Interview 16: Ron Edwards on The Forge’s Winter Phase
When Ron Edwards announced posted on The Forge that the site would be entering it’s “winter phase” there was a bit of a hullabaloo about just what exactly that would mean for the site. I quickly shot Ron an email asking if he’d like to take some time to discuss what this all meant, and the general perception of The Forge on the internet as a whole. What followed was a fascinating conversation about identity politics, the economics of small-press gaming, and the difficulties of communication on the Internet. Enjoy!
Relevant Links
- Ron Edwards
- The Forge
- Winter Phase Post
- Pendragon
- Houses of the Blooded
- GNS
- Apocalypse World Forums
- Essays on The Forge
- RPG.net Thread about the Winter Phase
- The Gaming Outpost
- Greg Stolze
- Story Games Forum
- Indie Press Revolution
- Brennan Taylor
- Bliss Stage
- Universalis
- Burning Wheel
- Des Moines Social Club
- Metagaming Concepts
- Steve Jackson
- Wizard
- Champions
- GURPS
- Hero System
- White Wolf
- Lion Rampant
- Rifts
- Deadlands
- Legend of the Five Rings
- Chicagoland Games
- 3rd Coast Comics
- Games Workshop
- Diana Jones Awards
- Irish Charity Auctions
- Origins Award
- Shadowrun
- FAFSA
- Peter Atkinson
- Ryan Dancey
- The Podgecast
- Iron Tyrants
- Battletech
- Dogs in the Vineyard AP
- Burning Empires AP
- Complexity Round-Table
- Jason Morningstar
- Jonathan Tweet
- Robin D. Laws
- Over the Edge
- Naked Went the Gamer
- Kevin Siembieda
- The Meese Comission
Crunchy Bits!
- Intro and Outro music provided by
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Tags: 3rd Coast Games, Action Castle, Apocalypse World, Battletech, Bliss Stage, Brennan Taylor, Burning Empires, Burning Wheel, Champions, Chicagoland Games, Deadlands, Des Moines Social Club, Diana Jones Awards, Dogs in the Vineyard, FAFSA, games Workshop, GNS, Greg Stolze, GURPS, Hero System, Houses of the Blooded, Indie Press Revolution, Irish Charity Auctions, Iron Tyrants, Jason Morningstar, Jonathan Tweet, Kevin, Kevin Siembieda, Legend of the Five Rings, Lion Rampant, Metagaming Concepts, Naked Went the Gamer, Origins Award, Over the Edge, Pendragon, Peter Atkinson, Rifts, Robin D. Laws, Ron Edwards, RPG.net, Ryan Dancey, Shadowrun, Steve Jackson, Story-games, The Forge, The Gaming Outpost, The Meese Comission, The Podgecast, Universalis, White Wolf, Wizard
Hey,
I want to clarify one of my final points, concerning sunk cost and identity in the role-playing hobby as my chosen enemy. The example Kevin provided concerned Battletech, and I didn’t get a chance to clarify that this point applies to independent games as well as to non-independent ones. In other words, being wrapped up in identity, ego-games, closed-minded play and design and commerce are no less my enemy if they concern independently published games. The snobby pronouncement that one plays Story Games (in pretentious, dismissive tones) is exactly the same statement as made by the Battletech guy Kevin describd.
Ron
Really enjoyed the interview with Ron Edwards. Not only do I think his understanding of the internet and the “voices” it contains are bang on. But I like his own approach to gaming.
Like him I sake my head at the elitist attitude among various faction within the hobby. I simiply do not get it.
And I applaud his ideas that the only wrong way to play an RPG is if you are causing other not to have fun while you play.
Am I having fun is the touchstone for me as a player. Are my players having fun is my touchstone for me as a GM.
It is amazing how many gamers I talk to really don ‘t get that concept. Or how many GMs look at me blankly when I ask them that question after they ranted about how their game dissolved after 4 sessions.
Sandy
[…] Weiser of the Walking Eye podcast interviewed Ron Edwards last November. They talked about a new development at The Forge, from which a non-controversy had […]
It’s amazing to think of all this stuff happening as long ago as it does. I remember a failed interview with Ron. It was a low point of my own time in that scene. If I had only been a little older at the time and maybe GO wouldn’t have gone the way it did.
Memories.
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