What Do Gamers Want From Gaming Blogs?
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When I started this blog, I just started writing about things that I really had to get off my chest regarding roleplaying games. Gripes I had with certain systems, reviews about new books that I bought. I didn’t really initially think to myself, “When I create this roleplaying blog, what kind of content and experience will my readers want? What content and experience will keep readers coming back?”Well, I started learning things pretty quickly just by examining my site statistics and the different comment amounts for certain posts. I’ve put together a random list of things I’ve learned in my first three months of Roleplaying Blogging.
What I’ve Learned Reading Site Statistics, Watching Reader Patterns, and Just Generally Paying Attention
1. Almost everyone here is a geek. And apparently geeks use Firefox. I was shocked to discover that well over 90% of the people surfing RoleplayingPro use Firefox.
2. Long posts take a lot of work, but sometimes get the least responses because readers lose interest trying to get through a really long post.
3. If you give away stuff, you will drive tons of traffic to your site. The people that are driven there will sign-up for the contest, and maybe check out your site a little. But even with all this traffic you haven’t necessarily converted someone into a user. You’ve just potentially raised their interest in the site.
4. Readers will go to your site for their own, often self-seeking reasons. Maybe they are going there to comment and place a link to their blog. Maybe they’re going there to get some ideas for posts on their blog. Maybe they are there to try to win some free prizes. Or maybe they are there for reading. They like what the blogger writes and actually use it in their roleplaying games, or for something else.
5. I’ve noticed that readers love to comment when you write a negative post about a game they like.
6. I’ve noticed that readers rarely comment on product reviews.
7. I’ve noticed that there are some roleplaying blogs out there with fairly simple content that have over 500+ subscribers. Then there are other blogs with phenomenal content that couldn’t crack the 25+ reader level.
8. The length a blog has been around seems to have a lot to do with subscriber count.
9. You’ll know if you write a good post or not by the comments you get.
10. Even a poor post can still get a lot of good comments if you had made sure to add some good pictures.
11. If you target your audience (geeky guys) with pictures that catch their interest, like a hot chick in a Princess Leia slave bikini, you will get traffic on anything.
12. Too many subscription choices confuse people. It is not an advantage to have multiple ways for readers to get your content; it is a disadvantage that they have too many choices to choose from.
Questions To Roleplaying Blog Readers
I have a bunch more observations. These are just some of them that came to mind quickly. So now I wish to post some challenging questions.
- Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
- What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
- What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
- What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
- If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
I look forward to any answers and comments you might have about this topic.
Leave a Comment
January 24, 2009 at 12:56 pm
* Why do you go to a roleplaying blog? I’m looking for content I can use to either improve myself or my game. Things I can steal as a GM interest me most. Product reviews bore me as I’m unlikely to spend money. Gamer Bling is an exception as he writes reviews that education as well as review.
* What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before? I’m a bit odd in that I don’t subscribe to blogs. I’m lazy. I click every link that comes up on the RPG Network for an entry. I stay and read if it’s something I think I can use constructively.
* What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had? Better site design. There are a couple of good ones out there that are just impossible to read. Dark text on light background is best and you have to be damn good for me to stay and read light text on dark background as it invariably gives me a headache. San serif fonts. Times new roman is spidery on blogs and hard to parse.
* What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t? Too much stuff competing with the text. I’m there for content, not eye candy. Greywulf writes well but his site design drives me crazy and I often find myself either a) not reading the entire post or b) wishing I could leave earlier than I do.
* If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why? RPG Metwork, Chatty DM, here, Ravyn’s blog, Gamer Bling. Because I can find things I want to use in my game or I’m entertained. Gamer Bling is the entertaining one
Viriatha’s last blog post..Game Masters and Leadership Skills: Part 2
January 24, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Good post, very insightful. You’ve absolutely right about review posts. In my experience people either agree with the review, so feel their comment doesn’t add anything, or they disagree and so don’t post for fear they might be flaming. Or they go off and post on their own blog instead
You’re right about post length too – getting the “right” length is a fine art. Sorter, punchier posts are often more highly commented simply because you’ve left room for the commenter to add their own thoughts. With a longer post you’ve probably covered all the bases to there’s nothing left for the commenter to add. To short though, and you’ve contributed nothing. That’s seen as lazyblogging.
On to your questions:
Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
Mine isn’t only an RPG blog, but RPG posts make up a lot of the content right now because it’s a fun and positive topic to write about (as opposed to, say, politics), and it attracts a lot of visitors. Which is nice.
What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Content quality, content quality, content quality. Seriously, I don’t care what your theme looks like (unless it’s truly awful). Give me a blog that’s thought-provoking (most of the time), well-written (most of the time) and regularly updated (most of the….) and I’ll be your slave forever. Or at least, for the next 5 minutes of my life. I’m not that interested in reading game reports – they’re only fun for the participants – so don’t put ‘em in my own blog for that reason. That’s just a me thing – I respect that other folks love to read them. Think about what you’d want to read yourself, and write that.
What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
Mind you, rpg bloggers are MUCH better than most in that respect. I’d love to see more posts about using things in clever ways, such as re-interpreting the rules, cunning campaign settings, howtos on monster design, etc.
A spell checker and lessons how to use an apostrophe correctly
What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
I don’t like blogposts that just copy-n-paste information from other sources, such as the latest update from Wizards. Commenting on it is great, but just saying what’s been release contributes nothing. We know that already, already! And if we don’t, we know where to look
If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
Hmmm…. I’ll decline to answer that one. So many great rpg blogs out there that it would be unfair to single out just five.
January 24, 2009 at 2:28 pm
1.Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
I go to RPG blogs because I am interested in seeing what people are playing. I like to know how people play games, design campaigns, write adventures etc… that’s what I really like.
2.What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Good and insightful posts, or Kewl Pics, I am of course being facetious.
3.What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
More talk about actual play. I personally could care less about reviews or stats for monsters etc… I like stories and descriptions of how the gamemaster builds a good game.
4.What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
That’s easy, pretension.
5.If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
Definitely Gnome Stew, Jeff’s Gameblog, Chatty DM, Grognardia, Role Playing tips/Campaign Mastery. But this question is unfair, unless of course you know of some RPG blog internet collapse that only leaves 5 gameblogs.
I also like when an author for a blog asks his readers questions about his blog and its content. I like commenting on blogs that I like, even if I don’t like the post that much, I think its encouraging to the author.
“4. Readers will go to your site for their own, often self-seeking reasons. ”
To prove that I am not one of these people and actually enjoy your blog for the content I am leaving out my blog info. But I also think that we have a small community and we should help one another to the best of our abilities to grow and prosper. So all I’m really saying is all you popular RPG blogs out there don’t be douches.
Hope that’s helpful.
January 24, 2009 at 2:35 pm
“5. I’ve noticed that readers love to comment when you write a negative post about a game they like.”
Oh hell yes they do. I’m a living testament to that, as some of my most enduringly popular posts are negative opinions on games.
I go to RPG blogs mostly to see how other people play the games and to share ideas. What keeps me coming back are the personalities involved. For example, the Chatty DM is an amazing blog, which reads in a very relaxed yet excited fashion that really keeps me coming back. It offers good info but more than that it has a really positive atmosphere. Personality is also what throws me away from a blog. I don’t particularly like blogs that pick on the same topic constantly because they don’t like it. The personalities behind these often come off as bitter and overtly serious. There’s pretty much only one site of this type that I go to consistently.
I’m not in much of a position to say what I want blogs to have that they don’t, or the reverse, because I go to numerous blogs without knowledge of what they have or what they will have, or what they lack.
As for the blogs:
1. Musings of the Chatty DM: It’s a no-brainer.
2. Critical Hits: Always full of stuff, and links to other stuff.
3. The Core Mechanic: Jonathan’s always got something interesting to say.
4. The Questing GM: The way he keeps up with Wizard’s news consistently is awesome.
5. Grognardia: This is probably the strangest inclusion, because I have always openly expressed that I don’t like and don’t care for the old school. And while the atmosphere at Grognardia is sometimes very negative, I enjoy whenever James talks about an old module or book and you can just feel the love he has for it (though there’s almost times when you can see the dark aura surrounding his tales of certain things). As well, he really helps to understand the shift in game design over the years. While he sees it as negative almost in its entirety, it is educational for me who writes a lot of stuff for new games to see these differences and have that lens into the past (and the present-past and future-past as the whole old school revival thing goes off.)
Wyatt’s last blog post..Ladybird Chapter 1: On Starting A Story Or Something
January 24, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Geek? I just prefer Firefox because it’s customisable and more secure than IE…
Having started a blog a while back myself and working on beating the 25+ readers mark, I noticed some things you have from a slightly different perspective.
People are spending time at your blog because they want to get something out of it – be it a good read, a compelling view, to defend something they enjoy, something shiny they can use or even a pic of someone in a Leia slave bikini.
(Side note: Yes I get the Leia slave bikini thing but it’s getting seriously overused. This isn’t DragonCon, eh?)
People only have so much time. Unless you’re a wordsmith or on a roll, getting in, making your point and getting the hell out is a win. Brevity, soul of wit.
If you’re on a long post, pictures break up the text (a sad fact of life). Sure, you have Leia-likes every post but then you would be “…the one with the Leia fetish.” Distinctive, yes. Attractive? Well maybe to someone.
Reviews are a perspective – people find different things in games and don’t always speak up when they see something they’ve got no personal experience which limits dialogue unless they’ve already been there, done that.
Now as for why I’m here.
1. I hope to find something to get me thinking, free swag or to be entertained. And to appear on the radar.
2. Good content, provocative opinions, fresh takes on any particular subject I’m interested in (like what drags the average reader into a blog and keeps them there).
3. What’s missing? In the blogs I read, not so much.
4. What I wish they didn’t do. Get rowdy with each other – for people who know what trolls are, they often get all provoked about things like The Rule of Cool.
5. Five must dos:
a) Uncle Bear.
After a dozen years, still provocative and dry humour.
b) Musings of the Chatty DM
Exuberant, positive and insightful. Cool stuff.
c) Chgowiz’s Old Guy RPG Blog
Good handouts, old-school without pretension.
d) Exchange of Realities
Characterisation, world building and very well written.
e) Mad Brew Labs
Deals with big RPG issues and varied in content.
satyre’s last blog post..tools & software for writers
January 24, 2009 at 4:06 pm
* Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
Pretty simple, I love roleplaying, roleplaying games, and stuff about them. I found yours one day when I Twittered that I wanted some new gaming blogs that weren’t basically just d20 advertisements, and a friend suggested you. I looked through a couple of posts and subscribed that day.
* What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Good content, but above all I like a blog that at least tries to be something other than the blogger’s personal soap box for the same 3 posts over and over. I’m about to unsubscribe one that is just that; the author treats his blog as though only his close personal friends were reading it. That’s cool, but it doesn’t interest me as a content consumer. That’s what stuff like LiveJournal is for, IMO.
* What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
A good variety of content and useful content. Again, most RPG blogs I come across seem to be more about making sure they provide free advertising for WotC’s latest product than they about gaming. As someone that doesn’t play d20 stuff, that doesn’t interest me. I’m not staying there isn’t a huge market for it, but it’s not what I’m looking for. I dig it when a blog tries to keep a good variety of stuff and tries to post useful, system-agnostic entries.
* What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
Posts that are too personal in nature. It’s great to rant or talk about personal things that are gaming related, but I’m not interested unless it also has some general appeal. Ranting about a game you bought and didn’t like: A-OK. Constantly posting about your personal life even if it doesn’t relate to gaming: unsubscribe.
I’m not saying a blog shouldn’t ever have personal content, I’m just saying that if your blog is more personal than gaming, then it’s not a gaming blog and I’m not into it usually.
* If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
Well, I don’t currently subscribe to five “roleplaying” blogs, but of the ones that mostly fit the definition:
Fear the Boot (front page blog): because I already invest a lot in that show and the people that make it and the blogs happen, and most of the stuff posted there is well written, has a good variety to it, etc.
Gnome Stew: One of the blogs I used to sub to was Treasure Tables, and the author now blogs at Gnome Stew. That’s why I went. I stayed because they post a lot of good, useful stuff and they just generally fit my reasons above.
Game Cryer: it’s new, and it’s more of a review site than a traditional blog, but they get some good contributors and it’s usually very informative and well written.
and Roleplaying Pro: because so far you haven’t let me down.
January 24, 2009 at 4:13 pm
The sites that keep me coming back are the ones that look good, are easy to read, and have useful information. I like that you guys don’t ONLY talk about fantasy. Variety and spice n’stuff.
I go to blogs for three reasons.
(1) I want to get ideas for my games. Any kind of idea. I could be looking for cool traps that I haven’t thought of yet, adventure hooks, NPC character ideas or names, combat encounters, funny or cool stoies that I might be able to weave into my campaign or character.
(2) Free stuff. Anything that I can win or try to win is going to get me to come back.
(3) Buy Stuff. RPGNow and others let you buy stuff. Most of the time it’s the same stuff regardless of where you go, but sometimes I’ll come across something that I haven’t seen before. If its cool or useful, I’m all over it.
COLOR. I like your logo and pic at the top, but I’d like to see more color on the page as a whole.
Don’t ahve duplicate information. For instance, don’t put the same informaiton in different areas. You Conventions tag and Games Sessions tag might share the same information. When I go from one tag to another and see the same info, I stop reading that tag altogeter.
I like your site. Keep it up and let it grow.
January 24, 2009 at 4:18 pm
* Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
I enjoy the different viewpoints put forth by the bloggers and the commentors. Seeing how other people play and how they enjoy their roleplaying environment is also kind of interesting to me.
* What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Consistent new content, controversial views are always fun and being exposed to new things in the roleplaying world.
* What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
I don’t know, really….I only come here. Maybe more boobs.
* What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
Other people, besides me, entering these contests. Makes it much harder to win!
* If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
Roleplaying Pro
January 24, 2009 at 8:55 pm
I’m going to give you one answer to a question that you didn’t ask :p
Write for yourself, not for your readers, the hit count or the SEO. The day you start writing for anyone other then yourself is the day mediocrity beckons.
And TBH, you are better then mediocrity.
January 24, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Thank you for the kudos from everyone. And thanks for the suggestions. Candid suggestions that don’t pull punches are really what help me develop the site into something better. Without them, I’m left to look at other sites and guess what it is readers want. I build the site for myself and my own reasons, but without readers it is kind of pointless.
Suggestions like these are helping me with the future redesign of the site. I’m trying to figure out what aspects to leave in, what to take out, and what needs to be added. I want to continue to increase the post quality and frequency. Also, when the site redesign goes live I want to spruce up the graphics and colors on the site. I think the site design currently is of moderate quality, but there is tons of area for improvement.
January 24, 2009 at 11:53 pm
What I’ve noticed about comments is that the majority of people commenting on blogs (mine or others) are bloggers themselves…. I’m not sure what to make of that observation except to conclude that most people out there are readers, not writers, and my guess is that of every dozen sets of eyeballs that read an entry, only one might comment.
Personally, I don’t comment on even a quarter of the posts I read. Why? Take a look at this comment….I can’t shut up and usually end up with a very large and verbose post (though I hope it’s filled with good content!) because to me commenting is about starting a conversation, not just saying “Good job!” Ultimately the problem is that I could spend all day, every day writing comments given my style.
(
One problem though is over-saturation. The RPG Bloggers’ network has a lot of members now and on a given day you might have 25+ new entries. On top of that, there seems to be a problem (at least in Google Reader which is what I use) that entries are getting fed multiple times, forcing the user to scan through the same headline two or even three times.
I agree about the post length comment observation also, but I personally am on the opposite end of the spectrum: I don’t want to be bothered with blogs that are simply 2-3 lines of filler. As some one else mentioned, a bunch of these are just essentially running “ads” for WotC’s latest release or piece of info, and most of the rest contain almost no real worthy content. Those kinds of things annoy me. I like RP Pro or Greywulf’s blog (as examples of what I read on a regular basis) because the posts actually contain some meat and are an actual article or content piece.
Regarding reviews: I like them but only if they’re in depth and contain some actual play experience. Most of the stuff being “reviewed” via blogs are simply product plugs or do little more than review the table of contents and point out why it’s awesome. I want to know how the moving parts work and if the person’s used it at the table before I plunk down my cash for it.
* Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
To read about ideas, game reviews, or content that might improve my game or turn me on to something new (or old).
* What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Consistent quality content. I don’t care if it comes out every day or even week – I just want to know that I’m not going to click on a headline and end up with two more sentences with an Amazon affiliate link to WotC’s latest book.
* What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
This is not really “most” but what I want is real content. A focus on more than D20 products: Either extolling or bashing 3.5/4E does not make an interesting blog IMHO. That’s me though and let’s face it, D20, in whatever it’s form, holds the lion’s share of the market. I just want to read about more than why “Pathfinder rokz” or “4E is the suk” (sic).
* What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
Besides what I mention above, easy to read text and less clutter. A lot of blogs have a million side bar ads (flashing stuff instantly gets a “good bye” from me), hard to read text (I would agree with the comment of white on a dark background) or very poor layout. Paragraphs are a writer’s best friend, right after spell-check and a quick proof read.
* If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
:shrug: I don’t know…. Ranking the top 5 would be tough.
January 25, 2009 at 12:45 am
First, I’d like to give a shout-out to satyre for listing my blog as one of his top 5. WOW, thanks!
I have tried to quantify what the popular RPG blogs do that seem to drive people to their site (as a gauge of what readers are looking for) and I have some theories, but these factors seem to be important:
1) Age: You mentioned this in point 8, but I would say that, more specifically, those who were the “first generation” of RPG Blogs captured much of the readership and now all the new blogs are fighting for a piece of their pie. Though I believe that the readership is growing, these established blogs will inevitably capture many of the new readers by default, because of their already established popularity.
2) Agreeable Content: Readers do not want to consistantly read content that they disagree with. While “negative” posts do drive readers to that post, and they will comment, I don’t think you win any subscribers. I could be wrong, but even if I am, as a blogger I’m not looking for consistent dissenters to keep returning to my posts. Also, people like reading content that echoes their own thoughts and opinions (it is almost like mob mentality).
3) Light Content: This doesn’t necessarily mean “short,” but it does mean that the content is not heavy on thought, but realies more on entertainment value, especially humor.
4) Free Swag: You touched on this, and it definitely a winner.
At least on my own blog (other people’s mileage may vary), new game content such as items, monsters, rules. or setting doesn’t really seem to sell well. Maybe it’s because all the stuff I design sucks… I don’t know because I have low comments and traffic for these types of things.
My highest trafficked posts are actually just link buckets of resources, which I invested time in finding but invested zero creativity in.
My next highest trafficked posts are my Roleplaying Philosophy series and my RPG Blogging series. Which are fairly lengthy, some posts weighing in at 3k words or more.
Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
I like reading “heavy” analyses of games, game design, and play style. I also dig finding custom content for RPGs I play and stuff that makes me interested in RPGs I haven’t played.
What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Maintaining the same high quality content that drew me in to begin with. Good writing. Humor.
What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
Editors, to proofread content (I wish I had one…). More authors to pump out more of the same high quality content I like. Better navigation controls.
What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
I don’t know about “most,” but regurgitated content is a buzz kill for me. Avoid contributing to the echo chamber. While I dig well thought out counter arguments, I despise posts that bash other blogs.
If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
Wow, this is hard, since I do believe their is a lot of good stuff out there.
1. The Core Mechanic – I’d say he is a rising star, but perhaps he has already risen… Jonathan is doing some cool stuff right now, and I’ve collaborated with him and can’t say enough about how sharp he is.
2. At-Will Another blogger I’ve collaborated with, Quinn’s site is the go-to site for anything related to Skill Challenges.
3. ars ludi An older blog, but one I recently found, Ben has some great posts about the history of roleplaying and sandbox gaming.
4. Lamentations of a Flame Princess It seems that James always has something controversial on his blog, but he is an excellent writer and even if I don’t agree 100% with what he says, he says it well (and with humor).
5. Stargazer’s World Michael shares my love for steampunk/steamfantasy, so I always like to see any new stuff he has added to his Asecia setting.
Sorry for the comment book.
Mad Brew’s last blog post..RPP-101: Defining Roleplaying Games
January 25, 2009 at 1:21 am
Just like both of you (MJ and Mad Brew) pointed out, I’ve noticed the over-saturation with the RPG Bloggers out there. Readers that are new to RPG blogs are going to go for those established blogs. So newer blogs, like this one are really more competing against each other.
And I COMPLETELY agree with your assessment on traffic, Mad Brew. The highest traffic posts I’ve seen are link bucket posts, which really take little thought at all. I noticed one blog that has a higher-than-average subscriber count for an RPG blog. At that time I read over the posts for the last four to six weeks on it. There were six or seven link posts and no actual articles. It boggled my mind, but showed me that traffic and subscribers will follow link bucket posts. I’m not sure why, as I totally don’t do that myself (I shy away from it as a reader, in fact). But facts are facts…
January 25, 2009 at 7:56 am
Let me first say asking questions in a blog is good way to get comment. Usually if you ask a question in your blog, you are going to get at least one comment, if not more.
* Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
I like content. I’m an RPG junkie of sorts.
* What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
They have good content. If they lack good content, then I’m not going to back there as much. When I scan the RPGblogger RSS feed, if It’s from I site I know that has poor content, I’m less likely to go there.
* What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
I’m with MadBrew on this one. An editor would be nice. I know that I type my posts into Word or Open Office first, so I can catch some spelling and grammar errors, but they still happen.
* What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
I’m not really sure. I think I’m little more free wheeling on this one. The only thing I could say is “Lack of content”.
* If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
Jeff’s Gameblog – I love his old school gaming attitude.
MadBrew’s Lab – I think Madbrew and myself see eye to eye on a lot things. Which is no mean feat I have to say.
Greywulf’s Lair – I don’t always agree with him, but I like the fact that he has opinions.
Uncle Bear – What can I say the granddaddy of RPG blogs. Knowing all that been going on with him, he still has a wonderful sense of humor in is posts. That I think says it all.
GnomeStew – while not of the RPGBloggers network, they are the descendant of the Treasures Tables Blog, which if it was still active would have been my first choice.
I’m going to list a six, just because it’s important.
The Core Mechanic – Any man that decides to arrange and produce an RPG Blog Anthology has my vote to at least read every once in a while.
Bonemaster’s last blog post..What does "Indie" mean anyway?
January 25, 2009 at 8:04 am
@Hammer, you are correct. Bloggers should always write for themselves. While getting hits are nice, post for yourself first. I know I write as a way to maintain my sanity. It’s how I release stress.
That said, it is nice to know that someone is reading, but it doesn’t dictate what I write or what I do.
January 25, 2009 at 11:25 am
I’ve noticed a some of these too.
Blogs can attract a disproportionate number of Firefox users via the StumbleUpon toolbar. It’s Firefox-specific and often brings huge crowds to popular articles. Even so, Firefox is popular among gamers.
Older blogs are more popular than newer ones, regardless of content. There are two balances to this. One is that a site which gets popular often works harder to improve its content. Another is that popular blogs are quick to link to good content elsewhere, which helps promote up-and-coming sites.
Jonathan Drain | D20 Source’s last blog post..Pathfinder Writers Wanted!
January 25, 2009 at 8:06 pm
May’s well take a shot at this.
I go partly for inspiration for my game, partly for inspiration for my own blog, partly to entertain myself, partly to see if there’s any way I can connect with the blogger.
What keeps me going back? Liking the voice of the writer, mostly, same as with any other variety of blog. Or finding content I could use. Or just having some reason to remember it; there’s one writing blog I found on Entrecard that I remembered because the first post I read on it had a quote from a Moody Blues song.
Things RPG blogs are missing? An eye to typography, I suppose. And more system-generic content. One of the things I try to make a point of is to keep my own site accessible to everyone, no matter what game they’re playing; even posts like my riff on foiling lie detection a couple days ago, while someone could probably tell which game I got my idea from, can be used in anything that has that sort of magic. Give me something that’s only in one system, and even if it’s a system I play I might tune out.
Things many blogs have that I wish they didn’t? This is fortunately more a video game blog thing than an RPG blog thing, but unremitting cheesecake that isn’t justified by the context. People should be attracting readers with the quality of their work, not the depth of their cleavage, and it only further pushes the idea that the blog is meant for unsatisfied hormonal guys who aren’t going to see it in real life. Which…. well, I am not, nor ever will be.
My top 5 RPG blogs? I’m not sure I can answer that fully; there are too many to choose from, and too few that really mesh with my approach.
(And Satyr and Viriatha: Thanks for recommending me!)
Ravyn’s last blog post..The Generic Villain on Effective Evil Monologues
January 25, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments and a thank you to Sam for getting the ball rolling. Everyone’s feedback here has already got me thinking about some modifications to the articles I’m currently working on, hopefully for the better.
Thanks again to each of you who have taken the time to offer constructive and valuable feedback.
John Lewis’s last blog post..EpicWords.com: An On-line Home For Your RPG
January 26, 2009 at 8:05 am
* Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
I generally go to find out what other people are coming up with on their own. Occasionally I’ll go to check out new content that people find previews of and such, but mainly it’s to find out what things you have made on your own that I can either include in my games directly, or that I can strip down and make into my own.
I want new content, and I want it coming from you. If you want to throw in a link to another blog in your post, then by all means do so. But, don’t throw the link out there with a one sentence description of it and leave it at that. I’ll go check their blog myself, thanks.
* What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
If you post your own material, then you will most likely see me again. If your post is written in a fantasy novel fashion, you will most likely see me again. And if you share with me dialogue from your own game sessions and share your characters with me, then I will probably return.
Magic items and magic spells are my particular sweet spot. Spells are a bit more fickle for me in that they have a tendency to be overpowered combat spells. You can consider those ignored right off the bat. But when you come up with interesting spells that have good roleplaying potential then you’ve got me hooked (yes, I’m talking to you Mr. Farming Spells). Magic items are pretty well going to earn yourself a lifetime follower if you keep it up. I can chew on magic items all day long.
If you copy/paste material from another site or feed me full of links then you follow a “3 strikes and you’re out” rule. If that’s all I see from you, consider yourself ignored.
* What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
Creativity, and a willingness to change. While I don’t mind taking a trip back in time, I’m not a player of old settings and old editions by default. I certainly don’t mind jumping in on a 1e AD&D game now and then, but unless your blog follows what I pointed out above, then I really don’t care what you have to say about it.
Content. I don’t want to go to your blog to read something that could fit in Twitter. I go to a blog to read the content, so I don’t want a dinky afterthought thrown out there.
Organization. It’s not too hard to throw some titles up there. If you have a huge post, I don’t mind reading every bit of it, but if I have some headings showing me what the content of a particular section is, then I can scroll through there and focus on the good bits. If you drop a massive post without giving me any guidance through the thing, then you better make sure you grab my attention in that first paragraph or I’m leaving. Start off by summing up the content below, then give me headings as I move down the page, and then sum it all up at the end so that I’ll know if I missed something and can go back.
Pictures. If you catch my eye, then you catch my attention.
Related quotes. If you start your post of with a quote from The Princess Bride and your blog content matches it in some way, then not only did you catch my attention enough to make me read it all, but you also gave me a mechanic for always remembering your post and its content. Now every time I hear that line or see the scene from the picture, then I’m going to think about your blog.
* What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
Reviews. I have found without exception that the reviews of others are absolutely worthless when it comes to content. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and so it is with reviews. Because we all have our own tastes and our own styles, your opinion on something really doesn’t matter to me because I could very well have a different opinion on every point. You love it, I hate it. I think it’s the coolest thing in the world, you think it’s crap. So if you post a review, consider that tab closed as soon as I notice it for what it is. (I love FireFox.)
A focus on old school content. I know there are several fans of legacy editions out there, but I don’t count myself as one of them. At least not when it comes to blogs. I don’t mind playing the game itself, but I don’t want to read about it. Taking a trip to the past and posting about your experiences in running a 2nd Edition game is cool, I can dig(g) it, but I’m not going to subscribe to a blog that’s focused on it. Out with the old, and in with the new.
Language. If I wouldn’t want my 5 year old to read your blog, then I’m not going to read it either.
Unrelated Pictures and adds. As was mentioned by Ravyn, I don’t want to see pictures of cleavage all over your blog. And I too will note that it’s more apparent in online gaming blogs than it is RPG blogs, but I’ve seen it here too. This falls under the dame thing as the language, if I don’t want my kids to see it then I don’t want to see it either.
Psynister’s last blog post..Psynister Stretches His Limbs
June 3, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Sweet blog. I never know what I am going to come across next. I think you should do more posting as you have some pretty intelligent stuff to say.
I’ll be watching you .
August 3, 2009 at 4:59 pm
*Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
I call myself the Level 1 GM in that I started GMing before I started playing, gaming blogs were a good way to get tips from experts.
*What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Usually the topic content as well as the feedback from comments. Chatty DM is very good at that.
*What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
Perhaps more interaction from posters, some have them but others don’t.
*What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
I really wish some of them were not so setting-specific. A lot of gaming rules overlap, particularly 4Ed D&D and Star wars Saga and many GMing tips are universal.
One thing that also bugs me is the fact that many consider female gamers oddities. We DO exist and not just female gamers but female GMs!
If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
I don’t go to that many, but I usually check out ChattyDM and Dungeon Mastering.com. Johunn’s site roleplaying tips.com is also very good
August 3, 2009 at 5:44 pm
@Katana Geldar: Welcome. Hope you enjoy our site and don’t find it too male-centric! I’ve always had female gamers at my table; in fact my first DM back in the ’80’s was literally “the girl next door.”
Anyway, we love a variety of perspectives here and hope you find our content interesting and informative.
August 4, 2009 at 5:58 pm
My web-site has been up for over a decade, but I’ve only added the blog in the past few months. As such, I’m new to the whole blog thing. I’ve read generic advice on other sites for running a blog, but your post is especially helpful since you are addressing RPG blogs specifically.
I’m still working on getting down the post-size. When I started out I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough to say, but after I started typing I discovered that my posts were getting too long before I finished what I wanted to say!
* Why do you go to a roleplaying blog?
To learn new aspects of GMing and role-playing that will help my own games. I like the more theoretical discussions and those of game design. Plus idea hunting. You can never have too many sources of ideas as a GM. And yes, I’m doing the networking thing too–my blog is new and I gotta get it established!
* What keeps you going back to a roleplaying blog once you’ve gone there before?
Good content. If their posts made me think, or added something to my game, or had ideas that I could use, I’ll be going back.
* What do most roleplaying blogs lack that you wish they had?
More story ideas. Adventures, short or long. No one wants to spoil their game for their players, but what about posting an adventure after you run it?
* What do most roleplaying blogs have that you wish they didn’t?
Too many stats. I personally do not really care to read about the stats of some monster or magic item item. (Although, I understand how this can be useful to some GMs to plug-n-play into their game–if they are using the same system.) If you are going to tell me about some monster, describe it to me. Tell me how I can hook some stories around it. Tell me what makes it interesting and how it will challenge the PCs.
* If you could only go to five roleplaying blogs, which five would they be and why?
Too early for me to answer this one, although I will say that the RPG Bloggers Network makes a great jump-off point to explore, and hey–I’ve come across some good posts here at Roleplaying Pro!
February 8, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Ah, thanks! This settled up some contradictions I’d heard.