Decipher's LotR RPG..Toast?

[Treebore]

I have to agree, despite my dislike for a lot of their product, I have been surprised by how much I have liked Slaine, Judge Dread, and now Conan.

Even as pricey as Conan is I am having a hard fought battle to keep myself from buying it. My personal war is far from over. I fear Mongoose may get me yet with Conan. I am sure Matt will cry long and hard for me when I lose this war. (Surely through great tears of laughter. )

I could care less about Decipher, as a company, but I definitely don't want WOTC getting the LOTR license either. I think Mongoose could do it well. They seem to be well inspired by established franchises.

I can also draw a LOT of parallels between the Midnight setting as a What If? about Middle Earth. (ie What If Sauron won.)

 

[mmadsen]

I'm not sure I'd want WotC to make LOTR. It would be too cheesy unfortunately..we don't need Middle-Earth with +3 Halberds of Wounding, and the game balance issues that D20 has (ie. mainly that in Middle Earth some character choices are flat out better than others.....but WotC doens't like that).

It's pretty condescending to pretend that the game designers at Wizards of the Coast would stock Middle Earth full of "+3 Halberds of Wounding" and other such "D&Disms". They might make some conservative design decisions (e.g., keep hit points and spell slots), but I wouldn't expect them to do anything downright stupid.

 

[Desdichado]

I actually liked the Decipher RPG -- it's certainly a heck of a lot better than the I.C.E. one, which I also have sitting in a box in my basement (or maybe my closet; I'm not even sure.)

I'm also having a hard time resisting the Conan book, even though Lord knows I have no need of it. I'll probably buy it when my wife goes out of town in a week or two, I'll need something to do besides sit in front of the DVD player in my underwear being an absolute slob while she's gone.

 

[Desdichado]

It's pretty condescending to pretend that the game designers at Wizards of the Coast would stock Middle Earth full of "+3 Halberds of Wounding" and other such "D&Disms". They might make some conservative design decisions (e.g., keep hit points and spell slots), but I wouldn't expect them to do anything downright stupid.

I agree; their conversions of Call of Cthulhu, Wheel of Time and Star Wars into d20 have all been top notch, and not D&D-like in many, many ways at all.

 

[Treebore]

I agree; their conversions of Call of Cthulhu, Wheel of Time and Star Wars into d20 have all been top notch, and not D&D-like in many, many ways at all.

I don't have a problem with WOTC's ability to do it right, I just have a problem giving them my money. Same with Decipher. At least Mongoose hasn't made me feel like I am giving my, ...never mind.

 

[Desdichado]

I don't have a problem with WOTC's ability to do it right, I just have a problem giving them my money. Same with Decipher. At least Mongoose hasn't made me feel like I am giving my, ...never mind.

I honestly have no idea where you're going with this.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I honestly have no idea where you're going with this.

Neither do I...

 

[Banshee16]

It's pretty condescending to pretend that the game designers at Wizards of the Coast would stock Middle Earth full of "+3 Halberds of Wounding" and other such "D&Disms". They might make some conservative design decisions (e.g., keep hit points and spell slots), but I wouldn't expect them to do anything downright stupid.

It's not condescending at all. It's being realistic. I never said that I dislike WotC....I purchase many of their products, and have gamed with D&D for 15 years. I've loved many of their game settings (FR, DL, BR, DS, and especially PS). That said, I don't think WotC would be the best company to adapt the Middle Earth license.

Though the Wheel of Time game was adapted fairly well, there were elements of it that were not. The fact that some of the main designers on that team selected by WotC didn't even *like* Wheel of Time, probably contributed to some of the problems in the adaptation (ie. strength in the One Power, balance of the One Power, minor factors like feeling a channeler's strength, etc.). Overall, the Wheel of Time game was cool, but it could have been better.

And Middle-Earth in many ways would be even more different. The concepts of hit points and spell slots *really* don't work well in Middle-Earth. It's not a game of buff warriors standing laughing atop the corpses of 100 orcs.

But WotC supports D&D foremost, and as a result, I don't believe they are the correct company to do the conversion. Some of those sacred cows of D&D that you talk about them keeping are the very things that shouldn't be ported to Middle-Earth. I *do* think that D20 can effectively portray Middle-Earth...I just don't think WotC is the right company to attempt it.

Banshee

 

[Banshee16]

I actually liked the Decipher RPG -- it's certainly a heck of a lot better than the I.C.E. one, which I also have sitting in a box in my basement (or maybe my closet; I'm not even sure.)

I'm also having a hard time resisting the Conan book, even though Lord knows I have no need of it. I'll probably buy it when my wife goes out of town in a week or two, I'll need something to do besides sit in front of the DVD player in my underwear being an absolute slob while she's gone.

I have both the ICE and Decipher versions of Middle Earth roleplaying games.....and I think the Decipher one looks a lot cooler. I haven't played it yet though....but at least on paper, it seems a superior game.

And it has a very different feel from standard D&D, which is a nice thing. Similar in some ways to what FFG did with Midnight, which is itself an excellent setting. I think FFG could do a great job with the license.

Banshee

 

[danir]

Actually decipher LotR is not dead

at least not yet

they are being tightlipped as ever, but the rumors are that they have something like 4-5 books ready to print, however they are focusing on published CCG's at the moment.
My guess is that we will see those books published and the line will live, albeit in a slower rate (2-4 books a year)