What made Al-Qadim special?

[der_kluge]

I was toying with the idea of running a PbP Al-Qadim game. I think it's safe to say that there'd be some interest in something like that.

Yes, I love Al-Qadim. I had a friend tell me that "Al-Qadim was the game that I was made to run." one time.

 

[Crothian]

As others have said setting setting and more setting. I wish I had more then the 2 books and one box set I have for the setting.

 

[RichGreen]

Hi,

I loved Al-Qadim -- a really excellent setting with some very good supplements and adventures.

And really cool looking maps too!

Cheers


Richard

 

[Tonguez]

There are too many folks who want to have played AQ but have not. Email me if you are interested in playing an ENWorld-hosted AQ game. Probably 3rd ed, but maybe 2nd. Be warned I've not played on ENWorld before, and my one attempt at running a game on Yahoo groups scared off all my players after the first goblin ambush.

post it at talking the talk and I'll be in

 

[billd91]

Al-Qadim was one of those products that proved that TSR could, from time to time, get all pistons firing at the right time. The kits were well designed and well-balanced and flavorful. The adventures were interesting. The layout of the books was beautiful and functional. The setting itself, with its major over-riding culture (rather than racial cultures) and yet shades within that culture, was well thought out, well developed with interesting ideas sprinkled about, and sufficiently evocative of the right moods to draw you in.

And even though there were a few rough patches (an adventure or two could have used a little more editing or redesign) it was just a Fing brilliant product line.

 

[Savage Wombat]

According to a Dragon magazine article, AQ survived because the "Powers That Be" at TSR were, at the time, working on something else - letting the actual game designers be in charge of the product line without interference.

An important lesson for the wise.

 

[der_kluge]

www.birthright.net has revamped the setting for 3.5, and done a pretty durned good job of it!

Where? I can't find anything but BR stuff there.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Where? I can't find anything but BR stuff there.

Someone had referenced wanting Birthright back for 3.5e, so he posted that link.

 

[Sleepy Voiced]

Jeez, Mousferatu, between your desire to do a real Basic D&D and a new AQ I think I'm in love (which I'm sure my wife wouldn't apporve of). Anyway, I think it would be pretty cool if you could pull out an Arabian game as a follow up to Hamunaptra

As far as the political climate, posh. This is a game. Well, maybe it deserves more credit than that. It was Al-Qadim that introduced me to middle-eastern cultures. I went on to study Arabia and Islam in depth because AQ made such an impact on me. Any game that leads people to a study and examine other cultures is a good thing.

Another design element of AQ that really made it work, at least for me, was the consistency of the art. Almost all of the interior art was by Karl Waller. He really had the feel and mood down. I guess TSR was going for the same idea with DiTerlizzi and Planescape (although Planescape was a much larger line and DiTerlizzi left before it ended). I wish WotC would investigate that model. I think having such a strong unity in the visual presentation helps a product to establish a real identity.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Another design element of AQ that really made it work, at least for me, was the consistency of the art. Almost all of the interior art was by Karl Waller. He really had the feel and mood down. I guess TSR was going for the same idea with DiTerlizzi and Planescape (although Planescape was a much larger line and DiTerlizzi left before it ended). I wish WotC would investigate that model. I think having such a strong unity in the visual presentation helps a product to establish a real identity.

Very good point. Dark Sun did the same with Brom and Baxa, and then rotated new artists with the Revised Dark Sun. But Brom and Baxa were as much a part of establishing Dark Sun as it is loved by its fans.

Al-Qadim also had awesome production. That is, graphic design and artwork together. Maps were top notch, rarely were there solo adventures but rather "expansions" that gave an adventure with a regional detail that anyone not wanting the adventure could still get use out of. I remember hearing that the production costs that went into Al-Qadim were one among the many factors that got TSR to lose the money it did at the end of its life. TSR sure got its money worth, however, with Al-Qadim.