97 replies to this topic

[EricKRod]

I just recently came back from Texas where I attended the 2012 celebration of Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains. The weather and people were great. While there I ran into several of the REH 'movers and shakers' who had knowledge and tenure in everything Robert E. Howard. Not Just Conan, even though it was the 80th Birthday of that most famous barbarian. I also ran into Jay from Paradox and as always he was a really nice person to talk with. He brought with him Nikos an intern at Paradox who it was a pleasure meeting also. After working so long on the Mongoose Conan products I felt I had enough clout to ask 'THE' question.

I dropped the question to Jay: "Isn't it been long enough? Shouldn't Paradox be looking at getting back into the role-playing scene with another Conan rpg?" His answer: "Yes." That's all he said.

In my mind I would like to see a box set that had the rules for a system but not just for Conan's world, but a box set that contained rules and information that would allow you to play other Howard genres such as Kull, Bran Mak Morn, etc.?

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Eric in WA
ericrodriguez123@comcast.net

[Lunatic]

Not a bad idea. I would like to see a game that has a lot of fighting and swordplay. Now, I havent played Age of Conan the mmo yet, but there is a game that combines arcadelike battling with the roleplaying. Core rules could expand into skirmishing, and then into grand strategy of boardgaming.

So don´t forget Costigan ok?

[EricKRod]

All REH genres my friend, even Costigan.

[RJMooreII]

As a life-long role-player (for the past 22 years) I am getting to the point where I just pick a system that I know will work and I don't need any 'genre' RPG. There is so much Conan/Hyborian background material out there that I see no need to have a 'Conan RPG'; Gurps or Barbarians of Lemuria will work just as well; y'know? But I know some people like all their stuff in one box; personally I prefer doing most of the setting in prose and not rules.

[EricKRod]

I think that creating interest is more the goal and not so much 'locking' a system on any of REH's characters. If you can create enough interest then it doesn't really matter to me either. However from a marketing standpoint (which is partly what Paradox has to look at) they don't want to locked into someone else's game system, especially if they aren't doing well. Having your own rules allows you to 'make the rules'. So to speak.

ERic in WA

[Dave the Rage]

All my old D&D and Conan RPG players have went online and now play virtually now. AoC seems to be an excellent place to set up a RP Guild and meet there and do some dungeons and talk over Team Speak etc.

[RJMooreII]

All my old D&D and Conan RPG players have went online and now play virtually now. AoC seems to be an excellent place to set up a RP Guild and meet there and do some dungeons and talk over Team Speak etc.

My problem with MMOs is that they're too open. It's like playing Hackmaster with a bunch of 9 year olds.

[Dave the Rage]

Human nature to find easier ways to beat the system, but the PvE (Player versus environment seems to work fine indeed.

[Boot]

My problem with MMOs is that they're too open. It's like playing Hackmaster with a bunch of 9 year olds.

You nailed it. My perception is the MMO's are dying. I don't think Star Wars knocked them all dead like everybody was thinking it would. Star Trek is already Free to play. Conan, after just a couple of years, went free to play. The only really big game out there is World of Warcraft, and I think those days are numbered.

Personally, I don't like playing with others online that much. My suspension with disbelief is broken in a game everytime I'm fighting for my life against some beastie way out in the desert, and two or three players run by me as if nothing was happening--or, worse, the beastie needs to be killed in order to finish a quest, and there are people in line behind you, waiting for the beastie to respawn.

I much prefer single player games. And, SP games are a heck of a lot cheaper.

Now, an online game that was single player and constantly updated content to present a living, breathing world--that would be somethng I'd be interested in subscribing to.

Human nature to find easier ways to beat the system, but the PvE (Player versus environment seems to work fine indeed.

I've tried both. Niether attracts me.

[deuce]

I just recently came back from Texas where I attended the 2012 celebration of Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains. The weather and people were great. While there I ran into several of the REH 'movers and shakers' who had knowledge and tenure in everything Robert E. Howard. Not Just Conan, even though it was the 80th Birthday of that most famous barbarian. I also ran into Jay from Paradox and as always he was a really nice person to talk with. He brought with him Nikos an intern at Paradox who it was a pleasure meeting also. After working so long on the Mongoose Conan products I felt I had enough clout to ask 'THE' question.

I dropped the question to Jay: "Isn't it been long enough? Shouldn't Paradox be looking at getting back into the role-playing scene with another Conan rpg?" His answer: "Yes." That's all he said.

In my mind I would like to see a box set that had the rules for a system but not just for Conan's world, but a box set that contained rules and information that would allow you to play other Howard genres such as Kull, Bran Mak Morn, etc.?

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Eric in WA
ericrodriguez123@comcast.net

Welcome to the forum, Eric!

Did you get a chance to chat with Al Harron or Jeff Shanks?

I'm all about a new Conan RPG (I've been a gamer for 25+yrs). However, I think that any such game needs to be founded on a NON-pastiche-based platform such as Harron is doing with his "Hyborian Age Encyclopaedia". Anyone who doesn't want to extrapolate DIRECTLY from the clues left by REH can always google pastiche-based material on the Net. Nothing "Nazi" about it. It would simply allow gamers just discovering Howard to skip crap (IMO) like "man-spiders of Poitain", but still allow the option to use such (trash, sorry) if they wanted.

[EricKRod]

Thanks Deuce! I was here a long time ago but a move has kept me a little busy over the last couple of years. I did meet tons of people who I had only read about or heard about through printed materials or online forums such as this. It was a great time, hiked up Caddo Peak, saw some sites, but more importantly met a lot of people that had similiar interests. I have cancelled my GenCon trips and for now my yearly 'adventure' will be REH Day's.

I'm trying to stay away from using words like 'Pastiche' or 'L. Sprague DeCamp'. I feel that if you get the right people doing the game, along with the right writers, you won't ever have to worry about that kind of stuff. Although keep in mind if the game is created there will be some license taken with the world, hopefully not as much as in the past, but Howard didn't leave enough material for a self-sustaining game.

Talking with a friend the other day at Paizo.con here in Washington I stated to him that it seems in the past everyone has tried to create the feelings, emotions and settings to such detail that they over complicate most of what Howard was trying to express. In my opinion, Conan was basic. He was a warrior, who fought, had needs and desired and dare I say even dreams? It seems some products that came out over the last 10 years so over complicated themselves that no one could or wanted to play them.

When the Conan Collecticle card game was in Beta I was one of the playtesters. They were incredible looking cards. I loved the artwork, how they fealt and overall just how they looked. But when I sat down to play the game I realized quite quickly they were too complicated for the average person to play. When I say average I mean the person who wants to sit down, learn the game in 30 minutes and keep them interested.

I and Vincent Darlage met the people at Fantasy Flight Games years ago before they did the Age of Conan Board Game and we offered our assitance, Free of Charge, on the proposed game. Whatever they needed, feedback, information, suggestions? We were given the courteous head nods but never contacted again. When the game came out it looked awesome, pieces were nice and it looked sharp! However, yet again, once I tried to play it I felt I needed a Masters Degree! That is of course an exaggeration, however if anyone owns it and has tried to play it you will understand what I mean. Luckily I play tested on Vincents board game and when I got home I put it on a shelf; still in it's shrink wrap to this day.

My rambling is coming to a point. Robert E. Howards stories were full of violence, passion, death, humour and dare I say sometimes even good feelings? But they were not complicated, deceitful, full of back stabbing politics or similiar to such stories as 'Game of Thrones'. They were straightfoward and I believe that's what made them so appealing to so many of us at a young age. We could relate!

To successfully grasp that understanding and put that into a new RPG would be what I would do. Just my opinion and not the final say. I daresay there are several people on this forum who would disagree, but I am sure that's what the forums are for.

[RJMooreII]

You nailed it. My perception is the MMO's are dying. I don't think Star Wars knocked them all dead like everybody was thinking it would. Star Trek is already Free to play. Conan, after just a couple of years, went free to play. The only really big game out there is World of Warcraft, and I think those days are numbered.

I could never get into them in the first place, and I'm finding the same problem with a lot of modern computer RPGs in general. I like the old isometric and first-person RPGs where you could do damn near anything you wanted to and playing was determined by character skills more than how fast you could click things. 'Action RPGs' are just fantasy first person shooters, meh.

Personally, I don't like playing with others online that much. My suspension with disbelief is broken in a game everytime I'm fighting for my life against some beastie way out in the desert, and two or three players run by me as if nothing was happening

I like playing with people I know. Games like Baldur's Gate and such, where you can get together with people and actually roleplay and quest are great. But I've got no interest in a game that is just a fighting game. Most 'role playing games' are no more RPGs than Half-Life is. Anything that aims for mass appeal is 90% likely to be crap.

That said, Mount & Blade is pretty good, for precisely the reason Skyrim was lame.

I much prefer single player games. And, SP games are a heck of a lot cheaper.

Yep. Especially if you play Avernum and stuff like I do. Ahh, an in depth open-ended RPG with multiple, integrated storylines and exploratory areas! It's like...an RPG!

Now, an online game that was single player and constantly updated content to present a living, breathing world--that would be somethng I'd be interested in subscribing to.

Yeah. Though it's doubtful they could get enough people to play. A lot of people seem to like playing video games to 'beat' other people. Even in FPS games that's never appealed to me. I don't see what is gained or lost being defeated by some kid in Korea who can kick my ass because he doesn't have a job, lol.

[Officer Aggro]

In my mind I would like to see a box set that had the rules for a system but not just for Conan's world, but a box set that contained rules and information that would allow you to play other Howard genres such as Kull, Bran Mak Morn, etc.?

What are your thoughts on the subject?

As role-player myself, I think this would only be possible with supplemental rule books, otherwise they'd be trying to squeeze too much into one boxed set. I feel it would make more sense to cover one of REH's characters (likely Conan) in the core rules, then release possible expansions for others like Kull and Bran Mak Morn. The Hyborian Age covers such a rich, detailed world that that information in itself (people and cultures, history, weapons, magic etc) would fill up a thick book. It would be confusing to have everything stuffed into one set, from Stygian magic to the WWI weapons of El Borak's time.

[Lunatic]

When I wrote, "don´t forget Costigan" I meant the actual fighting. Hooks and counters and biting and everything.

But did you mean you wanted a game that let for instance Bran Mak Morn, Kull and several others be in the same campaign. So to speak a kind of timetravelling dimension-hopping theme?

[EricKRod]

In my mind I would like to see a box set that had the rules for a system but not just for Conan's world, but a box set that contained rules and information that would allow you to play other Howard genres such as Kull, Bran Mak Morn, etc.?

What are your thoughts on the subject?

As role-player myself, I think this would only be possible with supplemental rule books, otherwise they'd be trying to squeeze too much into one boxed set. I feel it would make more sense to cover one of REH's characters (likely Conan) in the core rules, then release possible expansions for others like Kull and Bran Mak Morn. The Hyborian Age covers such a rich, detailed world that that information in itself (people and cultures, history, weapons, magic etc) would fill up a thick book. It would be confusing to have everything stuffed into one set, from Stygian magic to the WWI weapons of El Borak's time.

I think I should have elaborated more. The box set could contain a game system, I'm not talking about something like D&D 4.0 or Next or whatever there calling it now. Simply the game system with some references to the different worlds followed by supplements that detail out each world. I reference, and only reference not saying this would be the system I think would be the best, something like Savage Worlds. We also have to consider the company. The game companies nowadays vary quite a lot and that also might have alot to do with the game/system succeding.

[EricKRod]

When I wrote, "don´t forget Costigan" I meant the actual fighting. Hooks and counters and biting and everything.

But did you mean you wanted a game that let for instance Bran Mak Morn, Kull and several others be in the same campaign. So to speak a kind of timetravelling dimension-hopping theme?

Actually if I remember correctly there was something in a story about James Ellison? Time Travelling/Dimension-Hopping themes can be fun but I don't know if the WHOLE game could be based on that? My thoughts were the same game system used for all the different types of worlds, whether it was Kull, Brn Mak Morn, or Costigan. Actually I kind of like the westerns, with a little horror thrown in. Reminds of old Call of Cthulhu 1920's!

[Officer Aggro]

In my mind I would like to see a box set that had the rules for a system but not just for Conan's world, but a box set that contained rules and information that would allow you to play other Howard genres such as Kull, Bran Mak Morn, etc.?

What are your thoughts on the subject?

As role-player myself, I think this would only be possible with supplemental rule books, otherwise they'd be trying to squeeze too much into one boxed set. I feel it would make more sense to cover one of REH's characters (likely Conan) in the core rules, then release possible expansions for others like Kull and Bran Mak Morn. The Hyborian Age covers such a rich, detailed world that that information in itself (people and cultures, history, weapons, magic etc) would fill up a thick book. It would be confusing to have everything stuffed into one set, from Stygian magic to the WWI weapons of El Borak's time.

I think I should have elaborated more. The box set could contain a game system, I'm not talking about something like D&D 4.0 or Next or whatever there calling it now. Simply the game system with some references to the different worlds followed by supplements that detail out each world. I reference, and only reference not saying this would be the system I think would be the best, something like Savage Worlds. We also have to consider the company. The game companies nowadays vary quite a lot and that also might have alot to do with the game/system succeding.

Ok yeah, so there would be supplements for each world/character, and not everything in one box or set. The system might be similar to GURPS then, it seems like.

[Lunatic]

Ok, now I get it. But how would this game then differ from Gurps and the not so ancient Moongoose RPG?

[Lunatic]

When I wrote, "don´t forget Costigan" I meant the actual fighting. Hooks and counters and biting and everything.

But did you mean you wanted a game that let for instance Bran Mak Morn, Kull and several others be in the same campaign. So to speak a kind of timetravelling dimension-hopping theme?

Actually if I remember correctly there was something in a story about James Ellison? Time Travelling/Dimension-Hopping themes can be fun but I don't know if the WHOLE game could be based on that? My thoughts were the same game system used for all the different types of worlds, whether it was Kull, Brn Mak Morn, or Costigan. Actually I kind of like the westerns, with a little horror thrown in. Reminds of old Call of Cthulhu 1920's!

Sorry about that if I misunderstood.

But would it be blasphemeous (as in spidermen of Potain) to blend Howardian characters in the same setting or world? For example having a Costigan in Hyboria and so on...

RJ Morell, started a thread about a "sword and sorcery RPG" and I liked that idea. Since it is the same genré could you crossbreed Elric with Conan, and get what? (Spidermen..)

Maybe the "Age of Conan" people like to do a pen and pencil game?

[Dave the Rage]

Not a bad idea indeed, an AoC based role playing using their pastiched Conan? Though I find as with the earlier Monngoose (which I loved), it was pastiche heavy and it needed this alternative REH pastiche to allow expansion of the game and longevity (for me anyhows).