Introduction to Sawyerism - What J.E. Sawyer likes in RPGs

[Infinitron]

http://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/77541947335/what-are-some-cliched-rpg-or-d-d-tropes-you-are

 

truewarriorpoet asked: What are some cliched rpg or d&d tropes you are personally tired of seeing, and how do you plan on creating your own vision in PoE so it introduces familiar but unique twists on them?

 

 

(he doesn't actually answer that question)

[Living One]

So,not satisfied with harvesting brofists on the 'dex now you're harvesting likes in here too?

[Hormalakh]

still concerned that multiple solutions can lead to the loss of challenge and satisfaction for overcoming solutions. it's a fine balance.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Does this mean we call people who agree with Sawyer "Sawyerists"?

[Endrosz]

Time to create a new religion. The name is obvious. Now I just need to come up with some cosmology 'n stuff. Shouldn't be too hard, after all, if you can create good RPGs, you've already ascended to godhood, and with a solid god as a basis, creating a new monotheistic religion is a breeze. And since ye olde religions plagiarize from each other rather liberally, I shouldn't be much ashamed if I do that as well, so without further ado, here's Sawyerism's basic prayer:

 

Our Designer on computers,

Upleveled be your name.

Your megadungeon come,

your will be done

in pen-and-paper, as it is on computers.

Give us each day our daily fun,

and forgive us our trolling,

as we also have forgiven others'.

And lead us not into degeneration,

but deliver us from dumb.

Amen.

 

(Note: I'm a weird creature -- a devout Christian with a sense of humor. Before you start crying blasphemy etc.)

Edited February 23, 2014 by Endrosz

[tajerio]

Time to create a new religion. The name is obvious. Now I just need to come up with some cosmology 'n stuff. Shouldn't be too hard, after all, if you can create good RPGs, you've already ascended to godhood, and with a solid god as a basis, creating a new monotheistic religion is a breeze. And since ye olde religions plagiarize from each other rather liberally, I shouldn't be much ashamed if I do that as well, so without further ado, here's Sawyerism's basic prayer:

 

Our Designer on computers,

Upleveled be your name.

Your megadungeon come,

your will be done

in pen-and-paper, as it is on computers.

Give us each day our daily fun,

and forgive us our trolling,

as we also have forgiven others'.

And lead us not into degeneration,

but deliver us from dumb.

Amen.

 

(Note: I'm a weird creature -- a devout Christian with a sense of humor. Before you start crying blasphemy etc.)

 

In the name of the Sawyer, the MCA, and the Holy Cain, amen.

[Walsingham]

Time to create a new religion. The name is obvious. Now I just need to come up with some cosmology 'n stuff. Shouldn't be too hard, after all, if you can create good RPGs, you've already ascended to godhood, and with a solid god as a basis, creating a new monotheistic religion is a breeze. And since ye olde religions plagiarize from each other rather liberally, I shouldn't be much ashamed if I do that as well, so without further ado, here's Sawyerism's basic prayer:

 

Our Designer on computers,

Upleveled be your name.

Your megadungeon come,

your will be done

in pen-and-paper, as it is on computers.

Give us each day our daily fun,

and forgive us our trolling,

as we also have forgiven others'.

And lead us not into degeneration,

but deliver us from dumb.

Amen.

 

(Note: I'm a weird creature -- a devout Christian with a sense of humor. Before you start crying blasphemy etc.)

 

At least when people say "How do you know God exists" we can say "He has a vlog on youtube."

[PrimeJunta]

More like a political philosophy. It is all about class warfare after all.

[Monte Carlo]

If it's all about cycling and ironic spectacles then count me out.

[JFSOCC]

Sawyer, god of history, balance and games. a direct competitor of Ladamo

His titles are "He who explains things to fans", "developer", (a title with an arcane meaning lost to time) and "the assessor"

 

Sawyer was a mortal whose exclusive duty it was to make sure that every game he made was well balanced and enjoyable. He spent his life travelling the world looking for games, any game that was well balanced and enjoyable would be brought back home to be analysed and recorded.

After Sawyer Ascended, he continued on his quest, offering those who invent games but have creative issues advice from unexpected perspectives.

 

If you encounter Sawyer, something that only happens if you make games, he will reward you with a gold piece for each well balanced game you've made. (Whether that is chess, checkers, or hide and seek is really irrelevant)

These gold pieces are enchanted with various wards and benefits, and no good comes of getting rid of the coins, which is a considered a great insult.

Priests of Sawyer are mandated to play many games, find the weaknesses in every game they find, exploit them, and then make a version which is better balanced. Most temples offer advice on history, game theory, a place to play games, and have cats roaming the halls. Because cats are a sacred animal to the Sawyerists.

 

The Attribute of Sawyer is a cat, symbolising serendipity, chaos theory, and curiosity.

 

During the festival of cattus interruptus, people celebrate with traditional sesame seed-based snacks, Honey-sesame-seed candy bars, sesame cakes, hamburgers with sesame seeds on the bun. It is common practice on this day to play your favourite games, and attempt to improve them in some way.

[Hormalakh]

ITT : :bow: :bow: :bow:

 

Me:

[JFSOCC]

So you follow MCA? God of Dialogue and companionship?

[Ninjerk]

Thou shalt hold no other context before D&D 3e+ whenst discussing CRPG combat.

[RodWarrior]

Well, I actually agree with most of his speech, but I'm an addept of MCA'ism.

Nothing against Sawyerists, but I really think that MCA should be the lider of our pantheon.

[LadyCrimson]

Can't we worship more than one gaming god? A plethora of them standing atop a mountain, garbed in long beards, surrounded by thunder and lightning, each complimenting the other.

[JerseyP]

Come on, you all know Josh Sawyer is the king of the nerds. He's cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce, including the rad hipster glasses. Articulate, hypnotic speaking voice - probably gained from voice lessons. Wicked smart. Wicked tatoo's. Hey Josh, what do your tatoo's say/mean?

 

A lot of gamers use fantasy as an escape from a world they can't necessarily fit into. This guy could fit into the world if he wanted to, but he chooses to be a gamer because he actually loves it. Thats the guy I want designing my game.

[Giantevilhead]

Wait a minute, doesn't Avellone like to focus on what he dislikes in a franchise when writing the story? So Sawyer must be the yang to Avellone's yin. Therefore, Tim Cain must be the Avatar, able to bend all genres, bringing balance to the gaming world.

[Monte Carlo]

Over here, in the crumbling but still fell Ziggurat of Gygax we are eyeing these heretics with scant, nut not complacent, interest.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Over here, in the crumbling but still fell Ziggurat of Gygax we are eyeing these heretics with scant, nut not complacent, interest.

And in that very ziggurat, a set of galleries known as S1 forms its bowels, otherwise known as the Tomb of Horrors.

[Giantevilhead]

Ziggurat of Gygax?! Blasphemy! All know that the true believers dwell within:

 

 

For this heresy, your name will be stricken from the

 

Edited February 25, 2014 by Giantevilhead

[IndiraLightfoot]

NOOOO!!! I'll repent, I'll reh-puuunt!!

[Gorbag]

Be ye followers of me, know that "might" and "magic" are but mere words in the greater balance. Those who strive to disrupt the balance by clinging to words, shall be guilty in my eyes. And the guilty shall inherit the Hound.

[sesobebo]

nope, Sawyer's no god.

 

 

no god has ever bothered to actually explain, stand up, and logically defend his work, rules, or ideas.

[Lephys]

no god has ever bothered to actually explain, stand up, and logically defend his work, rules, or ideas.

Well, they have, but it usually goes like this:

 

"Why?! WHY?! BECAUSE *VAPORIZE*! LOLZ!"

 

[Monte Carlo]

Oh yes they have. E. Gary Gygax does so, at length, in the 1E AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide (or, as we call it in my house, The Tome Eternal).