Q: Plans to update older modules like Ravenloft and Demonweb Pits?
A: There are more coming and WotC is looking feedback from fans on what they would like.
Q: Is WotC doing more adventures in a box and short adventures?
A: There is a lot more material headed to shelves in the future beyond whats been announced.
Q: Expedition to Castle Greyhawk coming?
A: Already on the list as items being looked at for production.
Publishing *anything* is a money grab in a money making industry. Some folks self publish or the like just to have their name on a "real" book, but otherwise publishing something is for the money. If WotC wants to update their classic modules, they can. Redoing Greyhawk Castle is no different than any other reprint of a GH product. They are all material they acquired from previous owners being redone.
Castle Zagyg
you realize that CZ isn't realy the original Castle Greyhawk, it will not use the original maps or encounters... instead of being brutaly honest to the original, troll lords and EGG have decided to redo it all "in the spririt of the original", in this regard it is little better then then TSR's greyhawk ruins IMO (although the quality might be better) it is still not going to be the "real" Castle Greyhawk.
That said, I'm tired of Castle Greyhawk in all its past and future incarnations. I'd much rather see a completed Maure Castle (from Dungeon by RJK) compiled into one book much along the lines of the AP's they are doing.
Ditto.
Castle Greyhawk, however, is better than nothing. After all, maybe some stuff will come out...
That said, I'm tired of Castle Greyhawk in all its past and future incarnations. I'd much rather see a completed Maure Castle (from Dungeon by RJK) compiled into one book much along the lines of the AP's they are doing.
I don't think you realize how sad this makes me feel. It has been a decade and a half and two concussions since I went through Greyhawk Ruins. I know I can't remember hardly any of it at least not in enough detail to have too much of an effect on the outcome of the crawl. My gamer firends are more unfamiliar with the ruins than I am (having not done it themselves) as I'm sure are a ton of younger gamers. Why the hatin on the castle ruins? How is playing that any different than the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil or any other rehashed adventure? Maure is a good adventure but it doesn't resonate with me like the Ruins did. I'd hate to pass up Castle Zagyg just because it's loosely based on an idea that's been done before.
Just my two Commons. :D
Besides, Maure Castle (in the form of Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure) was more memorable, imho, than Greyhawk Ruins. Dunno about the magazine additions, since I don't have those. But if they published a Maure Castle book or some other lightly touched on classic locale, I'd be happy to buy it. If they reprise a module they've already published, I'll probably just look at a friend's copy (if one is available) or pass on it completely. The only one I actually bought was Return to the Keep and that mainly to replace the very faded maps on my original.
If they did such a book, I'd hope they bring some details on the city and the region as well, and *shazaam* 10.000 new Hawkers out there... ;)
http://p085.ezboard.com/fpiedpiperpublishingfrm3.showMessage?topicID=114.topic
Rob clarifies things a bit, saying that "marketing direction" is the focus of the differing opinions that led to his departure from the project.
Given the comments on Troll Lord's Blog, it seems that Rob was more interested in maintaining originality and staying true to the original maps and encounter notes, while Gygax and TLG want to instead focus on a more general "original feel".
http://trolldens.blogspot.com/
If this is the case, I think that GH fans should applaud Rob's stance. IMO, if the Castle Gygax and TLG are working on now is not to be the original castle, it's no better a "Castle Greyhawk" than Greyhawk Ruins is.
edit: although I am embarrassed that Rich's links above no longer work... :embarrass here is a onk to the blog refered to above BLOG
besides how does
Nope. Gary said otherwsie. Now you deal.
jive with this quote from troll lord games?
Gary believes a revised and coherant set of new levels that have the same feel and spirit as was in the original versions...
and
Of course the new versions of the dungeon levels...
Nope. Gary said otherwsie. Now you deal.
Since Rob has offered explanations of things on his forum that do not conflict with TLG's statements, and Gygax has shown a seriously vicious tone toward Rob on DF of late, honestly I could care less what Gygax says, I'm inclined to believe Rob and TLG. Sorry
edit: although I am embarrassed that Rich's links above no longer work...
http://trolldens.blogspot.com/
http://p085.ezboard.com/fpiedpiperpublishingfrm3.showMessage?topicID=114.topic
http://trolldens.blogspot.com/
http://p085.ezboard.com/fpiedpiperpublishingfrm3.showMessage?topicID=114.topic
Either that second link is broken or they've deleted the info. I'd like to see Robs side of the story, knowing fullwell that Gygax is a bag of hotair of course. I'd like to tell him as much next year at GenCon too
but I probably won't.Go to http://pied-piper-publishing.com/
Click on "Forums" just under the logo banner
Go to "The Herald" forum folder
Go to the thread titled: "Resignation From the Castle Zagyg Project"
There you are.
And for simplicity sake, here's what Rob had to say there:
As many already know, I have resigned from the CZ Project.
The reasons are well known by my closest associates and by Gary Gygax. Stephen Chenault was in contact with me before the resignation was official and there was some last minute discussion between Gary and myself concerning the direction of the Castle Project.
I must state now that I hold no ill feelings towards Troll Lord Games nor for Gary, I wish them all the success in the World with these and other projects, and they deserve all of what they get for their hard work.
But, I must set the record straight for public consumption. Stephen Chenault's press release on this, particularly this quote from it, "Several weeks ago, Rob offered Gary his resignation, citing time constraints created by other projects," is not entirely correct. I actually cited other reasons more important than time constraints and being busy with other projects.
This quote is correct,"There was also a difference of
opinion in the marketing direction which Rob wanted to take the
project."
In fact this was the major difference and was tied into the first one hand-in-hand.
Creative people will have different takes on things, that's life. One man's vision may very well be another's mightmare.
I wish TLG and EGG all the success in the world with this and other projects.
Rob Kuntz
Hmm, the post is there, not sure why this forum wont get the link right. Oh well, here's the deal:
Go to http://pied-piper-publishing.com/
Click on "Forums" just under the logo banner
Go to "The Herald" forum folder
Go to the thread titled: "Resignation From the Castle Zagyg Project"
There you are.
And for simplicity sake, here's what Rob had to say there:
Thanks CD. I'd say RJK's statement is far more, humble, diplomatic and courteous than the Troll Lords', eh?
I appreciate Rob's candor and willingness to stay "true" to Greyhawk more than Gary's issues with being stuck in the past. (But then again I am a Greyhawk fan first and a Gygaxian fan second.)
To me it's more about the contents than the idea, if Gary's new idea for Castle Y is better than his old stuff for Castle Greyhawk, great. If not, then I will take a pass. It's hard to be nostalgic about something that was never printed.
Greetings and salutations, Colonel!I'd much rather have a healthy Gygax and wait for a finished CZ....
Please do take it easy. I think we'd all prefer to have you around to answer our questions for many years to come! :wink:
Thanks kindly :D
Steve was being a bit over-optmistic when he made that claim. What I am doing is preparing a detailed "bible" for the base work, and we'll go from there. What the current situation means is that I will have to do about three times the work I have had to do to manage the direction of the 24 Yggsburgh Town & Suburbs Detail modules, with more up-front preparation because there is not a published main source for a basis.
I should be doingf that work now...and cmpleting further polishing of the Lejendary AsteRogues game core rules genre expansion of the LA game.
Cheers,
Gary
The full post is dated Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:23 am on page 17 of Gary's Q&A thread (about 2/3 of the way down the page) at http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18691&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=240
I'm hopeful that that means that there will be a goodly chunk of "true" Castle GH content in the CZ books, but regardless they won't be 100% Gygaxian products
I've probably created hundreds of adventures in the last 25 years. Would I use my original notes and maps if I was willing to publish any of them? Of course not. Some parts were just not good enough and would be rewritten or, at least, severely edited. Some parts were designed focusing in my players and thus would make no sense in a product aimed to a generic audience. I would say that Gygax would have the same problem with his notes and therefore I found natural that he's willing to recreate the experience without trying to paste his personal notes into the published version.
So, Gygax will not use the original notes but rather a new version in the spirit of the original campaign? Would you expect something different? The World of Greyhawk boxed set is one of my favorites D&D products. However, it's very different from Gygax & Kuntz's Greyhawk campaign, as geography and mythology were completely rewritten to publication. Does it matter so much?
it doesn't actually matter at all... I think CZ is going to be an excellent product... however it is not going to be "the original Castle Greyhawk" that so many people seem to think it is, and I think that they should be aware of that fact is all.
Now don't get me wrong. I agree that WotC should do something with Greyhawk or pass it on to someone who will, that something is going to involve selling it at some point, unless there's some rich gaming philanthropist who doesn't mind losing a couple of hundred bucks a year putting out GH supplements.
Anyone know Bill Gates' phone no.? :D
Gaming Report provided this video of the D&D Sneak Peek seminar.
http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=22048&mode=thread&order=0
Do yourself a favor, and go straight to the end.
Going back on topic...
Gaming Report provided this video of the D&D Sneak Peek seminar.
http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=22048&mode=thread&order=0
Do yourself a favor, and go straight to the end.
I saw the nice illustration of the Mordenkainen look alike scrying a castle in his crystal ball. Yeah, considering the speaker asked his audience to really pay attention to the slide, I guess it is a confirmation of EtCG, although I would be more excited if I could interpret this as an indication of a Greyhawk hardcover.
If it's a supplement you can bet everything in your Heward's Handy Haversack that I'll be buying one.
Go Mona!
That proves nothing. You have no point or evidence to back it up. My original statements stand. Real deal. End of story.
You are, of course, correct. CZ is the "real deal". It's really CZ, and it's really (at least to the extent that TLG and EGG decided to make it) related to CG in some way.
So far, what's published of CZ is a description of a city. It's not a bad city as things go, but it's just a description of a city setting. Period. It's the "real deal" as far as that city goes, but it doesn't really bear any resemblance to tFCoG nor to any of the smaller cites or towns in the original Greyhawk setting.
For those, like me, who were hoping for a book that continued to bring life to the Greyhawk setting, this ain't it. It might do very well, but it's just not Greyhawk, real deal or no.
That said, I think it would be a fine setting to put certain 12-issue adventures into once there's more than one of the books published, and it would be better for players who want background on the world than having to say, "go find yourself some OOP books."
But, then that's true of LOTS of the d20 settings published by any number of publishers.
PS: My take on CZ is based on a reading of the book at my local game store while my copy is en route. When I get it at home, I'll spend some more time with it and see if my opinion changes.
Whatever it is, it's definitely Greyhawk related. If Mona's working on it, I think he'll do his best to make the castle as sourcebook-like as possible. If it is a source book, however, then look out!!
As best we can tell from Erik's statements, the EtCG book is almost done (or done by now), and yes he's doing it. It will be published in the later half of next year, and has a VERY nice cover with a certain neutral wizard gazing into a crystal ball that in turn contains an image of Castle Greyhawk's ruins, almost exactly as pictured on the cover of Greyhawk Ruins (see this image for the original).
This information comes from statements of Eriks, where he as said that he's working on something that's almost done, and that Wizards talked about it at GenCon and from a talk at GenCon where Wizards showed cover art from as-yet-unannounced items from next year.
EtCG is coming.... I'm trying not to get excited, but it's hard.
I asked at Erik at Gen Con if there was any chance that he would be doing anything with Castle Greyhawk in Dungeon magazine and he said that it was not an option. I should have asked if a published adventure from Wizards was possible.