Castle Zagyg - The Upper Works (review)

[MerricB]

Given the breaking news that Jeff Talanian (Gary's co-author on CZ:UW) has officially severed his relationship with Gygax Games (the holding company for Gary's IP, managed by a guy named Spencer Wright on behalf of Gary's widow), which throws the future of this project into considerable doubt, the decision to "save the actual dungeons for later" is looking even more unfortunate.

It is. I'm afraid that this is likely to go down as yet another of the Gygaxian D&D masterpieces... that he never actually finished. Along with GDQ and the Temple series.

 

[RFisher]

What I most wanted to see? Gygax’s notes as he used them. More or less. In the vein of Arneson’s First Fantasy Campaign. I think there would be much to learn from seeing some of how one of the original Dungeon Masters actually worked rather than what he thought was best to publish. That was the thing that I felt was most missing from his body of work.

Second choice? The dungeons. From the stories I’ve read, the upper works never really existed until they were written for CZ. Besides, it’s the dungeons everyone really wants. Everything else is gravy.

I’d’ve liked a description of the City too, but didn’t desire anything as involved as Yggsburg. Just a quick overview before getting to the dungeons.

But, the important thing is that Gary did what Gary wanted to. I want people to follow their own dreams, not mine. And I’m not going to deny myself anything of his that is or will be published because it isn’t exactly what I might have most wanted.

 

[Treebore]

Well unless Gygax Games convinces me that they have someone else who is as aware of what Gary wanted for the Castle Zagyg like Jeff T. UW is the only Castle I am going to know anyways.

 

[Nikosandros]

Well unless Gygax Games convinces me that they have someone else who is as aware of what Gary wanted for the Castle Zagyg like Jeff T. UW is the only Castle I am going to know anyways.

The more I think about it the less sense it makes...

Jeff had worked together with Gary, talking a lot about the castle. By all accounts, UW is a very well done product... what's were they thinking??

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

This might explain a lot:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/publis...ax-games-mongoose-publishing.html#post4499950

 

[crazy_cat]

This might explain a lot:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/publis...ax-games-mongoose-publishing.html#post4499950

Now this I really wasn't expecting

 

[Nikosandros]

This might explain a lot:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/publis...ax-games-mongoose-publishing.html#post4499950

Interesting. I wonder what will happen to CZ though, as I am far more interested in the fabled dungeon...

 

[RFisher]

This might explain a lot:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/publis...ax-games-mongoose-publishing.html#post4499950

Interesting.

From a (my) strictly customer point-of-view, Mongoose is a step up from TLG. (Slightly better quality control and much better time-to-market.) But not a huge one.

In any case, LA published by Mongoose is—I think—better than LA published by nobody.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Interesting. I wonder what will happen to CZ though, as I am far more interested in the fabled dungeon...

If the CZ license is also going to go to Mongoose, my big questions are who is the lead developer, why is he a better choice than Jeff Talanian (who was hand-picked by Gary, intimately familiar with the Gary's most recent vision of the project, and turned out excellent work in the Upper Works), and what is the system?

Of course, it's not certain that Mongoose is getting the CZ license. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Treebore]

That will be cool.