Requests to Change the Rules

[Solomoriah]

I get these at a rate of about one per month. Some guy will send me an email, sometimes praising the game, sometimes not, then telling me that I should make some specific change.

Today the email I got asked if I was receptive to the idea of removing platinum and electrum coins from the game. No rationale or argument was presented, other than the flat statement that this would reduce coins to strict 10:1 ratios (I suppose this was intended to be the supporting argument, as if a strict ratio of coins was desirable).

I don't want to be rude to people... I really go out of my way to avoid it. Even when they say bad things about me... remember the review of Morgansfort that accused me of being sexist and racist. That situation didn't devolve into a fight, but rather resulted in the 2nd Edition of Morgansfort with a superior, more flexible, more satisfying version of Cave of the Unknown. So what I'm saying is, I don't want to go into a rage at these people.

But seriously. I wrote the game primarily for myself, after all, so it's the way it is because that's how I like it. I have accepted assistance, and am forever grateful, but in the end I made all the choices about what went in and what didn't.

So why do people think they can just drop me a note and I'll jump right in and make whatever change they requested? People with no history in the Project. If Smoot or Hyway or Chi said "you should change this" I'd at least consider it. Even a minor contributor would rate that much. But someone I've never heard of just kind of walks into my virtual office and tells me how I should change my game.

My game. My baby. The thing I've put innumerable hours into. The game I've played with my friends for years now.

The answer is simple, and always the same.

No.

[chiisu81]

My response has become: "Chris and company have freely made the ODTs (ie sources) available; download it and change it all you want for your own game!"

[Solomoriah]

Okay, so are you saying you get these messages too?

[chiisu81]

Oh not in PMs (at least so far!) but what I've seen on here and the few other forums/sites I visit, for BFRPG and the few other games that provide a source/editable document.

[Dimirag]

Those kind of people seem to appear from time to time, what I LOVE of BFRPG is that is simple and yet complete, so if I want to change something I can do it without having to changer 15 other game elements, but never to request a mayor change just because of my game taste.

People should appreciate the effort and time spent into a game, specially one made entirely for free and by one man, and then suggest what could be suggested, the rest leave it for house rules and supplements. Know the game, know your place...

[Metroknight]

I tweak my game to my hearts content. I once twisted the system so much that it was not recognizable but that is me and my game. When I started playing, one of the best pieces of advice I ever read was "These are not rules but guidelines. Change the game to suit what you want and expect". I have followed that advice ever since. Maybe that could be put in bold in the front page area. Let people know that if they don't want something in their game, drop it. If they want something in their game, add it. It is their game. This is just the base system sitting there for them to tweak or not tweak to their hearts content.

[Dimirag]

Also, we are an absolute friendly and helpful community, so, if somebody wants to add a feature to their game but lacks the skill to write or invent it we surely will help him instead of sending him to play another game (I've seen this in 2 forums).

We don't even ask people to introduce themselves nor a minimum amount of posts before requesting something!

[Maliki]

I wouldn't even consider asking someone to change the game they wrote for themselves, and then shared (for free) to suit my tastes, especially when those rules are in their third printing. That's what houserules are for (and leaving ep and pp out of your game is pretty simple).

[Dimirag]

Or you can just change their ratio to a 10:1 or change the whole coin ratio to 5:1 or 20:1 or replace it or remove it entirely.

[Hywaywolf]

money isn't a simple order of 10 construct anyway. 100 pennies make a dollar, 5 pennies make a nickel, 2 nickels make a dime, 5 nickels make a quarter, 4 quarters make a dollar, 10 dimes make a dollar, 2 quarters equal a 50 cent piece as does 5 dimes as well as 10 nickels.