article.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

- wearing makeup appealing to men

Degenerate dirty face lover ignored. Would gladly behead you.

 

[tuluse]

Ugh, people actually find radial menus non-terrible?

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

They changed the monster to be more politcorrect. Down with this sort of thing. I'm fucking sick of Kwan l1eberals changing stuff in fiction to make it politcorrect. Like in Edge of Tommorow where they turned the protag from Japanese to American.

Exotic is a correct word taking in account that we're talking about a town where vast majority of people are faux medieval European.

 

[Crispy]

Five pages in and not even a single mention of our pal Bertram? Roguey?

 

[DefJam101]

Can we ask Cleve to write up some retrospectives on the Wizardry games?

That would be some front page worthy shit, let me tell you

Brofisted unironically. Cleve is a Codex legend and a fantastic writer.

Indeed.

he probably wouldn't feel like replaying them.

He doesn't need to. Factual accuracy is unimportant. Just give the man a keyboard and there'll be golden babies flying off the front page in no time

 

[Xu Fugui]

I don't get it, what's the punchline?

 

[cherry blossom]

Stop looking for something. It's intellectual art. You just have to appreciate it for what it is.

 

[Johannes]

Has many valid points but otherwise a poor, bland write up with few points of interest which honestly don't really necessitate as much dwelling on them as Roguey does. I only wish it was otherwise to hit home what really mattered and why they are the way they are.

Intellectual used to be something to ruminate and to cherish.

Now literally anything can be intellectual.

This post is intellectual.



Oh yeah, it's now the first article to have mention of a political term or two with this particular game among a thousand others. Good catch but still, Big Fucking Kudos.

Conclusion: author of the article harassed by radial menus in childhood. Too bad because the radial menu fucking rocked and your opinion is wrong, because, it just is.


Also, seriously, let's not put anything on the front page that includes blind worship of any given developer as this one does.

This is post intellectual.

Radial menus suck.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Ugh, people actually find radial menus non-terrible?

Volourn.

 

[kris]

I enjoyed this article but I don't know why.

Maybe because of all the hate within it? This wasn't so much as article as an downright attack. It mentions flaws and talk about them in many words. I can only come to one conclusion.

 

[kris]

They changed the monster to be more politcorrect. Down with this sort of thing. I'm fucking sick of Kwan l1eberals changing stuff in fiction to make it politcorrect. Like in Edge of Tommorow where they turned the protag from Japanese to American.

Exotic is a correct word taking in account that we're talking about a town where vast majority of people are faux medieval European.

Uh. They changed the protagonist in edge of tomorrow because of one reason only. They like to make money. so they cast the actor they expect to make themselves the most money.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

They changed the monster to be more politcorrect. Down with this sort of thing. I'm fucking sick of Kwan l1eberals changing stuff in fiction to make it politcorrect. Like in Edge of Tommorow where they turned the protag from Japanese to American.

Exotic is a correct word taking in account that we're talking about a town where vast majority of people are faux medieval European.

Uh. They changed the protagonist in edge of tomorrow because of one reason only. They like to make money. so they cast the actor they expect to make themselves the most money.

That's what political correctness is about. Movie wouldn't make as much money with a Japanese protagonist because Japanese protagonists aren't politically correct.

 

[Roguey]

I like how posters seems to be much angrier about this article compared to the others. Makes sense considering the sacred cows being criticized.

Troika was full of sexists and racists who deserved to lose their jobs btw. They came across as one of the last refuges of 90s brogrammer culture; a middlebrow 3D Realms.

You mentioned the challenges of the elemental nodes, but do you have to fight the creatures encountered there, or is it possible to get the McGuffins you need from each node and rush out without destroying all opposition? I'm specifically thinking about the Galeb Durhs due to their slowness. I remember getting stuck in that node and stopping my playthrough of the game, which means I pretty much got close to completing the game, but never did. I have the game on GOG, so eventually I plan to take it on again.

All the elemental nodes are completely optional if you don't want to upgrade the skull. Moreover, most of the areas of the nodes are optional as well; you can make a beeline for the north every time and just fight the demon boss, get its stone, then take the portal out.

Also I honestly fail to see what's so incredibly racist in describing someone as "exotic" but maybe that's just my German Nazi genes

It's othering and defines people by their non-whiteness. Imagine reading books written by men living in Asia and every time they write about white women they describe them as exotic. Lesi has to deal with this often and she hates it.

Paragraph 2: Identifying potions. I think this is a meta-game problem, not a first time player problem. This is annoying (to you) as a power gamer. You use buffs before each fight, you drink potions before you know what is coming up. Most first time players don’t know when to use potions for maximum effect (except heals) so casting identify after each rest wouldn’t be a big deal. Saying it was tedium told me right away this review or article may be a little nitpicky.

Bad design is bad design. Does potion identification have any positive qualities at all? No.

Paragraph 3: These items with D&D seem to be there to outline your credibility, but not everyone sees these things as problems. If folks didn’t like D&D, well, they probably wouldn’t purchase this title, or most RPGs in general. This whole paragraph doesn’t belong in a review of ToEE. Anyone can google problems with D&D 3.5 on the internet and have a similar, if not more substantial list. Waste of time talking about the utility of D&D ability scores. Never was a slog before, doesn't rise to a slog in this game in particular.

I had to justify using a JES quote (and it was worth it considering it's one of the most brutally honest assessments he's ever made and great at inducing an immediate negative reaction). Incidentally, he has purchased ToEE and many other RPGs.

Paragraph 4: The question you don’t answer here is: what classes are useless? It’s good to know if rogues or druids are useless or underutilized, like in other D&D games.

I preferred to think in terms of overall party effectiveness.

Paragraph 7: Aren’t great, but not terrible. Since this article is mostly your opinion, what does this mean? For me, great are the IWD1/2 portraits, bad are the MM8 portraits (eh, I just didn’t like them.)

Longer way of saying mediocre.

What did ToEE really do that was out of line with the source material? I agree with James Jacobs on his points. I'm ok with making a boss in humanoid form attractive/not a hag.

I also agree that it's a silly design. However, Troika's redesign completely goes against the spirit of what Gygax and Mentzer were trying to accomplish, namely, "Zuggtmoy is revolting to behold."

Five pages in and not even a single mention of our pal Bertram? Roguey?

Gay marriage exists in Skyrim too and I haven't noticed anyone giving it special attention other than saying "Skyrim has gay marriage."

 

[mindx2]

Troika was full of sexists and racists who deserved to lose their jobs btw. They came across as one of the last refuges of 90s brogrammer culture; a middlebrow 3D Realms.

This gets soooo old after awhile you've become a caricature of that which you are SJWing.

 

[DefJam101]

Since when is ToEE a Codex sacred cow

edit: oh, right

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

Troika was full of sexists and racists who deserved to lose their jobs btw.

 

[BBMorti]

Thief thinks every man steals.

 

[Roguey]

Since when is ToEE a Codex sacred cow

edit: oh, right

Troika, Tim Cain in particular, and D&D are and I ripped into them all.

 

[VioletShadow]

Troika was full of sexists and racists who deserved to lose their jobs btw."

OK, wow. This is a pretty shitty comment.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

OK, wow. This is a pretty shitty comment.

The reaction wasn't going quite as planned so Roguey gave the pot another stir.

 

[Roguey]

Tim Cain gave 'em a good send-off so it's okay.

(Sexists and racists still aren't entitled to game industry jobs though.)

Judging by their high overhead, Belgium also has a good safety net, which is why I'm comfortable wishing Larian would go under as well.

 

[mindx2]

Finally ignoring Roguey. Should have a long time ago but being a SJW jerk, lousy writer, and inane rambling has finally taken it's toll. Very first ignore since I joined in 2006

 

[DefJam101]

Since when is ToEE a Codex sacred cow

edit: oh, right

Troika, Tim Cain in particular, and D&D

Since when is D&D a Codex sacred cow