State of Mongoose 2008... with an interesting note about 4th edition

[Plane Sailing]

Originally Posted by dmccoy1693

Yes, you really should. It really is a great game and some of the 3PPs for it are going to do some great things with it. There are some really amazing stuff coming in the future for it (as soon as a certain company gets off the ground ... who shall remain nameless for the time being).

I just checked out their preview pdfs and liked what I saw there - all the resonance of the original Traveller (which I thoroughly enjoyed), plus interesting expansions. I remember once sorting out my own "previous experience" charts for a sci-fi game, but I didn't come anywhere near the excellent ideas I saw in the preview pages.

I'm going to have to wait until next week to check it out at a game store, but check it out I certainly shall!

Cheers

[Treebore]

Originally Posted by jdrakeh

If you're going to respond to what I post, you could at least respond to what I post. I mean, sure. . . if you completely ignore the multiple promises of a Holy Grail product (and Beyond Holy Grail product) with zero delivery over a period of years and numerous claims that the "ink is drying" or that the product is "just around the corner" over that period of time, yeah, Mongoose plays it pretty straight. For people who remember that giant PR cow patty and aren't pretending that it never happened, however, the claim that Mongoose has always been a straight-shooting company is laughable.

Again, if your going to blast someone then you better make sure you know what Mongoose Matt has and has not explained. He explained why the "Holy Grail" has been failed to deliver.

If you really want to know e-mail him and he'll either explain it again or link you to where he posted his explanations.

[qstor]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

I just checked out their preview pdfs and liked what I saw there - all the resonance of the original Traveller (which I thoroughly enjoyed), plus interesting expansions. I remember once sorting out my own "previous experience" charts for a sci-fi game, but I didn't come anywhere near the excellent ideas I saw in the preview pages.

I'm a big Traveller fan. I wasn't excited about MGT in the beginning but they fixed some of the big things that I didn't like about CT like death in character generation. They have the Traveller license for ten years so I'm hoping for great things. I've gotten most of the MGT books and I've pre-ordered some of the others. I'm not into 4e playing or DMing so it's the game I'm "excited" about for now. I think Mongoose has gone a good job with the books so far and will support the license regularly for a long time.

Mike

[dnddays]

I live in New Orleans. Even after Katrina, with a diminished population, when the 4e books were released, the game shops in my area sold out almost immediately. And it wasn't just a set or two of the core rulebook set, but cases. And, being as backwards as we are down chere, that had to be a good sign for the game. If sales are down now overall, it might just be because we're in the middle of a deep recession, or that everyone already has the core rulebook set and sales are plateauing, or both.

[MongooseMatt]

Originally Posted by jdrakeh

if you completely ignore the multiple promises of a Holy Grail product (and Beyond Holy Grail product) with zero delivery over a period of years and numerous claims that the "ink is drying" or that the product is "just around the corner" over that period of time, yeah, Mongoose plays it pretty straight. For people who remember that giant PR cow patty and aren't pretending that it never happened, however, the claim that Mongoose has always been a straight-shooting company is laughable.

First off, I used the term Holy Grail _once_ in an S&P article, as a throwaway line (oh, how we regret that!).

I have _never_ claimed that the game concerned is 'just around the corner'. In fact, I have said the exact opposite - that it would likely take a very long time. What you are talking about, with regards to the Holy Grail, is what _other_ people have said. Not me.

I believe I have been as straight as I possibly could be on forums such as this, whether things have gone good or bad in the past.

[JeffB]

What the heck is this "unmentionable" holy grail product people keep talking about?

[Plane Sailing]

Originally Posted by JeffB

What the heck is this "unmentionable" holy grail product people keep talking about?

I don't know, but I think discussing that here would probably derail this thread a little, so perhaps start another thread if you really want to discuss it (although seeing Matt's reply just above yours, I'm not sure how much value there would be in it!)

Cheers

[JeffB]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

It's a shame if you throw the baby out with the bathwater - the Conan game is great, very evocative of its setting, and the Runequest is pretty good all things considered.

Cheers

You may be right.

I've long wanted to pick up Conan and supplements, but I'm not a fan of 3E rules (unless stripped to the basics), and I've read more than a few complaints of considerable errors in the books.

I'm a HUGE RQ2 fan, and Mongoose's Runequest looks to be split up over way too many books, kinda like they took the 3rd edition Deluxe boxed set, and are selling each booklet individually. I'm assuming the bare bones MRQ "core" book is similar to the blue box "basic" RQ3 boxed set? IDK, but that late 80s blue box was pretty useless, IME .

I guess it boils down to: why would I choose buying several of the MRQ rule books over Chaosium's massive BRP book? (from a rules standpoint-not considering Glorantha). This woud go for the the MTraveller over the FFE Classic reprints books as well (and I'm being serious here, not rhetorical questions)

[dmccoy1693]

Originally Posted by JeffB

I'm a HUGE RQ2 fan, and Mongoose's Runequest looks to be split up over way too many books,

Might I recommend the MRQ Deluxe or the soon to be released MRQ Deluxe Pocket. Both contain all the info from the first 3 books (RuneQuest, RuneQuest Companion and RuneQuest Monsters) and puts them in one tome.

[Plane Sailing]

Originally Posted by JeffB

I'm a HUGE RQ2 fan, and Mongoose's Runequest looks to be split up over way too many books, kinda like they took the 3rd edition Deluxe boxed set, and are selling each booklet individually. I'm assuming the bare bones MRQ "core" book is similar to the blue box "basic" RQ3 boxed set? IDK, but that late 80s blue box was pretty useless, IME .

I guess it boils down to: why would I choose buying several of the MRQ rule books over Chaosium's massive BRP book? (from a rules standpoint-not considering Glorantha).

I'm a HUGE RQ2 fan too, and if that is your background I think I'd recommend the new BRP from Chaosium over the MRQ version - I think that BRP sticks closer to the things which made RQ2 great, and I didn't like some of the directions MRQ took. That doesn't make it a bad system, but for me the closer something is to RQ2 the better I like it

I've been checking the Traveller preview PDFs, and from what I've seen so far it looks like "Classic Traveller but better" - I'm certainly going to be getting hold of a copy soon - just holding out for their pocket version, because I like small books.

Cheers

[dmccoy1693]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

Traveller ... it looks like "Classic Traveller but better"

That's the common summation among the old guard. I wouldn't know. I am not among their numbers. This is my first version and I'm enjoying it.