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Originally Posted by Dan Davenport
I've often wondered about this product, and I couldn't ask for a better review, SB. I daresay Chaosium could do worse than offering you a review copy of the 2nd edition monograph.
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Hi, I'm Lawrence Whitaker...
I echo pretty much all the sentiments of this review. One of the things I wanted to address when writing the new version of Hawkmoon (which started life, some 10+ years ago as a FULL Elric! supplement, not a monograph) was the deficiency in the background. TM Europe is a rich place in which to adventure, and the original game never made the most of the setting. Too much time was wasted on providing rules instead of developing the setting as a place for adventure.
But, to be fair to Kerie Campbell, her original manuscript was lost or stolen, I believe, and she had to write the whole thing over in a short space of time. And this was pre-computers and word processors, so I have some sympathy for the task she faced, and this may explain why the game feels - as the reviewer says - like a Beta game.
One thing I would comment on about the review is Eire getting 'screwed'. Arguably every European nation gets screwed in the original game because so little time is spent on each area (with the exception of Granbretan). But, Eire is never mentioned in any of the novels - either in detail or in passing. And, even if it was, 'Shattered Isle' more than corrects that issue because it's focused completely on Eire, so Ireland actually ends-up being one of the MORE detailed areas of the game. Ironic for a land that Moorcock never mentions in the Hawkmoon saga!