A Song of Ice & Fire RPG -- update

[Beckett]

I'm pretty confident it won't be D20

Why do you say this? Over on RPG.net, there is a lot of wishful thinking about this favorite system or that (in one thread- the other got sidetracked into Knight vs. Samurai), but the realistic view seems to be that a D20 company will snag the license. D20 still has the biggest market share.

Personally, I think whatever company gets it would do best by continuing where GoO left off. I would think most people interested in an RPG based on the series already picked up the D20 book. Having paid $100 for the deluxe edition, a new game would have to be amazing to get me to shell out for a new core book. And the supplements, even if done in D20, if they don't build on what I have, they're not going to be worth buying. Additonally, two of my players have never read A Game of Thrones, but the game intrigued them enough that they bought the standard GoT D20 book. I can almost guarantee that they would not pick up a new core book for a new system.

Now, I don't think my buying habits or those of my group reflect gamers as a whole. But, I also don't think I'm unique.

 

[iwatt]

Ooooh

True Song of Ice and Fire

or

Iron Song of Ice and Fire


One can only dream.....

 

[JoeGKushner]

Iron Song of Fire and Ice? How exactly would the power level of Iron Heroes, designed to mimick standard D&D, be a solid fit for the grim and gritty world?

True 20 on the other hand...

As for me? Hell, he should just do a DK visual guide, pimp the art book, and come out with the Guide to Fire and Ice ala Dragonlover's Guide to Pern. It'll look better, be better edited, and be useful for all game systems ala fluff.

 

[iwatt]

Iron Song of Fire and Ice? How exactly would the power level of Iron Heroes, designed to mimick standard D&D, be a solid fit for the grim and gritty world?

I know, I know....

still you could at least include the skill groups, stunt rules, and other stuff from Iron Heroes.


But mY IH fandboysism not withstanding, the True20 system is probably a better fit, specifically with the damage save mechanic.

 

[Banshee16]

Why do you say this? Over on RPG.net, there is a lot of wishful thinking about this favorite system or that (in one thread- the other got sidetracked into Knight vs. Samurai), but the realistic view seems to be that a D20 company will snag the license. D20 still has the biggest market share.

Personally, I think whatever company gets it would do best by continuing where GoO left off. I would think most people interested in an RPG based on the series already picked up the D20 book. Having paid $100 for the deluxe edition, a new game would have to be amazing to get me to shell out for a new core book. And the supplements, even if done in D20, if they don't build on what I have, they're not going to be worth buying. Additonally, two of my players have never read A Game of Thrones, but the game intrigued them enough that they bought the standard GoT D20 book. I can almost guarantee that they would not pick up a new core book for a new system.

Now, I don't think my buying habits or those of my group reflect gamers as a whole. But, I also don't think I'm unique.

My primary rationale is that so many companies are getting out of D20, they might decide to take it to another system. It all depends on who is interested in bidding on the license, and really...how many companies are left right now?

I would *not* want WotC to get it, as I'm afraid they'd do a pretty poor job. Green Ronin, Mongoose, or Necromancer might be able to do it. Privateer Press probably wouldn't...they have enough trouble just getting Iron Kingdoms books out the door, what with their commitment to War Machine. Fantasy Flight Games might be a candidate, and they already have the board game and (I think) the CCG game.....but they seem to be getting out of D20 as well, aside from Midnight.

Core books for a setting would be the most profitable, right? So no company taking over the license would be likely willing to ignore that potential profit by using GOO's system.

For those reasons, I don't think it would be a D20 company. Unless whoever gets it had the opportunity to reprint the book without the production expenses that GOO incurred creating it in the first place. A deal that let them reprint the book, and then publish suppliments for it might actually be decent.

I actually really like the GOO version. To me, it's almost a perfect version of a gritty, more realistic D20 system. I get the feeling it's a dead duck though.

Banshee

 

[Beckett]

Jason Durall states why he doesn't think a new core book would sell here . That's pretty much what I'd say, although better written.

I think the best chance a company has with this license is reprinting GoO's book, and perhaps a stripped down version, and writing supplements for it. As I said, if they go with a new system, it's going have to be a just about the greatest system ever written, or I'm considering the GoT RPG line to consist of one book sitting on my shelf.