What is this all about & FAQ

[felipepepe]

If you want to make an ebook of top 200, or oh god, top 250, yes, I can say you have no chance in hell of finish it.

Challenge accepted.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Updated my feli "Blakemore" pepe .txt

 

[laclongquan]

Another one bite the dust~

 

[Alchemist]

Ignore any nay-sayers felipepepe - I think you can accomplish this. You're one of the most industrious people on the Codex for sure. I think the hardest part will be the "herding cats" aspect of gathering all the reviews and commentary from other people.

By the way, the preliminary layout looks pretty solid and professional to me. I wouldn't change much about it - you seem to know what you're doing.

A suggestion on content (maybe this is already planned): It might be cool to have an overview / introduction of each subgenre of cRPG (blobber, isometric, open world, roguelike, etc.), along with a listing of iconic titles for each subgenre. Maybe this could be in the beginning of the book, before the individual reviews.

 

[Sensuki]

I'm willing to write about Baldur's Gate 1. I've played it probably about 50 times through.

 

[CrustyBot]

Updated my feli "Blakemore" pepe .txt

On that note, felipepepe, you should ask Cleve to write a page or two on the Wizardry series.

 

[felipepepe]

A suggestion on content (maybe this is already planned): It might be cool to have an overview / introduction of each subgenre of cRPG (blobber, isometric, open world, roguelike, etc.), along with a listing of iconic titles for each subgenre. Maybe this could be in the beginning of the book, before the individual reviews.

VD made one of these some years ago: http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,198.0.html

I'm a bit undecided if I should use it... I'm against classifications, so having a big article on sug-genres seems a bit weird. Perhaps one on the variety of RPGs that exist would be better, doing stuff like tracing the origins of many modern gameplay styles....

On that note, felipepepe, you should ask Cleve to write a page or two on the Wizardry series.

I'll add a comming soon section, with Grimoire. I a great way to make it always look updated.

But it isn't a bad idea... if he can write something cool, I would give him 2 pages to talk about Wizadry 7.

 

[meeneque]

You sir have my axe (writing is not my forte). And my jewgold if you succeed.

 

[Alchemist]

A suggestion on content (maybe this is already planned): It might be cool to have an overview / introduction of each subgenre of cRPG (blobber, isometric, open world, roguelike, etc.), along with a listing of iconic titles for each subgenre. Maybe this could be in the beginning of the book, before the individual reviews.

VD made one of these some years ago: http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,198.0.html

I'm a bit undecided if I should use it... I'm against classifications, so having a big article on sug-genres seems a bit weird. Perhaps one on the variety of RPGs that exist would be better, doing stuff like tracing the origins of many modern gameplay styles....

Hmm, yeah I can see how classifications can be problematic - since overlaps are inevitable, and no consensus agreement can ever be made on what belongs where. A game can belong to multiple subgenres - I can already see this issue in VD's post that you linked. The music world has the same problem with subgenre classificaion. I'm a fan of metal and it's ridiculous how many subgenres there are.

I like your idea of exploring the variety of gameplay styles. That way you avoid the subgenre definition issue and get right down to the elements that can make up a cRPG game design. Exploration, party-building, tactical turn-based combat, NPC dialogues, story, puzzles, environment survival, etc.

 

[felipepepe]

I'm a bit disappointed by how ephemeral most forums out there are. I've posted on NeoGAF, then had like 2-3 hours with lots of people posting and praising the project, and now the thread is dead...

Also, I'm now on a hard choice, one that will make laclongquan ragequit the thread... I have two excel sheets: One has 210 games, the other 300.

The 210 one is like every Codexer's backlog, and will hardly surprise any serious Codexer or veteran RPG player lie HiddenX . I've heard all those games being debated here before.
The 300 one is full of curiosities and unique games that aren't necessarily great, like Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony, Knights of Xentar, Dragon's Eye, Heroes of a Broken Land, Super League of Hoboken, DROD RPG: Tendry's Tale, etc.

I don't want the book to become a brick like HG101's Adventure game guide, so I want this bellow 400 pages (also due cost of print). So to make the 300 list, I will have to reduce the number of 2-pages reviews of important games.

Forget the issue of how the Hell I'll get all those reviews for a moment. What's more interesting, a book full of 2-page reviews of cool games with some curiosities, or a book full of 1-age reviews, with some highlight in 2-page spreads?

 

[dukeofwhales]

I would find the two-pager with bigger reviews more interesting. The vast majority of readers aren't going to play even half the games, so if you can get better content for 'better' games, you'll end up with a better book.

 

[tuluse]

That is a tough choice felipe.

I have to go with the 2nd choice though. If I just want to get quick summary of a bunch of games, well that's what the internet is for. It seems to me that you are intending a more personal touch, so I think you have to maximize the number of 2 page reviews.

You should totally make a page near the end that looks like a graveyard or headstone and says these games didn't make the cut, but aren't forgotten and just like the extra 90 titles there.

 

[Alchemist]

Well personally I love reading about the obscure games that don't get talked about much. But I also see the value of having in-depth 2-page reviews. Maybe as a compromise - you could have a separate, smaller supplemental e-book devoted to the hidden gems and misfit cRPGs?

 

[felipepepe]

So you guys can have an idea, 300 games would mean ~70 games would have 2 page reviews. 210 games would mean ~150 would have 2 page reviews.

I'm also leaning towards less games, so I can add more screenshots and stuff like boxart and dev quotes. And I agree that most people don't know even half the Codex's Top 70.

But damn, some stuff I've found is so cool... I enjoy looking at a game like Dragonshards and seeing how they inserted dungeon-crawling in the middle of an RTS, in a way that clearly is what inspired Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm...

 

[Siveon]

I would say, go with less games, and then go with tuluse's idea of the addendum. That way you could still mention them and people would look into as they please. If you wanted to speak more about them, why not write an article for the Codex and just link it in the book?

Of course, that would mean linking the RPGCodex - and that usually doesn't end well.

 

[80Maxwell08]

I would say the lather since for some games a lot doesn't need to be said. Also I did the math for your second choice and at the max of 400 pages the max amount of 2 page reviews you could do is 100 so that may factor into your decision as well.
EDIT: Wait I'm not counting table of contents or any introduction. Huh well then it's even lower.

 

[felipepepe]

Also I did the math for your second choice and at the max of 400 pages the max amount of 2 page reviews you could do is 100 so that may factor into your decision as well.

You're forgetting all the stuff like index, credits, introduction, articles, etc... but thanks.

 

[80Maxwell08]

Also I did the math for your second choice and at the max of 400 pages the max amount of 2 page reviews you could do is 100 so that may factor into your decision as well.

You're forgetting all the stuff like index, credits, introduction, articles, etc... but thanks.

Yeah I just realized that right as you posted that. I doubt I can help much with figuring that out then since the length for those will probably be decided later on. Also to add on to what I was saying earlier I would like to see more obscure games on here rather than just the ones most people know.

 

[tuluse]

With 210 games, I think some obscure games are going to make it.

 

[80Maxwell08]

With 210 games, I think some obscure games are going to make it.

True though I was mostly talking about the "oddities" that are in the 300 list. Also perhaps the highlights pages could be for more unknown games that have a big influence instead of having them be for big games that already have a lot of information about them widely known already.
EDIT: Hey felipepepe what if you split the list (whichever one you choose) into 2-3 books? I don't know if that would cost more or not though.

 

[felipepepe]

Another doubt is when to pick the best on the series or the first one... like Arena and Daggerfall, Dark Omen and Shadow of the Horned Rat or the Heroes of Might & Magic and Jagged Alliance series...

 

[80Maxwell08]

Another doubt is when to pick the best on the series or the first one... like Arena and Daggerfall, Dark Omen and Shadow of the Horned Rat or the Heroes of Might & Magic and Jagged Alliance series...

I say go with the best and mention (or try to) how the series improved, or didn't, from then like what was added or refined.

 

[Alchemist]

I think the major cRPG series like Wizardry and Might & Magic warrant having a few pages devoted to them instead of picking just one game in the series. Maybe like four pages for the series, with reviews of the most notable / recommended installments and talking about its evolution.

 

[felipepepe]

I think the major cRPG series like Wizardry and Might & Magic warrant having a few pages devoted to them instead of picking just one game in the series. Maybe like four pages for the series, with reviews of the most notable / recommended installments and talking about its evolution.

Those are easy. Wizardry I, IV, VI, VII and 8 all will have their own reviews. WII and III are just more of the same. Samething for Might & Magic, I'll cover I, III, Xeen, VI, VII and X. They are relevant and unique enough to deserve it.

 

[Alchemist]

Those are easy. Wizardry I, IV, VI, VII and 8 all will have their own reviews. WII and III are just more of the same. Samething for Might & Magic, I'll cover I, III, Xeen, VI, VII and X. They are relevant and unique enough to deserve it.

Ah cool - you got it covered then.

So your question is for the less obvious ones I suppose.