"Would You Buy a Ruleset That Was TMP Approved?" Topic

TMP used to do an annual award for rule sets. That should be resurrected.

"Buy rules" and "have annual award for rules" are very different things. What are we trying for here?

I'll tell you what I'd dearly love, though, and TMP might be the place--a standardized review. Lots of reviewers get wrapped around the axle over debatable things: is the play "smooth?" How realistic is it? Is it "innovative?"

Could we not just start with the indisputable basics? Ground scale, figure scale, basing system, casualty removal system, and presumed army and table sizes? Maybe turn sequence? Evidently the publishers have taken a blood oath not to discuss such matters where they can be read outside the shrinkwrap. It would be nice if the reviewers were a little more informative.

TMPs approval is immaterial. I would use it as review material. But then I'd search for as many other reviews as possible before buying. So for me "maybe."

For reviews to be useful you have to be familiar with the likes and viewpoints of the reviewer. So having TMP review stuff presumably by collating random member opinions would be less than helpful.

We already have review boards in each era that at least informs us of who made the review. So that has use – what does a TMP seal of approval mean above that? Whose opinion is it?

I'm not interested in a collective vote award as that just means the most popular or least divisive gets an award and is otherwise meaningless. Fun perhaps but in its outcome irrelevant, just like most polls :)

If it was Bill's personal stamp of approval, reflecting his opinions, then fine but as I feel we're quite different in our likes/dislikes it wouldn't encourage me to purchase an endorsed product. But that would at least have meaning.

The Board Game Geek awards go to a very large pile of DWC* Euro games that bore me to tears. So their seal is a warning sign that I need to really check to see if I might like a game despite the seal!

* Dreary Wooden Cubes of mind-numbing resource management.

The headline and the poll question don't line up. I might buy a ruleset that was TMP Approved (whatever that means) but I wouldn't buy it BECAUSE it was TMP Approved.

Because we are so large there is a huge swing in opinions, likes and dislikes. I have asked for and received helpful information many times. Sometimes the answers are incorrect or do not apply to the question asked. I have given out answers that I have been told were helpful. I know that I have also given out info that I later found out to be incorrect.

I do not know that "TMP Approved" would hold much sway for me. However, this is my #1 go to site when needing gaming related info.

Long live TMP. Praise and blessings to the editors!

What's the difference between probably and maybe?

Kent – I have no idea, but "probably" sounds like its fairly likely and "maybe" sounds like it'd depend on other factors.

Maybe? :-)

I am with rmaker. It is like all the bogus car awards, I have no idea how they were earned so they mean nothing to me. I might be swayed be the description of a set of rules. I am interested in Pulp Alley based on the write ups that I have seen

The TMP approval would not be a factor

I wouldn't care about official TMP approval. Overall reviews on this and other forums would be a consideration.

With no explanation of how that approval would be awarded, I see no reason to give it any credibility.

"… but I wouldn't buy it BECAUSE it was TMP Approved." was the first of many with which I agree.

Wouldn't preclude my buying it but without other opinions, history of products from the authors, etc. I probably wouldn't buy it at all.

Look at it this way.

There are lots of different opinions expressed on TMP in all of the different boards. Do you agree with all of them?