New review up at RPG.net
- Thread starter Yuan-Ti
- Start date
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Mongoose
He posted the same review on other boards. He is Trancejeremy on ENWorld. He's has the review there for a couple days.
I apparently liked the art better than this fellow.
Also, keep in mind that this guy knows very little about Howardian Conan, having gotten most of his experience through a couple of pastiches and the Arnie movies (he likes Grace Jones for cryin' out loud!). But it was nice to know that even an uneducated soul like this can recognize the allure of the setting. That means the writers put their hearts into the writing (something I commented on in my own review).
Also, keep in mind that this guy knows very little about Howardian Conan, having gotten most of his experience through a couple of pastiches and the Arnie movies (he likes Grace Jones for cryin' out loud!). But it was nice to know that even an uneducated soul like this can recognize the allure of the setting. That means the writers put their hearts into the writing (something I commented on in my own review).
Johannixx said:
Hehe, I liked Grace Jones in Boomerang with Eddie Murphy, and some of her pop songs/videos like "Demolition Man" and especially "I'm Not Perfect, But I'm Perfect For You." Disliked her in A View To A Kill and Conan The Destroyer, but she was better than that idiot who played the thief sidekick (although he was better than Damon Wayans as Snails in the D&D movie). :wink:
Overall, I'd say the review was pretty fair. Some bullet points:
- I disagree about needing to break up the "Scholar" class, mostly because in REH's works, Scholars are usually either villans or sideline characters anyways. And since there are no real references IIRC to acquiring power directly through divine sources (like D&D priests), a "Scholar" is a fairly generic term for any bookish nerd in the game, be they priest or sorcerer. Since I'm not a big fan of classes to begin with, that's fine by me.
- In a similar vein, I don't really think the magic is all that thin. Conan isn't chock-full of fireballs, fly spells, and walls of force, so there's no real justification for packing this book full of over-the-top magic. Sorcery should really be a tangental factor of tthe game, not the end-all-be-all that it was (and is?) in D&D.
- The art I thought was fine, although I do agree that the topless girl should have been drawn better. There's some sort of warrior woman seen throughout the book that i think is a little over the top (her sword is like eight feet long, for crying out loud...), but overall it's not bad.
- The editing comments he made are spot on. I think most of us are willing to forgive it "because this is Conan and therefore awesome", but if it was a less glamorous gaming product, I wouldn't have paid even the $34 I forked over, never mind $50.
- I disagree about needing to break up the "Scholar" class, mostly because in REH's works, Scholars are usually either villans or sideline characters anyways. And since there are no real references IIRC to acquiring power directly through divine sources (like D&D priests), a "Scholar" is a fairly generic term for any bookish nerd in the game, be they priest or sorcerer. Since I'm not a big fan of classes to begin with, that's fine by me.
- In a similar vein, I don't really think the magic is all that thin. Conan isn't chock-full of fireballs, fly spells, and walls of force, so there's no real justification for packing this book full of over-the-top magic. Sorcery should really be a tangental factor of tthe game, not the end-all-be-all that it was (and is?) in D&D.
- The art I thought was fine, although I do agree that the topless girl should have been drawn better. There's some sort of warrior woman seen throughout the book that i think is a little over the top (her sword is like eight feet long, for crying out loud...), but overall it's not bad.
- The editing comments he made are spot on. I think most of us are willing to forgive it "because this is Conan and therefore awesome", but if it was a less glamorous gaming product, I wouldn't have paid even the $34 I forked over, never mind $50.
Yeah, I was disappointed that they traded in Subotai for Malick, though he did prove amusing (and eerily similar to one of my PC's) at times. For example, when I ran my group through the Crypt of the Horn, the Thief stopped and tried prying out 'shinies' despite the fact that the evil sorcerer was wizarding the front door open. The borderer had to literally drag her, kicking and screaming about 'shinies', through the tunnel, and almost lost her when he had to stop to clear away the rubble from Bombaata's doublecross.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Mongoose
Geezer said:That movie was some of the worst I have ever seen. I don't know what anyone involved with the movie or TSR/Wizards where thinking. It's worse than a really really bad episode of Xena. ARGHH!
:shock:
Yeah, it made Red Sonja look like a best picture didn't it.
Infidel-X said:
No doubt! I think had he been able to play the role again Conan the Destroyer would not have been as bad as it was
It still would have been bad, because the focus had shifted from the gritty, intelligent, adult material of the original to sanitized brain-dead kiddy-crap. It was a betrayal of everything that had come before and killed any chance for the movie franchise to continue---it also helped kill sword & sorcery as a viable genre for filmmakers everywhere.
Putting The Rock in King Conan: Crown of Iron is like stabbing a hot knife in my groin and a fabulous way to destroy the movie franchise all over again. That big lummox can't act! The Scorpion King was only slightly better than Kull, and that ain't good. Bodyslam old Rock-head back into the wrestling ring where people appreciate that kind of macho posturing that poses for "acting." Next, the King Conan soundtrack will be full of rap-metal nonsense like Korn instead of Basil Polidouris.
Iron_Chef said:Infidel-X said:
No doubt! I think had he been able to play the role again Conan the Destroyer would not have been as bad as it was
It still would have been bad, because the focus had shifted from the gritty, intelligent, adult material of the original to sanitized brain-dead kiddy-crap. It was a betrayal of everything that had come before and killed any chance for the movie franchise to continue---it also helped kill sword & sorcery as a viable genre for filmmakers everywhere.
Putting The Rock in King Conan: Crown of Iron is like stabbing a hot knife in my groin and a fabulous way to destroy the movie franchise all over again. That big lummox can't act! The Scorpion King was only slightly better than Kull, and that ain't good. Bodyslam old Rock-head back into the wrestling ring where people appreciate that kind of macho posturing that poses for "acting." Next, the King Conan soundtrack will be full of rap-metal nonsense like Korn instead of Basil Polidouris.
Ya know after The Scorpion King I thought so too... but then I saw "The Rundown" and he was pretty good. his acting abilities seem to get better with each movie. unlike Anuld who just plays himself in each movie he's made!
Johannixx said:
Yes. I heard several rumors:
1) Wachowski Bros. lost rights to do Conan movie because they were too busy with crappy Matrix sequels.
2) Arnold can't do King Conan because of his new job as Der Fuehrer of Kalifornia (soon to be President Ahnold if he gets his way and amends the US Constitution).
3) Arnold could do King Conan but in a much smaller capacity, with The Rock playing Prince Conn and being the *gag* focus of the film.
Iron_Chef said:
The Wachowski bros. lost all my respect after Matrix: Reloaded, and even more after Matrix: Revolutions.
Iron_Chef said:
He'll never get that amendment passed, guaranteed. Not in today's culture of rampant nationalism and paranoia. The relative benefits or drawbacks of this arguement don't really belong on a gaming forum, though, so I'll leave it at that
Iron_Chef said:
That... That's just hideous. Hideous and so very very wrong on far too many levels.
No, they need Milius, Poledouris and Mako. Nothing else will do.
