anyway.

I'll be closing the Forge to new posts at the end of the day. If you'd like to come by and say goodbye, please do.

I wrote my best tribute to the Forge four years ago. For those who weren;t part of the forum that played host to it, enjoy:

(to the tune you would expect)

I am the very model of a modern roleplay theorist,
I've read of play that ranges from gamist to simulationist,
Between Karma and Fortune I can simply differentiate,
On theoretic forums I am practically a potentate,
When larrakins abuse me I just keep in mind that sane adage,
"They're probably still suffering 'cause White Wolf gave 'em brain damage"
Regarding Forgeite dogma there's no topping my adherency,
My subtle observations will always spot incoherency!

His subtle observations will always spot incoherency,
His subtle observations will always spot incoherency,
His subtle observations will always spot incohere-herency!

Whenever there's confusion about those three letters GNS,
I have the explanation that will put the argument to rest,
It doesn't matter whether you're gamist or simulationist
I am the very model of a modern roleplay theorist

It doesn't matter whether you're gamist or simulationist
He is the very model of a modern roleplay theorist

My arguments supporting Story Now are quite invincible,
I'm very well acquainted with old Vincent Baker's principle
I've clearly sorted in my mind the whole immersion farrago,
I'm convinced that I can navigate my way into El Dorado.
The Big Model is intricate, don't think I'm not aware of it,
And many are the roleplayers who find themselves quite scared of it,
But you will find me friendly and my board responses punctual,
Or else I'll put your play inside a box I've marked "dysfunctional"

Or else he'll put your play inside a box he's marked "dysfunctional"
Or else he'll put your play inside a box he's marked "dysfunctional"
Or else he'll put your play inside a box he's marked "dysfunction-functional"!

My players will be awed with my precision when I'm scene framing,
Ron Edwards will come visiting the places where I'm seen gaming,
Indeed for play that ranges from gamist to simulationist,
I am the very model of a modern roleplay theorist.

In fact for play that ranges from gamist to simulationist,
He is the very model of a modern roleplay theorist

In fact, when I've rolled dice upon a table while in company,
And when I've played a role of some sort, even just on IRC
When I've bested my enemies with magic spells and strategy
And when I've eaten Cheetos and then wielded a sword +3
And when I play they'll gape in awe at my moving oratory,
If only all my play thus far weren't wholly masturbatory.
In short, when I've experience that's more than just imaginary,
You'll say a better roleplayer has never sat and played with thee

You'll say a better roleplayer has never sat and played with thee
You'll say a better roleplayer has never sat and played with thee
You'll say a better roleplayer has never sat and played and played with thee!

For my attempts to game thus far, though my desires are exact,
Have never gotten further than our fights over social contract,
But still in matters roleplaying, gamist to simulationist
I am the very model of a modern roleplay theorist.

But still in matters roleplaying, gamist to simulationist
He is the very model of a modern roleplay theorist.

Goodbye, Forge! Hello, new great RPGs and scholarship that carries on the forum's rigor (and sarcasm).

And thanks, Vincent!

It's just a coincidence, but it feels significant, that today lumpley games paid off my student loans, too.

The Forge helped me figure out why most games I played were so frustrating.
Then it helped me find games I could just enjoy without any of that weird stuff that I didn't care for.

I am too late :(

Not that I had anything important to say. I just wanted to thank Ron and everyone else in the Forge for helping me understand a lot more about RPGs, to see how many different ways you can use to try to make a game do what you want it to do. But specially, for showing me so many interesting new games beyond he ones I already knew.

Thanks Vincent!

Thanks everyone else, too!

I'm too late too!

Thank you, Vincent, Ron, Jesse, and everybody!

Will there be a new forum for Adept Press? Ron's support for his games has been magnificent, and I see that the Forge closure has disabled new posts in the Adept Press forum too.

Ron talks about the new adept press forum here:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forge/index.php?topic=33073.0

I never got around to doing any productive design work, but I spent a great many hours digging through the forge archives and am glad to have done so.  The forge taught me that if I want something to exist, its probably already out there.  Which is fortunate for me, since I'm lazy when it comes to doing my own work.

I can't even imagine how miserable I'd be trying to play trad games today if I hadn't found the Forge a decade ago (actually, that's a lie—I can, and it's scary). I never really waded in to the conversation there, but I read most of it for years and learned tons.