Compleat Encounters I: Buying?

DaveMage

Slumbering in Tsar

• Sep 2, 2005

• #1

Paizo's Compleat Encounters: Dark Elf Sanctum (OGL) just came out. Link

Are you buying? Why or why not?

When I first heard about it, it sounded interesting, but upon further review I'm not so sure.

So, I'll break it down to positives and negatives as I see it:

Positives:
It's created by some very talented people (Mike Mearls, Wayne Reynolds)
It is, indeed, a complete encounter with battle map cards and a full write up for the one encounter.
The map cards look awseome from the picture.

Negatives:
The minis. They are metal and not prepainted. (This is probably a positive for some, but not for me.) Also, they are of a drow (of which I already have plenty) and a fiend (which I have enough minis to represent a "fiend"), as well as a gate (which wouid be very cool to me if it were prepainted).
It's only one encounter, which seems better suited for a skirmish game rather than a D&D game.

Other:
It's an OGL product, not a d20 or D&D product (i.e. it doesn't have the D&D or d20 logo). Though there is absolutely no logical reason for me to feel this way, that bothers me for some reason.

So, tell me, those of you buying this, or who may already have it, what's the appeal for you?

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2005

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mcrow

Explorer

• Sep 2, 2005

• #2

Whe I frist saw this I was like " cool, Im gettign one of those!". After thinking about it and seeing some of the other new stuff that I want to get now its on the back burner.

 

shaylon

First Post

• Sep 2, 2005

• #3

I'm buying it.

I am not thrilled about the metal, unpainted minis, but I hope that good sales of these products will bring Paizo to painting the metals or going painted plastic.

My real hope is that eventually they will combine this idea with WOTC and either get special D&D minis complete with stat cards or they will start releasing these encounters in conjunction with new D&D minis sets and include a couple from each new set. I mean the RPGA occasionally hands out special paint job minis for their events, why can't Paizo get in on that?

Of course I could be living in a dream world here, but here's to hoping!

-Shay

 

Crothian

First Post

• Sep 2, 2005

• #4

I'm not, but I have zero interest in mini products so this is not aimned at people like me.

 

IronWolf

blank

• Sep 2, 2005

• #5

I will probably pass on this one. It would be a little more enticing if the minis were painted. I still hope it does well for Paizo though.

 

S

Sleepy Voiced

First Post

• Sep 2, 2005

• #6

I have a copy on order at my FLGS. My main reasons for buying this are, in no particular order:

Metal Minis. I started painting minis just after Chainmail died, turns out I love it (after avoiding painting for almost 20 years in this hobby).
A single encounter. I love the idea of something I can just plug in as needed, or more likely for my group, an entire night's adventure (we tend to chat more than play these days).
The creators. Mearls, Reynolds, West; all names I know and trust.
It's from Paizo. I have been very, very impressed with the turn Paizo has been taking under its current crew, and I really just want to show my support for what I think is a great idea.
Lastly, I don't have as much interest in preparing even a 32 page adventure anymore. This has all the components in one place for a night of fun.

I get plenty of the plastic D&D minis, but I really like being able to put some really spectacular pieces on the table from time to time. Also, my battlemat drawing skills are pretty poor, so these tiles from Christopher West are a real god-send for me.

Thanks Paizo! I just hope my FLGS gets it in soon.

 

arwink

Clockwork Golem

• Sep 3, 2005

• #7

The Drow don't really interest me. I'm waiting for the Monkeys

 

DaveMage

Slumbering in Tsar

• Sep 4, 2005

• #8

shaylon said:

My real hope is that eventually they will combine this idea with WOTC and either get special D&D minis complete with stat cards or they will start releasing these encounters in conjunction with new D&D minis sets and include a couple from each new set. I mean the RPGA occasionally hands out special paint job minis for their events, why can't Paizo get in on that?

Click to expand...

I'd like to see more "adventures" like the D&D basic set. It had 8 maps/tiles (4 double-sided cards) that you could put together to make a small complex, as well as all the minis you needed to run the encounters. When I ran my nephew (a beginner) through the basic set, we had about 4 hours of game time. It was just right for a night or two of play.

 

Jaws

First Post

• Sep 4, 2005

• #9

I'm not buying. I hope it fails. All these side projects have brought down the quality of their main business: Dragon magazine and Dungeon magazine.


Peace and smiles

j.

 

RichGreen

Adventurer

• Sep 4, 2005

• #10

Jaws said:

I'm not buying. I hope it fails. All these side projects have brought down the quality of their main business: Dragon magazine and Dungeon magazine.
j.

Click to expand...

I think Dragon and, particularly Dungeon, have been excellent recently so I don't agree with you there.

I like painting minis and Christopher West's maps so I might look into this depending on price. The poor spelling is a turn-off though. First "Ebberron" and now "Compleat" -- who on earth edits these things

Cheers


Richard