Post originally by Godfather Punk at 2003-03-26 05:23:40
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I love this book because it devotes 5(?) pages just to illustrate a sample session, where everything goes exactly NOT as planned. Players deviate from the storyline, critical but easy rolls fail, other impossible rolls succeed and every step the GM sinks a bit deeper in the Marshes of Improviation. Brilliant!
Cheers,
Marc - who only paid €12 for a bargain bin copy :^)
Post originally by Wes Johnson at 2003-03-26 10:08:27
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Are you saying that “real world” species are getting less complicated as they have evolved? Perhaps you could flesh this out, the evolution of games is a perenial favorite of mine
Game supplements are not mandatory. I could run a perfectly good game or campaign using the core book(s) of any given system.
However, I would tend to agree on something related to your premise. That is; gamers seem compelled, sometimes, to buy and throw in every supplement they can (myself included).
The difference is it is not the publishers fault, so much as the choice of the gamer.
Post originally by The Shadowy Mr. Evans at 2003-03-26 17:33:56
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I really liked this review, in fact, Ive enjoyed all of Mr. Mascarenhas' reviews so far. But the sarcasm and heavy-handed patronizing tone during the entirety of tis review at many points made me want to chuck something heavy and blunt at the back of his head.I assume it was meant to be funny, but it sounded like spiteful contempt for the RPG.net audience. I would have enjoyed this review alot more if it had been presented "straight".
Post originally by Sergio Mascarenhas at 2003-03-26 19:26:43
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Point taken. In any case, notice that this "it sounded like spiteful contempt for the RPG.net audience" does not correspond to my position or what I was trying to convey. By principle I don't criticize, do irony on or attack people. I may criticize, do irony on or attack ideas if I think they are wrong. What I mean is that there was nothing personal.
What I tried to convey through irony (that was we way I was looking at it) or sarcasm (in second thought, your term describes it more aptly) was the idea that a lot of things that today are looked at with sometimes amazement were there long ago.
Post originally by Sergio Mascarenhas at 2003-03-26 19:35:56
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<< Are you saying that “real world” species are getting less complicated as they have evolved? Perhaps you could flesh this out, the evolution of games is a perenial favorite of mine >>
Well, my take on this issue is on one of my The Travel of Mendes Pinto columns where I draw a game design stages matrix. My take is that in games, like in most things in life, people start with an idea that if it is good is usually simple, next complicate it, next simplify it, and so on.
Prince Valiant is a simple game but I'm sure that it is so because Greg Stafford designed Pendragon first and was involved with RuneQuest before that. Because he had a good grasp at designing more detailed games (I'll use this world instead of rules heavy or complex but none of them conveys exactly what I mean), he could step back and work on simplicty with depth.
<< Game supplements are not mandatory. I could run a perfectly good game or campaign using the core book(s) of any given system >>
True. But Prince Valiant is the equivalent of the core book and a couple of supplements in other games. And that from the start up and in the most concsise manner.
<< gamers seem compelled, sometimes, to buy and throw in every supplement they can (myself included). >>
If I really like a game I try to get as much supplements as I can and expect the publisher to keep throwing out them. For instance, one of the things I regret about Glorantha for RuneQuest in the 80s is that they never published Elf Packs, Dwarf Packs, and so on up to the standard of their Troll Pack.
I am not anti supplements. I can also live with separate game books for players, GM, creatures, etc. What I don't like is heavy books that basically provide poor content. Once more, I value clarity and concision.
Post originally by Larry Lade at 2003-03-27 03:12:34
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How much did you actually pay for this game? It looks like you paid "two-hundred fifty euro zero zero." Maybe I'm just a stupid American, but I'm pretty sure there's a typo in there.
I will not pay 250 or 25000 Euros for a Prince Valiant RPG, regardless of how good it may be. I guess I'd blow 00 Euros for a copy though.
Post originally by Martin at 2003-03-27 04:01:52
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I have been looking for this book and always wondered why Chaosium did not reprint it. Would it take a lot of people sending emails, for them to do a reprint? Or has Chaosium decided not to reprint at all?
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