I agree. Apparently a lot of posters are more concerned with the look of the book rather than what's inside. For $10 I don't see why it's such an issue.
I think it is a huge issue actually, not for me, but for the company. I only very recently got into the game, and would like to see it do well. I picked it up and flipped through it because the book looked awesome. I am a sucker for leatherette books, especially with the gold foil lettering. My limited edition Castles and Crusades books are very similar. I just picked up the One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild from Cubicle7, and it has some of the most gorgeous artwork I have ever seen. Does that make a game? Of course not. But it does evoke mood, feeling, and atmosphere. It does set a flavor for people glancing at it on a store shelf. I think marketing-wise this cover will be disastrous; it does nothing to evoke the epic mood that it should, but is rather bland, uninteresting, and slightly preteen. I for one will be a bit sheepish about carrying that book around, so I will get the pdf and print it with a cover of my own devising most likely.
If it isn't at the printer already, I would beg Mongoose to alter the artwork. At the very least loose the artwork and keep the logo only, though I don't care much for that either. There is only logo on my RQ2 books, but they look fantastic, so I don't think its a must.
I hated to even post this on the boards, but I am concerned for the product....it is way too awesome to get the cold shoulder by potential customers who won't give it a chance when they see it on the gamestore shelf.
