Quality of the campaign expansi

[Jaime T. Matthew]

I too favor the Rjurik and Khinasi expansions. After reading the
initial dozen pages or so, you get a pretty good feel for the
culture.

Actually, my biggest complaint with the BR products is that Anuire,
the land they've spent the most time on, is also the one that is the
least well developed culturally. The first score or so of pages that
is devoted to the cultures of the Region in the other expansions is
totally lacking in Ruins of Empire. There are one or two tidbits,
but nothing detailing the way the people of the lands live.

I would gladly pay for (or download for free : ) ) this information.
These crucial bits set the flavor for the lands, and without them I'm
forced to rely on more generic typical fantasy atmosphere.

Does anyone else agree?

Jaime
__________________________________________________ ____
Jaime T. Matthew
mrjamela@writeme.com
http://www.geocities.com/~mrjamela

[trustno1@atcon.co]

>I would gladly pay for (or download for free : ) ) this information.
>These crucial bits set the flavor for the lands, and without them I'm
>forced to rely on more generic typical fantasy atmosphere.
>
>Does anyone else agree?

I'll toss my flippers in on this one...

[Jøran Lindblom]

Jaime T. Matthew wrote:
>=20
> I too favor the Rjurik and Khinasi expansions. After reading the
> initial dozen pages or so, you get a pretty good feel for the
> culture.
>=20
> Actually, my biggest complaint with the BR products is that Anuire,
> the land they've spent the most time on, is also the one that is the
> least well developed culturally. The first score or so of pages that
> is devoted to the cultures of the Region in the other expansions is
> totally lacking in Ruins of Empire. There are one or two tidbits,
> but nothing detailing the way the people of the lands live.
>=20
> I would gladly pay for (or download for free : ) ) this information.
> These crucial bits set the flavor for the lands, and without them I'm
> forced to rely on more generic typical fantasy atmosphere.
>=20
> Does anyone else agree?
>=20
> Jaime

I agree totaly!
The Rjurik and Khinasi expansions was great, and
I would love to have more cultural "background stuff"
for Anurie as we found in the initial pages in
the two expansions listed above.
- --=20
- - J=F8ran Lindblom

[Mintarr@aol.co]

People, people, people, must you depend on TSR to decide everything for you?
Make something up for gods sake! We made Anuire a church driven state,
where the church is corrupt and bent on destroying other religions(i.e.
pretty much based on the the church of our world during the middle ages).
And besides, you'll save a hell of a lot of money making some of this stuff
up yourselves as well.

[Brenda L Santer]

>>Jaime T. Matthew wrote:
>>>
>>> I too favor the Rjurik and Khinasi expansions. After reading the
>>> initial dozen pages or so, you get a pretty good feel for the
>>> culture.
>>>
>>> Actually, my biggest complaint with the BR products is that Anuire,
>>> the land they've spent the most time on, is also the one that is the
>>> least well developed culturally. The first score or so of pages that
>>> is devoted to the cultures of the Region in the other expansions is
>>> totally lacking in Ruins of Empire. There are one or two tidbits,
>>> but nothing detailing the way the people of the lands live.
>>>
>>> I would gladly pay for (or download for free : ) ) this information.
>>> These crucial bits set the flavor for the lands, and without them I'm
>>> forced to rely on more generic typical fantasy atmosphere.
>>>
>>> Does anyone else agree?
>>>
>>> Jaime
>>
>>I agree totaly!
>>The Rjurik and Khinasi expansions was great, and
>>I would love to have more cultural "background stuff"
>>for Anurie as we found in the initial pages in
>>the two expansions listed above.
>
> I also agree. This is how I look at it. If I were running an RPG
>company, and I released the Birthright Boxed Set, I would always make sure
>that Anuire was more developed than any other area. In other words, when
>the City of the Sun expansion came out, I would have also released a
>'Imperial City' expansion for Anuire. When the Rjurik Highlands came out,
>I would have released a another Anuriean expansion and the first Cities of
>the Sun expansion.
>
> And those domain packs don't count. They're cool, don't get me
>wrong, and they're cheap which is the best part. But as the titles say,
>they're not for the GM, they're for the players.
>
> I don't know. . .Birthright isn't like one campaign setting, it's
>like 5 campaign settings. I think it was foolish of TSR to treat it like
>one big setting when it seemed extremely unlikely that anyone would ever
>play the type of campaign that would actually deal with ALL of Cerilia on
>any kind of regular basis.
>
> That's just me though. . .
>
>---------------------- ---------------------------
>Matthew M. Colville. Armed only with wisdom
>mcolville@earthlink.net The Shintao Monks fight against the
>darkness...
>Role-Playing and Fiction
>http://www.earthlink.net/~mcolville
>
>
>************************************************* **************************
>>Although I agree with what has been said about Anuire needing more
development and the campaign expansions having loads of useful cultural and
historical information, I have a dissenting opinion about the domain books.

I have found that they are extremely useful to me as a GM. Here's why.
Players have several choices if they wish to be a regent, play a domain as
written or design it from scratch using the guidelines presented. In the
two BR campaigns I run, players always prefer to design their own kingdom
from scratch, choosing the province levels, sometimes using design points
to change terrain, purchasing ships and armies that suit them, acquiring
the lieutenants and contacts that they want to have. In that case,using
the domain book becomes a minor reference only.

Also, the domain books are written by different authors so they have
different types of contents. Some are wonderfully detailed.. Others are
disappointing for what they leave out (that's another issue), but the ideas
may not fit with how the rest of the world is going in that particular
campaign. I caution players... buy it if you like but.....beware some of it
may not apply to this campaign.

In addition, a dwarf PC in one of my campaigns is constantly referring to
his Baruk-Azhik handbook and using it as "laws he must follow". I cannot
seem to convince him that it should be a resource for him, sometime to
enrich how he sees his kingdom, not as a set of handcuffs.

However, as a GM I have all of the domain books and use them extensively.
The strategies,sections are interesting and there are great ideas all
through the books that I can use. The best part of all is the Rumors,
secrets, etc. section.
Especially in a campaign with many PCs all ruling kingdoms, with the
kingdoms spread across Anuire or even into other neigbouring areas, the
ideas residing in these books can be a lifesaver for a GM.

*************************************
Brenda Santer:

Home: (306) 955-2615
mailto:bls127@mail.usask.ca
*************************************

[Inge =?iso-8859-1?Q?Kj=F]

A lot of people have been complaining about the published material in
Birthright, especially in Anuire. What's the problem??? I really appreciate
the opportunity to flesh out the world myself, and it really doesn't
require too much work with a good framework(and this is what the world of
Cerilia is really good at). For those who want more background on culture
and society of Anuire, go to the nearest public library and loan Alexandre
Dumas "The Three Musketeers", but for God's sake, don't rent the movie with
Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen, since it really doesn't do the books
justice. Another good tip is to loan a book about etiquette in
Medieval/Renessainse southern Europe(France, Italian peninsula, Spain,
etc.)
Hopefully I will soon be able to publish a list of secondary literature,
some related to Anuire, my girlfriend(who just finished a Master's degree
in History and religion on the subject:"Middle East Area Studies", and she
has agreed to help me put down a list on good literature that is relevant
to Khinasi. I can mention two books that would be great literature for such
a setting, and that would be the classic "Thousand & one nights" and
Bhagavadita(or something, Hindu was never my speciality). Just keep clear
of the Hare Krishna edition, since it is EXTREMELY polluted version of the
book. But more on books to come later...

>> I also agree. This is how I look at it. If I were running an RPG
>>company, and I released the Birthright Boxed Set, I would always make sure
>>that Anuire was more developed than any other area. In other words, when
>>the City of the Sun expansion came out, I would have also released a
>>'Imperial City' expansion for Anuire. When the Rjurik Highlands came out,
>>I would have released a another Anuriean expansion and the first Cities of
>>the Sun expansion.

What I REALLY miss(please TSR) are more city maps. I'm no good at drawing,
so personally that's what would make me happy! If there is anyone with a
good tip on mapmaking, please...........

>> And those domain packs don't count. They're cool, don't get me
>>wrong, and they're cheap which is the best part. But as the titles say,
>>they're not for the GM, they're for the players.

But oh, so helpful in fleshing out the different domains. TSR have with
these books taken the step into giving out all background material to the
players, and counting on them to be adult enough not to misuse the
information!


>Although I agree with what has been said about Anuire needing more
>development and the campaign expansions having loads of useful cultural and
>historical information, I have a dissenting opinion about the domain books.

A voice of reason! The following part is also how I feel it, being only a GM=
!


>I have found that they are extremely useful to me as a GM. Here's why.
>Players have several choices if they wish to be a regent, play a domain as
>written or design it from scratch using the guidelines presented. In the
>two BR campaigns I run, players always prefer to design their own kingdom
>from scratch, choosing the province levels, sometimes using design points
>to change terrain, purchasing ships and armies that suit them, acquiring
>the lieutenants and contacts that they want to have. In that case,using
>the domain book becomes a minor reference only.
>
>Also, the domain books are written by different authors so they have
>different types of contents. Some are wonderfully detailed.. Others are
>disappointing for what they leave out (that's another issue), but the ideas
>may not fit with how the rest of the world is going in that particular
>campaign. I caution players... buy it if you like but.....beware some of it
>may not apply to this campaign.
>
>In addition, a dwarf PC in one of my campaigns is constantly referring to
>his Baruk-Azhik handbook and using it as "laws he must follow". I cannot
>seem to convince him that it should be a resource for him, sometime to
>enrich how he sees his kingdom, not as a set of handcuffs.
>
>However, as a GM I have all of the domain books and use them extensively.
>The strategies,sections are interesting and there are great ideas all
>through the books that I can use. The best part of all is the Rumors,
>secrets, etc. section.
>Especially in a campaign with many PCs all ruling kingdoms, with the
>kingdoms spread across Anuire or even into other neigbouring areas, the
>ideas residing in these books can be a lifesaver for a GM.
>

It is so easy to complain about what should have been released, and I
believe that is an expression of all Birthright players admiration on what
a good job the designers did on this campaign setting!!!

[jpicklesimer@cascade.edu]

Well, I must say taht my players have really enjoyed the Rjurik
Highlands an awful lot. I set them on an adventure that took them from
Annuire to Khinasi, and then to the Highlands. We have a highlander
with the group, so it went over extremely well. I modified the
adventure in the back of the book so that when Erik unmade the weapon,
he chaneled the released blood line back into the PC that was a
decendant of Njarlgrim. Very fantastic and surprising occurence!

I agree that I was a little disappointed in the HotGB. Although several
of the kingdoms were Rjurik, elvish, and dwarven, which have already
been discussed throroughly, there was very little to be said about the
true flavor of the Bay. It is easy to see that the Brechtur are seaman,
businessmen, and to some degree scientist, but what motivates them? Is
it the hard winter that essentially landlocks the entire bay that drives
them to discovery? Are they fiercely independent like the Rjurik,
trying to find someplace where they can do their own thing for a little
profit? Tough to say! Of course, we can't tell hwo extensive the Vos
culture affects them because we don't know anything about them!

Brechtur falls in the right place to be a cultural melting pot by
nature. Annuire is to a certain extent because of its imperial dreams,
but imperialism is not a very good impetus for accepting other
cultures. Conquering them yes, but not embracing them.

The PS stuff is fantastic! They give you just enough ideas to be
dangerous. I had a PC who was in line for the throne in Baruk-Azhik.
The PS books gave me some plot twists that he would have freaked out
over, if we had the chance to play them!

jsp