Is a Pyramid subscription worth the moola?

[GameBuddah]

I haven't read Pyramid since it was a print magazine. (And a fine one it was indeed). However, as times have changed, I have less time to spend gaming, and even less time to prepare for games.

As mainly a GURPS game master, though a player of Exalted and L5R RPG 3rd Edition, I'm wondering if it is worth the investment in the subscription.

What kinds of things can I expect? How much usefull GURPS content is there? Do people ever print out the articles to read them?

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by GameBuddah

What kinds of things can I expect? How much usefull GURPS content is there?

Most articles in Pyramid are about RPGs, and most RPG articles which are about a specific system are about GURPS, so there's certainly a lot of directly GURPS-related content, and there are frequently generic articles about real-world topics (religion, technology, real-world people and organizations, etc.) which can have application to any game system. Exactly how useful that content is depends on your own needs. What kinds of things would you be interested in?

[Fade]

I find the subscription worth the money: most weeks have at least one article I especially like (whether because it was fun to read or because it was immediately useful), some weeks have several good articles, and it's an opportunity to see how other people approach RPGs. It's likely to be more useful to someone who's GMing than someone who only plays, given the nature of many articles, but that's to be expected.

I also find access to the PyraMOO a major benefit of subscription: I play in various online games there, enjoy the company (and ready panel of experts on a variety of subjects) of the people who hang out there, and have occasionally run one of my own games in the 'upstairs' gaming rooms. If you're looking for games run online, it's a nice little resource.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by GameBuddah

What kinds of things can I expect? How much usefull GURPS content is there? Do people ever print out the articles to read them?

It's required in order to join playtests.

It has some pretty good articles on gaming, and access to the full archives, which unlike the old Roleplayer magazines, aren't available for free online.

I'll occasionally print out and read some of the articles, I don't know if other people print them out.

[ecienavxela]

Originally Posted by Fade

I also find access to the PyraMOO a major benefit of subscription: I play in various online games there, enjoy the company (and ready panel of experts on a variety of subjects) of the people who hang out there, and have occasionally run one of my own games in the 'upstairs' gaming rooms. If you're looking for games run online, it's a nice little resource.

"PyraMOO"?? Is this like OpenRPG from SJG?

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by ecienavxela

"PyraMOO"?? Is this like OpenRPG from SJG?

It's a chat server, with multiple "rooms", so you can run a game sort of live.

[ecienavxela]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

It's a chat server, with multiple "rooms", so you can run a game sort of live.

Does it have dice rollers and stuff like OpenRPG?

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by ecienavxela

Does it have dice rollers and stuff like OpenRPG?

I don't know, I don't really use it for gaming, I just tend to chat on it, but as far as I know it has rollers and some other things, Fade would know better.

[Pmandrekar]

To the original question, Absolutely. I am a GURPS GM, and I used to purchase the print version, and I find that as long as you have a printer available, I find that you actually get more material (weekly about 4 RPG-specific articles plus comics and additional reviews and features works out to more material than the old, monthly print material.)

Add to that the fact that Pyramid subscriptions have archive access, and allow you to be a playtester (and I've been involved in two playtests already)
I think that the online subscription is absolutely worth the cash.

I can think of no better way to start my Friday mornings at work but to login and check in with what is new in Pyramid.

If you're a GURPS player or GM, I strongly recommend it. There is enough material that I find it useful for other RPG's as well.

Cheers,

-Paraj Mandrekar

[Digganob]

I make extensive use of the archives, for character concepts and adventure modules/seeds/inspiration. I'd be willing to pay the $20 a year for just that. And there's so much more in there.