Paperless Gaming

In the course of shopping for Christmas presents this year, I wandered over to RPGNow ( http://www.rpgnow.com ). I had been there, oh, somewhat over a year ago, and while I thought the idea of a store for electronic RPG supplements was good, I don't recall being impressed by the selection.

A lot can change given some time.

There is a healthy collection of material there now. I snagged The Collectors: The Burning House from Rogue Publishing ( http://www.roguepublishing.com ) (The Collectors on RPGNow ). I had heard a few good things about it (a setting complete with adventure), and I thought I knew someone for whom it would be appropriate.

Skimming through the text, I was impressed enough to give it as a gift. I also returned to RPGNow and bought myself a copy, along with Pariah (Pariah on RPGNow ). A few conversion tools later, and I've got the texts stored on my PDA for in-game reference should I choose. The lower prices I encountered made me more willing to risk the purchase of products I knew little about.

This led to me contemplating RPGNow and the general model behind it, as well as the D20 concept that dominates the field right now.

D20 would not be my first choice for a system mechanic. While I feel any game or system can be fun, I don't really understand why so many people want to base their gaming experience on a less-than-optimal system, when other systems are available. But the market does what the market will, without concern for my view of how things should be, and as a result D20 products proliferate.

This need not be bad. A great many D20 products have little to do with any particular ruleset, being genre information or settings where the authors are merely attempting to tap into the large D20 market. Others, such as Knuckleduster Publications ( http://www.knuckleduster.com/ ) combine D20-compatible information with information for other systems (such as Fudge). And of course, D20 products are good for those that enjoy the D20 system.

What it does mean is that the dedicated Fudge player will have to dig deep and broadly for Fudge products, as they may be mixed in amongst seemingly unrelated material. It also means that there are good number of Fudge (or usable with Fudge) products out there to be found.

Future issues of Fudge Factor will attempt to shine some light on these products, and carry supplemental information for a few. Someday, just perhaps, authors will be including Fudge information to try and tap into the large Fudge market. And even if that day never comes, at least I'll be happy with what I can get and my friends will enjoy their gifts.

I could not close the editorial without mentioning our dire need for articles. I'd also like to publicly thank staff member Adam Bragg, who has been diligent in making sure that I keep on track with issues, and develop the infrastructure involved to keep Fudge Factor rolling. Such diligence only serves you readers, and I hope he continues.