Mongoose Publishing's Rep...?

[trancejeremy]

I said it years ago, but I still think it's true. Mongoose is basically a lot like TSR in the tail end days of the company, when they were putting out a ton of books, some good, but many of which were not so good.

Some people say things are improving, but I just bought the "Book of Immortals", which isn't that old, and it's not very good. The editing is somewhat better, but it feels like a hastily put together (it has a no frills layout), low quality book (and it uses cheap paper). And the rules themselves are horrible - how on earth did anyone ever use them? Blah.

So to me, it still seems like they are more concerned with churning out book after book after book, than actually putting out quality books.

 

[scourger]

My expereince with MGP has been varied. I loved the Judge Dredd d20 game. To me, it presented just enough new rules to make a sensible sci-fi/post-apoc game out of the D&D 3.0 rules set. Plus, the modules were good. I bought it all, even a bunch of sourcebooks that I have no intention of using just to read them. I even picked up a couple of Signs & Portents for JD d20 adventures.

So, I was very excited about Conan d20 (and it was billed as a d20 game at first--before it was switched to an OGL game). I picked up a used copy of Slaine d20 to check out the author's work. The art was great, but the game wasn't for me. It focused a little too much on ritual sacrifice for my taste. But, I figured Conan had promise. I was wrong. It just presented too many changes that seemed to be just for the sake of change. Much of it was a Slaine retread, too.

The only other MGP book I had was the Quint Book of Dwarves. Not my cup of tea, either.

So, I'm at an overall fair to moderate expereince with MGP. I know they have the potential to publish great books, they've just been off. I don't think their forays into OGL are the way to go, but others seem to like it. I'm waiting to see The Horned God update for 3.5. It's been delayed indefinitely sue to layout issues, which I guess is better than seeing it rushed to press with many errors. Since they're not printing nay JD RPG material, they have nothing to sell to me.

 

[Greylock]

Good fluff; but the crunch is of so poor quality as to be completely useless.

Pretty much sums up how I feel about the Quintessential series. When I got back into gaming, I found the roleplaying suggestions to be invaluable. But once I got past the first chapter and into the meat of the books, there was little usuable material.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

The Mongoose name on the cover (at present), should stand for nothing.

Mongoose has printed out some of the WORST d20 stuff i have (Ultimate Monster 1) and several very good books I use to this day (Various Encyclopedia Arcane Titles).

Unlike some other publishers, Mongoose fully admits the, ummm, organic fertilizer it has put out in the past. To that end, they have made changes in their production process to try to prevent things like Ultimate Monster 1 & Sheloth: City of the Drow from happening again.

In the end Mongoose on the title means a through reading of 10-20 pages before I come to a decision on whether to buy or not.

Read (closely) before you buy, and you'll sort out the great, the good, the ok, and the complete trash that seems to mark Mongoose's Stuff,

 

[twofalls]

Meh. Why bother. There are so many other publishers whom I can trust, and so much other material on the market, I prefer not to gamble my dollars. I can trust Fantasy Flight Games, Sword and Sorcery Studios, WotC, and a handful of small publishers to provide me with excellent material. Mongoose lost me as a potential customer years ago, and I don't mind telling my friends the same.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Meh. Why bother. There are so many other publishers whom I can trust, and so much other material on the market, I prefer not to gamble my dollars. I can trust Fantasy Flight Games, Sword and Sorcery Studios, WotC, and a handful of small publishers to provide me with excellent material. Mongoose lost me as a potential customer years ago, and I don't mind telling my friends the same.

FFG & Swd&Sor lost me long time ago. Only Buy sight unseen I have left is:

WotC: (not so much for quality, but I know I'll buy it eventually).

Green Ronin: Haven't been burned yet.

Monte Cook's Malhvaloic (spelling?) Press: Also haven't been burned yet.

 

[twofalls]

FFG & Swd&Sor lost me long time ago. Only Buy sight unseen I have left is:

WotC: (not so much for quality, but I know I'll buy it eventually).

Green Ronin: Haven't been burned yet.

Monte Cook's Malhvaloic (spelling?) Press: Also haven't been burned yet.

Perhaps a better title for this thread is, "One man's junk is another man's treasure."

 

[I'm A Banana]

I will second Green Ronin and Malhavoc as golden all 'round.

Mongoose.....bleh. They've got some golden material, but give these message boards a publishing budget and you'll see better stuff come out of people who do it for free more consistently.

They have a "quantity over quality" approach, and while the special care occasionally shows, it's really a shot in the dark. They have too many authors who just don't write good stuff.

 

[Ranger REG]

They have a "quantity over quality" approach, and while the special care occasionally shows, it's really a shot in the dark. They have too many authors who just don't write good stuff.

Are there good [role-playing game] authors in the UK?

 

[pogre]

Are there good [role-playing game] authors in the UK?

Assuming that is a real question and not a friendly jab - the answer is yes!

Witness the excellent line of WFRP adventures put out by GW that were entirely created by madmen across the water - like Graeme Davis.