Montag, 19:07:53, schrieb Rick, among others:
hw-rules> Hello all,
hw-rules> 2002 will be the make or break year for Hero Wars. hw-rules> Sales of the soon to be published second edition hw-rules> of the rules and supporting supplements (Barbarian hw-rules> Adventures, Lunars, Hero's Book, Orlanth is Dead) hw-rules> will either let Issaries to financially continue hw-rules> or force it to close its doors.
hw-rules> That's the simple reality.
hw-rules> Being a Gloranthan, I've asked myself one question:
hw-rules> Do I want to sit back and passively watch hw-rules> -or- hw-rules> do something to affect the odds ?
hw-rules> In answer to that question, I've come up with my hw-rules> Gloranthan New Year's Resolution:
hw-rules> Every month I'm going to try and get one new person hw-rules> to play Hero Wars.
hw-rules> That may work out to running one session for 3-4 newbies hw-rules> every few months, but by the end of the year I want hw-rules> at least 12 people on my list. Alternatively, I may hw-rules> go to a convention like Michicon, Ucon (Ann Arbor) hw-rules> or Gencon US and run a couple of 6 person demos and get hw-rules> it all out of the way in one go, but either way I'll hw-rules> have at least 12 people sample Hero Wars. If only one hw-rules> in four decide to continue playing the game, hw-rules> that will be four new Gloranthans.
hw-rules> The formula is simple: New Players = The game lives.
hw-rules> It will be a banner year for publishing, as the hw-rules> following things are on the horizon for 2002:
<snip list of upcoming products>
hw-rules> That's just the stuff with certain or very high probability. hw-rules> The page count of Gloranthan material in print will hw-rules> far exceed any amounts in print at any time in the hw-rules> game's history, even 1982-1983! We won't be able hw-rules> to use the lack of quality material as an excuse.
hw-rules> Glorantha doesn't need armchair quarterbacks.
hw-rules> Nuff said. hw-rules> Rick Meints hw-rules> www.glorantha.co.uk
Tough stuff and tough reality, well perceived. Although I know that this won't be well received by most list members, let me add a few thoughts and comment some of the points made by Rick
I really love[d] Glorantha and the RPGs related to it [her:], but even
as a fanboy I find it necessary to keep a certain degree of critizism
concerning Hero Wars/Issaries. This is something I've been missing
here at the list.
I'm not aiming at a rant, but I can't let some points uncommented,
as far as my english will let me.
[deja vu?, or did I read the following line a dozen times in TotRM? only year& game were different: the 80s/90s & RuneQuest!]
hw-rules> 2002 will be the make or break year for Hero Wars.
as were 2000 and 2001, or should have been!
due to whatever reasons, plenty of chances were wasted.
I believe that support for Issaries is without equal in RPG-history:
Fans giving a lot of money to support a small company.
Fans who are buying books not only once, but twice or thrice, just to
make another one appear.
But the quality of what finally came to light was too poor too
attract players & GMs beyond the Glorantophiles.
Whatever did we expect, even though HW finally sold out, from a rulebook in direct [visual] competition with products like Agone, Harn, Talislanta, Dying Earth & a dozen other RPGs, aiming at non-mainstream gamers, too. They all looked better, were better organized and written clearly and beginner-friendly and didn't fell apart after the third read. all this without GTA.
Again, don't get me wrong: I bought them once and bought them twice, to support, despite my own shortage of money. but even if most *neutral* people around couldn't understand why I was so fond of this unattractive little book, nastier things had to happen to come between me and Glorantha. It did, and it's called "announcement":
hw-rules>> It will be a banner year for publishing, as the hw-rules>> following things are on the horizon for 2002: hw-rules> hw-rules>> Barbarian Adventures hw-rules>> Hero's Book hw-rules>> Orlanth is Dead hw-rules>> Lunar Imperial Handbook hw-rules>> Hero Wars 2nd edition hw-rules>> UZ: The Trolls of Glorantha hw-rules>> Unspoken Word 2 (and probably 3) hw-rules>> Tradetalk 10 and 11 (at least) hw-rules>> Legacy of Pavis (another P&BR Companion) hw-rules>> Ye Book of Tentacles IV hw-rules>> Tales 20 hw-rules>> Classics Vol. III: Cult Compendium hw-rules>> Classics Vol. IV: Borderlands and Plunder
no new book? - not a problem, not for me. I waited for so long, so I
can wait for another month or year.
but I really feel treated like a child when I'm told something, which
isn't true anymore the other day. once is coincidence, twice is
accident, thrice is sad, but I can't really count the times a new
product was announced for definite release, and was renamed,
re-volumned, re-etc, or even cancelled next day.
and I HATE this!
IMHO no reason can justify this policy, which started long before HW's final appearance in may 2000.
whatever book is in the works, done or shipping right now- be sure
that I'll buy my copy[s], but don't promise, announce or whatever books when
it's not 100% sure.
[Tales, The Classics or Tradetalk [which keeps on
coming at a very regular rate- well done Ingo!] are different, for
they are spare-time labour]
in his last post, Greg wrote
>We have not made any updated announcements on this because it is easy for
which is VERY fine by me.
but maybe the question is who
else felt p-ed the times before.
*I* wouldn't have without any 100%-announcements...
hw-rules>> Glorantha doesn't need armchair quarterbacks.
Glorantha does need a well-done, good looking, easy to explain and to play game, with scenarios out, that do a good job at
a- managing the steep learning curve for beginners [was getting steeper with every release 'til now]. which is something the rulebook promises and the culture books negate
b- showing how different Hero Wars-[and Glorantha-] gaming is from usual gamingstyle and general fantasy. what I've seen yet is nothing special, nostalgia put aside [converted scenarios]
it needs more support, by which I don't mean more myths or stories. many to most people do have problems with the rules, let alone if because of the organisation of the book or the rules itself. but the last FAQ-update was in june 2000...
if Issaries change their mind about certain things, and it looks like they finally did, and the 2nd edition lives up to the promises, then Glorantha shall prosper and live on for many years.
but it's NOT only the fanboys job to ensure the success- the product we are supporting must be worth it again!
nuff said!,
now you can exorcise me!
=)
-- Deep Sea Dweller's Bible: Hellblau, Stefan Montag, 22:22:10 .||| mailto: stefan.drawert_at_... .||| visit: www.clubintakt.de .||| 19:01:2002 -- club in:Kamp - party
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