Appreciation thread for Vincent's works

[MGBM]

This is an appreciation thread for Vincent Darlage's work in the Conan RPG line. After reading Shem, I believe he deserves it due to the excellent quality of his sourcebooks.

This is also a thread to ask the Conan userbase here in the foruns what you think if Vincent didn't write more sourcebooks for Conan. Would the line be better or worse after that?

As for my part, I've been a GM for 20 years, played more RPGs systems and settings than I can remember. I have to say, the sourcebooks that Vincent writes for Conan are amongst the best sourcebooks I've ever read. They're bloody excellent and full of ideas. Sure, they aren't perfect sourcebooks, but they're very, very good.

So, if you like Vincent's works, or even if you don't, please drop a line here to show appreciation for Vincent's work.

So, thanks for all the good work, Vincent!

 

[Azgulor]

Vincent's contibutions to the Conan line have been excellent. I don't think your poll has to be mutually exclusive, however. There's no reason Vincent and other authors can't write books simultanteously, or that sections can't be divided amongst Vincent and other authors. If this were done however, I would put Vincent on as the lead - his passion for the material and knowledge of the setting is extensive.

Azgulor

 

[rgrove0172]

First rate -- a credit to the genre! If Vincent wrote it, Id place it right up there with Bob credibility.

 

[urdinaran]

Thank you Vincent, you do a great service to the works of REH.

 

[Malovech]

Vincent is a solid writer, I wish I could say the same for the absent cartographer and the incompetent editor.

 

[Arcadayn]

Ditto Malovech! Without Vincent's writing, I would have stopped buying Conan books long ago.

 

[Dpetroc]

Ever since I found his d20 Conan site, Vincent has been the source of all things d20 Conan... I just wish they'd do greater justice to his work BY PRINTING THE WHOLE DAMN BOOK HE SUBMITS!!!

 

[The King]

This poll is more than curious. I don't think it's mongoose policy to give one setting to only one author and I don't think that if he further works for mongoose that mongoose won't give Conan jobs to others.
Vincent did a great job and is a reference thanks to his knowledge of both the Hyborian age (and Howard in general) and the d20 rules. But I don't see how this would prevent other authors to bring their own pieces.

Anyway I also support the fact that Mongoose should publish again 160-180 pages books rather than the actual 96 pages.

 

[caldan]

Thanks Vincent
Across the thunder river was excellent. Especially the scenario.
Any chance of more scenarios from you. I dont know about others but having a scenario included in the sourcebook helps bring that part of the world to life. :wink:

 

[Bjorn the Barbarian]

I have enjoyed Vincent contributions very much, but others should also be allowed to write Conan books. By all means, Vincent should keep writing also!

 

[Strom]

I think Vincent's work is okay - sub-par at best. Let's let another chap get a crack at Howard's Hyboria. Someone who knows the material better than Darlage. Someone who works faster. :lol:


Ha! I'm kidding of course. I'm one of Vincent's biggest fans and hope to eventually buy all of his books so he can sign them all at one sitting! Honestly, he is integral to the future success of the Conan RPG's and I hope the 'Goose keeps him very busy. I think Vincent should write an AoC trilogy too - I would buy it.

 

[Faraer]

No doubt that the Conan RPG line would be in a lot of trouble, and far less worthwhile a project, without Vincent's big work.

 

[Hervé]

OK, everyone is so in love with Vincent that I'd play the bad guy for once by enlightening the stuff I didn't like in the books and by ommiting in a vy subjective way the stuff I did like... Of course I can't deny that Vincent's writings have been the best thing that ever happened to Conan gaming, but that shouldn't prevent constructive criticism.

Of all the books that Vincent wrote for Conan, there are some I'm especially happy with, like Road of Kings, Thunder River and Ruins of Hyboria. These books really stand among the best RPG works ever. Get them, enough said.

There's also some books I didn't like, mostly because they don't reflect my style of play, like the Hyboria's books (I always had problems with those rules supplements full of prestige classes, feats and multiclassing). I don't use them in my campaign and I don't think I will ever.

I was also quite disappointed with Tito's Trading Post (this book is really a shame, but I guess it's more an order from Mongoose than a "real" work from Vincent).

I 'm not really fond of Pirate Isles and Free Companies (especially of the latter). I was waiting more of these books than just another set of rules and I found them lacking of the "Hyborian Flavor" present in Ruins or ATTR...

Scroll of Skelos was pretty OK although it was by no means a "players'book" but a rather a nice ressource for overpowered archvillains.
Hyborian magic really needed a deeper look.

There's some good stuff in Faith and Fervour although I found the book focuses too much on worshippers rather than on Gods themselves. I would have liked more info on religious dogmas, mythology and cosmology and perhaps a bit less on stuff like reqirements of worship and silly details that sound a bit too much "D20" for me.

I have the same kind of feeling for the regional sourcebooks (including Shadizar). They all contain very useful material but they often focus on tiny details when a larger view could have been better. We get a bit too much of clothing, social and sexual habits and stuff like these, but not so much of politics, geography, historical background and legends. I think this kind of stuff would have made better play material. I've heard it was Mongoose's decision to squeeze the gazeteer part. If that's the case, that's really too bad for us. The fact the books are all organised the same way also don't make them stand apart from each other. More major NPCs and their agendas would have been nice too, but I guess it would deviate from the Conan canon.

Voilà, that was my thoughts on Vincent's writings and they are by no means an "ultimate review" but simply a reflection of my own opinion.
I must say again that, even though my post may seem a bit harsh, I have a great respect for Vincent and the sheer amount of work he has produced. He's one of the greatest Howard's followers and deserves to be praised for that. I can quite compare him to Roy Thomas whose genius was also sometimes sacrified to editorial needs.
Hope you won't mind the comparison, Vincent.

Thanks for all, man
Hervé

 

[Valaryc]

Daubet Herve....excellent and exactly my point of view !!!

Conan RPG would have died a long time ago without Vincents great work. like a Nemedian Chronicler he seems to know EVERYTHING ! it's amazing (and sometimes frightening :wink: )...and we can see it in his works. it's clear that he is "the enthusiasm" that keeps Conan breathing.

your criticism is good and i see it the same way. to many details in places where imagination or a good GM could do the same....too much "D20 style" with rules for everything...too many feats in sourcebooks....and why are there stats for every stupid NPC in the world? sorry but i don't need 3 stat blocks for different hookers in different levels ...sometimes there are too many "fillers" (reprints from other books) for pages that could have been better used!...of course you could say "it's nice to have it at hand"...but if you look really close you will find that there are parts where you can find reprints from other books....and sometimes you find a text like "look at XYZ book for details".

ok...we don't know if the editing is responsible for that. we don't know the full work that has been edited by some....ehm...strange people for strange reasons

so...i am a bad guy too.....but i like Vincents work and think, it's mandatory for further times with the Conan product line! without his tremendous knowledge and precise work.....the line will die.

 

[EricKRod]

It's a 'no brainer'. Vincent should be the man writing the Conan rpg material.

Eric in Vegas

 

[Netherek]

Vincent Darlage is by far the best writer for gaming material I've ever read. His contribution to the game is excellent.

I am going to sit on the other side of the fence on this and state that the Hyboria series are the finest player supplements ever written for a game line. They added needed environment details that were missing in the Conan Core, added variants to classes that show how one can tailor the classes to meet certain needs without adding 20+ prestige classes, what prestige classes that were brought forth were very campaign specific and fit well with the game line as a whole.

If anything I sincerly hope that they put Darlage in a lead position for world development, keeping the details true to the world.

Them are my two cents.

 

[toothill man]

vincent is mr conan 8) and while I have really enjoy quillians art and others writing its vincents work i come to use time and time again 8)

 

[slaughterj]

I 'm not really fond of Pirate Isles and Free Companies (especially of the latter). I was waiting more of these books than just another set of rules and I found them lacking of the "Hyborian Flavor" present in Ruins or ATTR...

IIRC, Vincent did not write those books, so your criticism of him on those may be misplaced.

 

[Hervé]

slaughterj wrote:

IIRC, Vincent did not write those books, so your criticism of him on those may be misplaced.

From what I remember, Vincent was involved in the two books and wrote much of the additionnal text, but maybe I'm wrong.

Netherek wrote:

I am going to sit on the other side of the fence on this and state that the Hyboria series are the finest player supplements ever written for a game line. They added needed environment details that were missing in the Conan Core, added variants to classes that show how one can tailor the classes to meet certain needs without adding 20+ prestige classes, what prestige classes that were brought forth were very campaign specific and fit well with the game line as a whole.

Hey, I did not say these books were bad, but that they just don't reflect my style of play. I can understand easily that people more hooked on D20 rules than me like these books. I've been a long time Conan fan and gamer but I never find any attractiveness in the D20 system. For me it just sucks, period.

 

[The King]

I am going to sit on the other side of the fence on this and state that the Hyboria series are the finest player supplements ever written for a game line. They added needed environment details that were missing in the Conan Core, added variants to classes that show how one can tailor the classes to meet certain needs without adding 20+ prestige classes, what prestige classes that were brought forth were very campaign specific and fit well with the game line as a whole.

I agree with you on Hyboria's fiercest where the wilderness rules are essential to an Hyborian age setting and should have been included in the core rules.
The same is true with a full page on the Iranistani race (in Hyborian's finest) which should have had its place in the rule book.

I am not so pleased with the class mixtures but I admit there are great to create NPC's on the spot.