Megan Robertson
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Megan Robertson aka Mexal |
Introduction |
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| Hello - I'm Megan and run RPG Resource, a
website on which I review a large amount of RPG product both
old and new... even more since becoming an OBS reviewer. I
am running because I feel I have a lot of reviewing
experience to offer. Come and look at
http://www.rpg-resource.org.uk/ to get a feel of how I look
at games. |
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1. When did you join the RPG hobby and what inspired you to become involved and stay with it? |
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| I started role-playing in 1977, and have
stayed with it primarily because I enjoy inhabiting
alternate realities and exploring how different characters
interact with them. |
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2. Since you joined the hobby, what roles have you played (e.g. vending, professional writing and publishing, freelancing, reviewing, convention organizing, homebrewing, playing, GMing, etc.)? |
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| I've been GMing and writing homebrew since I
started in the hobby. I have written some convention
scenarios, helped run the RPGA's Living Force campaign and
GenCon UK and am co-author of one book (Way of the Witch,
2002). But my main role these days is my website and the
'review pile' it generates. |
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| 3. The ENnies require a major commitment of time and mental energy. What resources do you bring that will help you discharge these responsibilities? Will your gaming group or other individuals be assisting you? Does your family support you? | |
| Reading and reviewing RPG material is one of
my main leisure activities already! |
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| 4. Judging requires a great deal of critical thinking skills, communication with other judges, deadline management, organization, and storage space for the product received. What interests, experience and skills do you bring that will make you a more effective judge? | |
| I enjoy finding out about new game systems
as well as seeing what new authors have done with existing
ones. As a teacher, I'm familiar with the processes of
organising and marking student work, which will transfer
readily - indeed already does - to handling RPG product.
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| 5. What styles and genres of RPGs do you enjoy most? Are there any styles or genres that you do not enjoy? Which games best exemplify what you like? Do you consider yourself a particular system’s, publisher’s or genre’s “fanboy/girl”? | |
| Just about all of them, with a preference
for role-playing and interaction over out-and-out brawling.
I'm not too fond of overtly humorous games, prefering to be
amused as and when it happens. I get enthusiastic about lots
of games and get on well with most publishers, but am not a
fanboy... or even girl! |
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| 6. What system do you think is best designed? Is it the one you play most? | |
| May I have a larger textbox please?
Seriously, it depends what I am trying to do at the time. |
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| 7. What games have you played in the past year? List up to 10 RPGs you have played the most. | |
| Currently playing D&D 4e and Star Wars D6,
and planning to play in an Aftermath game. In the past year
I've run Spycraft and New World of Darkness, and played D&D
3e, Traveller, Serenity and more than I can remember right
now! |
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| 8. Briefly summarize the criteria you will use for judging products in the different categories. How will you deal with comparing products of vastly disparate lengths, medium (PDF vs. print), or mechanics to prose ratios? Will innovation and originality play a major role? | |
| I will be looking for how the product can
contribute to the gaming experience of both GM and player. |
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| 9. How will you judge supplements or adventures for game systems whose core rules you are unfamiliar with or you believe are badly designed? What about for systems that are out of print? | |
| There are not many systems I haven't at
least glanced through, and just because the game system is
flawed you cannot dismiss a supplement or adventure out of
hand. As for out-of-print systems, there are a lot of those
in teetering piles around/under my desk or lurking on my
hard drive. |
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| 10. How would you like to see the ENnies change (categories, policies, etc)? What should remain inviolate? | |
| Less emphasis on appearance and more on
content. |
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| BONUS: (optional) If you were an RPG, what would it be, and would you play it? | |
| It would probably be about exploring the character's reactions to different situations, especially those strange to him... and if it's an RPG, I'll try it at least once :-) | |
