marurun wrote:I propose that, going forward we declare the themes are guidelines and not straight-jackets.
This sounds like a slippery slope, one which invites people to see just how far they can twist a theme, until said theme is what they want it to be, rather than what the curator intended.
ElkinFencer10 wrote:A little bit of freedom to bent but not outright break the the theme rules would likely do a lot to encourage participation.
Within reason I agree with you. I would not have had a problem with someone playing Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri for the Premillennial Mech Madness choice. I say that because even during its day, reviewers generally considered the power suits to be mechs. An example is this blurb from a 1996 review:
"It isn't quite up in the Mechwarrior 2 league, [but] it's making some very loud noises with avid mech-combat fans". - ( Perkins, Lee (May 7, 1996). "Terra Nova warriors beat back evil alien invaders". The Age. p. 11 )
dsheinem wrote:that's always been the case with Together Retro so it is weird that we would have to make that idea explicit after so many years.
The way we're doing TR now is unusual compared to the past. This is a new approach what the curators, choice votes, winning theme and such. I don't think it's apples to apples to compare the current TR methodology against past TR methodology.
dsheinem wrote:Any attempts to do otherwise will do nothing more than exclude people who might want to find some way to jump in that suits them.
The bolded part is what bugs me. That's because I personally like the idea of rigidly defined TR themes for two reasons.
1. I think it's fun to seek out new games within a rigidly defined framework, sometimes finding hidden gems in doing so. For the "Licensed Platformers" TR theme, I was able to find at least two really cool games, both strongly adhering to the theme, which I'd never had known about, if I hadn't been exploring options within said theme. I believe the restrictions encourage discovery.
2. I don't mind acquiring new games to play for a TR. If a TR choice wins, but I don't already have games that adhere to said theme, I'm okay with that. I will simply acquire a game(s) that does fit the chosen theme. Buying a new game just to play for a specific TR does not bother me.
I realize now that plenty of people don't agree with that approach. For two reasons I can see:
1. Most people do not like the idea of restrictions. They want more autonomy in choosing a game to play. It bothers them to have freedom of choice taken away, and instead have to play within a defined framework they did not design.
2. People are looking for ways to play games they already own. They are not keen to acquire new games just to play for TR. This reasoning encourages folks to find loopholes or "bend the rules", in order to play a game they already have.
So when you look at my point of view VS a lot of other folks' point of view, it's easy to understand where the differences in opinion originate.
marurun wrote:It's about finding that happy medium between the theme actually serving as a unifying topic and finding ways to include people. Stray too far either way and you miss the point.
On this we agree.
For March I am not looking to be a TR Nazi, that's not my intent. But for whichever choice is voted that month's TR, I'd expect folks to seriously try to play games that fit said theme. Doing so encourages discovery, and maintains the integrity of this year's TR concept.
Look, I honestly wasn't too happy at first with "Licensed Platformers". I thought I would struggle to find games fitting that theme which I might want to play. But instead of trying to "bend the rules" of that TR, instead I went deep into research mode, to see what I could find for that TR. I ended up finding some real gems, having fun with games I'd never have played otherwise. That's why I personally would like to see folks truly put effort into playing games that specifically fit each month's winning TR theme.
Otherwise, what's the point of even having a defined theme? We might as well just redesign TR to be; "Play whatever oldish game you want every month." That doesn't encourage discovery or any sort of comradery. It just becomes an excuse to burn off your backlog however you see fit.