Paul Ming
02-24-1997, 01:04 AM
I feel a little bit more explanation is in order. My stance on the
"should TSR publish a boxed set on the Shadow World" was basicaly one that
was against such a product.
My reason was based entierly on TSR's past record of 'stuff'. That
'stuff' being supplements, adventures, boxed sets, etc; almost all of which
I do not like. Over the last 7 years I have spent MAYBE $400.00 on TSR
stuff; but from 1980 to 1990 I spent at least $2,500.00. I have MORE money
than I did then (mind you a little bit more bills..) but overall, my
spendable $$ now is much better than when I was 15. In short, TSR produces
very little stuff I like now.
How I got started on Birthright:
I was down at the local (and only) hobby shop that carries RPG stuff
(coincidently, I just got a job there---mostly for fun; my own company is
where I make the real $$). I was in the mood to read something new that
dealt with AD&D. The store (Wizards Emporium) only carries 2nd Ed stuff
(they cant get any 1st....too bad), so I was kinda stuck. I looked at the
slew of stuff....Rule Books.....nope. Handbooks.....definitly not.
Novels...hehehe....nope. Magic Item Encyclopedia....HAHA...nope.
Modules....mostly in the FR....ick. No. Ahhhh.....Birthright.
Interesting. Hmmm. Maybe I'll get a module for it. If nothing else, it
will be a good laugh...(so I thought). Then a picture caught my
eye....'Sword and Crown' was the name of the module. Sure.
Ill bite.
I plunked down my $$$ and off I went. I fully expected the module to be
another average TSR adventure (ie, one I wouldn't like)....boy was I
surprised! First, there were ACTUAL DUNGEONS and RUINS!! I was aghast!
And, to top it off, there were actually MULTIPLE underground spots! I
continued my cursory puruse...
After reading about the basic plot and stuff, I found that I could actuall
USE the module for something compleatly different than a BR
campaign....with little fuss (after all, a dungeon with monsters is a
dungeon with monsters----be it in FR, GH or DL). I could use the plot and
story if I wanted to....or not.
I am rambling. I will come to the point. I would be in favor of a TSR
produced supplement on the Shadow World, IF...and ONLY IF....there were
virtually *NO* story lines or plots between rival counties (if any are in
the SW), etc. I want info that details the areas in shades of grey. ie I
want "It is whisperd/said/rumored that the pool leads to another world or
plane." ; I *do not* want "The pool is a gateway to the elemental plane of
water." For plots and stuff, VERY MINOR things are fine (for example;
"King Billy has always compeated against King Herb for the shipping lanes.
They have yet to come to blows."...and *not* "King Billy has hired pirates
to attack King Herbs ships if they are found in the shipping lanes.").
Too many (ie most) of TSR's 'stuff' has too much emphisis on plots and
sub-plots and not enought emphisis on the bonse of the thing. I know there
will be a lot of people out there that will be saying "Well if you don't
like it, CHANGE it."; Well, I have to say, I have no problem with ADDING
things to a module to make it fit (in fact, I *like* to use my imagination
to, in effect, help create the module/supplement); I do have a problem with
CHANGING a lot of a module. There is a fine line between adding something
to a module and changing something in a module. I feel that if I change
more than 15% of a module, I might as well have written one myself from
scratch. It would be more trouble than it is worth the keep track of all
the changes that I have made.
Well, this has gone on long enough. Sorry, but I just felt that I
needed to explain myself a bit (OK a lot :) ).
Does anyone else out there agree with me on the changing vs. adding
thing? Or am I just too much of an 'old timer'?
Paul "Yukon King" Ming
********************
****Ming Designs****
********************
pming@klondike.com
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/4383/
"This is gonna take Cracker-Jack timing, Wang."
---Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China.
"should TSR publish a boxed set on the Shadow World" was basicaly one that
was against such a product.
My reason was based entierly on TSR's past record of 'stuff'. That
'stuff' being supplements, adventures, boxed sets, etc; almost all of which
I do not like. Over the last 7 years I have spent MAYBE $400.00 on TSR
stuff; but from 1980 to 1990 I spent at least $2,500.00. I have MORE money
than I did then (mind you a little bit more bills..) but overall, my
spendable $$ now is much better than when I was 15. In short, TSR produces
very little stuff I like now.
How I got started on Birthright:
I was down at the local (and only) hobby shop that carries RPG stuff
(coincidently, I just got a job there---mostly for fun; my own company is
where I make the real $$). I was in the mood to read something new that
dealt with AD&D. The store (Wizards Emporium) only carries 2nd Ed stuff
(they cant get any 1st....too bad), so I was kinda stuck. I looked at the
slew of stuff....Rule Books.....nope. Handbooks.....definitly not.
Novels...hehehe....nope. Magic Item Encyclopedia....HAHA...nope.
Modules....mostly in the FR....ick. No. Ahhhh.....Birthright.
Interesting. Hmmm. Maybe I'll get a module for it. If nothing else, it
will be a good laugh...(so I thought). Then a picture caught my
eye....'Sword and Crown' was the name of the module. Sure.
Ill bite.
I plunked down my $$$ and off I went. I fully expected the module to be
another average TSR adventure (ie, one I wouldn't like)....boy was I
surprised! First, there were ACTUAL DUNGEONS and RUINS!! I was aghast!
And, to top it off, there were actually MULTIPLE underground spots! I
continued my cursory puruse...
After reading about the basic plot and stuff, I found that I could actuall
USE the module for something compleatly different than a BR
campaign....with little fuss (after all, a dungeon with monsters is a
dungeon with monsters----be it in FR, GH or DL). I could use the plot and
story if I wanted to....or not.
I am rambling. I will come to the point. I would be in favor of a TSR
produced supplement on the Shadow World, IF...and ONLY IF....there were
virtually *NO* story lines or plots between rival counties (if any are in
the SW), etc. I want info that details the areas in shades of grey. ie I
want "It is whisperd/said/rumored that the pool leads to another world or
plane." ; I *do not* want "The pool is a gateway to the elemental plane of
water." For plots and stuff, VERY MINOR things are fine (for example;
"King Billy has always compeated against King Herb for the shipping lanes.
They have yet to come to blows."...and *not* "King Billy has hired pirates
to attack King Herbs ships if they are found in the shipping lanes.").
Too many (ie most) of TSR's 'stuff' has too much emphisis on plots and
sub-plots and not enought emphisis on the bonse of the thing. I know there
will be a lot of people out there that will be saying "Well if you don't
like it, CHANGE it."; Well, I have to say, I have no problem with ADDING
things to a module to make it fit (in fact, I *like* to use my imagination
to, in effect, help create the module/supplement); I do have a problem with
CHANGING a lot of a module. There is a fine line between adding something
to a module and changing something in a module. I feel that if I change
more than 15% of a module, I might as well have written one myself from
scratch. It would be more trouble than it is worth the keep track of all
the changes that I have made.
Well, this has gone on long enough. Sorry, but I just felt that I
needed to explain myself a bit (OK a lot :) ).
Does anyone else out there agree with me on the changing vs. adding
thing? Or am I just too much of an 'old timer'?
Paul "Yukon King" Ming
********************
****Ming Designs****
********************
pming@klondike.com
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/4383/
"This is gonna take Cracker-Jack timing, Wang."
---Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China.