I’m not sure how I feel about Chaosium’s announcement about the new Miskatonic Repository. For those that don’t already know, the new Miskatonic Repository while be a place for content creators to publish their Call of Chtulhu fan-created content. The same operation model as D&D’s DM Guild will be used.
The reason for my apprehension is I dislike what has happened with the DM Guild’s and the gluttony of mediocre (and crappy) content that has flooded that segment of the market. I am sure there are hidden gems in the DM Guild and there will also be in the new Miskatonic Repository, but how much crap will I have sift through to find the good stuff?
Chaosium, publishers of the multi-award winning Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game today announced the Miskatonic Repository – a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content.Similar to the Dungeons&Dragons Adventurers’ League, the Miskatonic Repository will be a site for Community Created Content on the popular digital content provider DriveThruRPG. Creators develop their original content, format it to Chaosium’s design template, and then upload the PDF to the site. Chaosium has created easy-to-use style templates (in both MS Word and Adobe InDesign) and free Art Packs specifically created for the Miskatonic Repository.
Creators can offer their work free of charge, set a price, or offer it as pay-what-you-want. The Miskatonic Repository follows the same model in terms of revenue split and general rules as the D&D Adventurers’ League.Todd Gardiner, Chaosium’s director of organized play said, “The Miskatonic Repository is an excellent way for budding Call of Cthulhu writers to unleash the terrors that lurk within them. As Organized Play grows in the Chaosium player community we’re really looking forward to seeing what products people self-start and release through the Community Content Program. It will be a launching site for writing talent we can use for collaboration in our ongoing OP efforts, and a place we’ll be watching keenly for potential writers in our Call of Cthulhu line.”The Miskatonic Repository will launch later this month, with an initial batch of new Call of Cthulhu scenarios. As more community content creators come on board, the site will feature a growing selection of scenarios, spells, dangerous cults, globe spanning conspiracies, skills and occupations, and creatures beyond human comprehension.
I will watch how this unfolds in the coming weeks to see if my concerns are misplaced. I remain hopeful that the Repository will not be flooded with junk.
~ Modoc
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Full disclosure, my writing partner and I were invited to contribute to the Miskatonic Repository sometime ago, while Chaosium was still developing it.
That being said, I think you’re right. There’s a lot of content-bloat on the DM’s Guild, and it can sometimes be hard to find what you’re looking for. And yet, there really are some gems out there, which are easier to find as you start following favorite creators on twitter, podcasts, etc. (I really like James Introcaso’s work, personally.)
But for me that’s part of the problem. We shouldn’t expect the majority of players to be as hardwired into the RPG media scene as we are. WOTC does a decent job of signal boosting, I think, but in a largely uncurated environment, the competition for capital can destroy the smaller voices, especially those who don’t have money to throw at things like art, or layout and design.
We’ll see how Chaosium manages the Miskatonic Repository. I have high, (optimistic) hopes, and can only trust that my co-author (Matt Ryan) and I will put out quality material that surfaces by the nature of its quality. It will be a very competitive marketplace, in very short order I expect, but, ultimately, that means more content for Call of Cthulhu, and hopefully we’ll get to hear new voices rising in the community.
Cheers,
Noah
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Noah
Thanks for the information. I am always excited to check out new CoC content. It appears the Repository will not be curated or at least heavily regulated to filter out the pure crap. Value and usefulness are in the eye of the beholder and no two consumers are a like, But that nagging fear of content bloat looms in the back of mind.
Do you happen to have any particular insight into how this Repository will be managed? I did see in the release that they would be monitoring, but that really doesn’t tell us too much.
On a related note, I’d love to check out some of your CoC content.
~ Modoc
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I don’t know that I really have any *insight* into their plans for the platform, except that there will of course be some moderating for inappropriate content (which makes sense). Beyond that, I’m not an employee of Chaosium nor do I have a good picture of their internal workings.
But yeah, we’ll all have to see what comes of it in the coming weeks. Here’s hoping!
And if you want to see our CoC scenarios, check out the blog! We release free one-page scenarios every Sunday: ReckoningoftheDead.com
Cheers!
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Let’s see what the future hold, shall we?
I’ll check out your blog for sure!
~ Modoc
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I just use the Ratings system to separate the good from the bad on DMs Guild and easily find the gems. I expect I’ll be able to do the same on Miskatonic Repository.
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If products are rated accurately and fairly, that plan works. I just don’t relish the idea of buying crap just to find out it’s crap.
~ Modoc
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