[RPG]: Ramsey Campbell's Goatswood, reviewed by Wood (4/2)

2nd Level RPGnetter · #1 07-19-2004, 01:00 AM

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10479.phtml

Wood Ingham's Summary:

A prefessionally produced, attractive and well-edited supplement that disappoints because of its datedness and its failure to present a convincing horror milieu in modern-day Britain.

Go to the full review for more information.

2nd Level RPGnetter · #2 07-19-2004, 01:24 PM

Post originally by access.denied at 2004-07-19 12:24:52
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I wonder what the death of gothdom means. Does it mean just that you no longer consider it interesting, or that there are no goths around, or that there are too few to count?
I admit to not having been in the U.K. in the past 8 or so years, but just in the last two years, I've seen goths in places ranging from Barcelona (west) to Vilnius (east), and from Gothenburg (north) to Ljubljana (south). They seemed very much alive (or at least, still moving) to my untrained eye.

2nd Level RPGnetter · #3 07-19-2004, 01:26 PM

Post originally by Dan Davenport at 2004-07-19 12:26:26
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Great review!

I don't much agree that "certain death" adventures have to be expected in CoC, though. I'd be awfully annoyed to find out that I'd bothered to create a character for the express purpose of the GM killing him off.

--
Dan Davenport

2nd Level RPGnetter · #4 07-19-2004, 01:46 PM

Post originally by Wood Ingham at 2004-07-19 12:46:21
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Actually, British goths, right, are like squirrels.

No, they are. Let me explain.

The indigenous British Red squirrel is all but extinct, having been pushed out of its natural habitat by the more aggressive American import, the Grey squirrel.

In the same way, the indigenous British Goth (Gothicus Depressicus Eldritchii), a timid creature, prone to wearing eyeliner and frilly shirts, flocks in dank clubs, avoids getting up in the morning "because the Sisters broke up and it's really depressing" has gradually, over the last decade, been supplanted by the more agressive American import, the Spookykid (Gothicus Numetallicus Mansonii), with the piercings and the attitude and the collection of Cradle of Filth records.

And the trad. British Goth, as depicted in the Gothic adventure in Goatswood, is thus no more, restricted to a very few breeding grounds, mainly in Nottingham and the Slimelight in London.

So there you go. Goths. Like squirrels. Q.E.D.

2nd Level RPGnetter · #5 07-19-2004, 02:19 PM

Post originally by Darren MacLennan at 2004-07-19 13:19:08
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...much better than mine was, to be honest. Your personal experience with Britain is really helpful in getting the feel of Britain down.

-Darren MacLennan

2nd Level RPGnetter · #6 07-19-2004, 02:49 PM

Post originally by Wood Ingham at 2004-07-19 13:49:38
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Thanks!

(Although yours made me laugh out loud in several places.)

Now that I look at it, I can't help wincing at all the typos, though - including the one in the summary line. "Prefessionally" - ouch.

2nd Level RPGnetter · #7 07-19-2004, 03:35 PM

Post originally by Wood Ingham at 2004-07-19 14:35:30
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The semi-human guy who runs the fetish club in one of the adventures is called Raymond Felch.

Did they know what "felching" (from the verb "to felch") is? Is this deliberate? Does it not have the same meaning in the US?

Do you have ANY IDEA of what having a bloke in a fetish club called Felch would do to your game? If I pulled (fnar) that one, mounted Riot Police wouldn't be able to restore order.

I mean, it's a great illo of Mr. Felch, but the moment I get to the introduction of the guy, it's like a little man goes across the front of my brain saying "move along... nothing to see here..."

2nd Level RPGnetter · #8 07-19-2004, 04:10 PM

Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2004-07-19 15:10:58
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<i>Does it not have the same meaning in the US? </i>

Not a word in the U.S., except for someone who knows British slang.

I'd expect it was a bad joke.

2nd Level RPGnetter · #9 07-19-2004, 05:11 PM

Post originally by Eclectic wave at 2004-07-19 16:11:55
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You really need to stop drinking that absinth stuff.

Loved the review.

2nd Level RPGnetter · #10 07-19-2004, 05:46 PM

Post originally by Mike Russo at 2004-07-19 16:46:20
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I dunno, I know the term, and I'd never heard that it was specifically British. Certainly I'd say that it's not particularly common or well known, but I think there are some gaming groups on this side of the Atlantic who'd have the same response yours would.