Quote from: Larsdangly;781353The world would be a better place if SPI's style of rules presentation had won out. I like my rules short and sweet, so we can save all the creativity and verbal blibber blubber for the settings and roleplaying.

Having tried to write some house rules in the SPI style, I'm not convinced that most RPG rules would end up shorter if they were written in that style. But I agree that it would be nice to have the greater precision, clarity, and the ease of reference that the SPI outline style provides.

Looking at some recent threads on various message boards on 5e, I'm inclined to say people won't understand the rules whenever they don't want to understand the rules.

That said, I found it funny how his description of the play by phone reads as though he's seriously hooked. That might be me, in turn, reading what I want to read, though.

Quote from: Omega;781269Think he meant Manticoras.

Hes essentially saying that these are creatures that only a few would know the names of. Referring to the Manticore, Chimera, and Wyvern.

So I should have put in a note saying that I know he meant manticores after all:D

Too freaking funny.

Okay, I'll give a guy a pass on Not Getting It -- in 1974, how many did?

But "playing" and "game" in quotes?  (No, buffoon, you don't "play" a "game" -- you just bloody play a game, mmkay?)  Excellent illustrations and decent graphics?  The need to play by phone or post?  (Buffoon, even in 1974, wargamers had worked out hidden movement rules.)  Eeeesh.

It is a really fascinating insight to realize people actually didn't understand what was supposed to happen when you played, and imagined the game was actually inconsistent with sitting around a table. One thing that is very true is that the D&D style structure of play puts a huge burden on the referee. We've come to think of this as normal, but for a refreshing alternative go read En Guard! I would love to subtly re-shape D&D to be more compatible with that sort of collaborative play.

Hendrick was no buffoon. The review is an interesting window into how a wargamer saw D&D when simply dropped into his lap as a text in 1974.

Reading that review was an absolute delight. It's easy to make fun of the reviewer now, but a short period of that kind of awkwardness is what you get when someone actually creates something genuinely new.  

When I finally snap and publish my own fantasy heartbreaker the monster section is gonna be entitled "Esoteric Manticoras".

Quote from: Larsdangly;781353The world would be a better place if SPI's style of rules presentation had won out. I like my rules short and sweet, so we can save all the creativity and verbal blibber blubber for the settings and roleplaying.

Universe.

While its a good RPG in and of itself. Its SPI through and through and shows that probably board games and wargames were their better route. Though I've never seen Dragonquest.

Though their hybrid experiments into dungeon crawlers and hybrid paragraph games tended to be darn good. I think they could have carved themselves out quite a niche if theyd survived long enough.

Quote from: Phil Moskowitz;781307*snippage*

Welcome to the adult swim, Tiger . . . er, Phil.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;781441Welcome to the adult swim, Tiger . . . er, Phil.

Thanks.  Nice to see someone know where my av came from.

Quote from: Omega;781422Universe.

While its a good RPG in and of itself. Its SPI through and through and shows that probably board games and wargames were their better route. Though I've never seen Dragonquest.

Though their hybrid experiments into dungeon crawlers and hybrid paragraph games tended to be darn good. I think they could have carved themselves out quite a niche if theyd survived long enough.

Dragonquest is actually a pretty incredible game. It has a couple of mechanical elements that needed quantitative revisions — the exp progression tables for combat skills; exp rules for learning spells; perhaps one or two other things. But the basic structure of the game is fantastic and includes a bunch of elements that could/should have been jacked by other game systems. A D&D/Dragonquest or Runequest/Dragonquest hybrid would be a terrific game. Some of the best things include: Skills come in 'packages' that are like min-classes you can mix and match at will - modular like a class based system but flexible like a skill based system.  Damage has a 'wound point/temporary damage' sort of split. Magic is really flavorful and fun. Combat is tactical but quick.

Quote from: Larsdangly;781605A D&D/Dragonquest or Runequest/Dragonquest hybrid would be a terrific game.

I used to play in a D&D game that used Palladium FRP classes and Rolemaster for the combat charts. A little Runequest for flavor. I thought that's how everyone did it...

Quote from: Brad;781611I used to play in a D&D game that used Palladium FRP classes and Rolemaster for the combat charts. A little Runequest for flavor. I thought that's how everyone did it...

At one time they did! The rolemaster tables were initially intended to be a bolt-on damage and crit system for AD&D. And Palladium is transparently a D&D re-boot that can be raided with impunity. And the Runequest resistance table is a good way to resolve all sorts of D&D events. And so on. In some ways the understanding of and creative use of rules was better in ~1978 than it is now, despite the huge number of games and sophistication of design philosophies.

Dragon Quest...if that's the game I think it is, very fond memories.

Is it still in print?

According to the Wikipedia article, WotC abandoned the trademark, so it's not only hasn't been in print for something like 25 years, it never again will be.

Quote from: Bill;781838Dragon Quest...if that's the game I think it is, very fond memories.

Is it still in print?

No, but easily found in online used game stores. If you can handle an action point system, get the 1E boxed set. If action point systems make you break out in hives, get 2E. If someone offers you TSR's 3E, kick them under the knee cap and run away. Basically, TSR bought the game, cut its balls off, sold it for a few years, and then let it die of starvation. True story.