I tried to download the pdf-file Van Richtens Guide to the Mists at White Wolfs homepage but I can't open the file. I installed the newest Acrobad Reader and downloaded the file a few times on different computers.... but I still can't open it. I wrote an email to White Wolf asking for help but I got a fairly rude answere. ("Thousand of other people had no problems with our file!")
Does anybody had the same problem?
Can anyone send me the file or be of any assistance to get the Guide?
I wrote an email to White Wolf asking for help but I got a fairly rude answere. ("Thousand of other people had no problems with our file!")
What a nice answer! It reminds me of the times the FoS tried to make projects with them.
But more surprising is that they knew they hosted this file, given the attention they gave to the setting
Does anybody had the same problem?
Can anyone send me the file or be of any assistance to get the Guide?
I could sent you my PDF copy too, should you need it.
Joël
Darn.
Chris Nichols
What a nice answer! It reminds me of the times the FoS tried to make projects with them.
But more surprising is that they knew they hosted this file, given the attention they gave to the setting
Van Richten's Guide to the Mists has several flaws, but I'll just discuss the big one(s). Lesser problems can be discussed later. The central problem is this...
Van Richten's Guide to the Mists is an ill-advised product that presents ideas already present in the setting in a oblivious and clumsy manner, and exhibits a lack of understanding of several central design tenets of Ravenloft.
This central problem is reflected throughout the text. For instance, it has always been one of the central tenets of Ravenloft design that you do not define the Dark Powers, ever. Yet, VRGttM clearly equates the Mists with the Dark Powers, and further portrays the Mists as sentient and malevolent. Defining an area that is supposed to be ambiguous and up to individual DMs to determine is not a good idea.
Then consider the Fugued, an ostensibly new mechanic and monster type. But the Fugued do nothing that can not be duplicated by a few simple Mist-themed powers check failures. Why re-invent the wheel?
Later we have feats the allow PCs control over the Mists. Yet the previous design paradigm was that control over the Mists was very rare, limited to Vistani, anchorites, and a handful of darklord created spells. Again there is a lack of understanding of Ravenloft's basic design philosophy.
Oubliettes are a horrible idea that ignores one of the fundamental ideas behind Ravenloft's cosmology. Every place in the Mists is a domain. Every domain has a darklord. No exceptions. Further, oubliettes are merely a badly broken recapitulation of pocket domains. Again, VRGttM reinvents the wheel - and does it poorly.
We can *again* see a lack of attention to and understanding of the setting throughout much of the latter portion of the text. In Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol. 2, Salizarr is comfortably located in Il Aluk as a ghoul. Yet here he is, a bizarre Mist-tainted adversary of Gennifer and Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove with his name spelled incorrectly to boot.
In the introduction to the DM's material, the idea of Mist creatures as Bogeymen is expounded at great length. But this very topic had just been addressed, and in considerably better form in the Ravenloft publication immediately proceeding Van Richten's Guide to the Mists, Dark Tales & Disturbing Legends. This is exactly the kind of sloppy, half-assed editting that resulted in two wildly different versions of Barovia appearing in the back-to-back releases Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol. 1 and Champions of Darkness.
Lastly, Van Richten's Guide to the Mists reveals too much, too fast. Laurie and Gennifer are far more experienced and competent than they have any right to be, even if they are devoting every waking moment to monster hunting. Additionally, the set-piece revelation of Richten Haus is flatly un-necessary; the revelant adventure was laid to rest in 2nd edition and left the final ending up to the individual DM to decide based on the needs of their campaign. Short of a Time of Unparalleled Darkness mega-adventure/campaign supplement or a conclusion to the Weathermay-Foxgrove's writing and adventuring, the final fate of Richten Haus and Rudolph Van Richten just didn't need to be addressed.
In short, Van Richten's Guide to the Mists was an ill-advised and un-necessary product that showcased both the fundamentally lack of understanding or respect for the philosophies and history that had gone into Ravenloft's design over the years and the poor state of editting and quality-control that marked much of 3.0/3.5 Ravenloft.
Chris Nichols
You're not alone. I have a similar problem, I don't have a computer of my own so I use my folk's and they are notorious for not updating software.
Hi there,
I tried to download the pdf-file Van Richtens Guide to the Mists at White Wolfs homepage but I can't open the file. I installed the newest Acrobad Reader and downloaded the file a few times on different computers.... but I still can't open it. I wrote an email to White Wolf asking for help but I got a fairly rude answere. ("Thousand of other people had no problems with our file!")
Does anybody had the same problem?
Can anyone send me the file or be of any assistance to get the Guide?
Yes, I did have the same problem. I spent hours and used 4 different computers to try to get the file to work. I had actually downloaded it earlier to a stick disk (which I couldn't find when I tried to get it a second time). The earlier version works just fine! As far as I know, it doesn't work now. I hope you got an older version of the file ok.
Are you sure that you have Acrobat version 7? I re-downloaded VRGttM from the WW site, and had the same problems opening it that you did at work where I have version 5.0 (stupid mega-corporation IT policies!), but I could open it at home with no problem where I have version 7.0.
What version of Windows do you have (if Windows)? If it's 98, your SOL. It only supports up to Adobe v. 5.
You're not alone. I have a similar problem, I don't have a computer of my own so I use my folk's and they are notorious for not updating software.
I downloaded it fine. I used the same computer 3 weeks later and it wouldn't work. I have Windows XP and Adobe v. 7. It's not us, it's them. I still have my older version so I'm ok, but they really need to fix it (if they haven't already).
Ivid and Gotten:
I would love to get the file from you both! (Just to be on the safe side!!!)
My eMail adress is: [email]glitzer_lilly@yahoo.de[/email]
CatmanJim and Tykus:
I tried it with Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows ME and Linux (I don't which version!).
I have Acrobad Reader Version 4, 5 and 6... so, perhaps I should try Version 7!
[b]
In short, Van Richten's Guide to the Mists was an ill-advised and un-necessary product that showcased both the fundamentally lack of understanding or respect for the philosophies and history that had gone into Ravenloft's design over the years and the poor state of editting and quality-control that marked much of 3.0/3.5 Ravenloft.
I still want to have it because I like to have a complete collection!
There are some very... well, bad is not the right word! Let's say... strange AD&D adventures for Ravenloft, too. But I bought them for my private "library", even though I kept on asking myself "Why should any player do this?"
(i.e. I liked "Adam's Wrath" but to be honest... why should any sane character jump into a grave with a tombstone displaying his/her name?)
It did however open up in Adobe GoLive, which is internet software.
so atleast you are not the only one who couldn't ;)
i think it was a problem with WWs servers