It's a new year, and we're ringing it in with a new title: Gaming Primitive; an alchemical mixture of traditional freeform/kriegsspiel with the structure and consolidation present in more contemporary offerings. If any of this sounds familiar, it's our mission statement. Read the games free preview to get its measure. This week's post is more concerned with its history and what it means for the future of Olde House Rules - and this blog.
So back in 2018, yours truly considered retiring from active publishing. I'd said everything I wanted to say on the subject and hoped to sign off on a high note. And Robyn lent her complete and enthusiastic support, which gets me through everything. But I wanted to make one final statement. Something a bit more polished that summarized the best of what we genuinely thought rules-lite gaming had to offer. The result was Gaming Primitive...
And then a funny thing happened. I didn't retire after all. If anything, I fell back in love with our back catalog (a back-to-basics moment I guess) and enlisted Robyn's able hands on The Diceless Wilds and Chronicles I: Roman Silver, Saxon Greed. Gaming Primitive was shelved not because of this, but because there was so much else going on. Long story short, it sat gathering dust until I decided it was high time this little piggy went to market.
And now it is. And I'm not retiring just yet. And this blog isn't going anywhere. Indeed, we're returning to a bi-weekly format effective immediately. But as the new year rings in, Robyn and I would like to thank everyone who's supported us through the years. You're the reason we stick around, and you're the reason Olde House Rules is anything more than some greybeard making games in his underwear (you're welcome for the visual). Happy New Year...
How can you retire from a Hobby? This is part of life. How can you know that you will not want to write anything in the rest of your days?
ReplyDeleteRide the wave! And meanwhile, I like to see you around here!
Thanks! We're not going anywhere...
DeleteI'm delighted to see the new game! With a new game like that, I'd say you are far from done!
ReplyDeleteThanks, friend!
DeleteThanks for not giving up on us!
ReplyDeletePits & Perils was an inspiration to me to write a "pre RPG industry" 2d6 OSR ruleset in my native language. You showed me how to value my own talents and how NOT care about production values or "professional industry standards".
So... I played my own game with my friends and I even used The Ruined Abbey of Saint Tabitha together with it. I shared this raw game with my local gaming community without caring too much about how it would be received as this was a honest work from my own hands.
Thanks a lot for all the great and inspiring games you crafted!
And thanks to you! Your kind words mean a lot. Creating your own stuff and having fun with friends is what it's all about...
DeleteBought this yesterday - interesting and inspiring!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Glad you enjoyed it...
DeleteSo good to hear you're diving back in! I always appreciate your insight.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The water's warm here...
DeleteGreat game, I'm looking forward to play!
ReplyDeleteI'll probably add a house rule that you won't be hit by enemy attacks if you rolled doubles on your attack roll. I'd like to have at least a small chance to evade for my PCs.
Thanks! And love that rule. May have to try it...
DeleteI basically find your games (I bought most of them, in English but also French version when available) inspiring & even more important, easy to play ! Glad to hear you are still publishing new things, I will buy Gaming Primitive as soon as my monthly gaming budget reactivates !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words and support!
DeleteI discovered you today and now going to order all your material and catch up on this blog. I'm excited to get to know your work as we sound of similar mind on so many things.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you very much. We hope you enjoy...
Deletenice game
ReplyDelete