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This page last updated Tuesday, 06-Sep-2005 12:28:08 EDT.

Role Playing News

Editorials, Commentaries, and Reviews:

• Editorial: Trading is not Gaming
  
• From the Editor
  
• Commentary: Deadlines
  
• Book Review: Tale of the Body Thief
  

Trading is not Gaming

What ever happened to customer satisfaction? I think that the trading card companies have forgotten something in their quest to line their pockets in cash. Now, its not my business what people spend their money on and this isn't another article putting down trading card games. I just want to say that it isn't fair to those of us that liked games like Illuminati and Nuclear War. Those of us who don't like trading cards because of the necessity to dump lots of money into collecting them, have been shut out of these games. Also, the companies who distribute them took the originals off the market. I commend Steve Jackson Games for coming out with a 'factory set' for those of us that don't like collecting cards. Now we can at least play. I hope that others follow suit and maybe someday put the original games back on the shelves for nostalgic people like me.

Editor's note: RPN welcomes the opinions of it's readers. This editorial does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the paper. Comments and rebuttals are encouraged.

From the Editor

A new year, a night of murder, a new Star Trek series, and a flat tire later, another Role Playing News has been published. First, I must extend congratulations to Brian Woodring for having his story "Volunteers" published in Captain's Log #16. Captain's Log is a nationally distributed magazine put out by Task Force Games. Second is my thanks to Andi Woodring for all of her help in putting together RPN. In recognition of all of her help we have named her to the position of Assistant Editor.

We have many new readers this month and I would like to take this chance to welcome you. If you like what you see, then please let us know. And, if you have a story lying around, or you have an opinion that you want to share, then send us your writings.

Thanks to all who contributed to this issue and don't forget the deadline for the next RPN.

Deadlines

I have been watching something very closely the last few months that I am becoming concerned about. During the course of development of both this newsletter and the play-by-mail games people have been ignoring a little thing called deadlines. A deadline is the latest point at which something will be accepted. The problem is, most people seem to think that they should start working on the particular item ON the deadline date.

Tracy recently pointed out to me that the story, 'When Last We Left Our Heroes,' has lost some of its entertainment value and is now just a chronology of events. I believe the reason for this is two-fold. First, the article is generally being written three to four weeks after the game it describes. Many times it is tough to remember all of the little details that made the game interesting while all of the major events were happening. The second is the fact that the article is being written as the issue is being put together. An article like that should probably be written beforehand and reviewed a few times to be sure everything that should be in, is in.

The other problem is when people don't acknowledge there is a deadline. When Matthew sends out the turns for his Diplomacy game it is clearly stated when the next turn is due. A few times now, people have gotten turns in late or not at all. Matthew let this slide for special circumstances but is tightening the reigns a bit. I think it is probably a good idea. If you say to people, get your turn here by date x, and let someone slide to day y, it is unfair to those people who rushed and sweated getting the items in by date x. Also, when the date is set far enough away, there is no excuse not to have things in on time. (Most recently, Matt gave almost a month between turns to account for slow mail service over the holidays. One turn never came and at least one other just beat the deadline.)

I wonder what the point of setting a deadline is if some people don't follow it. I think we need to pay better attention to what our deadlines are. If we say to get something in by June 1st, try to get it in by May 19th. It will make things a lot easier.

Tale of the Body Thief

For those of you who have wondered, as I have, what it would be like to change bodies with someone for a day, try Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice on for size.

A twist on the typical Faustian event, she trades a flesh and blood human and a vampire of two hundred plus years. Understand, please, the vampire is none other than Lestat, a one-of-a-kind, extraordinarily powerful vampire, for his age. He loses his immortal body in exchange for an attractive, but frail and slow, mortal one. Not just any human mind is behind the exchange, however. Lestat is up against a human with the ability of astral projection, so well-versed that he can knock a soul from a weakened or compliant body and take the corporeal form as his own. With an ego like Lestat's, how can he resist the chance to taste humanity one more time? Thus begins the dizzying spectacle of Lestat's quest to regain his vampiric form and to put to rest his dreams of Claudia, his long lost "child."

Tale of the Body Thief is written in a highly visual mode with attention to detail that makes you a spectator on site. Set in contemporary times, the meeting of technology and old-world style provide a colorful venue for Lestat's narrative about the travels and discoveries of his lost humanity and delight in his vampiric form.

Recommended for those with a curiosity of the vampire's perspective of humans.