Far West 12th Anniversary

Best Selling RPGs - Available Now @ DriveThruRPG.com
Ulairi said:
I’m a backer for Far West. GMS is a liar and I won’t do any business with any publishers that one employee him and two lie about employing him. What makes me so mad about FFG is that they are allowing him to use a fake name because they don’t have the backbone to admit they hired him. There are plenty of other games writers that didn’t blow $50,000 of other people’s money and just given them lies in return.

And I think it’s really funny he threatened to hit Tenkar. Tenkar was a cop and hitting him is only going to end up being really bad for that piece of garbage. Plus, if GMS is ever at North Texas Con or GaryCon and tried something there are a lot of beefy dudes, like me, that would make sure he is staying put until the cops show up. I’m now at the point after his little threat that any studio that hires him I’m not doing business with.

Kevin blew my money (but at least I got something) and had the stones at the open house to sit there and take it from backers that were really pissed off and not threaten us and just apologize to us. GMS doesn’t have the same backbone.
Click to expand...
Wait, I'm late to this party...GMS had threatened to hit Tenkar:grin:? I've never seen Tenkar, but I thought that RPG publishers are only supposed to fight each other via forums, maybe Twitter for the extreme cases...

Skywalker said:
He has no money to print Far West and it sounds like he has burned through several funding partners. If he releases the PDF and can’t follow through with the print, he is afraid that there will be a rush in refunds which he won't be able to meet. Hence we have this ludicrous thinly veiled lie about him still working on it after 7.5 years.
Click to expand...
That might be exactly the case, but what prevents him from sending out the PDF and a message that fulfillment of print pledges is going to take longer? Surely they'd be just as delayed as they are now, but at least the backers would have something and some might even lay off him and write him off:smile:.
Assuming he's done with the PDF, that is.
 
Skywalker said:
Via Twitter, yes.
Click to expand...
What's with Twitter that makes people want to punch each other? Is it the interface, or the realization that people are talking about you behind your back:grin:?
 
Given that Twit is in Twitter, it should be obvious why :tongue:
 
zweihander said:
Story time!

Skarka teaches at the university across the street from my home.

In the spirit of being a good person, I reached out and offered to help bring Far West to fruition, knowing that the idea was fantastic, but the execution was poor. He declined, said that he didn't need help, reiterated it would be finished and asked for contract work with Grim & Perilous Studios..

I told him no.
Click to expand...

As a backer of Far West, thank you for asking to help him get it out there with the resources you have. I also thank you for not giving him work on something else besides Far West. I know he needs to eat and pay the bills, but publishers should understand the responsibility he has to finish Far West. If he’s writing RPG content, that’s what it should be.

What does he teach? Please don’t tell me it’s game design.
 
It's nice that in another tweet he praises the Gilette add that calls out violent behaviour.
 
Given that he's clearly getting work in the industry, though I've no idea whether it's enough to pay the bills or/and as much as he used to get, surely it would be in his best interests to just cancel the fucking kickstarter! I mean at the point you're making internet threats...
 
Ghost Whistler said:
Given that he's clearly getting work in the industry, though I've no idea whether it's enough to pay the bills or/and as much as he used to get, surely it would be in his best interests to just cancel the fucking kickstarter! I mean at the point you're making internet threats...
Click to expand...

I don't think you cancel it after it's funded. Their FAQ doesn't really address it, as what is there claims all pledges are voided if you do. Given how many years have gone by, is that even possible? If not, then he'd be liable to pay back all that money. I doubt he can, and would likely face serious legal action if he couldn't after cancelling the KS after all this time
 
David Lynch could turn this saga into a movie which, in comparison, would still seem tame.

I don't yet feel motivated to boycott his work, but then I didn't back this project. In fact at this point, were it ever to get released, I doubt I'd buy it. I think the novelty's worn off. I still haven't finished the short story collection he put out. THe irony of others getting work done for him in a timely fashion is not lost on me.

I've got plenty of other games to run and read. And read. And read.
 
Ghost Whistler said:
So, this happened. Seems crazy enough to warrant discussion: how can he be all enough to work on 4 RPG/supplements, but dysfunctional enough to eschew his own pet project?
Click to expand...

Tenkar isn’t above using incredibly inappropriate language against those he disagrees with, including the use of the word ‘cunt,’ so it is a bit a case of the pot calling the kettle black to me.

Sharka’s behaviour is pathetic of course, who would employ someone who talks like that in public to others is beyond me. And that observation extends past Sharka himself.

Seems to me that Tenkar’s entire schtick at this point is engaging in internet drama since he’d otherwise have nothing of interest to post on his navel-gazing non-blog.

They both need to get away from their computers, gain some perspective and learn to act like adults.
 
Last edited:
Voros said:
Tenkar isn’t above using incredibly inappropriate language against those he disagrees with, including the use of the word ‘cunt,’ so it is a bit a case of the pot calling the kettle black to me.

Seems to me that Tenkar’s entire schtick at this point is engaging in internet drama since he’d otherwise have nothing of interest to post on his navel-gazing non-blog.

They both need to get away from their computers, gain some perspective and learn to act like adults.
Click to expand...
That's silly. Cunt isn't an inappropriate word. Cunt is the best word.
 
I don’t really read Tenker’s blog much. Did he try to take Grognardia’s place at the top of the pecking order? What little I did read was far less interesting that even the worst retrospectives James used to post.
 
Endless Flight said:
I don’t really read Tenker’s blog much. Did he try to take Grognardia’s place at the top of the pecking order? What little I did read was far less interesting that even the worst retrospectives James used to post.
Click to expand...

I wasn’t always a fan of JMal’s reactionary spiel but I agree he was aways an entertaining, well written and interesting read.
 
Last edited:
Voros said:
Seems to me that Tenkar’s entire schtick at this point is engaging in internet drama since he’d otherwise have nothing of interest to post on his navel-gazing non-blog.
Click to expand...
Sure he would. He's pretty good at cut and pasting press releases for new products.
 
Voros said:
I wasn’t always a fan of JMal’s reactionary spiel but I agree he was aways an entertaining, well written and interesting read.
Click to expand...
Going back to JMal's column on RPG.net back around 2000, I've tended to frequently disagree with a good amount of anything he had to say, but disagreeing with him often helped me clarify my opinion.
 
So I was talking to a friend of mine who isn't really super into the RPG scene. I regale him with stories of Far West, because I find it entertaining as fuck.

He likes novelty t-shirts.

He found this.

www.redbubble.com

I Came Out First - Bisexual Sleeveless Top by arcanista

Announce to the world that you came out before a certain Kickstarter product • Millions of unique designs by independent artists. Find your thing.
www.redbubble.com www.redbubble.com

This is wonderful. I almost wish I swung both ways just so I'd have an excuse to buy this.
 
Jetstream said:
So I was talking to a friend of mine who isn't really super into the RPG scene. I regale him with stories of Far West, because I find it entertaining as fuck.

He likes novelty t-shirts.

He found this.

www.redbubble.com

I Came Out First - Bisexual Sleeveless Top by arcanista

Announce to the world that you came out before a certain Kickstarter product • Millions of unique designs by independent artists. Find your thing.
www.redbubble.com www.redbubble.com

This is wonderful. I almost wish I swung both ways just so I'd have an excuse to buy this.
Click to expand...
They need to make a version in baby clothes.

Edit: Hell at this point, the line could go baby through second grade.
 
For reasons I don't understand, a great deal of the baby boomer and older generations would rather set themselves on fire than simply say, "I was wrong, I fucked up, how can I make this right?" to people they have wronged.
 
Brock Savage said:
For reasons I don't understand, a great deal of the baby boomer and older generations would rather set themselves on fire than simply say, "I was wrong, I fucked up, how can I make this right?" to people they have wronged.
Click to expand...
Hm, you may be on to something there. But as several people have already stated it is also extremely likely that we're dealing with a case of narcissism here: they never admit mistakes or failure and if the shit hits the fan due to their own shitty behaviour they start playing the victim.
 
Last edited:
3rik said:
Hm, you may be on to something there. But as several people have already stated it is also extremely likely that we're dealing with a case of narcissism here: they never admit mistakes or failure and if the shit hits the fan due to their own shitty behaviour they start playing the victim.
Click to expand...
I believe there are multiple reasons for this behavior beyond narcissism. For example, in America there is a legion of older males who will never admit they are wrong because John Wayne said apologizing was a sign of weakness. I am not even fucking joking about that. At any rate, I find that behavior utterly baffling and illogical.
 
Brock Savage said:
I believe there are multiple reasons for this behavior beyond narcissism. For example, in America there is a legion of older males who will never admit they are wrong because John Wayne said apologizing was a sign of weakness. I am not even fucking joking about that. At any rate, I find that behavior utterly baffling and illogical.
Click to expand...
I don't get the impression that Gareth Skaven is a fan of that kind of politics.

Maybe if the rest of the industry said "sort your shit" before giving him work. He really has nothing to lose.

Anyway, as I said I don't care :grin:
 
Brock Savage said:
For reasons I don't understand, a great deal of the baby boomer and older generations would rather set themselves on fire than simply say, "I was wrong, I fucked up, how can I make this right?" to people they have wronged.
Click to expand...
I sincerely doubt Skarka is that old.
 
Brock Savage said:
I believe there are multiple reasons for this behavior beyond narcissism. For example, in America there is a legion of older males who will never admit they are wrong because John Wayne said apologizing was a sign of weakness. I am not even fucking joking about that. At any rate, I find that behavior utterly baffling and illogical.
Click to expand...
Except Skarka fancies himself an Alan Alda, unfortunately lacking Alan Alda's talent, class, and character.
 
Brock Savage said:
For reasons I don't understand, a great deal of the baby boomer and older generations would rather set themselves on fire than simply say, "I was wrong, I fucked up, how can I make this right?" to people they have wronged.
Click to expand...
:angry: Today my father threatened to sue the hospital that's treating him for pneumonia, because they won't give him solid food unless he lets them examine his throat, which he won't...
 
Just to play Devil's Advocate, and not in anyway defending GMS rather "Baby Boomers & Older" in general, well, there IS quite frankly a social advantage to not apologizing. Regardless of any moral perspective, an apology is ultimately a matter of social etiquette, it's not a solution to any problem, nor does it actually meaningfully reverse, atone for, or compensate in any way besides emotional, any bad action. It's a means of appeasement, and as such is a give-and-take proposition. It requires the offended party (ies) to accept the apology in good faith. I don't think I need to provide numerous contemporary examples that this is simply not universal, nor even common enough to be relied upon.
 
TristramEvans said:
Just to play Devil's Advocate, and not in anyway defending GMS rather "Baby Boomers & Older" in general, well, there IS quite frankly a social advantage to not apologizing. Regardless of any moral perspective, an apology is ultimately a matter of social etiquette, it's not a solution to any problem, nor does it actually meaningfully reverse, atone for, or compensate in any way besides emotional, any bad action. It's a means of appeasement, and as such is a give-and-take proposition. It requires the offended party (ies) to accept the apology in good faith. I don't think I need to provide numerous contemporary examples that this is simply not universal, nor even common enough to be relied upon.
Click to expand...
Well, the generational tangent was about admitting when you are wrong, not apologizing. Inability to admit when you are wrong means that when you dig yourself into a hole, you often keep digging or at least have to keep living in that hole for awhile.

As for apologies, I agree that they are a matter of social etiquette, but that doesn't mean they have no value. Sure, there are times they will be effective and times that they won't or will even make things worse, but they are a powerful social option. People that are incapable of apologies have less social options. And good luck to them if they ever have to spend time in Japan.

It is also important to remember that apologies can be slow acting as well. You can apologize to someone and only get anger back at the time, but after the person has time to cool off, the apology can register. At that point, they can get over their grievance.

They also don't require the offended party to accept them to have value. Looking at it from a Machiavellian perspective, they have value if most people in your social circle believe in your sincerity. If those people buy your apology, the offended party goes from being the object of sympathy to being the annoying person that won't let things go. "Jeez, he apologized. Can't we just get on with things?" It's not a use of apologies that I particularly endorse, but I've seen it used a lot.

There are certainly times an apology won't help, and being someone that always apologizes is a social flaw in itself, but being able to deploy apologies effectively is an enormous benefit both personally and professionally.
 
What has Skarka really worked on?

I'm asking because I really don't know. A 30 second google search only pointed to Hong Kong Action Theater.

I know he allegedly does little snippets for books here and there, but I couldn't find anything as a primary credit and I don't know what parts of the books he has allegedly worked on are his stuff.
 
Gabriel said:
What has Skarka really worked on?

I'm asking because I really don't know. A 30 second google search only pointed to Hong Kong Action Theater.

I know he allegedly does little snippets for books here and there, but I couldn't find anything as a primary credit and I don't know what parts of the books he has allegedly worked on are his stuff.
Click to expand...
He did a Nverwhere style game called Underground which I quite liked. Hong Kong Action Theater! as well as a collaboration called The Last Exodus iirc, there was a quxia game called Swords of the Middle Kingdom which I would like to check out based on the HKAT! system (yes the ! is required). Recently he wrote stuff for Modiphius and L5R5e and some fo the Dr Who rpg stuff. More besides I shouldn't wonder.
 
Baulderstone said:
They also don't require the offended party to accept them to have value. Looking at it from a Machiavellian perspective, they have value if most people in your social circle believe in your sincerity. If those people buy your apology, the offended party goes from being the object of sympathy to being the annoying person that won't let things go. "Jeez, he apologized. Can't we just get on with things?" It's not a use of apologies that I particularly endorse, but I've seen it used a lot.
Click to expand...
This is exactly the situation in which a narcissist would apologize, to make you, the offended, look bad. Hence it's best to ignore a narcissist's wish to apologize to you, or just hear his apology without reacting to it, staring blankly at a point on the horizon.
 
Last edited:
Gabriel said:
What has Skarka really worked on?

I'm asking because I really don't know. A 30 second google search only pointed to Hong Kong Action Theater.

I know he allegedly does little snippets for books here and there, but I couldn't find anything as a primary credit and I don't know what parts of the books he has allegedly worked on are his stuff.
Click to expand...
Here's what Amazon has:
10176
 
Through his own publishing imprint, he did do work on products for ICONS, Savage Worlds & D20
 
OK, so he worked on Doctor Who (presumably Cubicle 7's) and Modiphius Star Trek.

I have a fair number of Doctor Who books. For the new Star Trek I only have the core rulebook and the GM screen.

So, can anyone point to something in those that he's written? Does anyone know?

Edit: I'm kind of morbidly curious to see what his writing style is like. The only things I've ever seen that I can identify as his are his postings on messageboards. And, being as charitable as possible, it's difficult to say much about his writing style from that.
 
He's apparently no longer always credited under his real name.

#narctactics
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Banner: The best cosmic horror & Cthulhu Mythos @ DriveThruRPG.com
Back
Top