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Post by geneweigel on Apr 6, 2016 9:51:23 GMT -5
In context, looking at all the D&D-like material out there, like 5th Edition and Pathfinder and other Fringe-Turned-Mainstream material its nice that OSR type material is trying when all is said and done but I don't know if its aimed at my view.
Is there any WOTC reprints coming out? I saw that SLAVELORDS hardcover recently in an associate's collection and it had a Skip Williams module in it ("A-0" or something like that) that seemed alright. My first impression of it was bad because I opened the back of the book and its loaded with fan-made Slavelord art which is bland at best.
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Post by GRWelsh on Apr 7, 2016 10:38:29 GMT -5
Speaking of art, Gene, have you been doing any drawing lately?
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foster1941
Warlock
Duke of California, Earl of Los Angeles, Knight Bachelor
Posts: 475
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Post by foster1941 on Apr 7, 2016 12:18:30 GMT -5
In context, looking at all the D&D-like material out there, like 5th Edition and Pathfinder and other Fringe-Turned-Mainstream material its nice that OSR type material is trying when all is said and done but I don't know if its aimed at my view. There's lots of stuff under the OSR umbrella that's serving lots of different niche audiences, but one niche that isn't getting served (at least AFAIK) is those of us who want a continuation of where EGG was headed c. 1982-83 - that builds on and expands the type of material in UA, MM2, and the World of Greyhawk boxed set. Even the AD&D-oriented stuff all feels like it's trying to evoke a version of AD&D frozen in amber around 1980-81 (the Lawrence Schick era, exemplified by D&Dg and FF and modules like the A series, C1-2, I1, L1, etc.). That's one of the reasons I did my AD&D Companion thing - because no one else seems to have any interest in that stuff. Those reprints were schedule-filler for WotC while 5E was in development (WotC effectively gave up on 4E and stopped releasing new stuff for it but didn't want to leave an 18-month gap in their release schedule while they worked on a new edition, so they filled it with reprints) and AFAIK now that 5E is out there aren't plans for any more of them. I don't have the A series reprint and haven't read "A0," only looked at the maps, which seemed okay. I don't trust Skip Williams because I associate his name with bottom of the barrel late-80s garbage like WG9: Gargoyle and WG10: Child's Play, but maybe he's also capable of better.
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 7, 2016 14:25:11 GMT -5
Speaking of art, Gene, have you been doing any drawing lately? Yes, I was doing some mapping and some finished form to the campaign monsters for the stats. Then more area interactive images with the monsters. I have the foundation for the cover painting but every time that I start painting some asshole comes over and then I have to explain what I'm doing isn't fine art. I need a creative sabbatical just to get it done already! As an aside I also, approached the PLANAR MONSTERS from an entirely different angle and was thinking of doing that as a follow up.
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 7, 2016 14:37:47 GMT -5
In context, looking at all the D&D-like material out there, like 5th Edition and Pathfinder and other Fringe-Turned-Mainstream material its nice that OSR type material is trying when all is said and done but I don't know if its aimed at my view. There's lots of stuff under the OSR umbrella that's serving lots of different niche audiences, but one niche that isn't getting served (at least AFAIK) is those of us who want a continuation of where EGG was headed c. 1982-83 - that builds on and expands the type of material in UA, MM2, and the World of Greyhawk boxed set. Even the AD&D-oriented stuff all feels like it's trying to evoke a version of AD&D frozen in amber around 1980-81 (the Lawrence Schick era, exemplified by D&Dg and FF and modules like the A series, C1-2, I1, L1, etc.). That's one of the reasons I did my AD&D Companion thing - because no one else seems to have any interest in that stuff. Like as if D&DG was off the main river and TSOJCANTH was some canal work to get the flow back to the main embankment. At a glance, it didn't seem off but this is 30+ years to make a miracle which it doesn't look like. Looks like a bunch of humanoids at a multi-leveled castle so nothing that popped off the page.
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foster1941
Warlock
Duke of California, Earl of Los Angeles, Knight Bachelor
Posts: 475
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Post by foster1941 on Apr 29, 2016 11:34:35 GMT -5
I got a chance to take a closer look at Skip Williams' "A0" and it's pretty weak. It's pretty nicely non-linear (there are two locations that the players can approach in several different ways - sneaking in a couple different back doors, bluffing their way in, a couple different possibilities for frontal attack) but conceptually bland (there's basically one interesting NPC and about 50 rooms of generic-feeling filler) and also seems too easy (lots of samey combat-encounters with small groups of low-end monsters (4 goblins, 2 troglodytes, 4 zombies, etc.) and enemy NPCs that all appear to be 2nd level). There looks to be about one session's worth of interest but it's spread across 50+ encounter areas that would presumably take at least 3 or 4 sessions to play through which feels like it would be a boring slog (especially since it seems likely the "mystery" element - that the NPC mine-owner is secretly a slaver - is likely to be revealed almost immediately (and, honestly, is so obvious that most players will probably figure out before the investigation begins at all)).
It reminds me a lot (and not in a good way) of the super-bland late-1E module N5: Under Illefarn. I'll probably do a little more reading to see if there's anything interesting in any of the individual encounter descriptions, but barring that this isn't anything that seems worth playing.
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 29, 2016 12:43:21 GMT -5
I only had that quick glance like I said but I had a feeling that it was bland. I didn't want to just shut it down and write it off but I also had no urge to find out by buying it.
Heh, now that you mention N5, I recall a run to Manhattan (xmas 87?) And the only thing they had new was that and the two hour ride back to the house in the creepy hills of deep New England was filled with dread as I had promised to get a new module for that night and having that Runequest shit bomb.
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 23, 2017 23:54:07 GMT -5
That HOBBY SHOP DUNGEON thing still isn't out? Am I missing something?
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Post by GRWelsh on Apr 24, 2017 7:40:15 GMT -5
The Facebook page has a post from March 30 that says: "Hard at work on the last map. Working towards a release this year. Watch this page for more updates."
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 24, 2017 7:42:11 GMT -5
I couldn't find anything on the release but going through this website:
/description
...is weird.
Some kind of cash grab then some guy saying the "world" map is going to be based on the OUTDOOR SURVIVAL map and that Ernie has a conversion for HOBBY SHOP DUNGEON to be compatible with Star Wars rpg.
Thats a tall drink of water.
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 24, 2017 7:45:56 GMT -5
The Facebook page has a post from March 30 that says: "Hard at work on the last map. Working towards a release this year. Watch this page for more updates." I didn't see that. Who is this Benoist person? Whatever happened to Ernie's prison pen pal who did the Gaxmoor map? He needs to dig that guy back up.
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Post by GRWelsh on Apr 24, 2017 14:09:12 GMT -5
Benoist is the co-founder with Ernie of GP Adventures, and also the co-author of "Marmoreal Tomb of Garn Pat'uul." He also the guy who does all the maps for Marmoreal Tomb/Hobby Shop Dungeon.
I don't know about the guy who did the Gaxmoor maps.
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foster1941
Warlock
Duke of California, Earl of Los Angeles, Knight Bachelor
Posts: 475
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Post by foster1941 on Apr 24, 2017 15:00:11 GMT -5
Benoist was an active forum-guy. He's originally from France and now lives in Canada. I have no idea how he and Ernie became acquainted or decided to go into business together.
The Hobby Shop Dungeon thing is a frustration, because the initial idea seemed promising - Ben helping Ernie to realize and publish his 70s-vintage dungeon with that huge maze-map that made the rounds at a few cons - but it's been downhill ever since. Ernie first losing his home in a fire and then having persistent health problems has meant Ben has carried almost all of the creative weight, which means they're not doing the 70s-vintage stuff we wanted to see, but rather new stuff "in the same spirit." Furthermore, they way-overpromised on their Kickstarter, and have had tons of problems fulfilling it, which is doubly frustrating: first because it was known from previous Kickstarter fiascos that this could happen and people repeatedly tried to warn Ben about it but he insisted he'd learned all the lessons from other folks' mistakes and wasn't going to repeat them (and then went on to repeat just about all of them), and second because they seem to be burning themselves out just trying to finish and fulfill all the Kickstarter stuff, which makes it less likely they'll ever get around to doing the actual Hobby Shop Dungeon which is all we wanted to see in the first place. It's an exact replay of how Castle Zagyg morphed into Yggsburgh and the East Marches and more Yggsburgh and the Mouths of Madness and the actual Castle Zagyg part kept getting pushed back (and was ultimately left unfinished).
I'd like to see them pull it together, clear out their Kickstarter obligations, and finally release the Hobby Shop Dungeon itself. If they do, I'll probably buy it. But at this point I'm not holding my breath that will ever happen.
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Post by GRWelsh on Apr 24, 2017 15:09:46 GMT -5
I have mixed feeling about Kickstarters. On one hand, they're good in that things get financed that would otherwise have no chance. So they open up this whole new world of creators directly backed by investor-consumers interested in what the creators do. And that is a wonderful thing. The sky is the limit, as far as what can be produced these days. But on the other hand... kickstarters are just like the 'writer's advance' or any other situation where you pay up front with the promise of getting something later... It all hinges on the professionalism of the creator. There's always that chance to have a miserable experience, asking yourself afterwards: "Why did I get suckered?" And it isn't even always the creator's fault, unfortunate events and sickness can occur... But still, as the investor, it is nonetheless frustrating.
I think that's why I'd rather wait until something is for sale, and avoid the whole protracted drama...
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 24, 2017 16:56:01 GMT -5
Yeah, the whole business end of the D&D universe was/is a shithouse but internet fundraising seems to be the radioactive flaming shitworms in your soup of the day.
I wonder if its a pay-to-play deal he's got going because his father certainly was neck deep in that warped crap. I seen it happen right in front of my eyes with the guy with the Pokemon card game. Insane!
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Post by Scott on Apr 24, 2017 19:21:29 GMT -5
Yes, it is so much like the Castle Zagyg story. The dungeon was the main attraction; it's "The Hobby Shop Dungeon". Who was looking for another setting/. The smaller adventures are good, but the primary attraction is the Dungeon.
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 25, 2017 14:10:47 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm still dissatisfied with the Zagyg stuff.
Its confusing as to what was going on there. Its definitely not as salvageable as I thought it would be. The content is 50% Gary and the rest is either unfinished (naming conventions) or by someone else (encounter areas). The only thing that I can vouch for based on his strictness about GHC is the laws and such.
All these wingnuts that he surrounded himself with was the real problem. I knew something was up when he said that he should have never stopped listening to me. Specifically, the Troll Lords themselves, their hearts were in the right place but it wasn't enough. Castle Greyhawk? Thats a tall order. Its got to be completely perfect or its just another Erik Mona flavored shit sandwich for flavor-impaired morons.
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Post by geneweigel on May 7, 2017 23:35:09 GMT -5
I was just looking over the web and saw something weird: knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14573Its a long spiel about the decline of the "OSR" (good! )and mentions that WOTC withdrew a print on demand for old stuff to instead have 5th edition versions of old material. That sucks. Am I cracking up? Or have they done this once before?
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Post by geneweigel on Dec 4, 2017 18:30:46 GMT -5
I couldn't find anything on the release but going through this website: /description ...is weird. Some kind of cash grab then some guy saying the "world" map is going to be based on the OUTDOOR SURVIVAL map and that Ernie has a conversion for HOBBY SHOP DUNGEON to be compatible with Star Wars rpg. Thats a tall drink of water. I knew something was going on but read this weirdness: Mental breakdown or is this how this guy acts normally?
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