State of Mongoose and RuneQuest

[soltakss]

OK, so nobody has raised any questions about the State of Mongoose on this forum, so I might as well.

There is an official discussion thread http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41510 but that's probably going to be along the lines of "Jolly good", "I can't wait for such-and-such supplement" and "Why can't we have my favourite setting in Traveller".

Looking at the State of Mongoose (SOM), a few things really stand out:
1. Traveller is the be all and end all of Mongoose games.
2. Traveller is having several settings dedicated to it.
3. All-Hail the Mighty Traveller!
4. RQ is getting an overhaul with a lot of current material recycled into "new" supplements.
5. The Eternal Champion line is getting overhauls with the core rules being stripped out, with Elric and Corum (hooray) coming out next year.
6. Glorantha is going all meaty on us, with Pavis and the Abiding Book.
7. Mongoose are publishing some Fantasy Earth material - one Medieval and one Viking.
8. The current line of RQ books is being heavily discounted, so might be worth getting.
9. Living Glorantha sounds interesting but doesn't have much detail.

Overall, it looks like Mongoose are trying to do an awful lot. They are supporting a large number of lines and are likely to be spread really thin. Because of this, RQ is probably not going to be a big priority.

The Abiding Book looks interesting as well. More Godlearner juiciness coming soon. The Pavis book is obviously going to be good as is the EWF book. I'm, not sure what to make of the Races of Glorantha and Cults of Glorantha, are they going to be rehashes of the curent Cults and Elfs/Trolls/Ducks/Other Beasty books or are they going to be new things entirely?

As a fan of Alternate Earth settings, it's interesting that Deus Vult and a Vikings supplement are coming out next year. In my opinion we can't have too many of this kind of supplement - not everyone wants to play in Glorantha or Moorockian settings all the time.

No Lhankmar or Slaine, though, which doesn't mean that they are being dropped.

So, a mixed bag overall. Lots of new material, mostly Traveller, but some meaty RQ stuff. Hopefully the RQ supplements won't be overwhelmed by Traveller. Perhaps they will be better co-ordinated and will make up a more cohesive whole rather than a set of disjointed and contradictory supplements.

What does everyone else think?

 

[Loz]

Cults of Glorantha will be a complete, comprehensive, reworking of the previous cults volumes.

Both 'The Abiding Book' and 'Tenets of the Inner Dragon' (previously referred to by me as the EWF Bumper Book of Fun) will both be deep-dive cultural settings books with significant crunch for generating God Learner and EWF characters that really are different to the usual tropes.

Elric needs an overhaul to ensure it meshes fully with RQII - and it gives me the opportunity to revisit and expand some things that had to be chopped from the first edition. Corum I'm really looking forward to. How it will develop, I don't know, but I am seriously considering making it fully flexible to adventure in either of the two Corum ages.

RQ is getting a lot of attention. There are some additional projects that we haven't talked about yet, and won't for a while, that have got me extremely excited. Living Glorantha is where you're going to see a lot of scenario material being made available. No detail on that yet, but its forthcoming for 2010 and will be a great resource.

 

[TrippyHippy]

My impression is that Traveller and RuneQuest are the almighty lines. The only difference is that Traveller has largely lived up to it's marketing potential, whereas RuneQuest still needs a bit of work.

It's a pretty fair summary.

I am looking forward to all these releases, in one way or another. Having Traveller and RuneQuest, along with a variety of settings for each, on the shelf does meet about 80% of my (RPG) gaming needs, it has to be said. The other bits are made up with CoC, mainly.

 

[Rurik]

Overall, it looks like Mongoose are trying to do an awful lot. They are supporting a large number of lines and are likely to be spread really thin. Because of this, RQ is probably not going to be a big priority.

I kind of disagree with this. They are dropping Conan and all 4e support, including moving their first 4e setting to RQ. They are out of minatures for the moment, so if anything they are more focused than when MRQ1 came out. Excepting Paranoia, they currently have 2 RPG Rulesets they support, Traveller and RQ.

Traveller sells more, plain and simple. I am sure that if RQ sold more than Traveller it would be their first focus. But there are two new settings for RQ, and some new material for Glorantha and Moorcock. Yes there is also some re-hash, which will be inevitable, but at least the re-hashing seems to be fixing some past problems with the material - I like that the players guide and GtSA are being combined (and expanded on) into one book, as are the Cults books.

I see it more as that MGP has consolidated into two core systems, MGT and MRQ. They plan to expand their business froim these two systems again, branching back out into minatures again and so on. But right now RQ is a pretty big part of their core business - probably more so than when MRQ1 came out.

 

[Tal]

First, I am excited about the Corum and the Multiverse book. Hopefully they will each have supliments. These two books will have me investing in MRQII.
Loz, I hope the Corum book does have both eras. I have the darksyde book and the second era really interests me more, but being greedy I want both ! Hopefully we get a tech book for Hawkmoon. How long will we have to wait for release of the first EC book? I would settle on what quarter of the year. Hopefully we get some of the Sci-fi worlds of the Multiverse, but I not holding my breath on that one.
I would love to see Slaine and it's mentioned suppliments come out for MRQ II. But for now would settle on some info. I liked what I heard so far about MRQ II and will be checking out S&P Dec. issue for more info. Hopefully we won't be getting carrier books for each carrier, like Traveller.
I'll look at the Vikings book. Hopefully we get a celts book. Wraith recon and Deus Vult, just don't interest me at all.

 

[vistikos]

Both 'The Abiding Book' and 'Tenets of the Inner Dragon' (previously referred to by me as the EWF Bumper Book of Fun) will both be deep-dive cultural settings books with significant crunch for generating God Learner and EWF characters that really are different to the usual tropes.

Hrestol be praised!

Lots of info on this "Illumination" thing I hope...

 

[weasel_fierce]

Can I swear on this forum?

Because I am fucking psyched and stoked about the new Runequest.

 

[Newtus]

I'm absolutely stoked by the annoucement regarding MRQ2. It seems like a reallly good refocus and relaunch of the of the line I know from conversations with Loz that the effort has been spent on ironing out the wrinkles.

I think a big hurrah re:Living Glorantha is in order! What better way to introduce new players to the setting and retain old gronards in the fold.

I'm waiting with baited breath to see if MRQ2 is OGL. Not because I want to do another system off it (I've got my hands full with OpenQuest), but because I want to run the new game and then publish a gorgeous setting/adventure book. My only regret with MRQ1 was that with other gaming comittments I didn't get a chance to play it much. Hopefully as a long time RQ fan that won't be the case with MRQ2

 

[The King]

It seems interesting but I'll wait until I have the books in my hands.
I remember some books, including Castle of Lead, were already scheduled. What happened to them?

 

[Deleriad]

This does all look pretty exciting. The living Glorantha idea has really caught my eye: if this means there's a focus on playable, accessible scenarios set against a striking background then I think that'll be great. If there's good oversight as well so things fit together then even better.

It does look as though they've tried to rationalise their work into two house systems: one for sci-fi and one for fantasy. Looks like they're going to experiment with Traveller for modernish setting. Personally I would like to see a RQ Now setting. I actually think the current version of RQ is well suited to a Die Hard style action hero genre though clearly that may change with MRQ2.

 

[SnowDog]

Interesting news, indeed.

I am very interested to see the new MRQ2 when it comes out. I know that it will be too late to make any wishes but I do it still. I hope that this set of rules is even more removed from the Glorantha setting than the previous version as it is clear that MRQ2 is supposed to be a core book for multiple settings.

As for setting books Vikings, Wraith Recon and Deus Vult all sound like good fun. Otherwise I would give Vikings a pass but recently I have been reading Northerner comics and anything that might touch my home region (even if indirectly) is interesting. Deus Vult seems like Catholic version of Assassin's Creed and a lot of intrigue. Very promising.

Wraith Recon was the only reason why I bought D&D 4 PHB but I never came around to read it through and so I had to give the Wraith Recon a pass, too. Now is a new chance. How much the setting will change from D&D 4 version? I suppose Mongoose is not allowed to use all the races in D&D 4 in their own game.

While the RQ Modern would have been fun to have I very much doubt that we will see it because I think Traveller will cover that one.

I, too am sad that there were no news about Slaine. Then again I really liked the old Slaine stories instead of newer ones. Hmm... to be precise I like the new stories a great deal as comic book stories but the background is not as great for roleplaying purposes as the old one (the one represented in d20 Slaine).

Finally, to another barbarian. I really hope that Mongoose is making a bidding for the Conan license and this time using MRQ2 and that they get the license. The setting is great and it has been great fun to read the d20 Conan but what can you do when the system is just not your coup of tea. But enough of that, I don't want to stir any system wars here...

 

[Vile]

Well, this is disappointing ...

Will RQ2 have open content with an SRD?

No.

 

[Da Boss]

I must admit I would have prefered some new Eternal Champion books (Corum Erekose, or even a new one - or a generic Eternal Champion rulebook) rathe than yet another version of Elric ( i ahev quite a few) even it is arguably the most evocative. Aa generic EC Rulebook could be good in covering the varied technologies, magicks, religions and general differencs between the worlds of the multiverse.

 

[AxeMurder]

All these promises and such sound great but here's what I really want out of a revised RQ/Glorantha that I didn't get out of the first one:

A combat system that reads as if somebody actually tried using it before publishing it.

Completeness of basic info such as which spears are 1handed and which are 2 handed.

A cult system where initiation isn't more difficult then becoming a RuneLord

Return of abdomen only armor (go skirts!)

The Magic systems to all function (Spirit Magic?!?)

Rules for Heroquesting other then ones that say everybody make a theology test, those that fail don't get to go on the adventure.

Calendars of holy days for various pantheons so I don't have to cobble one together from 234982376 different online sources

I guess as a long time fan of RQ (although not as long as some, I never played it before the Avalon Hill version) I have high hopes for the game, I sincerely hope Mongoose gets it right this time.

 

[medievaladventures]

Well, this is disappointing ...

Will RQ2 have open content with an SRD?

No.

Extremely disappointing. I guess people will just have to support OpenQuest instead of the new RuneQuest. I don't understand the decision since they are basically going to two "main" systems for their business and Traveller has an SRD and the old MRQ had one.

 

[Rurik]

Yup, very disapointing. I posted a follow up in the main State of the Mongoose Thread asking what 3rd party support if any is offered. BRP is not open but at least it seems not to difficult for a 3rd party to produce supplements for it.

I am very surprised about this really - as is mentioned there is a Traveller SRD and MGP had seemed pretty supportive of open gaming.

Boo.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Maybe the problem has something to do with the licensing relationship between BRP and RuneQuest. It does appear to be a bit odd that the SRD is dropped, but actually all this does is mean that 3rd party can still provide compatible material via the other brands, as you say.

Ultimately, what is the difference?

Actually, the Conan news is probably the saddest news in the announcement. I think a lot of gamers would have seen RuneQuest: Conan as something of a holy grail......

 

[AxeMurder]

Also will there be a price reduction on pdfs of the current RQ stuff?

 

[RosenMcStern]

all this does is mean that 3rd party can still provide compatible material via the other brands, as you say.

Ultimately, what is the difference?

Something called brand recognition, perhaps?

Please remember that all this debate, and the whole RuneQuest line, stems from the fact that Issaries redeemed the trademark for the name RuneQuest and eventually licensed it to a publisher that had adequate resources to support it. The trademark only, no rules. If Greg Stafford, who is now the Great Old One of RPGs after Gygax and Arneson left the world of mortals, thinks that brand recognition is something worth having, I tend to believe him.

 

[Rungard]

I hope the new books include new artwork.

8)