I've never known of anyone playing CoC in Alabama, either.
And there are a lot of RPG groups here.  I know several people who own copies of the rules, but they are generally (like me) Lovecraft fans who bought copies out of curiosity.

deimos3428 wrote:Why create eight distinct "RPG Verions" to mirror the first eight printings and then lump the last eight or so printings into a single "RPG Version" based on the cover art?

I take it back, we have the first seven plus the 9th and the German listed.

http://rpg.geekdo.com/rpgitem/43359/players-handbook

We don't actually list an 8th yet. The reason is that we require members who are entering the information to have the books - Eric Aldrich has 7 versions of the PHB. I have 6 which is a superset of Eric. Sebastian also has 6 which is a superset of Erics with the exception of the German edition. Between the three of us, we've entered those versions - and between us we have all but the 8th and none of us have more than a single printing of the new cover art. When someone shows up with the 8th printing we'll get that version in. When someone shows up that cares enough to split out the 9th+ printings, they are welcome to to do so - they aren't collectible for me so it won't be me that does it.  The content is, as always, user generated but within the strict guidelines (http://rpg.geekdo.com/wiki/page/Guide_to_Data_Entry) we've laid out.

It's the same for any particular item... collectors on our site want to track their collections - as such they will enter versions to track them if they don't exist. Most users only care to track at the RPG item level (i.e. one AD&D 1e Player's Handbook is as good as another in terms of playing/discussing - i.e. they don't care if the TM is present or not on the cover!). To each, their own. This user generated content is the exact model we desire and have designed to (and is the primary difference with content here at the Acaeum... well, that and about 17000 other RPG items). Over time, the database gets more and more complete. I just finished entering in my three significant printings of my D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook (the original printing, the October 2004 printing with all included errata  and the leather bound edition).  There are more printings than that... but I track my collection to that level and those are the versions I've entered. When someone comes along that wants to track the lesser printings, they have the power and flexibility to do that. For the 1e DM Guide we currently have First, Sixth-Tenth printings plus the German Handbuch für Spielleiter because that's what the userbase owns. We won't list anything we don't have a copy of (which is why we were pretty stoked to finally land not one, but two original copies of Space Gamer Issue #1 which even Steve Jackson no longer owns!).

-Dave

Badmike wrote:Maybe it's an East coast thing?  Besides myself and one other guy, I"ve never actually seen CoC played in Texas.

There were plenty in Houston (mid-80s) & Austin (late-80s to present). Then again, the games I witnessed were usually those involving myself.

+thx. Would've been a lot easier on the knees for A4 'zines, though, Dave. I should've taken that hint! (+ was rather hoping someone might spot the intruder).

deimos3428 wrote:For your purposes, and ignoring foreign editions, three based on the main cover features would seem to suffice:
* Demon Idol cover, no angled banner (T1st through 3rd)
* Demon Idol cover, angled banner (4th through 8th)
* Wizard cover, 9th+

Was more-or-less on board, y'lemur, until I hit that "ignoring foreign editions" phrase. Tsk, tsk... ^'

gvaughn1 wrote:I also don't mind "characters" on forums.  Frankly, it gets too boring otherwise.  I quite honestly enjoy the posts of the individual under discussion.

Certainly it is better to offer criticism of an idea than to ignore it. For instance, what if wavemotion approached the Acaeum with the RPGgeek idea, & all he got were "Good job!" comments or perhaps a smiley doing a thumbs up? Much less useful than picking it apart.

wavemotion wrote: It's fairly well known in the Boston area as well. There is a reason this is selling for between $110 and $150 - and not by collectors. Nobody is collecting a mass produced softcover from 1999

The fact that an item is selling for $110 to $150 is significant because it tends to indicate that there are too few of them to qualify as a popular game product.  It is hard to argue that a game product in a display case for over $100 is having a widespread game table impact.

The fact that Delta Green is a softcover product from 1999 is irrelevant to collectors.  What matters is "collectibility"...a function of scarcity, perceived value and the resulting market value.  Some of the most high value collectibles are literally only slips of paper.  Almost by definition, someone paying $100+ for a gaming item is either a collector or a Warhammer 40,000 miniatures player.  

The US market is D&D, D&D and D&D...followed by a few other games that have managed to attract a following.

That's wierd for me to say because I GM'd the hell out of Shadowrun at one point.     But Shadowrun has receded while D&D has maintained and even enjoyed a second boom.

I didn't see any Shadowrun products on the list from RPGGeek.  Did I miss them?

wavemotion wrote:Not buying many RPG products lately? I just picked up IronClaw released on Thursday for $70. Many new RPG books are $70... Ptolus was $110 new.  WFRP 3rd lists for $100 but I only paid $80 when it came out not long ago.

Something to be said for playing OOP RPGs if on a tight budget?

ashmire13 wrote:6 out of around 200,000 RPG Geek members is pretty good...  

I had to save for disbelief vs. hallucinatory terrain over numbers like that! Conclusion similar.
<wink>

Ack, whoever put Shadowrun 3rd edition at #51, well above 1st and even the 2nd edition needs to have their soy slopped and churned, chummer. But, if its a poll of "playing greatness" as opposed to "originality" than I can see that... I guess. If you like boring stupid mechanics.