Dragon 334, Malhavoc's Surprise = Ptolus

[BiggusGeekus]

The cover looks sweet!

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

It's just backlash, when the fan's scream too loudly, it draws out detractors in equal measure. For instance, in this thread Monte was compared to Christ, and people suggested his secret project was that Malhavoc was producing 4e.

So, on both sides, the issue is silly.

As the person who first mentioned 4e in this thread, I would like to clarify that when I did so, it was a tounge-in-cheek reference to all the recent 4e threads and the thread about Mattel buying Hasbro rumor and the rampant speculation that started.

I like much of Monte's work and were I in the market for a new campaign setting, I would certainly check out Ptolus, but I would stop short of saying he is a god-figure in the gaming world and must be excited by anything he writes.

In the end he succeeded in one thing - building hype for one of his projects, something I would say he is very good at. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as it is understood that until the finished product is out and measured against what exists, that is all it is, hype, and the backlash if the product does not live up to expectations is often greater than the hype.

 

[hexgrid]

pronunciation?

Is that a silent "t" or a silent "p"? Or are they both voiced?

 

[d20Dwarf]

I've met a few.

They tend to suck.

Dammit Ari, that was a long time ago, it was college...

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Dammit Ari, that was a long time ago, it was college...

Quoted so you can't weasel out and edit the post.

 

[d20Dwarf]

Quoted so you can't weasel out and edit the post.

Damn you! I just came back to edit it.

Interestingly, Ari and I *did* go to college together, and only recently met back up through our mutual participation in the game industry.

 

[sjmiller]

I must be the only one, but ... I'm glad it's not Planescape.

I am just getting around to reading this thread, so this is probably not the most timely of responses. However, you are not the only one who is glad it is not Planescape. I never really enjoyed that setting. Okay, that's not true. I never really understood why people were so rabid about it.

 

[Desdichado]

Because I am just tired enough that I can't let something go...

So, conflicting opinions, not none. Sorry about that. Insomnia puts weird obsessions into my head sometimes. Please, continue.

Uh,

2. Characterized by uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow.

Read the whole definition before you take someone to task for not getting it right.

 

[sjmiller]

I must say that I do not greet the announcement with the heady enthusiasm of many here, nor do I greet it with the scorn of a good number of others. I see the announcement and shrug in indifference. Personally, I don't need another campaign setting. As it is I do not use any of the available ones! There are a great many detailed, different, and quite usable campaign settings out there. I happen to prefer my own setting. With my own campaign setting I know every single detail about it, often times without having to look them up. I know what is where, who did what to whom, and I know that my players are enjoying it.

Unless there is something so overwhelmingly useful presented in the book that I cannot do without it, I think I will be passing on this. Perhaps my stand on this product will change in the year before publication, but it probably will not. I wish Monte the best of luck, and I hope the book sells well for him. If the setting is as good as some of his other books, I am sure I will not hesitate to recommend it to those who are in need of such. I fear, however, that I am not the target audience of this work.

 

[KB9JMQ]

Well I don't know if I will use it as is when it comes out, but I really like Monte's works as a resource for mining so I will probably get it for that alone.