Second Age Differences

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

You know, I've been doing some thinking on this, and it strikes me that the Second Age is going to be very different to the Glorantha we all know from before. It's the "Age of Empires", and that necessarily implies a higher level of cultural sophistication. In the Third Age, we were still seeing and dealing with the effects of the cataclysmic events 500 years previous. Hence the more primitive level. But in the second, well, Dragon Pass (and the surrounding areas) is gonna be the center of a huge empire, so there will be little or none of the barbarian tribes we're used to. The West won't have been destabilised by the Syndics Ban, so that will be even more "civilised" than in the 3rd. The lack of a Closing will mean more commerce, more trade, and more intermingling of cultures, as well as plenty of time for those to have had an effect.

All in all, it's possible that we may even wind up with a pseudo-medieval Glorantha on our hands...

 

[andakitty]

Yes, maybe Renaissance level. That weapon list includes some decidedly not bronze age weapons...rapiers and halberds. I bet it's going to be a shock, not at all what most old RQ players are expecting.

 

[atgxtg]

I wonder if the choice of a Second Age setting was to help separate RQ from HeroQuest. THis way both games are no longer set in the same time, and people can't complain as much about how one game handles magic, rune lords, etc. compared to the other. :idea:

Now Greg can say, "Yeah, it's differenet, but things change after all that time?"

It also helps to justify why MRQ's magic system is differenet than RQ. MAybe the EWF or the God-Learners (more liekely) did something that changed the way things work. It gives Greg an excelllent "way out" of any complaints.

 

[andakitty]

All that and the fact that Mongoose doesn't have to worry about Third Age canon so much?

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

I wonder if the choice of a Second Age setting was to help separate RQ from HeroQuest. THis way both games are no longer set in the same time, and people can't complain as much about how one game handles magic, rune lords, etc. compared to the other. :idea:

Now Greg can say, "Yeah, it's differenet, but things change after all that time?"

It also helps to justify why MRQ's magic system is differenet than RQ. MAybe the EWF or the God-Learners (more liekely) did something that changed the way things work. It gives Greg an excelllent "way out" of any complaints.

All that, and a little bit of canon-avoidance to boot. It's good when what you're writing doesn't conflict with what the original creator envisioned.

I know for my part, in detailing the magic of the Dragon Mystics and the God Learners, that I went to pretty big lengths to make it mesh with Greg Stafford's overall vision, to the point where we even talked on the phone for an hour when the emails got too dense.

A lot of what forum talk I've seen seems to set up the God Learners and the Dragonlords as antagonists or enemies for the PCs. Personally, I'd rather be part of those empires than work against them. They make awesome antagonists - especially against each other - but in the Imperial Age there's a lot of work to be found (and story hooks to be plundered) in allying with (or being power-players in) the two warring empires.

 

[Ravage]

... that I went to pretty big lengths to make it mesh with Greg Stafford's overall vision, to the point where we even talked on the phone for an hour when the emails got too dense.

Well.. As least for the first time since prowlling and scouring MRQ and it's forums for details has the burning issue of Greg's involvement/sanctions been spoken of.

As long is it meshes with the Glorantha we know and love and therefore expands a relatively unpopulated period of time in Glorantha's history as far as I can see, then I'm doubly pleased with my pre-orders!

And, having followed your link to "my blogs" and consumed that, its refreshing to see your plundering 3rd age releases and yet-to-be released published works it only goes to show more that meshing is a key factor in MRQ!

Keep it up !

 

[atgxtg]

It's good when what you're writing doesn't conflict with what the original creator envisioned.

I know for my part, in detailing the magic of the Dragon Mystics and the God Learners, that I went to pretty big lengths to make it mesh with Greg Stafford's overall vision, to the point where we even talked on the phone for an hour when the emails got too dense.

I bet. THat is one of the reasons why there is always a sort of undercurrent for Chasoium/Issaries/Mongoose to produce a non--GLoranthan setting for the RPG, being it RQ, HQ, or MRQ. It gives the company a chance to print something without worrying about GLorantha and pleasing Greg.

In my own experience as a GM, I've spent years running campaigns set in various fictional setttings-Young Kingdoms, Glorantha, Middile Earth, Star Trek's Federation, Arthurian Britian, etcf.

Pleatying in a pre-made setting has lot pf benefits, inclding fully fleshed out cultures and a timelene that can be vary helpful, but it also can be something of a straight-jacket. It can make it all that much more rewarding when I created my own worlds, since I could then do what I wanted without worry about contradicting the ogffical setting or timeline.

The one Pendragon campaign idea that I always wanted to run, but never got around to was to have one of the PCs succeed in drawing the sword from the stone. I could have his father step up and explain how the PC was in fact, Arthur,the son of Uther Pendragon, and has been raised in secret. I always considered that it would be a very interesting take on the Pendragon campaign.
:shock:

 

[Ravage]

I bet. THat is one of the reasons why there is always a sort of undercurrent for Chasoium/Issaries/Mongoose to produce a non--GLoranthan setting for the RPG, being it RQ, HQ, or MRQ. It gives the company a chance to print something without worrying about GLorantha and pleasing Greg.

...and good luck to them!

But I'm here for the Glorantha, and only glorantha. If I had more time to spare role playing (difficult with job, mortgage and kids compared to my youth!) I'd expand my horizons.

I want and wish Mongoose every success with the system, thats why I pre-ordered! And I agree that Mongoose should use whatever realms or alternate universes as they can to pull in whomsoever they can

I'm just pleased that the authors have contact with the big cheese so at least it fits the overall Gloranthan mythos!

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

I'm just pleased that the authors have contact with the big cheese so at least it fits the overall Gloranthan mythos!

Trust me, no-one's more pleased than me. I made it clear to Greg that either him or some massive fans giving me hell for diverging from the overall vision, intentionally or otherwise, is one of my nastiest game-writing nightmares.

I don't know how much Mongoose High Command has already disclosed on the topic, or how much they want to disclose, but Greg is assuredly involved on some level.

 

[Urox]

A lot of what forum talk I've seen seems to set up the God Learners and the Dragonlords as antagonists or enemies for the PCs. Personally, I'd rather be part of those empires than work against them.

I Picture MQ* as a lot like what playing Lunars in the 3rd Age would be like -- you are most likely going to belong to one of the highly organized and magical empires, or be oppresed by one of them.

*I find MQ (for MongooseQuest) the easiest to pronounce, and I think the game is going to be different enough from RQ1-3 that it should have a different monniker (especially given that it seems there will be more non-Glorantha material than Second Age stuff).

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

...you are most likely going to belong to one of the highly organized and magical empires, or be oppresed by one of them.

Bingo.

These guys dominate the world of Glorantha, shaping it with their hubris and warring over matters completely above the heads of most mortals. It's a case of taking a proactive role and siding with the empires (as a merc, a member of the society or a noble, f'rex) or living your life as best you can by resisting these duelling states.

I can only speak for what I've personally written in regards to content, but when I wrote Magic of Glorantha, the main thing that hit me right from Day 1 was that the 'magic of Glorantha' in the Imperial Age was essentially the magic of the God Learners and the Dragonlords. Everything else had its place, but that's what 90% of my focus had to be on if I was going to do them justice, since they were by far the biggest power players on the scene.

 

[Urox]

I can only speak for what I've personally written in regards to content, but when I wrote Magic of Glorantha...

Is that the MQ Magic of Glorantha? And if so, will we be seeing any previews?

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

I can only speak for what I've personally written in regards to content, but when I wrote Magic of Glorantha...

Is that the MQ Magic of Glorantha? And if so, will we be seeing any previews?

Yeah, I'm a Mongoose writer, so I'm talking about the forthcoming one, not any previous releases bearing the same name.

I don't control the preview side of things, 'cuz I'm just a lowly wordsmith. I do, however, post occasional previews on my blog, both in case anyone gives a damn and so I can look back and remember what I was writing at the time. There are slices of Draconic Mysticism on there a few updates back.

Note that anything work-related up there is C&P'd from the Word.doc in progress, so it's pretty first drafty.

 

[Urox]

Yeah, I'm a Mongoose writer, so I'm talking about the forthcoming one.

Ack! I think many of us have been playing RQ longer than you've been alive!

Is your boardname (Dead Blue Clown) MQ related?

 

[andakitty]

I think I like MRQ better. It looks like it is going to be a worthy successor and I think it will deserve to be known as Runequest. 'Mongoosequest' strikes me as another way of saying 'ha, ha, it's not really RQ' . IMO, of course.

From what I can see it has a great deal in common with both RQ and Stormbringer, but it brings its own flavor to the table. If I'm right that is going to make for a killer game, especially when you factor in the new OGL. Unless I am proven wrong lets give it the respect it deserves and a fighting chance.

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

Ack! I think many of us have been playing RQ longer than you've been alive!

Hey, I'm 26 next month! That's pretty old, right?

Is your boardname (Dead Blue Clown) MQ related?

Nope. It's about a recurring nightmare I've had for about 10 years.

 

[atgxtg]

I think I like MRQ better. It looks like it is going to be a worthy successor and I think it will deserve to be known as Runequest. 'Mongoosequest' strikes me as another way of saying 'ha, ha, it's not really RQ' . IMO, of course.

From what I can see it has a great deal in common with both RQ and Stormbringer, but it brings its own flavor to the table. If I'm right that is going to make for a killer game, especially when you factor in the new OGL. Unless I am proven wrong lets give it the respect it deserves and a fighting chance.

I think it is either going to be a great version of RQ or it's going to go dwn in flames as "SuckQuest". We all know next month. Either we will all be praising the new game, or brandish torhces and pitchforks (Hmm, "Torches and Pitchforks, the villager roleplaying game. See how the other half lives" )

 

[atgxtg]

Ack! I think many of us have been playing RQ longer than you've been alive!

Hey, I'm 26 next month! That's pretty old, right?

Okay, It's offical. I have been playing RQ longer than Dead BlueClown ahs been alive! :shock:



Dead Blue Clown has read some RQ stuff, sometime during those 26 years, right? It's not like they put the rules into the hands of just any clown.

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

It's not like they put the rules into the hands of just any clown.

Nah.

A Dead Blue one. :lol:

 

[andakitty]

We will indeed see. Right now I am leaning toward great or 'playable with minor modifications'. Very minor. And I am trying very hard to be optimistic without getting slaphappy and setting myself up for a fall. :wink: