Matt Forbeck was the main designer for Mindlords of the Last Sea.
Enjoy.
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It has bee rumored that Mindlords of the Last Sea was heavily cut and edited from the original manuscript that you produced and that so much of what you had written was cut out that it soured your opinion of working for TSR ever after. Although this verges on rumor-mongering, is this true? And if so, do you remember what sort of content was cut out? Why it was cut and edited so drastically?
I've never heard that rumor before, and as far as I know it has no
basis in fact. I rarely closely read my work once it's in print. By
that time, I've been over it many times already.
With Mind Lords, my editor accepted it with no changes requested. I was
thrilled and would have been happy to do more work with TSR. However,
two things happened then.
First, TSR went through one of its periods of not using freelancers
then and hiring people in-house instead. They offered me a job sometime
around then, so I don't think they weren't happy with my work. Moving
work in and out of house is a cyclical thing they did many times.
Second, I co-founded Pinnacle Entertainment Group with Shane Hensley
around then. My time for freelancing feel off sharply.
Ugh and blech...
Anyway, of course, only now I thought a question I wished I had asked with this Q&A. I noticed there were certain similarities on the surface between some themes in Mindlords, and the old British television series called The Prisoner, and whether that provided any inspiration. I'm serious. If anyone has read ERB's John Carter of Mars books, and then looked at Dark Sun, the similarities are stark. The same thing happened when I watched The Prisoner after I had already read through Mindlords.
Dang it! Dang it!
Ah well, thanks again Nyt!
Regards,
Eric Anondson
Anyway, of course, only now I thought a question I wished I had asked with this Q&A. I noticed there were certain similarities on the surface between some themes in Mindlords, and the old British television series called The Prisoner, and whether that provided any inspiration. I'm serious.
I ought to send that to him and see what he says, heh.
Don't recall that show though I'm not quite cool on my obscure british shows yet, hehe.
If anyone has read ERB's John Carter of Mars books, and then looked at Dark Sun, the similarities are stark.
I've through part of the 2nd book now and am already noticing all sorts of similarities.
My only thought is, if Troy and Tim kept doing Dark Sun, and it never got cancelled, we would have finally found out about that huge body of water and would probably have seen some interesting things tied to it (I know in JCoMs books it was more or less the heaven of Mars with some nasty guardians).
Ah well, thanks again Nyt!
Anytime.
Just hoping I don't crash and burn on the Tim Brown one.
Anyway, of course, only now I thought a question I wished I had asked with this Q&A. I noticed there were certain similarities on the surface between some themes in Mindlords, and the old British television series called The Prisoner, and whether that provided any inspiration. I'm serious. If anyone has read ERB's John Carter of Mars books, and then looked at Dark Sun, the similarities are stark. The same thing happened when I watched The Prisoner after I had already read through Mindlords.
When I saw those big balls, that's the first think I though... DAMN it's the prisoner!
I ought to send that to him and see what he says, heh.
Don't recall that show though I'm not quite cool on my obscure british shows yet, hehe.
It was a series that lasted only a single year. 13 or so episodes (I think 30 minutes a piece) in all. You should be able to get the series via NetFlix. I own the DVD set.
It has been called one of the most intellectual television entertainment programs ever. IMO, it is far above Twin Peaks because The Prisoner actually deals with serious issues of freedom, free will, Big Brother, etc. Of course, it was BBC of the 1960s, so... expect the same quality of sets and action choreography. ;)
When I saw those big balls, that's the first think I though... DAMN it's the prisoner!
When I saw that, my thought exactly, it's Rover! (See the Prisoner, and you'll get that reference.) :P
Regards,
Eric Anondson
Hey, Nyt. Did you think of asking Forbeck the follow-up about the remarkable similarities between The Prisoner and Mindlords?
This bump reminds me.
Hey, Nyt. Did you think of asking Forbeck the follow-up about the remarkable similarities between The Prisoner and Mindlords?
Dah!
I knew I forgot something.
Sending now...
I don't recall consciously modeling Mind Lords of the Last Sea after
The Prisoner. I was a big fan of the show, though, so it's possible
that some of the same themes leaked through as I designed the set. I
know I had a copy of GURPS The Prisoner on my bookshelf at the time.
It was a series that lasted only a single year. 13 or so episodes (I think 30 minutes a piece) in all. You should be able to get the series via NetFlix. I own the DVD set.
It has been called one of the most intellectual television entertainment programs ever. IMO, it is far above Twin Peaks because The Prisoner actually deals with serious issues of freedom, free will, Big Brother, etc. Of course, it was BBC of the 1960s, so... expect the same quality of sets and action choreography. ;)
I liked back shortly after Sci-Fi Channel started, they had run the prisoner, with lines from people in their "The Prisoner" chatroom at the time, on the net, being displayed. A god friend of mine who lives in my home town, and myself, both were up chatting along with everyone else in that room, with our text being displayed underneath the video for the show, for all of the episodes of the Prisoner. It was great fun - as usually, it was a bunch of heckling about various silly aspects of the show, the least of which was Rover.
Anyone ever see the Simpsons that made fun of the prisoner? Good stuff.
Anyone ever see the Simpsons that made fun of the prisoner? Good stuff.
NO!
And if I ever did I would have to gouge my repentent eyes out for disobeying the 14th Comandment: Thou Shalt Not Mock the Prisoner.
I actually modelled one of my PCs after a particular episode; the DM had made it known that my character was being watched and possibly hunted, so the character did all sorts of strange and suspicious things (walk 10 paces right, 20 forward, and bury an obscure note in the ground). It got to the point that even the DM thought I was planning something really ellaborate. Then he saw the same episode . . .
And I consider myself a geek, ha!
/me hops over to netflix and adds to queue and will watch after he is done with DS9
Don't build it up too much - it is a british 70s show.
That's usually the best british stuff though.
The ideas are brilliant, though, and many a Shadowrun adventure was inspired by that show.
Damn, can't wait to see this now.
Man....I feel so alone and in the dark for not seeing this.
And I consider myself a geek, ha!
I must say that I feel the same.
Anything that influenced Dark Sun is something that I would like to know more about.I don't know if this is one of the questions you've posed to the original designer of DS, but: How much did the Dune saga influence them?
I must say that after re-reading Dune there are a lot of similarities there. And of course Dune rocks.
I must say that after re-reading Dune there are a lot of similarities there. And of course Dune rocks.
Amen, brother.