It seems a lot of discussion are running about how the average man on the digest feels... Obviously, such discussions could last for a while since IMO there is no sense of reality in a concept such as "the average man on the digest". Some say they like RQ better than Glorantha, other write background is much more important than rules, most content themselves with reading the other's ideas...
I can understand that newcomers are confused with what happens here. I'm quite confused myself... But the fact is that I got used to it. I do read (at least I sort of try to) something like half of each digest. Some discussions bore me even if they eventually turn out to be of interest after a while. Some discussions are so gripping that I sometimes even think I should take part in them. And I can imagine that most of the people reading the digest feel the same: you can't expect everybody to be interested in what you like.
Still, there must be some common ground; otherwise the digest wouldn't exist. Maybe I'm wrong but I do think that this common ground as something to do with rpg experiences. I can't imagine anyone finding interest in this digest without having played RQ (or another rpg-system) in glorantha. The point is that each of us has had a different gaming experience.
Some liked Glorantha in itself, the details, the history, the background... Some rather remember this terrific fight against Muriah and her broos... Whatever... But, if this list is something like a commemoration of those past gamings in order to enable future (and if possible better) gaming, it is important to make sure everything in here has a point. I see a point in sharing ideas. I see a point in telling stories or relate how a campaign is going... But I see no point in fruitless arguments and sterile rambling.
I'm quite shocked when I read on the digest: "The fact is that
there *aren't* any newcomers. Ignore that, and the game *and* the setting
will die."...
I sort of thought that the present discussions were aimed at the future. It
sometimes seems that some people only care about the past. Subject I like
are about the future: what is going to happen next? What idea (or
character, or rule) could I use in my next campaign? Which inconsistency in
Glorantha should be solved and which field is still to be explored?
I personnally I'm quite glad to learn that RQ2 did exist. Of course, the "ancient writings" are precious source of knowledge. I'm happy to learn that certain subjects have already been discussed and are settled... But to know all this doesn't help me very much to play more or to play better.
I do hope RQ will live again. I do hope that there will be new gloranthan products. I do hope that new people will discover Glorantha, and RQ (and RPG in general) and enjoy it as much as I did. And I thought that was what this digest was about.
But obviously some people imagine that glorantha-philes is a closed circle and even seem to be quite content with this thought... IMO to keep anything running and alive, you need fresh air and new blood.
I know that most of the people who post to the digest are mainly the same, but it doesn't mean there they only one interested in what happens here. The "silent majority" has various reasons to remain silent and I don't think it is out of boredom or lack of interest. I can't tell for the others, but the reason why I don't usually post anything is that I've always been kind of a scavenger of ideas: I have very few ideas by myself but I'm quite good at recycling, re-using, mixing, shifting or simply copying other's ideas. That's my way of doing. Expressing my own opinion or rapporting my ideas is something I'm not very good at, especially in english. My contribution to the digest is only yo read what other have to say. I play the "audience" role... because it fits me better than the "performer" role. It doesn't prevent me from feeling concerned by what happens on the digest. Personnally I do think it's good that only few people do post to the digest: I already find that there's much to read... I can't imagine what it would be if several hundreds of people across the world send mails to the digest daily!
All I say is that I don't ask to forget the past (glorious or not) but I think that future matters more, and considering what I learned lately about the future publications of gloranthan (or RQ) supplements, there is obviously much to do to ensure this future...
Xavier SPINAT
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