DM website update report #3: The CH Conundrum

Alan Hume

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I reckon you're doing just fine with your write ups as is Mark, I wouldn't worry about trying to keep up with Critical Hit,
especially if you have to buy the items yourself (you must have spent a fortune alreadyo_O). I don't know what to make of Critical Hit to be honest, I have only ever bought a couple of sets of counters from them and that's it so I don't feel qualified to comment.

I reckon, as you say, if people who have bought recent Critical Hit items can send you in thier thoughts that would be the way to go
 

Whiskers1123

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He goes around disliking tons of people's posts. He comes across as some sort of crank--or at least someone unfamiliar with netiquette.
And the Bad Hollywood Movie Critic speaks! You're the crank with your fony website.
 

ASLurker

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Do only one article on CH historical products, do not cover any variants! Don't bother with counter packs, and give brief summaries of scenario packs.

In fact, simply listing what's in each CH product with pictures would be helpful enough (even for me), since their website has almost no information on what you actually get with a specific pack. It's generally accepted that while some of the production quality may be nice, the playability quality can be low. So why bother spending more time writing about what most of us know? Just show us what you get if you choose to order a product.

Whatever your decision, your work doesn't go unnoticed and will still be appreciated.
 

Pitman

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Do only one article on CH historical products, do not cover any variants! Don't bother with counter packs, and give brief summaries of scenario packs.

In fact, simply listing what's in each CH product with pictures would be helpful enough (even for me), since their website has almost no information on what you actually get with a specific pack. It's generally accepted that while some of the production quality may be nice, the playability quality can be low. So why bother spending more time writing about what most of us know? Just show us what you get if you choose to order a product.

Whatever your decision, your work doesn't go unnoticed and will still be appreciated.
Alas, listing contents and providing photos both require someone who actually owns the product, as CH neither provides accurate content information nor photos of its products. Actually doing write-ups of CH products is not the biggest problem...
 

Martin Mayers

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I will never ever understand why any interaction with CH, whether reviews, summaries, purchases, etc. continued after they started stealing other people's intellectual property and releasing it as their. They should have been 'run out of town' for that. And anyone who buys their newer stuff is basically supporting people who damage other ASL designers. It's not a victim less crime.
 

Sparafucil3

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I will never ever understand why any interaction with CH, whether reviews, summaries, purchases, etc. continued after they started stealing other people's intellectual property and releasing it as their. They should have been 'run out of town' for that. And anyone who buys their newer stuff is basically supporting people who damage other ASL designers. It's not a victim less crime.
Spot on. -- jim

Edit to add: as I said, easy peasy to get the thumbsdown. ;) It's reliable.
 
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RobZagnut

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Mark, don’t waste your time on CH. By now most ASLers are aware of all their shady practices; not playtested, stolen scenarios, renamed scenarios and modules, etc.

Under each new CH product I’d put,

BUYER BEWARE!!!
 

RobZagnut

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I disagree. I appreciate Mark’s reviews of CH products. Helps to make informed purchases
Why do you need to be informed?
I also appreciate Mark's effort to keep track of the blizzard of CH products. With many out of print and many of the same products having different names it is a good source to track what a specific product is. As Mark indicated CH is not easy to research on its own site or product descriptions. DM website is a gem especially for researching out of print products. With over 8000 scenario and over 2000 of them having more than one printed version, DM is a valuable resource. CH is the biggest practioner of multiple versions of the same scenario.
So why buy them if you know CH is purposely trying to screw you over?
 

Danno

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Why do you need to be informed?

So why buy them if you know CH is purposely trying to screw you over?
I do occasionally buy original content CH items. In order to do that you must be as informed as possible to make sure it is not a repeat/reprint. CH does still produce original ASL content. Especially items developed by ATS players. The DM website is very valuable for identifying the repeat products from new original content. The analysis on DM is also useful in identifying if the original content is a good design, having credits for designer and play tests, or not. It is very buyer beware with CH products. DM website provides great research to help buyers avoid bad CH products and occasionally find original new ASL content. Even from CH.
 

RobZagnut

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I do occasionally buy original content CH items. In order to do that you must be as informed as possible to make sure it is not a repeat/reprint. CH does still produce original ASL content. Especially items developed by ATS players. The DM website is very valuable for identifying the repeat products from new original content. The analysis on DM is also useful in identifying if the original content is a good design, having credits for designer and play tests, or not. It is very buyer beware with CH products. DM website provides great research to help buyers avoid bad CH products and occasionally find original new ASL content. Even from CH.
So in other words,

CH is trying to rip me off. I know they are trying to rip me off. But, for some reason I’ll still buy from them so, I need someone to tell me which products to buy so I don’t get ripped off.

I wish I could build a company based off that business model. Are there any other companies that have survived this long using this model? Unbelievable.
 

g_young

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I'll admit an interest in CH's older products. I'm primarily interested in CG's so DM with its contents listing and commentary are invaluable in this respect to the research I do prior to making a decision.

With respect to the question at the top of the thread; owners of new CH products could send in pictures, contents, impressions of what they've purchased. It'd lessen the load for Mark (time and money wise); and keep the DM site relatively up to date for others to benefit.
 
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