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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SMHWorlds" data-source="post: 7807960" data-attributes="member: 6853809">I think that is we take the question in the context of the day, not in the context of today, it paints a very different picture. It may be hard to remember but MERP and ICE were one of the big ones even then. Rolemaster, Spacemaster, MERP, and Silent Death.  I imagine they were never as big as TSR, but D&D was a phenomena. That TSR could market the hell out of their game is not in dispute. So why wouldn't TSR want that license even without the novels? Whether they would have done anything worthwhile with it, is not the issue. Trying to turn Ms. Williams into some kind of seer who could tell the ME franchise would not have been worth her time is utter nonsense; they bought up the Buck Rogers license, right? Yes it was likely more affordable but it was also less of a seller and no one else (correct me if I am wrong) had touched prior to that.No trying to paint this as a smart business decision does not fly with me. At the time not only did TSR have talented writers and designers, but also a cache of talented artists. Imagine Elmore or Brom being turned loose on a ME product line? Or any of the other very talented artists. I suspect one of our beloved 2E settings (Spelljammer, Planescape, Dark Sun) would have suffered and been lost, but the products would have been interesting and they would have sold well, I feel safe in saying.  Whether you would have done so is irrelevant. People spent thousands of dollars on a ME rpg, MERP, that many felt was complex or gimmicky. How many more would sold if it had been paired with 2E? I bet a lot. Taking a step back, for those who were not there or who choose not to remember, but buying RPG products was a bigger habit than playing rpg products and it always has been. One of the reason the industry continues on is due to the ideas of collecting and completionism.  I have more RPGs than I could run in month, if I ran one or even two games a day, 4 hour sessions each. Some of them I have not looked at in years.  So yes, people would have bout ME AD&D. Whether they played it or not, who knows?Another tangent about the person who poo-poo'ed Star Wars, the RPG. Take a read of this <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/how-a-tabletop-rpg-brought-star-wars-back-from-the-dead-123926/" target="_blank">article </a>and I think it will prove enlightening.  If WEG could be instrumental in reviving Star Wars., then TSR would have stood a great chance with ME, in my opinion. I could be wrong.  Those who were part of the process at the time would know better than I.  But from the ground level, I think it was a missed opportunity.</blockquote>

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