[RPG]: Denizens of Freeport, reviewed by F. Wesley Schneider (5/1)

[RPGnet Reviews]

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9157.phtml

F. Wesley Schneider's Summary:

Green Ronin does what they do best, creating an interesting, useful, and in all ways entertaining product. Gorgeous production value and some very witty writing make “Denizens of Freeport” a must own for Freeport fans. Yaarrr!

Go to the full review (http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9157.phtml) for more information.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Godfather Punk at 2003-03-20 05:25:01
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Green Ronin said they were going to do an 'Index' or 'Table of Contents' pdf as an upcoming Focus on Freeport supplement. Nice if you have web-access; it would have been nicer it this was included in the book from the start.

Aside from this omision I think DoF was worth every penny.

Cheers,
Marc

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Godfather Punk at 2003-03-20 05:26:55
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Was this a typo?

Marc

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Joe Grendel at 2003-03-20 13:04:58
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That was certainly an, um, enthusiastic review. I was waiting for you to say you wanted to give Pramas a tongue bath at the end of your review.

Two notes:

"Most prominent, and a real surprise considering Green Ronin’s usually meticulous standards, is a noticeable problem with editing."

You probably want to go back and proof-read your review. You have a number of spelling errors and word substitution errors yourself. Granted, you aren't creating a professional product for sale, but it does call into question how bad their editing is if yours is hit and miss.

"(and so I don’t sound like a complete fan-boy)."

Way, way, way too late for that.

I don't doubt that the product is good -- Green Ronin has a generally good reputation -- but this review was one step away from a marriage proposal.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Randell Wolff at 2003-03-20 13:29:47
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"You probably want to go back and proof-read your review. You have a number of spelling errors and word substitution errors yourself. Granted, you aren't creating a professional product for sale, but it does call into question how bad their editing is if yours is hit and miss."

This is a somewhat weird complaint. What does the quality of his editing have to do with the quality of theirs? If I see someone swerving all over the road and hitting mailboxes left and right, I can safely say that that person is a bad driver, even if I've been given six tickets that week.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Joe Grendel at 2003-03-20 16:34:53
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Because it calls into question how he'd know. He says there's bad editing in the book, and I had to reread several of his sentences to puzzle out what the heck they meant, since he couldn't spell some words and substituted sound-alikes for others.

If someone who burns Top Ramen says that some restaurant is lousy, I'm going to take their opinion with a huge grain of salt.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Wes Schneider at 2003-03-21 09:08:28
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That is one HELL of a typo, I already contacted the web master about it. Obviously it should be a five.
~W.S.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Wes Schneider at 2003-03-21 10:31:26
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Wow, it’s a rare reader who considers the review and the critic over the product being reviewed. I’m honored.

As for proof-reading, darn, I knew I should have done something before sending off my review. Well, at least I took it out of the wing-dings font so it could bring such happiness to everyone’s lives.

No, seriously. You’ve noted the difference exactly, I am not “creating a professional product”… “for sale.” Something else I’m not doing is employing a team of a dozen writers and an experienced editor to pour over my review-let, though it seems like you’re more then up for the task :). Give me your e-mail and I’ll gladly send you all my works before I embarrass myself by sending them to print (I hold no responsibly for the thousands upon thousands of Hot Hardcore Granny spam mails you’ll coincidentally be receiving ;j). But, like the level-headed Mr. Wolff says “What does the quality of his editing have to do with the quality of theirs?” Really? Nothing. Not a thing. In fact, one might say your own argument speaks in my defense since GR’s few small errors were noticed even by a grammatical-simpleton like myself (obviously, ;) pout pout).

Oh, I would also like to make a confession here. I have done a restaurant review or two in my day (which was last week for those of you keeping count), some good, some bad, and I admit… I have burnt the ramen. Burnt it good. :(

As for the sounding like a fan-boy issue. I concede, I’m a fan boy. Does that mean my opinion is biased or that my review has less worth, I hope not. In fact, I believe that my standards for GR are probably higher then they would be for other companies. If say, Troll Lords Games suddenly cranked out the Book of the Righteous I wouldn’t be able to say enough good things, but being that it’s GR’s I might have to say it’s a bit limited in usefulness, though overall a pretty book. Also, now that I consider it (and have asked a few others) being a Green Ronin fanboy might just be a mark of good taste. I mean seriously, with the exception of Wizards and Privateer Press there are few (/no) other companies that meet such a aggressive release schedule with such consistent excellence. Though, admittedly, some GR books are more valuable then others, I’ll allow one of theirs into my game faster then I would a text from Broken Munchkin press.

And as for the marriage proposal. I don’t know, I think Mr. Pramas is taken, but if he gets divorced, do you really think he’d have me? ;j

So! That’s really about it. Thank you for bringing all that is light and happiness to my morning :). I have to say that I am impressed by your… creativity. Most might have just run off and done something foolishly productive, like writing a review with an opposing opinion but as it stands you’ve added to the unread text below my review, very clever. To quote Mr. Stephen Duck “While the poet lives, breathes eternal; every critic be forgotten.” I wonder what he would say about those that criticize criticism.

Glad you enjoyed!

~W.S.

F. Wesley Schneider was a staff writer for a Maryland magazine with a growing body of published role-playing works and degrees in both English and Classical Literature. Since this review he has renounced and returned his degrees, burnt all his books, and quit his job to become a homeless penitent constantly beating himself with a MLA handbook.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Wes Schneider at 2003-03-21 10:34:31
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You sir are both a scholar and a gentleman. Come to the "Comics, Games, and Stuff" booth at Gen Con Indy and I'll gladly buy you a cookie. :)
~W.S.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Joe Grendel at 2003-03-21 16:43:15
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This is a lot of energy spent to poo-poo having good editing (which you criticized Green Ronin for) and being a fanboy (which you raised as a concern initially).

Thin-skinned much?

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Wes Schneider at 2003-03-21 19:46:43
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Besides the excessive 10 minutes of writing it was also 3 hours of crying and two suicide attempts... ::sniffle sniffle::. I was able to gouge out one of my eyes with that MLA handbook though. :p
~W.S.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Sang at 2003-03-22 19:16:19
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Joe Grendel wrote:
<i><b>Because it calls into question how he'd know. He says there's bad editing in the book, and I had to reread several of his sentences to puzzle out what the heck they meant, since he couldn't spell some words and substituted sound-alikes for others.

If someone who burns Top Ramen says that some restaurant is lousy, I'm going to take their opinion with a huge grain of salt.</b></i>

You know, that analogy makes even LESS sense than your initial assertion. One does not have to know how to cook to appreciate fine food.

Nor does an unpaid writer need be held to the standard of someone who writes for a living and has a paid editor.

(That said, I didn't find the editing in DoF jarring myself, BID.)

-Alan

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Brand Robins at 2003-03-23 12:11:39
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ROFLMAO

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Terri Malton at 2003-03-23 13:38:27
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As one of Wes's former editors I feel I must apologize for moving to Colorado and abandoning him to the gamer wolves. Wes became used to having a team of editors working tirelessly over nachos and Vanilla Coke (and in between frequent bouts of Super Smash Brothers Melee)to hone his work to perfection at least minutes before it had to be submitted. Alas, due to a military commitment his editorial staff was whisked away with little warning and Wes has been left to battle the grammar gibberlings alone. I will immediately contact Wes and ask-nay! demand that he send all work to his loyal but now distant editors for a final proof before it's submission.
"If you don't like my writing write your own damn book."
Rita Mae Brown

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Grandmasta at 2003-03-24 03:02:55
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I think Wes wins this one on account of sheer good-naturedness about the whole thing.

...

He's probably evil.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by KMC at 2003-03-24 13:58:13
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I second that, Grandmasta... plus, Mr. Grendel seemed out to get his goat more than making a useful comment about the review.

[RPGnet Reviews]

Post originally by Damian Delacroix at 2003-03-25 01:04:04
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i should read the commentaries more often.
Great entertainment value.