I think the "classic" D&D adventures are iconic because they are firsts, they are the originals, the innovators. I mean, there are lots of great guitar players in the world, but there will only ever be one Jimi Hendrix and no-one will ever quite live up to that mantle.  There are lots of great modern adventures, but they will always be in the shadows of Keep on the Borderlands and Tomb of Horrors, always.

Quote from: Haffrung;1067648I didn't use it as a historical sourcebook. In fact, I think Necromancer really bungled AK:M by marketing it as such.

It's the best sword and sorcery sandbox campaign that I've seen. The ruined cities, temples, cults, etc. are outstanding. Exotic, creepy, dark, and weird. Presented with enough detail to run a campaign from levels 4-10 with very little work. You have the geography, the detailed dungeons, all the foes and factions you need. And there's even a summary on how to run it as an adventure path if you're not into open-ended sandboxes.

If it had been called something like Necromancers of the Red Wastes, or Desert of the Ghoul Queen, it would be a lot better known and higher regarded than it is. And you wouldn't have the unfortunate misalignment of expectations that you experienced.

Greetings!

Hello Haffrung! I have the Mesopotamia book. *sigh* I would say that the book is ok. I'm a historian, trained in ancient & medieval history, with a focus on ancient Greece and Rome, so in my studies, I of course became well-acquainted with the culture and history of the Middle East as well. I realize most people may not be all that interested in ancient cultural and regional history, so my own particular interests may bias me. I don't expect a super-academic level of expertise in a game module, but damn, while elements of Mesopotamia sparkled with promise, it seemed like a half-researched glob thrown together. I felt like it was definitely more of a "teaser" module. It leaped and painted a brief picture for you, and then just ended. As I recall, it was only 96 pages? I remember it being in my view too brief. To do the module justice they really needed to put more work into it, to supply more "meat" you know? I liked it, and I wanted to really like it, but it seemed far too minimalist. I spent a week or two going over a dozen or so books in my library, and honestly gained far more research, ideas, wars, and cool ideas. For a commercial module covering a somewhat obscure region and history, I have to say that they could have done much better. I think an extra solid three months of research, writing, and editing, would have produced an outstanding product, instead of a mediocre module that hinted at so much more coolness.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: Madprofessor;1067653I think the "classic" D&D adventures are iconic because they are firsts, they are the originals, the innovators. I mean, there are lots of great guitar players in the world, but there will only ever be one Jimi Hendrix and no-one will ever quite live up to that mantle.  There are lots of great modern adventures, but they will always be in the shadows of Keep on the Borderlands and Tomb of Horrors, always.

More to do with "what percentage of current D&D players have played Keep on the Borderlands" vs. "what percentage of current D&D players have played your favorite module that came out in the last 10 years." There are so many OSR adventures these days that very very few of them get the critical mass of eyeballs to be something people can have a conversation about with random strangers.

Quote from: Daztur;1067699More to do with "what percentage of current D&D players have played Keep on the Borderlands" vs. "what percentage of current D&D players have played your favorite module that came out in the last 10 years." There are so many OSR adventures these days that very very few of them get the critical mass of eyeballs to be something people can have a conversation about with random strangers.

Pretty much this. We shouldn't underestimate the appeal of shared experience. It's why Paizo have been so successful with their adventure paths, and I suspect why WotC is publishing so few adventures - they want to foster those shared experiences in the hobby.

Quote from: Daztur;1067699More to do with "what percentage of current D&D players have played Keep on the Borderlands" vs. "what percentage of current D&D players have played your favorite module that came out in the last 10 years." There are so many OSR adventures these days that very very few of them get the critical mass of eyeballs to be something people can have a conversation about with random strangers.

Excellent point! There are, for example, many DCC modules that I think are as good if not better than the TSR classics, but I can't go to my local store and have a conversation about them.  They haven't become part of the culture and lexicon of the community.  Also there are so many "new" adventures that great quality is submersed or washed out by the sheer volume of publications.  A thread like this is a good idea to help lift some of the better adventures above the mix, but even in a specialized forum such as this it seems hard to get more than one or two people talking about the same title.

Quote from: Haffrung;1067742Pretty much this. We shouldn't underestimate the appeal of shared experience. It's why Paizo have been so successful with their adventure paths, and I suspect why WotC is publishing so few adventures - they want to foster those shared experiences in the hobby.

Good point, although I think WotC would do well to publish a couple of short high quality adventures, something that is more accessible then a grand campaign hardback book.