The Codex

[Purkake]

So, I dared a peek into the damp smelly cellar some of you know as the RPGCodex. After losing 1d20 sanity, I decided to not venture any further and just take the smaller stat loss I'd get here.

 

As far as I could tell, they have a weird fascination with Arcanum(why?) and really off-putting-looking indie RPGs. So can anyone explain what the deal with that place is. Humor is allowed(and encouraged), but try to keep the hostility within the orange zone.

 

Oh and while we're at it, someone could explain RPGWatch, that seemed relatively nice.

And Gamebanshee?

 

 

 

And before anyone screams about this being off-topic, I did mention multiple games and all the forums are directly related to gaming.

 

 

Thanks

[Volourn]

RPG Codex is awesome. Not eprfect but awesome.

 

You are allowed to have an opinion there unlike other places.

[Maria Caliban]

I've never posted on the RPGCodex forums, but according to them I'm:

1) David Gaider's alt. Or his wife/ho.

2) A biodrone

3) A ****

4) Some dude from Krakow with the handle Caliban.

 

They've also posted my e-mail address on their forum and signed me up for various spam.

[Purkake]

I've never posted on the RPGCodex forums, but according to them I'm:

1) David Gaider's alt. Or his wife/ho.

2) A biodrone

3) A ****

4) Some dude from Krakow with the handle Caliban.

 

They've also posted my e-mail address on their forum and signed me up for various spam.

How do they know you?

 

 

I'm still going with JE Sawyer's female alter ego, by the way

 

Edited July 1, 2011 by Purkake

[Tale]

I wish I was famous on forums I don't visit.

 

The signing up for spam I could do without, however.

[Lexx]

The codex changed a lot over the past years. Sometimes I wish it would be still like 5 years ago. Nowadays it feels to me more like some 4chan-light forum.

[Labadal]

So, I dared a peek into the damp smelly cellar some of you know as the RPGCodex. After losing 1d20 sanity, I decided to not venture any further and just take the smaller stat loss I'd get here.

 

As far as I could tell, they have a weird fascination with Arcanum(why?) and really off-putting-looking indie RPGs. So can anyone explain what the deal with that place is. Humor is allowed(and encouraged), but try to keep the hostility within the orange zone.

 

Oh and while we're at it, someone could explain RPGWatch, that seemed relatively nice.

And Gamebanshee?

 

 

 

And before anyone screams about this being off-topic, I did mention multiple games and all the forums are directly related to gaming.

 

 

Thanks

 

I like rpgwatch. They keep up to date on many wrpgs.

[Tigranes]

Codex is a forum which has long since become a meme of itself, then a meta-forum that is aware of and parodies its own mockery of its older self, then an ironic commentary on that meta-ness, and now is perpetually confused about what the hell it is supposed to be anymore.

 

Ironically, it still remains the one place where half of all posts are stupid beyond imagination and the other half are good quality RPG discussion you won't get anywhere else. Also, their LPs are fantastic, better than anything I've seen.

[Maria Caliban]

I've never posted on the RPGCodex forums, but according to them I'm:

1) David Gaider's alt. Or his wife/ho.

2) A biodrone

3) A ****

4) Some dude from Krakow with the handle Caliban.

 

They've also posted my e-mail address on their forum and signed me up for various spam.

How do they know you?

 

 

I'm still going with JE Sawyer's female alter ego, by the way

My posts on the BioWare/BSN forums.

[Purkake]

A meta-forum inside another forum... Forumception?

 

 

So what's the deal with Arcanum and the Knights of the Whatchumacallit?

[Tale]

Arcanum is a dang good game. Comparisons to Fallout are not entirely unfounded. A bit imbalanced and quirky in the old school vein. I found the plot captivating.

[Labadal]

What I liked about Arcanum was the creation of your character. You could do so many builds, or not give a crap about planning a build and still complete the game.

[Purkake]

I liked stealing stuff from shops and picking up every doodad I could find. The schematics thing was cool, but the combat was way out of balance and everything was pretty clunky as far as I remember.

 

Was there any special significance?

[Tigranes]

I find Arcanum a more entertaining game than Fallout, to be honest, even if Fallout's own setting and delivery of that setting was incomparable. And it is clearly a spiritual successor in many ways.

 

Sure, it's best defined as a 'flawed gem' more than pretty much anything out there, and for some the flaws are bigger than the gem, but especially these days there are so few games that have character and try to show me exciting things that that's what I count the value of a game by, not how bloody 'polished' it is. Polish is good. It's not that good. The 'entertainment' that polish, as a quality, brings you is like the quality of a TV show that is just good enough for you to not bother changing the channel - a flawed gem can be infuriating but at least it's worth the infuriation.

 

Anyway, if there's one thing I vote we import from the Codex, its the emoticons. Including the Avellone drawings.

[Maria Caliban]

Having my mages collapse because they've cast too many spells wasn't that exciting. Also, the dog ended up being the most useful companion because of those creatures that took little to no damage from firearms but quickly destroyed any melee weapon you used. The dog's teeth are apparently stronger than magical metal.

 

Oh, and at the highest Charisma, you were supposed to be able to pick up any companion regardless of alignment, but that didn't work.

 

At the same time, it let you kill everyone in the world, which is sort of neat.

[Tale]

At the same time, it let you kill everyone in the world, which is sort of neat.

Then talk to their ghost. That's a gimmicky ability that I can't help but adore. Like Wild Mages from ToB.

[Purkake]

Yeah, it had the Oblivion "mess with the AI" deal as well, I love that. Like in Fallout 2 when you piss off the guy in Den and stand behind the casino chick. Map-wide AI battle ensues.

[aries101]

As a member of the both rpgwatch since it started bback in 2006 and the rpgcodes from around 2004 or 2005, I can honestly say that I've seen decline of the codex in all its glory. Back in 2004-2007, or maybe 2008, Vault Dweller ruled the Codex with, no not an iron fist, but he ran a very tight ship. Then he wanted to make it more professional with somewhat harder posting rules (temp ban for people posting false links or to post to tub girls...not nice....) Then late 2007, or maybe early 2008, some people decided to stage a coup, and the site was down for days. Then, VD, and the leadership got control back. VD decided that it was too much for him to monitor etc. rpg codex - he left to do his indie rpg Age of Decadence. And ever since then the decline has been going on.

 

In the general forum (which I rarely visit now) people are spouting racist remarks, generally trolling, flaming etc. Not so much in the news post, though, VD at least did try to limit this by temp ban people who overdid all of of the above. Back then, before 2007-2008, we would have real discussions about Bioware's games, Arcanum's plots or the story in PS: Torment. Today, anytime someone try to discuss this, people start spouting, sorry to say this, vitriol. And not only this, are allowed to this. Sadly

 

However, once in a while, brilliant things comes to mind, and happens on the rpg codex such as VD's reviews of Witcher 1, or Witcher 2, or someone writes a good review about an indie rpg like Din's Curse. And in these threads, there actual discussion in which people actually lay out solid arguments for what they think about a game like Witcher 2. I've also found that most of the posters at the Codex site are really helpfull if you say ask a question about how to do something in Arcanum or PS: Torment.

 

The Codex generally, as site, (and I'm saying this based on my observations) likes rpgs old schools. That's whay they like Dragon Age: Origins (sort of), and games like Witcher 1 and 2. They also like some consistency in games e.g. that the combat featured fits with the game i.e. combat in witcher befits how a witcher will do combat (irl) and virtually. So yes, I do agree that about half the posts are forgetfull and half the posts are worthwhile to read.

 

 

Explaining rpgwatch -? It is a site about rpgs, traditonal and non-traditonal, but not MMOs. And it is nice site Moderation are light, but firm. As it should be.

[Purkake]

Wow, awesome summary. I didn't know I had the necromantic powers to bring forth the long dead 05'ers Nice to see you again aries.

 

I should make threads more often...

Edited July 1, 2011 by Purkake

[HoonDing]

As stated before, the Codex has the best Let's Plays on the internets, and of lesser known and in some cases, extremely obscure, games at that.

 

Also,

[Oblarg]

I read their LP's, occasionally, because they're usually quite good.

 

I have absolutely no intention of ever going beyond the LP subforum.

[Zoraptor]

RPGCodex is my no 1 source for news on RPGs* and on current events in european countries like Georgia. Did you know that some B list hollywood types visited there last month and that its main exports include scrap metal and fruit and nuts? Fascinating.

Say nice things about them, or they may direct Prosper this way

 

 

*actually RPGWatch is.

[Jaesun]

So, I dared a peek into the damp smelly cellar some of you know as the RPGCodex. After losing 1d20 sanity, I decided to not venture any further and just take the smaller stat loss I'd get here.

 

Generalizing the codex from a brief peek at it, is not going to give you a good idea of the place. I've been there since 2004, and years ago as others have mentioned it was a very good place to discuss cRPG's completely and openly with no moderation (which of course allows the morans to run free). The last few years the forums are now flooded with spam posting and image spammers, but a few good and quality posters do still come around now and then. Thankfully most of the morans who run around do eventually get tired and leave, but then another new one comes to take their place. You do have to look hard to find good solid discussions, but they are there. The codex of late is basically a pile of elephant dung, but if you sift through that a little bit, you will eventually find a diamond. Codex Workshop forum is usually less spammed and can on occasion have some very good and in depth discussions there. And seeing peoples join dates can easily help you spot the terrible crap posters, and just ignore them and continue on. Just stay the hell away from General Discussions..... you have been warned.

 

As far as I could tell, they have a weird fascination with Arcanum(why?)

 

The Codex Hivemind

[WDeranged]

I never went there during the glory days when the gods walked among us but I'm a codex fan, I can't deny that I enjoy watching retards, racists and intellectuals tear eachother to pieces over my favourite genre

[Hurlshort]

I happened across a conversation thread from the Codex with Volourn, and those folks are just mean to him. It brought to mind the character of Simon in the Lord of the Flies (kid with glasses.) So now I feel sorry for him more than anything.

 

Fight the good fight Volo!