So, how great is Kromm anyway?

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

I'm at 30 years myself, which I guess means I've seen Sean's entire run at SJG. (It was GURPS Space that hooked me c. 1989.) Fine job, sir!

That holds for me too. 1988-1989 would be the time when I learned about GURPS in a Swedish RPG magazine.

And I agree that Sean has done a good job. So you would have been 27-28 when you began working at SJG?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Thanks! There are moments when i-dotting, t-crossing, word-line-and-paragraph editing becomes tedious, or when the words of people who think I'm the worst thing to happen to GURPS get depressing, but the writers who get work because of my efforts and the gamers who have fun with the results make it all worthwhile for me.

:-) Good. Because you're awesome and you should feel awesome.

[DreadDomain]

Originally Posted by Armin

Congrats on your 25th work anniversary, Sean!

Congrats Sean! You are now halfway to your career as GURPS Guru, well done! :)

[DreadDomain]

Originally Posted by Kromm

... or when the words of people who think I'm the worst thing to happen to GURPS get depressing,..

Uh, what? I never read anywhere someone expressing such a thing.
For the record, GURPS became my favorite game system under your watch and when it comes to interacting and exchanging with the crowd, you have set the gold standard in my book. Never defensive, never arrogant, always helpful.

I wish you could train and educate some game designers.

[Anders]

Whenever you change something there are people who protest. GURPS 4th edition is a far more cohesive and comprehensive than the earlier editions. And psionics is no longer a world-domination scheme for 30 points.

[Dragondog]

I discovered GURPS in the early 90s in California. Magic and Martial Arts were my first two books. Reading those I discovered that I needed the Basic Set. And GURPS quickly became my favorite system when I could create the character I wanted without the limits on character creation set by other games I was familiar with.

And GURPS has gotten better since then!

[Kromm]

First, more thanks to those who've thanked me. I'm happy to be the shepherd of GURPS. It's no way to get rich in terms of cash, but it definitely enriches the mind to do this work (the things I've learned!) . . . and creating stuff that lets people have fun is priceless.

And yes, there are certainly people who don't like my work:

https://www.reddit.com/r/gurps/comme...unch_retiring/
https://www.therpgsite.com/showthrea...h-ruined-Gurps

I just don't let it get to me.

[adm]

For what it may be worth, I think you have done a wonderful job, with limited resources.

[Kale]

Originally Posted by Kromm

And yes, there are certainly people who don't like my work

I just don't let it get to me.

It's better to be loved and hated than neither; it means you've made a mark on the world and actually accomplished something that people have noticed. The best you can hope for is to have a good ratio of loved to hated. :)

[Turhan's Bey Company]

I had to check some dates, but while I've been playing GURPS since the beginning and have had more direct entanglements with SJ Games not too long after that (my earliest credit is in GURPS Cyberpunk), I only started writing for GURPS a year or two after Sean took up his position, so my entire GURPS-writing career has been under the Benevolent Eye of Kromm.

I've been in and around publishing in various capacities for a while, and I am convinced of two things:

1. A good and engaged editor is worth at least their weight in precious metals and
2. We're looking at at least two or three Krommweights of value here. My works are better because he's been involved in their conception and writing.