Road of Kings - first impressions

Dear all,

These days I am thoroughly devoted to the reading of this book. I have only started, but I already consider it one of my most priced possessions of my Hyborian library.

Regarding its map, which appears not less than three times IIRC, my impression continues being that the Hyborian Western has been more than a bit oversized, especially Aquilonia.(Has always been the map in GURPS Conan the ‘canon’ map for the Hyborian Age?) And once corrected that Akbithana thingie… now a funny ‘Yaralet’ appears in Northern Corinthia (where it wasn’t supposed to be; I think it was a Zamorian town). A great work nevertheless, but I have always been subjectively partial to ‘my’ Tim Conrad’s map of the Hyborian Age. Or to the quite similar one in:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/mapleleaf/site_fichiers/HyborianAge01.jpg

The descriptions of the different kingdoms and peoples have been fleshed out more than a bit apart from the ‘canon’, as it couldn’t have been any other way. There is not enough information in the original books by Howard. (Another piece of subjectivity: I can accept some ‘information’ given in the pastiches, but feel usually uncomfortable even with the names quoted in the comics - not to speak about ‘Aquilonian legions campaigning in Aesgaard’ or the ‘Nemedian Navy’…). Even different 'theories' are offered when introducing, for instance, the ancient kingdom of Acheron.

Again, I think offering this information is most correct, because it is up to the GM and his/her group to decide what pieces of it are being used or not. I would only ask more references about where first those bits appear (in which comic, which novel, and so on).

Some data are given in a ‘too much encyclopaedic way’. For instance, if you read that the inhabitants in some town in Shem are accurately 2,485 and in another one 1,113 you can only start wonder how many newborns and deceased are going to be next week (increase the last figure immediately after Conan wandering over there… and also the first one, but 9 months afterwards!). Idem when the number of ‘dungeons’ errr, castles is given.

No more ‘problems’ have been detected for the moment. :wink:

A great book indeed!

P.S.: Please, before answering me, go back to my first and last sentences. Now you can proceed.
 
Möhbius of Numalia said:
now a funny ‘Yaralet’ appears in Northern Corinthia (where it wasn’t supposed to be; I think it was a Zamorian town).

When I wrote the book, I used Howard's text, not de Camp's rewrite. De Camp moved the city of Yaralet to the position you are thinking of. Howard didn't say exactly where it was, but internal evidence suggests Corinthia.

On this page is a bit of research you might find interesting: http://www.barbariankeep.com/cnchronds.html

Scroll down to Hand of Nergal (or do a search/find on Yaralet).
 
OK, I see.

So this Yaralet wasn't 'funny' at all and there is even one 'problem' less to complain about. (I was convinced Conan was part of a Turanian army at the beginning of the tale.)

Great work man!!!
 
The map scale for Stygia is half what it should be, too.
 
I second that request for a poster map, that would be awsome.
 
My roomie and I have b/w poster sized maps from the original book.
The map is available online, get it converted to the file type of choice on the kinko's website, take the disc down and tell them you want a 2x3 or a 3x4 map printed out. They will even laminate it. Our laminated map cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $30, but it's HUGE!
Smaller ones are available as well. They even made an accidental second copy which they gave us.

If you want color, they charge a bunch for it, but the B&W maps look incredible even a 3 feet by 4 feet, so if you want a poster sized map, it is very worth the money.
The price was around $18 for an unlaminated copy, if I recall correctly.

Anyhow, they're great fun to have around, guys.

Later!
 
I just saw the book at my FLGS, but didn't buy it. It looks decent, but pretty much all the art is terrible and/or garish except for the Quilliams cover and the NPC portraits in the back. The interior maps were small, ugly and totally unhelpful at a glance for measuring distance (why can't we have hexes superimposed?). The big new world map is not nearly as crisp and clean as the core rulebook's, and Akbitana is missing. Why can't they get the world map right just once? Is it too much to ask?

I don't like the fact they decided to leave in bad art instead of Argos/Zingara maps. I read it was a page count thing, so why not cut the ugly art and give us the maps we paid for, don't try and force us to buy another book to get them... these are mainstream countries, not "specialty regions" like the Pirate Isles. Once again, the GM's section is woefully incomplete. Vincent's text looks pretty sweet (but sparse in spots) from the skimming I gave it. But my group hasn't played any RPGs in months (damn this real life intruding upon my weekly night of escapism), so even though the book was 10% off, I didn't buy it. If we ever get gaming again, I'll probably pick it up.
 
Iron_Chef said:
I don't like the fact they decided to leave in bad art instead of Argos/Zingara maps. I read it was a page count thing, so why not cut the ugly art and give us the maps we paid for, don't try and force us to buy another book to get them...

According to Mongoose Old Bear, the real problem was that they didn't have the cartographer time to get them done for the publication - yeah, I know, it's a weak excuse. I wonder if they should get a second cartographer for backup - there seem to be more and more of them now.
 
Jason Durall said:
Iron_Chef said:
I don't like the fact they decided to leave in bad art instead of Argos/Zingara maps. I read it was a page count thing, so why not cut the ugly art and give us the maps we paid for, don't try and force us to buy another book to get them...

According to Mongoose Old Bear, the real problem was that they didn't have the cartographer time to get them done for the publication - yeah, I know, it's a weak excuse. I wonder if they should get a second cartographer for backup - there seem to be more and more of them now.

Oh, right. I remember that now. They should have bought less crappy art and bought more maps from a better cartographer. The ROK cartography --- the main reason to buy the book aside from the text --- was woefully inadequate and disappointing. And no art is better than bad art! That horribly amateurish art really knocked the production value down in my mind --- that type of art I'd expect from some start-up pdf company, but not from an established company. I certainly understand that no product can be "perfect" but I expected more from a $35 hardcover, esp. after the goofs in the first two Conan releases.
 
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