Said we Wouldn't do it, but. . . Opinions Wanted

[Nerroth]

The only book I'd want to see re-done was the Earth Alliance book - if for nothing else than to 'correct any misinterpretations of the source data' when it came to the country profiles...

(And yes, getting Ireland out of the UK and back into the EU would be top of my list!)


Ahem.


Gary

 

[lastbesthope]

Just thinking about the topic name, new plans afoot to possibly do something Mongoose said they wouldn't, which they wouldn't need to do if they'd already done something they said they would.

:lol: :evil: :roll:

Irony, thy UK headquarters may be in Swindon.

LBH

 

[Mick]

A big book of NPC templates, the type of book you can said a need a 10th level NPC, what would they have, eg: 10th level ranger, 10th level black market trader. Basic soming you throw together a NPC in under mintue

 

[Traveller-61]

ShadowScout wrote

Reprints with BG fixes, rewrites and new stuff though... I'd buy that for a bunch of euros.

I'd go for that as well. I don't think I'd pay for a straight reprint (with 2ed updates) but for new stuff and especially more pics of vehicles NPCs etc - yes.

DW

 

[Shadow Queen]

Yes please and what about a trade in?

 

[thedarkelf007]

I see no problem with releasing a "revised" version of this book.

But that is if:

1) The stats / classes / rules are all compatible with 2nd Ed This includes ships being buildable under new rules...

2) All the new features from point 1 are available free to download

3) New content, not just updated stats. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but most revisions have new content, not just updated content. one of the things you can do with the fact book, is expand upon how influence can be used with the content of each book. Such as influence with specific centauri houses, earth alliance corporations...

4) I'd probably buy it anyway, as I like the system and prefer books over PDF's... thoough if it was just fluff, I might have a hard choice between it and other things that are new...

 

[Chobbly]

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days now, and held off posting.

Getting the 2nd Edition statistics in Signs and Portents would be great - and would certainly help to satisfy the voices that want their 1st Edition supplements to be made compatible with the second edition. However, when it comes to simple reprints I don't know. There would certainly be a market for some people who wanted a 'complete' collection of 2nd Edition material. How big that market is, well, I'm no expert so it would be foolish to guess.

Me personally, I'd like to see something a bit different for Second Edition. This might be a bit controversial, but I'd like to see the Rangers book split up, because to me that book didn't flow as well as it could, specifically between the 'past' of the Rangers and their 'future' with the ISA.

A new Minbari Federation book. I really liked August Hahn's Minbari book, and would like to see a slightly trimmed down 2nd Edition version of it. The space saved could be used to include a chapter or two on the Rangers, prior to the establishment of the ISA. New content could be sections on Ranger training, and how the differences to how the Rangers operated when under Minbari control compared to their new operating profile after the Shadow War. Featuring the Minbari-era Rangers in this book (given that they are a secret Minbari force after all) would allow the opportunity for the Rangers' history to track a little closer to the show. Perhaps maybe even pulling in some more material from the 'In Valen's Name' comic series.

An Interstellar Alliance era book. This could pull in some of the Season 5 book's contents (as the ISA is formed), information on the ISA era Rangers pulled from the Rangers book including the White Star variants, etc. Whilst the Rangers book had diagrams and equipment aplenty, that never quite 'sat' right with me, but would be more at home in the Interstellar Alliance era, as the ISA era Rangers are much more high-profile. This book could be a perfect 'foil' to the Drakh book.

A reprinted Earth Alliance Fact Book. This was pretty comprehensive as is, change the racial feats to representing humanity being a 'diverse populace'. Maybe even a bit extra from the EarthForce book.

A combined Narn and Centauri book. Whilst both of these in 1st edition are good, some elements don't seem to fit in 2nd Edition. The 2nd edition Influence rules, in particular, mean that I would not use the rules for status in Centauri society. I could see the Narn and Centauri books being slimmed down a little and combined. There would also be a substantial level of irony with Narn and Centauri being featured in the same book, but not on the same page... 8)

Just a few thoughts...


Chobbly

 

[Mage]

Well, I have second edition books only, and I prefer the covers on them to the older ones. If I have to convert everything, I would not mind actually buying revised ones.

 

[nezeray]

I personally don't have that many 1st ed books for B5, but if I did, I'd want to be able to buy JUST the updated stats, clarifications in a PDF. This way, you don't have to turn over your 1st ed books to still be able to use them.

This reminds me of the reason that I haven't played the Star Wars D20 RPG since the first year it came out. I bought the first release of the book, all of the suppliments that were available. When WOTC announced that they were updating the book when Episode 2 came out, I thought, "Great, surely they'll give us the stats for the new characters." Those never came. You had to buy the NEW book to get the new stats. I refused to buy that book on frear that they'd do the same thing when Episode 3 came out. A new revision never came out. I was so frustrated with the whole thing that I haven't played since. All they had to do was support those who bought the original.

Nezeray

 

[thedarkelf007]

Off topic a little, the new SW game is coming out, though it looks like it might be pinching a little of the idea's from b5...

It's the "saga" edition and covers all the films...

and wizards has released some errata which includes characters and vehicles from the new movies...

unlike the revised edition, the new edtion in a rewrite of the rules and will most likely make a lot of the other books hard to use.

Though on the bright side, they have included updates for all previous books (at least the main books) for people to use classes and stuff from them. (not that they release much in this space )

I can't see how the new version will work..

Back on topic, there is not a lot that would have to change vs the 1st edition. Maybe a re-work of stats, and that should be easy to drop in a 2nd Ed update PDF of the book. Even if they republish the book.

 

[zalen]

Hi, everyone, i am new to this forum and the B5 rpg, (Beent a Star wars d20 gm and player for years). Just purchased b5 2nd ed. Got a few 1st ed books from a friend. Someone mentioned there was supposed to be a conversion document, if so when? and Where? and how? (PDF?). I myself am a starship freak and would like to see a starship conversion document.

If Mongoose publishing have their own printing facility now, will that mean that the books will have a Recommended Retail Price on them in Pounds Sterling (£), as i have had enough of being price gouged, b5 2e $49.95, costed me £30.00. When it suppose to cost around £25.00 given the current rate of exchange.

So please Mongoose publishing why not start a new trend by putting a RRP on the back in more than just *#*#*# Dollars. Americans are not the only roleplayers you know!!

Oh can we have a Black on a white version of the Ship Plans, as they are very difficult to read in their current format, i have the g'quan and i have noticed mistakes on it as well.

 

[Kaelthas]

I'm just curious...I don't have the 2ed just yet and I was wondering why just about everyone feels that a new edition of the technomages fact book should be put out? Have the rules changed so much as to make the information presented in that book invalid? Not that I'm complaining about a new edition being printed (because I will buy it) but just wondering is all.

 

[Swampy]

The 2ed rules for technomages are in S&P 39 and 40. However the spell lists are only the changes for 2ed so you will still need the book to play a technomage.

 

[Kaelthas]

Yes I know that...I have nearly every 1ed book up to the point that they put out the 2ed main book...which does include the technomages fact book. What I don't know is why most people feel the need for a 2ed version of the technomages book. I'm just curious why people feel that it's needed is all.

 

[Swampy]

Your guess is as good as mine. I suppose they want in all in one place for convienence. As for myself I wouldn't go out and buy it as soon as it is released but I have no doubt that I would buy it within a month. :?

Don't ask me why, I guess I'm just a fanboy.

 

[CharlieMonster]

It seems like a reasonable plan to me, like a lot of other posters, I won't be rebuying books I already got, but I'd be happy to get the titles on my "to do" list with full on 2nd Ed content & covers.

Hate to be negative, but I never really liked the 1st Ed Technomage sourcebook, but I'm probably naive enough to give the 2nd ed one a go. Probably doesn't help that I never really liked, where the Technomage trilogy took the Technomages. (here come the "flames"! Heigh-Ho!)

 

[Natxomann]

Believe it or not , I second your ideas on the TM trilogy and the technomages powers (as per Jane cavelos) . I always thought that the Technomages were a wonderful idea by JMS , given the fact that to a point , the B5 universe is heavily based on the Arthurian (and medieval) mythos , so , as in the ancient tales of the middle ages , there is an order of (non-evil) magicians or wise men , who can , in some circunstances , help the heroes of the story , or even to become heroes by their own right .
As they appear in season 2 , the TMs are powerful enough to be feared by most people , given the fact that all interstellar societies are heavily dependant on technologies that can be easily manipulated by a technomage , and this was more or less the path taken initially by the Mongoose chaps when they wrote the season 2 sourcebook (where the first incarnation of the TM appeared) .

 

[Jiraiya]

Hi guys,

We have an opportunity coming. Mongoose is about to invest in its own printing facility. There are lots of benefits to this but one of the spin offs is that when we reprint a book, we can make changes on the fly to it. For example, I have never personally liked the cover to our first Drow War book, so when it gets reprinted, we could change the cover - very easy to do, no harm, no foul.

Now, about Babylon 5. . .

What we _could_ do on Babylon 5 reprints (and, potentially, all B5 books sold after a specified point) is a) give them brand spanking new 2nd edition covers and b) revised 2nd edition text. Now, this won't be a complete re-write and layout - they'll be the same books, but with updated stats. There are certain books that would require a re-write (Technomages comes to mind), but I think most could be updated.

So, would you like us to produce, say, a 'revised' Minbari Federation book with a new cover and 2e stats. . . or not?

My initial reaction was yes, but after reading the rest of the posts, it was promised that 1e/2e conversions would be provided....

I am with LBH on this; if nothing else I would like to see updated stats, as most of the 1e books are primarily source material.

Jiraiya

 

[Mage Ash]

I would only by a 2nd techno-mage book if it had new material in it beyond just updated stats. I have no problem with 1st techno-mages and think that they are usable as is.

Its the same with the racial books, as most of them are fluff I don't see a need to spend money on a book with only some minor stat changes but the same exact fluff.

 

[longrangebob]

Having been in the business before, I understand the need for inertia. And 2nd ed with things smoothed out would be cool, the needed tweakes and all.

THen do addendum books, perhaps a new group of Mimbari ships, the latest and greatest, since the only new ship is the big pink baloon, um Naroon. New ships with fluff and counters. This would be excellent. THere are enough races so that new and varients would be easy, say a quarterly release?

THen you could do the same with VAS. :lol: