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<blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5743545" data-attributes="member: 27780"><p><strong><u>Dragon Magazine Issue 255: January 1999</u></strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>part 8/8</p><p></p><p></p><p>Starship perks and flaws: So the Ares section is back, after 13 years. Interesting. Of course, they're not covering any outside systems this time round, so it's pretty much a single article devoted to Alternity. This feels like the kind of branding done primarily to defend IP that has gone unused for ages before it lapses. The article itself, on the other hand, is another rather good one, that really shows off their recent improvement in visuals. 12 pages of new stuff for starships, including three sample ones, each of which gets a full page illustration, this is a bit padded out, but has both plenty of crunch for your game, and is tremendously pretty in presentation. It really is a testament to their recent budget increases and improved mastery of layout software. (It's also a testament to what Alternity stole from GURPS, with the spaceships using a point-buy merit/flaw system, but that's neither here nor there. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> ) So this was good on both a skim through, and closer reading. They are doing well for themselves this issue. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Dragonmirth gives you some bad choices. The KotDT team don't manage to get out of the tavern. Maybe if they talked to the NPC's things would go differently. </p><p></p><p></p><p>TSR Previews: Regular D&D gets a new product for the first time in quite a few years. Wrath of the minotaur. A fast-play tutorial set like the one they featured in issue 251. Just the way to lure people in, they hope. </p><p></p><p>AD&D is also trying to be friendly to new players with The Shattered Circle. Another generic adventure for low level characters. Is there room for that in your game?</p><p></p><p>The Forgotten realms has 1 old, 2 new products. The Cleric Quintet gets reprinted. Even though he might not be Drizzt, Cadderly still has fairly solid name recognition. Meanwhile, the Demihumans of the Realms get a splatbook, full of kits, culture and other stuff that draws the buyers in. And Mel Odom releases Rising Tide, the start of a series about troubles in the sea of fallen stars. Round and round we go. </p><p></p><p>Dragonlance is also recycling stuff due to popular demand. The soulforge gets reprinted, while The Silver Stair by Jean Rabe tells us more about the discovery of the new magic in the 5th age. No-one's sure what it's limits are, so of course, they don't trust it. Quite right too. </p><p></p><p>Alternity gets Starships. You want to customise your space travel capabilities, might be a good idea to buy it. Seems like a probable solid seller. </p><p></p><p></p><p>The statement of ownership is a month late. Still, it looks like things finally bottomed out, then started going up again, with average sales of 50,795, but last month ones of 63,406. What could have brought on this recent spike? Was it you? In any case, overall readership may be going up again, but subscriptions are way down from even last year. People may be buying out of curiosity, but they certainly don't trust the new owners yet. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Profiles drops the experimental gimmick and gets back to just giving us the straight dope. Mel Odom is one of our Forgotten Realms writers, having plenty of fun both writing there, and playing in games there, with the aid of his kids, of course. Course, it helps that he can pull big metaplot events and have them apply to everyone's games. Writing, playing, researching, kids. That seems to be about it in terms of significant things in his life. One of our less interesting profiles. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Well, this issue certainly had an excellent themed section, showing once again that 2e did psionics better than 1e. Also very notable is just how much the visuals have improved lately, with quite a few of the articles being genuinely pretty in a way that also enhances their usability. The new column is a little frustrating, but may grow into something useful, and the Realms is being oversaturated more than ever, but these are manageable problems. Overall, I'm feeling pretty positive about this issue. Let's hope next issue doesn't go back into the safe and boring zone.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(un)reason, post: 5743545, member: 27780"] [B][U]Dragon Magazine Issue 255: January 1999[/U][/B] part 8/8 Starship perks and flaws: So the Ares section is back, after 13 years. Interesting. Of course, they're not covering any outside systems this time round, so it's pretty much a single article devoted to Alternity. This feels like the kind of branding done primarily to defend IP that has gone unused for ages before it lapses. The article itself, on the other hand, is another rather good one, that really shows off their recent improvement in visuals. 12 pages of new stuff for starships, including three sample ones, each of which gets a full page illustration, this is a bit padded out, but has both plenty of crunch for your game, and is tremendously pretty in presentation. It really is a testament to their recent budget increases and improved mastery of layout software. (It's also a testament to what Alternity stole from GURPS, with the spaceships using a point-buy merit/flaw system, but that's neither here nor there. :p ) So this was good on both a skim through, and closer reading. They are doing well for themselves this issue. Dragonmirth gives you some bad choices. The KotDT team don't manage to get out of the tavern. Maybe if they talked to the NPC's things would go differently. TSR Previews: Regular D&D gets a new product for the first time in quite a few years. Wrath of the minotaur. A fast-play tutorial set like the one they featured in issue 251. Just the way to lure people in, they hope. AD&D is also trying to be friendly to new players with The Shattered Circle. Another generic adventure for low level characters. Is there room for that in your game? The Forgotten realms has 1 old, 2 new products. The Cleric Quintet gets reprinted. Even though he might not be Drizzt, Cadderly still has fairly solid name recognition. Meanwhile, the Demihumans of the Realms get a splatbook, full of kits, culture and other stuff that draws the buyers in. And Mel Odom releases Rising Tide, the start of a series about troubles in the sea of fallen stars. Round and round we go. Dragonlance is also recycling stuff due to popular demand. The soulforge gets reprinted, while The Silver Stair by Jean Rabe tells us more about the discovery of the new magic in the 5th age. No-one's sure what it's limits are, so of course, they don't trust it. Quite right too. Alternity gets Starships. You want to customise your space travel capabilities, might be a good idea to buy it. Seems like a probable solid seller. The statement of ownership is a month late. Still, it looks like things finally bottomed out, then started going up again, with average sales of 50,795, but last month ones of 63,406. What could have brought on this recent spike? Was it you? In any case, overall readership may be going up again, but subscriptions are way down from even last year. People may be buying out of curiosity, but they certainly don't trust the new owners yet. Profiles drops the experimental gimmick and gets back to just giving us the straight dope. Mel Odom is one of our Forgotten Realms writers, having plenty of fun both writing there, and playing in games there, with the aid of his kids, of course. Course, it helps that he can pull big metaplot events and have them apply to everyone's games. Writing, playing, researching, kids. That seems to be about it in terms of significant things in his life. One of our less interesting profiles. Well, this issue certainly had an excellent themed section, showing once again that 2e did psionics better than 1e. Also very notable is just how much the visuals have improved lately, with quite a few of the articles being genuinely pretty in a way that also enhances their usability. The new column is a little frustrating, but may grow into something useful, and the Realms is being oversaturated more than ever, but these are manageable problems. Overall, I'm feeling pretty positive about this issue. Let's hope next issue doesn't go back into the safe and boring zone. [/QUOTE]
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