Perspectives
In no particular order...
Wow. Just, wow. My experience working with these amazingly creative and eloquent people, summed up in just one word. They're very generous and have been kind to someone new to working with them. I have been proof-reading work for them and been lucky enough to see the quality of their work.
MPS have created a wonderful world for 5E, set in and around renaissance-period Europe, and filled it to the brim with its own detailed history. Historia is populated by anthropomorphic animals of all sorts, and complete with the exactly what you might expect from the period in which it's set - political scheming, intense drama, and vibrant characters. The extent they go to is incredible, and I truly enjoy reading through their work multiple times and learning more about the world they are bringing to life..
As a GM - if you're looking for a rich world set in a slightly later time period than many fantasy worlds, and aren't afraid of playing with guns, their books are truly beautiful, well-crafted, and very detailed.
As a player - for those looking to explore a world filled with new races, alchemy, and mysteries, you probably want to buy these books as a present for your GM.
As a freelancer - If you ever get the opportunity to work with these good people, grab that opportunity with both hands!
Better known for the high-quality dice and terrain you'll find on their website, Critical Kit is run by a good friend of mine, so this is a definitely a biased view! Tim asked me to collaborate with him on the first module for 5E that he created, The Dark Heart of Roskem. It's always a pleasure to work with a friend, and Tim is both funny and creative, and not afraid to innovate. I hope to work with him again with future projects.
As a GM - the Dark Heart of Roskem is a fun little adventure, that is easy to modify to fill one or two sessions.
As a player - Dice goblins beware - you'll find a treasure hoard on their site!
As a freelancer - Like a said, always a real pleasure working with friends.
Possibly the most prolific third-party content creator for the Pathfinder system, most of their work is largely system-agnostic, meaning that it doesn't require work to use the material for a different system. Run by another friend, so I'm biased here too! Creighton is very open about his business, and I'm a regular reader of his blog. He's obviously very experienced and used to working with similarly experienced designers, and I was somewhat daunted when he offered me the opportunity to contribute to a new project. Nonetheless, I gave it my best, but was found wanting.
Being the 'jolly good fellow' that he is though, Creighton offered advice and challenged me to become better, and I'd like to think I improved as a direct result. He's fond of saying that if you want to become better, you need to set aside your ego, and I have to agree. If I'd stuck to my guns, and not taken that advice on board, I'd be much poorer for it. As it is, I'm looking forward to more constructive criticism - I always want to improve my work. There's no point trying to be the best at what you do if you don't listen to advice.
As a GM - Raging Swan has something for you, almost no matter what you're doing. From pre-created and populated villages to minor random encounters, from dungeon dressings to adventure hooks, they have a product you can use. I certainly do.
As a player - Not much to be had here - Raging Swan is almost exclusively GM-only content. So step up - be the next GM for your group, and use these products to help make your job easier and more fun!
As a freelancer - These guys are extremely professional in all things, even from the very first communication. They set the bar, in many ways, and I've learnt more from working with Raging Swan than anyone else. I highly recommend working with them if you get the chance.
Rocket Pig Games offered me my first opportunity for paid freelance design work. They put out an open call for RPG designers in July 2020, and I was lucky enough to make it through their application process, becoming one of the few to be paid to create content for them. Their normal products are miniatures designed to be printed out by you at home, and I love their creations and wish that I had a 3D-printer to enable me to use them. It was great fun working with them; they provided a brief, and then let you go with it, allowing your creation to shine as brightly as it could. They both offered and accepted the advice, which left me to feel valued as a designer and wanting more once the contract was up. I'd happily take on more work with these guys!
As a GM - If you have a 3D-printer their products will be a great asset to anyone wanting to put a mini on the table, be it a monster or a villager.
As a player - I love some of their mini's, and as a player I am definitely inspired by some of their designs, giving me another way to come up with original characters.
As a freelancer - Although Rocket Pig Games weren't used to hiring designers at the point I worked with them, they provided enough of a brief to fill their needs, and to allow me as a freelancer a lot of creative input. A great experience that I'd like to repeat.
The flip side
Perhaps not a normal thing to post, I'm sure, but I thought it might be of interest to some to know a little more about my experiences working with different companies. I always ask for an honest review of my work, so as to learn and improve my craft, and hit upon the idea of sharing my own reviews of those I've been lucky enough to work with!