Castle Brass - Sabbak's Report

[Sabbak]

Hello,

Just to give my opinion on the Castle Brass supplement for Hawkmoon that I've been able to read.

Average mark: 5.5/10

-> Text and background (x2): 7.5/10
-> Illustrations and maps (x1): 2/10 (not "1" because of the cover and new logo)

As too many times with Mongoose products I'm quite upset with this supplement...

The ideas, the background described, the NPC descriptions are good. All is very close to the saga but is more deeply described. Unfortunately some typos remains... this is not a huge problem but gives the impression that the proofreading process has been made VERY quickly.

Another small disappointment is the so called "Tarnished Brass campaign". The basic idea is good, the NPC descibed are full of interesting perspectives but... it will demand a HUGE amount of time and work from the GM to make it playable (otherwise you can also run it like a completely freestyle improvisation but that's not why I'm purchasing a RpG supplement).

And then we must talk about the interior artwork...
That's a shame.
Simply.
This is said without hate or passion but only with a real disappointment.

* The map of the Kamarg (p. 3) is undetailed and unusable (and with a french mistake "Petite Rhône" instead of "Petit Rhône").
* Only one quarter of Aigues Mortes as been depicted as a zoom! It lacks the 6 others... and I find this is not a good idea to make this cheap photoshop "blur" effect...
* The map of the bullring is so poor that it brings nothing to the game.
* The map of the towers is ridiculous: the "floor plans" are those ones of Castle Brass!!!
* The maps of Castle Brass itself are so pixellated that we believe we are back in 1980!
Have you seen some Warhammer RpG maps guys? THAT is what one can make in 2008!

The interior illustrations are ranging from good (unfortunately only few in my opinion like: Zhonzhac Ekare, p. 46) to ridiculous (p. 12) or pixellated (p. 28)...

Fortunately there is two positive points "on an artistic point of view":
1) The cover illustration is very good, both well drawn and depicting very well the mood of Hawkmoon's Kamarg.
2) The new Hawkmoon logo is excellent, far better than the first one...

A last advice: we are in 2008 now and it's not more possible to ask your little brother (12 yrs old) to make professional RpG illustrations and/or maps. Otherwise people have the upseting imporession to be taken for pigeons.

So, that's just my opinion, the goal is always the same: contributing to future better products.

 

[Loz]

Thanks for the report Sabbak. Sorry you're (largely) disappointed.

Another small disappointment is the so called "Tarnished Brass campaign". The basic idea is good, the NPC descibed are full of interesting perspectives but... it will demand a HUGE amount of time and work from the GM to make it playable (otherwise you can also run it like a completely freestyle improvisation but that's not why I'm purchasing a RpG supplement).

This was deliberate. The aim of the supplement was to present enough background detail in the descriptions of the Kamarg, Aigues Mortes and Castle Brass itself to run adventures in a freestyle way, bringing into play whatever elements are pertinent to the campaign from those described in the background text. Too often players do something that derails the overall plot, or the plot tends to railroad players in a particular direction - I wanted to avoid that. You're right that a GM will need to do some work (not sure I agree that this will be a huge amount, but certainly work will be involved), but then again, just about every adventure or campaign is going to require effort from the GM to make it right for his players, their characters and the overall campaign. So Tainted Brass was an attempt to offer a background with lots of scope, settings to support that scope and enhance it, plus a freedom of structure so that the campaign itself can slot more easily into existing campaigns, or form a self-contained one if you want to play exclusively in the Kamarg.

But again, thanks for the feedback. All comments appreciated!

 

[Trifletraxor]

Is this for RuneQuest? I see that both Hawkmoon and Elric! are categories which contain supplements which are not found in the RuneQuest category. So what system is it?

SGL.

 

[Loz]

Just to give my opinion on the Castle Brass supplement for Hawkmoon that I've been able to read.

:wink:

 

[The King]

Is this for RuneQuest? I see that both Hawkmoon and Elric! are categories which contain supplements which are not found in the RuneQuest category. So what system is it?

SGL.

MRQ.

I suppose they received their own categories because several sourcebooks are published/scheduled.

 

[Trifletraxor]

MRQ.

I suppose they received their own categories because several sourcebooks are published/scheduled.

Hmm... strange they still have some Hawkmoon and Elric books (but not all) in the RuneQuest category then. :?

SGL.

 

[Sabbak]

Thanks for the answer Loz,

Firstly I must emphasise that my disappointement is first and foremost aimed to the interior artwork.

The aim of the supplement was to present enough background detail in the descriptions of the Kamarg, Aigues Mortes and Castle Brass itself to run adventures in a freestyle way, bringing into play whatever elements are pertinent to the campaign from those described in the background text. Too often players do something that derails the overall plot, or the plot tends to railroad players in a particular direction - I wanted to avoid that.

Of course I understand that.
But, you know, I'm no more 17yrs old now and with a familial and professional life... let's say "quite full", I'm beginning to appreciate more "easy to run" scenarios (like the ones in "Secrets of TE").
Of course that's just my personnal preference.

Let's say also, that I prefer to have a kind of "railroaded adventure" wich I feel free to modify according to my player's decisions (obviously 50% NOT in the expected rail!) rather than just disparate bits of information that I have to memorise and handle freestyle.

Of course the best is to have both: a good and well described background (and I've said this is the case in CB) AND a deeply described adventure!
Dreaming, dreaming...
:wink:

Anyway, thanks to Mongoose (and you) to have given a rebirth to Hawkmoon, a game that I play for almost 20yrs!

 

[Loz]

No problem with your personal requirements, Sabbak! Its the eternal dilemma of the writer: how much to railroad; how much to freestyle. An ideal scenario probably has a balance of both approaches.

 

[Krimson]

* The maps of Castle Brass itself are so pixellated that we believe we are back in 1980!

I thought this was an overreaction, but then I checked out the book, thinking of buying it, and for the first time a map stopped me from buying a book.

Yeah, its harsh. Maps should never look like they were made in MS Paint. Vector graphics scale, raster do not. o.0