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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5792930" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 262: August 1999part 7/7Marvel Superheroes: This game decides to do Spiderman's symbiote again. Now this is one character that's definitely changed in the meantime. When we last saw it in issue 94, it hadn't even bonded with Eddie Brock yet. Now it has a well established rivalry, an kid, and a grandchild on the way. Ahh, continuity. Gotta love the way it gradually adds up, despite the efforts of some writers to keep the world static. It's stats are considerably simpler under this ruleset, partly because it's been established that some of it's quirks are specific to it, while others vary depending on it's current host and their subconscious, which wasn't clear before, and partly because the new system is generally simpler. So this is fairly interesting because it not only lets me draw direct comparison, but also take a good look at what's been happening outside the magazine. But they do use exactly the same image, curiously enough. And it is only a single page long, leaving me with not a huge amount to work with. So it goes in the entertaining, but not substantial enough to be filling category. Dragonmirth finds a new spin on the Rapunzel jokes. KotDT engage in equal opportunity ruining of adventures. TSR Previews: As I said last issue, there does seem to be some formatting switcharound, with several of last month's new releases also here. This leaves just three actual new things for me to cover. First up is the Silver anniversary collectors edition. A whole load of reprinted classic modules, a previously unreleased cut from that era (L3: Deep Dwarven Delve by Len Lakofka) and the usual fripperies of author commentary and pretty posters. Just the thing for both curious new players, and grognards who's old copies are getting rather ratty from regular use now. The Realms gets Silverfall: Stories of the Seven Sisters. Ed Greenwood does some fiction featuring all of them together for the first time, to face an epic threat. I love that they can foreshadow things like this for so long before actually doing them. Dragonlance gets Brothers in Arms: The Raistlin chronicles volume 2. Back in time we go, to milk the biggest names they have a little longer. They might be dead at some point in the timeline, but as long as there's a few days that haven't been covered in exhaustive detail, someone'll find adventures to slot in there. Profiles looses it's dumb capitalisation again. I suspect the editors are fighting over this. Anyway, this month's subject is Steven Schend. He's worked on the original FASERIP Marvel game, the Forgotten Realms, and now Alternity. His modus operandi is a combination of taking care of the little details, which is very important in a setting like the Realms, and looking to make things that really make you go wow. Sounds like he's one of the people who keeps Ed enthusiastic by allowing his world to surprise even him. And as we know, keeping things surprising is the hardest thing for any creative type, because as soon as it becomes a formula, it ceases to be surprising. And this profile does stick very firmly to the established formula for them. And in response, my writeup sticks closely to the formula for that. Yawn. Tell us something controversial. Another issue full of articles that are either good or dull, but with a distinct lack of actively bad ones. Once again, it's business as usual. Which I'm sure is the way the Halflings would want it. Can't be having with surprises around here. Nice quiet life, that's what we want. Maybe a few monsters to keep the young'un's throwing arms in shape, but nothing they can't handle. Let's keep playing it safe for the time being. Let's move the count up one more number, no more, no less, save in the case of annuals, where you're essentially moving up an intermediate imaginary number. Two is too many, zero too few. Three is right out!</blockquote>

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