Player Compendium

[Dimirag]

I'm not talking about your editing, I would name you otherwise

For some reason I though that when it got its name changed or some point after, the magic items where added. It was a creation of Smoot, the others aren't, that's why the content differs on material offered.

[daryen]

Higher, lower, whatever. The point is it is much, much harder to get a document on Downloads than Showcase. Whether that's "higher" or not doesn't change the fact that it is undeniably much, much more exclusive. And "exclusive" has implications, whether they are intended or not.

Harder is just that, harder, not better or higher priority or prestige as you've said, you are reinforcing your own concept, one that has been explained as erroneous.

Fair enough. Forget all of the above.

But better or worse, the document is still just focusing on the Downloads page Races and Classes (plus New Spells). The Downloads page provides me a clear demarcation that I am using to decide what goes in and what does not. Whether there are better choices or not is irrelevant. This demarcation conveniently allows me to not have to choose between overlapping Classes by using someone else's decision, irrespective of how good or bad that decision was. That the demarcation decision was made by the game's creator just makes things easier.

As for art, I removed it all (except for one placeholder on the first page). If I print it out myself for just myself I can add in whatever art I want, as no one will ever know or see it. Any document I post will likely not have art in it at all, unless anyone is willing to let me any art. Or I find any convenient rights-free art.

[Dimirag]

If I print it out myself for just myself I can add in whatever art I want, as no one will ever know or see it.

Even so, please ask and respect the artists decision about their art as part of the BFRPG community.

[daryen]

I'm not talking about your editing, I would name you otherwise

For some reason I though that when it got its name changed or some point after, the magic items where added. It was a creation of Smoot, the others aren't, that's why the content differs on material offered.

Don't have any history on that. I'm too new. I can only go by what I used as a base. And, again, I would have never even thought of adding magic items to the Druid and Illusionist if the Necromancer hadn't already had included some. But, again, just thoughts on ways to spice things up. If I'm wrong, so be it. But, at the least, I think the Paladin should get a holy weapon or few.

[SmootRK]

Necromancer was actually written in its entirety my myself (with forum input of course).

Initially, it was just the class, and in fact wasn't even called Necromancer. It was Grave Master which was homage to the Death Master npc class offered in an early Dragon Magazine edition.

So, yes, the added bits came later in its development. Sickles, Scythes, etc. were not represented in BFRPG at that time (though I believe they are in Equipment Emporium now). So Dimi is correct here, and in fact I believe he was around here when the Necromancer was being developed which is why he probably said this (? not sure, that was some time ago).

[Dimirag]

I entered on 2011, 2 years after the Grave Master was created, but on 2013 it got its name changed and on 2014 it started to get feedback.

[Bumblepig]

I can appreciate what daryen's trying to do here. I've had my own issues with trying to combine ad hoc content customized to my own preferences, but formatting the new compilation is a pain (especially if you want it to flow and look nice). I was actually trying to do a Mother of All Monster Books by putting all monsters from the Core Rulebook and three current Field Guides into one alphabetized compendium. I got as far as Aboleth....

So it would be great that if someone goes through the trouble of making a compilation, that it would be easily available to the community. But the problem is, once you start compiling anything, it's hard to avoid making editorial decisions. For example, as daryen pointed out the Downloads page does have a Barbarian class and then a separate Barbarian quasi-class. Daryen's compilation avoids that conflict because he doesn't include the quasi-class supplement. But if I were doing a compilation I'd actually include quasi classes and exclude the new separate classes ( I already have my own version of quasi classes but just for spellcasters).

[SmootRK]

What I am trying to convey is that Necromancer (as the cited example) is no more worthy or not compared to other classes found here... it was just Early before any such Showcase was available. Likewise for the Monsters as Races (another I played big part in its total re-write/re-development) or New Races (another I wrote completely in its entirety). These are all just early offerings... not better/superior or any other semblance of "official-ness" (real word? I doubt).

I would think that many would differ in the opinion of official or acceptance of Races found in both those documents... either too weird/different than the traditional dwarf/elf/halfling, or being NPC stock not truly meant for players (monster as races).... And that comes from one who wrote these. Honestly, I doubt that Necromancer, New Races, or Monsters as Races Supplements would even be on the Downloads page if offered more recently. They would all be Showcase offerings.

There are other truly good offerings in the Showcase that are as complete/superior/otherwise worthy of officialness, with only shortcoming being late arrivals? That hardly seems fair if you elevate the Downloads the way you are.

[Dimirag]

But the problem is, once you start compiling anything, it's hard to avoid making editorial decisions.

My point precisely, when somebody compiles something, its based on what that person chooses to compile, that's fine if its done privately, once you put it for other people, you are short-cutting their available options.

[daryen]

While I really do hear what Dimirag and Smoot are saying, there is a fundamental difference between Downloads and Showcase. Downloads are officially controlled documents where all changes must get through the official gatekeeper (basically, Solo). There is a way to provide input and you get the chance to see your inputs shape those documents. Showcase are individually contributed documents that are controlled by their author. There is no way to provide real input on someone else's document, and all contributors are on their own to shape their documents. Besides the implications (which I expressed earlier), it results in a very real difference in how the documents work between the pages.

Let me provide two very deliberately chosen examples:
- With Necromancer, I could identify what I thought were issues (primarily the lack of spells), and then submit updates to that specific document for acceptance or rejection. And, if accepted, I get to see that specific document updated.
- With Fey-Mage, I have no real avenue to update that document. To the point that I ended up simply creating a whole new document with an expanded version, Blood Heritage Sorcerer. If Fey-Mage was on the Documents page, I would likely have asked to expand it into what I call Blood Heritage Sorcerer. But that avenue was closed to me, so I took the path I did.

So, while I definitely *hear* you saying that there is no real difference between the documents in Downloads and Showcase, that is not the actual experience. And that is why I focused just on Downloads.