Is the new Basic Game the "rules lite" D&D we've been waiting for?

[jmucchiello]

Eh? Gygax was involved with C&C? I hadn't heard that. To what extent was he involved?

Depends on what you expect from the word "involved". I was in on the NDA and my understanding was that whatever the trolls came up with was with the intention of having Gary finally publish a definative Castle Greyhawk, er I mean, Castle Zagyg without Gary having to do much work to polish his notes. They are publishing Zagyg in 8 volumes using the C&C rules. Gary would receive advanced copies of the rules as they were being hashed out and would be asked for comments on what does or doesn't work with Zagyg. None of the normal playtesters saw these copies of the rules. All I know is there were a few design ideas that I thought the playtesters were (at least) 70% behind that the trolls went the other way with. I assume some of these cases were because of Gary's needs (and other cases were just a case of making the game they wanted to make).

This is just my opinion though, I could be very wrong about the actual level of Gary's involvement. I am quite certain though that aside from perhaps an foreward, he did not write a word of the books.

 

[scadgrad]

Depends on what you expect from the word "involved". I was in on the NDA and my understanding was that whatever the trolls came up with was with the intention of having Gary finally publish a definative Castle Greyhawk, er I mean, Castle Zagyg without Gary having to do much work to polish his notes. They are publishing Zagyg in 8 volumes using the C&C rules. Gary would receive advanced copies of the rules as they were being hashed out and would be asked for comments on what does or doesn't work with Zagyg. None of the normal playtesters saw these copies of the rules. All I know is there were a few design ideas that I thought the playtesters were (at least) 70% behind that the trolls went the other way with. I assume some of these cases were because of Gary's needs (and other cases were just a case of making the game they wanted to make).

This is just my opinion though, I could be very wrong about the actual level of Gary's involvement. I am quite certain though that aside from perhaps an foreward, he did not write a word of the books.

That sounds about right from what I heard. I too signed the NDA though I came somewhat late to the party. Still if your assessment is true (and it fits well w/ other scuttlebut on various other forums), it does suggest that EGG was indeed "involved w/ the project."

Still, I don't think he'll get a design/writing credit other than the foreward, as you stated. I'd hazard a guess that legal issues might prevent anything more than that.

 

[thalmin]

I see little point in intentionally crippling the basic set like this. The three core books already offer so many more classes, races, skills, feats, spells, etc.; they could easily allow characters up to, say, fifth level, without hurting sales of the core books. If anything, budding DMs would ease their way into the "advanced" rules with the Monster Manual.

Taking the rules to even third level would at least double the spells in the book. More monsters would be required. Maybe better equipment. Just for 3rd level. This woiuld require more pages in the included book, increasing the cost. The basic set isn't crippled, it is an introduction. The more that is included, increasing the price, the more that will be duplicated when buying the core books. Keeping the price down makes it easier to get it into new players' hands.

 

[DongShenYin]

This seems like a simple, easy intro to the concept of DnD. I got it for an 8 year old's birthday, coming up this saturday. His dad okayed it, so it's now up to the kid as to whether its a "cool" present or not.

 

[Ranger REG]

--Blue Rose from Green Ronin (not yet released). Some people, based on the previews, have been saying it could well be a contender for a rules-light d20 fantasy game, though more geared toward personal interaction than combat.

Ooh, "personal interaction." And I thought that Valar's book is the sole naughty game.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

This seems like a simple, easy intro to the concept of DnD. I got it for an 8 year old's birthday, coming up this saturday. His dad okayed it, so it's now up to the kid as to whether its a "cool" present or not.

That's it! Start corruptin' 'em young!

The Auld Grump, who wishes RPGs were around when he was 8 years old...

 

[Klaus]

This seems like a simple, easy intro to the concept of DnD. I got it for an 8 year old's birthday, coming up this saturday. His dad okayed it, so it's now up to the kid as to whether its a "cool" present or not.

Please, let us know what the kid think of it!

 

[Adlon]

I saw the game at Waldenbooks, and read the whole box. From what I can tell, the product looks good, and essentially plays out like the old HeroQuest, with a mapboard, figs, adventure book, and dice. To what extent of the 3.5 system is involved, well, most of you all know better than me.

I'm replying to this thread, however, to say that I think the product is a boon for the game. It's getting a warm reception at my local Waldenbooks. For those who may not follow the Mortality Radio show, the Waldenbooks in Ft. Myers, florida, was the chainwide lead in d20 product stock/sales for a long time. It may still be.

What this product will do for me, as a DM, is help indoctrinate new players. Many potential players look at the table top game, see all the books, and get a bit daunted, tough they may not say so. They just never come around. This type of player are those that us DM's actively recruit, of course. I'm constantly recruiting, and NOT necessarily for MY game, but for other local games, and hopefully, future games in my locality.

Of course, it's also the way to go for younger kids, either as a trainer, or intro to the real game, as most younger kids usually embrace the game after one session, IME.

I have a very good candidate. A friend of mine, in his mid 20's. He's a salesman. NOTE: salespeople are the number one mining pool for gamer recruits. I say that after 16 years of recruiting. Trust me. Under every salespersons exterior, is a gamer wanting to break out. They just don't know it. Those of you who ARE sales people, you cannot deny that playing D&D has helped with overcoming objections spontaneously.

Ok, back to my friend. He came over, mildly interested. Then he saw my library, and turned white as a sheet. I still have yet to get him back to my house. I KNOW I can get him to sit at the board game. I also know he'd be hooked after the first night, and can then go on to spend hundreds of dollars on gaming products, as he has the income to do so. Sales people are also impulsive, especially on a good week, eh? I speak from experience, being in sales all my working life.

I like the premise of the product. Playwise, if it plays out at LEAST as smoothly as HeroQuest (not a perfect game, by no means, but was fun, none the less), it will be my new 'hook', 'gaf', or whatever, to get new players playing.

 

[mmadsen]

Taking the rules to even third level would at least double the spells in the book.

The book already includes spells up to third level.

More monsters would be required.

They're hardly required. You can use greater numbers of low-level monsters, you can use the 10-hit-die Black Dragon liberally, you can use NPCs, etc. And you can buy monster stats individually, by buying miniatures.

The more that is included, increasing the price, the more that will be duplicated when buying the core books. Keeping the price down makes it easier to get it into new players' hands.

It doesn't increase the price at all to allow characters up to third or fifth level. And players will still want to buy books full of more races, classes, feats, skills, spells, etc.