* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Voyage of the Princess Ark back in Dragon (Mystara) Started at 02-13-06 07:43 AM by havard Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=586650 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : havard Date : 02-13-06 07:43 AM Thread Title : Voyage of the Princess Ark back in Dragon (Mystara) So.. I assume everyone has heard about this by now? :) http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=583120 To me it certainly is a pleasant blast from the past! :) Håvard -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : chatdemon Date : 02-14-06 01:02 AM So.. I assume everyone has heard about this by now? :) Call me a cynic, but I'm not at all excited by this. If you recall the VOTPA compilation thread last year on Paizo's forum, Erik Mona stated quite clearly that an old school, BECMI style article isn't possible, so what we're looking at here is Princess Ark 3e. My dislike of the d20 system has grown to the point where I probably wont even bother picking this up. No offense to Bruce at all, I take his comments about having little love of or knowledge of 3e at face value, but I expect the Paizo editors to "d20-ize" his manuscript thoroughly enough to alienate the old school fans they are trying to lure back to the newstands with this article. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : Agathokles Date : 02-14-06 03:58 AM No offense to Bruce at all, I take his comments about having little love of or knowledge of 3e at face value, but I expect the Paizo editors to "d20-ize" his manuscript thoroughly enough to alienate the old school fans they are trying to lure back to the newstands with this article. I'd not be that sure -- I mean, certainly they'd not accept an article on D&D game mechanics, if you consider what Bruce said, it's not that he's going to write the article for D&D, it's that his manuscript is basically rules-free. Now, of course Paizo could then attach an appendix on skyships or Haldemar's stats in 3e -- but that would simply be ignored. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : havard Date : 02-14-06 08:31 AM Call me a cynic, but I'm not at all excited by this. If you recall the VOTPA compilation thread last year on Paizo's forum, Erik Mona stated quite clearly that an old school, BECMI style article isn't possible, so what we're looking at here is Princess Ark 3e. My dislike of the d20 system has grown to the point where I probably wont even bother picking this up. Erik actually did mention the distinct possibility of releasing the collected VotPA unedited as a pdf. That would mean BECMI D&D rules. OTOH, OOP D&D rules will never appear in Dragon, even if paizo wanted to since WotC would never allow it. The upcoming VotPA article will have little of interest for those who are interested in BECMI D&D rules, but care nothing for the setting, but for fans of the Mystara setting, this will be the best news since january's Campaign Classic's issue, or I suspect even better! :D Håvard -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : Agathokles Date : 02-14-06 09:16 AM The upcoming VotPA article will have little of interest for those who are interested in BECMI D&D rules, but care nothing for the setting, but for fans of the Mystara setting, this will be the best news since january's Campaign Classic's issue, or I suspect even better! :D Actually, since the Rakasta article back in DM247, as, AFAIK, there was no significant content in later DMs that was relevant to (A|O)D&D Mystara. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : chatdemon Date : 02-14-06 12:39 PM Actually, since the Rakasta article back in DM247, as, AFAIK, there was no significant content in later DMs that was relevant to (A|O)D&D Mystara. That's pretty much my feeling. The "return to the Lost City" campaign classics article was pretty good, but otherwise, despite bearing the Mystara (or one of its sub-settings) logos, the articles are so Mystara lite that they should just label them generic. That's what I fear with this Princess Ark article. That, and it's debatable, but to me, making an article 3e gives it a certain style a flavor that is popular now, but has little in common with old school D&D, be it Classic D&D or AD&D. If I could be sure that the article, despite being rules-lite and 3e format, would still have the style and feel of the old Known World setting, I'd be all over it, but I simply can't. After 5 years of hoping that some Mystara or Greyhawk product will recapture the old feel of the game, I've given up. Besides, there's plenty of stuff here and on Pandius to keep me busy for a long time. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 7] Author : havard Date : 02-14-06 02:26 PM Actually, since the Rakasta article back in DM247, as, AFAIK, there was no significant content in later DMs that was relevant to (A|O)D&D Mystara. Although the Lupin, Diaboli and Monsters articles were very generic and carried little new Mystara material, the first Campaign Classics issue carried alot of Mystara information. The article that stood out as being the most useful, was the one on the Hollow World, and the Ka worshipping Malpheggi Lizardmen, which had not been covered to a great degree previously. So far none of the fans seem to have caught up on it much though, probably since the Hollow World is not the most popular area of Mystara. The main good thing about the articles being run in Dragon is that they remind people that Mystara exists, and although I doubt it works to attract many new fans, it might catch the interest of people who have journeyed to our world in the past, but have forgotten about it. As chatdemon says, very little can beat the stuff that is on www.pandius.com, but recruiting more contributors never hurts. I have a bit bigger expectations to this article though, since it is written by Bruce. Whether it will capture the feel of the old rules, well, that depends what you think they are. I think it will capture the feel that VotPA used to have, which is more than enough for me :) Håvard -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 8] Author : weasel fierce Date : 02-14-06 11:21 PM On the off chance that it will be good, I'll propably pick up these issues, when it comes out. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 9] Author : Agathokles Date : 02-15-06 03:34 AM Although the Lupin, Diaboli and Monsters articles were very generic and carried little new Mystara material, the first Campaign Classics issue carried alot of Mystara information. The article that stood out as being the most useful, was the one on the Hollow World, and the Ka worshipping Malpheggi Lizardmen, which had not been covered to a great degree previously. So far none of the fans seem to have caught up on it much though, probably since the Hollow World is not the most popular area of Mystara. I've seen the indexes of the two HW articles, and the discussions on the MMB when they were released, and from what I've seen I can't say there was much of interest. Basically, lots of rules info (spells, classes), and an odd idea about the Azcans draining power from Ka, and the Malpheggi trying to stop them. I've really much higher expectations for Bruce's article. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:18 AM.