We've recently had some threads about writers/designers you adore or names you avoid like the plague. I've read a lot of comments here along the lines of I wish the interior art had more to do with the game instead of stock images or characters in sweet poses. Personally, one of my litmus tests is the character sheet.
Instead of all that, I'd like to talk about judging an RPG product by its cover. Can you think of any cover art that got it right? Maybe it wasn't fine art, but it successfully communicated what the game was all about. Conversely, who screwed up?
GURPS Basic Set 3rd: Looking at it today, I don't find it quite as charming, but GURPS and I had a bad breakup. When I first laid on eyes on it though I was compelled by the idea of one game that could let me be an army guy, wizard or space dude all in one book.
Necessary Evil: By the time I learned about Savage Worlds, there were more comprehensive supers supplements. When I saw this evocative cover for a full-blown setting book, I investigated that instead. The Necessary Evil book, even if it was less comprehensive, included a cool setting where super-villains had to step up and repel an alien invasion.
D&D Rules Cyclopedia: A bit of a cop-out for me..maybe, since this is my favorite D&D. However, I didn't know the book even existed when I found it while my older brothers were shopping for comics so the cover did its (understated) magic. If it hadn't been for the cover I might still be trying to figure out how a 1e PHB fit with a 2e DMG and the D&D Basic Rules.
Got it right:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lpL870wV2A4/RrjNT0yVkZI/AAAAAAAABJQ/QMDd3zReMX4/s320/gm295.jpg)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DSs2bX13hVc/Sp0X_ddmpbI/AAAAAAAABWk/TxhzeEj20bE/s400/LL-new-cover.png)
So, so wrong...
(http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081017173117/starwars/images/thumb/9/92/Players_Guide_to_Tapani.jpg/276px-Players_Guide_to_Tapani.jpg)
Holmes edition D&D was what introduced me to the game. The specific one I got was the monochromatic cover. It IS D&D.
The 1e Player's Handbook. No explanation needed.
One of my most favoritest covers ever.
Traveller's original box set has, as far as I'm concerned, the sole example of a text-only cover that evokes exactly what the game is.
HackMaster's original Player's Handbook was both a parody of the original AD&D PHB, but also a damned good piece of RPG art in its own right.
Quote from: Peregrin;424588One of my most favoritest covers ever.
Yeah, I dig on that one too. I suppose every individual must have their favorite depiction of Cthulhu, but I find this one appropriately eerie. What it doesn't do is really capture the game experience. I doubt it matters for that demographic though.
Quote from: Soylent GreenSo, so wrong...
I didn't even believe that was real at first. Way to suck.
A lot of D&D covers had a lasting impression on me, but Moonshae (http://bothgunsblazing.com/tsr/fr/fr2.htm) was the first one. At the time, I was just beginning to play D&D and I had no book of my own. This one, as cheesy as it is, really caught the attention of the young boy that I was.
Another one would be the Alternity core (http://bothgunsblazing.com/tsr/al/al-phb.htm) books (http://bothgunsblazing.com/tsr/al/al-gmg.htm). Once again, I was impress by them and got really curious about the game.
Quote from: winkingbishop;424591I didn't even believe that was real at first. Way to suck.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I've got that book and even I don't believe its real. It's shame because in actually fact it's not a bad supplement. But everytime I took it out we'd somehow always end up discussing just how bad the covers was for a good half hour.
Should I start a thread for my game covers?
Since I'm going to be needing a few more in the next two years?
I love this one, and Shadowrun1E (which I can't find a copy of)
I lusted after Runequest III for months as a kid, based almost solely on this cover. It just seemed so serious and grown-up and real!
Quote from: Tim;424609I lusted after Runequest III for months as a kid, based almost solely on this cover. It just seemed so serious and grown-up and real!
I love this cover. The characters seem wary, alone, and in a place that is very alien to them.
I love that cover too.
French cover of RuneQuest (scan really doesn't make it justice):
(http://www.legrog.org/visuels/couvertures/2021.jpg)
Hawkmoon cover:
(http://www.legrog.org/visuels/couvertures/4843.jpg)
Quote from: Cole;424613I love this cover. The characters seem wary, alone, and in a place that is very alien to them.
The back cover of the boxed set...erm...backed this feeling up: Riders (a caravan) lost in a windstorm in a desert. Or so I recall. My box disintegrated years ago.
Benoist, no offense, but that French RQ cover is an example of someone getting it very wrong. At least in my eyes. :)
Quote from: Tim;424609I lusted after Runequest III for months as a kid, based almost solely on this cover. It just seemed so serious and grown-up and real!
Quote from: Tim;424623[...]
Benoist, no offense, but that French RQ cover is an example of someone getting it very wrong. At least in my eyes. :)
I'd agree with both remarks (loved the RQ cover, never caved). But then again, I'm a Yank and Ben is French. So maybe someone got it absolutely
right. What do you say Ben, do the French dig on giant plumes as a rule? ;)
Quite fond of this one for the wrong reasons - AD&D Unearthed Arcana: I'm a sucker for just about anything that lets me pretend to be a wizard better. This book isn't about that. If Ars Magica put a cover like this on every edition, I'd probably own each one.
Quote from: Tim;424623Benoist, no offense, but that French RQ cover is an example of someone getting it very wrong. At least in my eyes. :)
Nah it's cool. The scan is really bad, for one thing (the picture "for real" has a LOT more life to it than this pic would suggest), and well... I just love the detail of it. The hoplite that gives a definite mythic tone to it, the Red Moon behind, the colors. I love that cover.
Quote from: winkingbishop;424625What do you say Ben, do the French dig on giant plumes as a rule? ;)
I remember when I found out about the Yelmite Hoplite mercenary band in Dragon Pass (which I think is who this guy on the cover actually is, though I'm not really sure - in the magazine they were named the "Hoplites Flamboyants", i.e. Flaming Hoplites, though I'm not sure what the mercenary band's name is in English) while reading a French magazine, and I totally fell in love with them. So I guess that French guy has a thing going for that kind of helmet at least... :D
In the OP, I mentioned how the GURPS Basic Set cover art somehow enchanted me during my youth with its promise of one system/any character. I don't know if I'm simply jaded now, but these leave me cold (you'll note the similarities easily):
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WBGLWw96cXA/SqqdVzCeXgI/AAAAAAAAARM/xY95JeO24L8/s1600-h/ForgottenREalms1stbox.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/FRCS-1ED.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/2328816324_b86dfa26b1.jpg?v=0)
Offered without comment:
Quote from: danbuter;424634(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/2328816324_b86dfa26b1.jpg?v=0)
YES! Not only is that the cat's meow, but they reused it for some novel set in Mystara too. Sneaky bastards.
Quote from: winkingbishop;424638YES! Not only is that the cat's meow, but they reused it for some novel set in Mystara too. Sneaky bastards.
Here we go, I knew I wasn't making it up:
Quote from: winkingbishop;424626Quite fond of this one for the wrong reasons - AD&D Unearthed Arcana: I'm a sucker for just about anything that let's me pretend to be a wizard better. This book isn't about that. If Ars Magica put a cover like this on every edition, I'd probably own each one.
That's a good call. As a general rule, I really dislike Easley's color artwork, but UA is a fantastic cover. Regardless of how much people have ragged on that book over the years, I still like it, and the cover really sets the mood.
Quote from: danbuter;424633(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/FRCS-1ED.jpg)
The first and last time I felt any kind of real excitement for a FR product was that box set, and that cover really caught my eye.
Quote from: danbuter;424634(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/2328816324_b86dfa26b1.jpg?v=0)
Elmore's art often leaves me cold because it has a stiff, posed look a lot of the time, but this is one of his real achievements. One of the most memorable images from D&D of that era.
This is a little bit "edition war" but it's a pet peeve of mine when new editions of games sell out.
I have to be able to judge a book by the cover. This mysterious cover,
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/stu2000/stalk.jpg)
though crude, tells me more about the book than this one,
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/stu2000/stalk2.jpg)
even though the second is a cute Foglio picture that I'm sure sold some copies.
This one tells me about the game,
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/stu2000/UARulebook.jpg)
whereas this one
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/stu2000/UA2.jpg)
does not. It further suffers from "three idiots staring out from the cover" syndrome, which someone scientifically proved sold books. Commercial or no, it looks stupid and I wish that had never been a trend.
I know several of you out there try hard to sell your games, and that cover is the best advertisement you have--but covers designed as ads often aren't very compelling at all.
Here's one I think got it wrong. I remember cringing when I first saw it. If I hadn't liked GDW's products in general, I likely would never have picked it up. It's an example of the kind of Elmore art I really dislike, and it also doesn't really convey to me much about what the game is about - is it about blow-dried denizens of an 80s "teen" comedy facing off with the energy vampire/zombies from Lifeforce?
Warhammer FRP 1st Edition did a great job of capturing the tone of the game. My absolute favorite remains the 1st Edition D&D Player's Handbook, though. For the most part, the covers for the 2nd Edition books were pretty good, too.
This was also well done...
Quote from: ColonelHardisson;424655Here's one I think got it wrong. I remember cringing when I first saw it. If I hadn't liked GDW's products in general, I likely would never have picked it up. It's an example of the kind of Elmore art I really dislike, and it also doesn't really convey to me much about what the game is about - is it about blow-dried denizens of an 80s "teen" comedy facing off with the energy vampire/zombies from Lifeforce?
I actually liked the Dark Conspiracy cover, blow-dried hair and all. Star Frontiers was a more egregious example of 80s overdose, where the woman looks like she got lost on her way to the mall and the guy wears his sunglasses at night.
Here is a piece of art that should be a cover:
Quote from: winkingbishop;424580GURPS Basic Set 3rd: Looking at it today, I don't find it quite as charming, but GURPS and I had a bad breakup. When I first laid on eyes on it though I was compelled by the idea of one game that could let me be an army guy, wizard or space dude all in one book.
The original cover designs for GURPS 4th Edition were so badly received and got so much criticism on the web that they were redesigned. That's pretty bad.
Quote from: John Morrow;424673The original cover designs for GURPS 4th Edition were so badly received and got so much criticism on the web that they were redesigned. That's pretty bad.
Can you post the image(s)? I didn't stick with GURPS for long so I doubt I could tell one cover from another.
Quote from: John Morrow;424665Warhammer FRP 1st Edition did a great job of capturing the tone of the game. My absolute favorite remains the 1st Edition Player's Handbook, though. For the most part, the covers for the 2nd Edition books were pretty good, too.
The WHFRP 1e book certainly does tell you a lot: it tells you those adventurers are gonna
die in the next round. ;) (unless they've already hit career exits and advanced...)
All kidding aside, I do love the WHFRP 1e cover.
(I'm deliberately staying mostly out of this one 'cause how many of you guys want to see the PHB and DMG all 1024x1080 courtesy of me? :D )
A good Conan cover and a bad Conan cover.
Quote from: Tim;424623The back cover of the boxed set...erm...backed this feeling up: Riders (a caravan) lost in a windstorm in a desert. Or so I recall. My box disintegrated years ago.
Benoist, no offense, but that French RQ cover is an example of someone getting it very wrong. At least in my eyes. :)
I no longer have the box, either just the contents. I think this image was also used on the cover of RQ basic (which I had first).
(http://www.dazolgames.com/graphics/avalonhill/ahrunequest7.jpg)
Quote from: winkingbishop;424677Can you post the image(s)? I didn't stick with GURPS for long so I doubt I could tell one cover from another.
I couldn't find them. They were single character covers with various genre quirks to play in the Infinite Worlds setting. They weren't awful, in my opinion, but they weren't that good, either. Fans revolted by posting their own versions and I think elements of those were adopted in what was actually used.
I like covers that immediately translate into the image of awesome adventures in progress that I might be (or have been) in.
Cities of Mystery of AD&D 2e - An ambush about to happen. Which end of the ambush are your PCs?
MegaTraveller. I've been in an adventure like this. "What do you mean the guys in the combat armor are after you?"
I wrote part of this book, and the cover illustration is so bad that I don't hand it to people as an example of what I have written:
(http://www.coolstuffinc.com/images/Products/Misc%20Art/Catalyst%20Game%20Labs/cyt_shadowrunaugmentation.jpg)
-Frank
(http://tsr.bothgunsblazing.com/d20/drowwar1.jpg)
Quite wrong. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if not for the fact that there is a very nice b/w version of the same artwork inside the book making it obvious how bad the coloring is and how crabbed and smeared it makes the cover look.
And I'm a bit split on the Dark Conspiracy cover. It caught our eyes big time back when we started picking up games in English, but now, yeah, it's kinda cheesy.
Ill second both the Ringworld and Star Frontiers front covers. Ringworld made me want to own it, Star Frontiers was my first group role-playing game...
Quote from: John Morrow;424671Here is a piece of art that should be a cover:
I like that - who's the artist?
Quote from: thedungeondelver;424679The WHFRP 1e book certainly does tell you a lot: it tells you those adventurers are gonna die in the next round. ;) (unless they've already hit career exits and advanced...)
Nah, they aren't all going to die. That dwarf is Gotrek, the worst trollslayer that ever lived.
Quote from: Benoist;424621Hawkmoon cover:
(http://www.legrog.org/visuels/couvertures/4843.jpg)
This was the same art for the Chaosium version as well.
I am quite partial to this Games Workshop cover for RuneQuest 2e. Not only was it used on the cover of the book but also the boxed set as well as all the miniature box sets as well.
(http://www.darkdungeon.ws/drupal/system/files?file=IMG_4620-1280-540.jpg)
The cover for Traveller:2300 was superbly gritty.
Quote from: Cole;424683I no longer have the box, either just the contents. I think this image was also used on the cover of RQ basic (which I had first).
Ah, yes. No sandstorm, but it looks like they're about to go through hell, nonetheless.
What I REALLY loved about that box set were the tales of Cormac used to illustrate various rules situations. Not only were the little vignettes beautifully drawn, they gave you a glimpse into what, at the time, sounded like the coolest campaign ever.
One cover that always stands out to me is the one for Gamma World 3e.
The cover was as spectacular as the game inside was awful.
one of the worst covers I can remember. For Fairy, Queen and Country.
(http://www.waynesbooks.com/images/graphics/aefaeriequeen.jpg)
what a mess. And it's really a shame as the contents was pretty good. But I doubt I would have picked it of a shelf with that cover.
Quote from: Benoist;424629I remember when I found out about the Yelmite Hoplite mercenary band in Dragon Pass (which I think is who this guy on the cover actually is, though I'm not really sure - in the magazine they were named the "Hoplites Flamboyants", i.e. Flaming Hoplites, though I'm not sure what the mercenary band's name is in English) while reading a French magazine, and I totally fell in love with them. So I guess that French guy has a thing going for that kind of helmet at least... :D
This cover art, plus the ducks, really turned me off. I played Stormbringer and hawkmoon a bit, but Runequest just didn't click, however passionately people tried to sell me on it.
A couple that worked for me:
(http://www.malcontentgames.com/covers/Reve200.gif)
And
(http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic537354_md.jpg)
Quote from: winkingbishop;424631In the OP, I mentioned how the GURPS Basic Set cover art somehow enchanted me during my youth with its promise of one system/any character. I don't know if I'm simply jaded now, but these leave me cold (you'll note the similarities easily):
No, True20 is a fine game with a lousy cover and so-so interior art. It's the Steve Kenson curse, if i like the art, I don't like the game, as with M&M, but if like the game the art has got to suck a little as with True 20 and Icons.
here are two Twilight:2000 covers. I'll let you decide which is the more evocative and thereby better.
Quote from: boulet;424760This cover art, plus the ducks, really turned me off. I played Stormbringer and hawkmoon a bit, but Runequest just didn't click, however passionately people tried to sell me on it.
Agreed.
The ducks were the number one thing which turned off a lot people from Runequest back in the day, regardless of how much I tried to convince people otherwise.
Oh the ducks....
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Stormbringer_RPG_4th_edition_1990.jpg)
Actually this cover is one of my all time favorites. I think it was Stormbringer 4th edition, but it was also front of Drager & Dæmoner (Dragons & Demons), one of the first roleplaying games in Danish. I don't know if it was a translation of RuneQuest or Stormbringer, but it was awesome... and had ducks.
(http://www.verden-hinsides.dk/wp-content/uploads/Cover-til-Grundreglerne-120x150.png)
Quote from: jgants;424750One cover that always stands out to me is the one for Gamma World 3e.
The cover was as spectacular as the game inside was awful.
Ah. I liked 3E GW. I mean I love the 1992 4th edition. But I ran a modified 3E for three years. Still have the notes...
I love good RPG art. I have bought gaming books just because of good interior art. For systems that I don't play. For systems that I don't even *own*. And bad art can break a game for me. I've just not bought things because the art was bad.
But interestingly, bad art helped me find one of my all time favorite RPG books, Everstone: Blood Legacy. The cover art is garish, bright and visually overloaded. Absolutely over the top. I bought it as a lark because I was just overwhelmed by the cover. Then I read the content and fell in love. And the interior art was quite good, though B&W. I thought I was buying a Bad RPG book. But I got a Great RPG book.
The key to a good cover is can it sell a Shit game.
So this cover wins
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/Judgedredd_gw.jpg)
Game was dire but I was at the UK Games Day where it was released and I have never seen a game sell faster.
Quote from: Tim;424739Ah, yes. No sandstorm, but it looks like they're about to go through hell, nonetheless.
What I REALLY loved about that box set were the tales of Cormac used to illustrate various rules situations. Not only were the little vignettes beautifully drawn, they gave you a glimpse into what, at the time, sounded like the coolest campaign ever.
I enjoyed those as well; the Cormac examples conveyed the tone of RQ in a way that wasn't heavy handed and gave the sense that the world was very 'living' and open-ended.
Got it wrong:
(http://www.flyingmice.com/IHW-SC-fing.jpg)
Looks like a lipstick stain, or someone testing out a big-ass marker. Flat squoosh conveys nothing of the game inside!
Got it right:
(http://www.flyingmice.com/SC3-Cover-fing.jpg)
Optimistic and trendy green! Lively squiggle tells you everything you need to know about the game! Good show!
-clash
Quote from: Aos;424763No, True20 is a fine game with a lousy cover and so-so interior art. It's the Steve Kenson curse, if i like the art, I don't like the game, as with M&M, but if like the game the art has got to suck a little as with True 20 and Icons.
I like True20 the game just fine as well. My comment was about the cover alone. It is suck...and minty.
Quote from: jibbajibba;424798The key to a good cover is can it sell a Shit game.
So this cover wins
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/Judgedredd_gw.jpg)
Game was dire but I was at the UK Games Day where it was released and I have never seen a game sell faster.
I detect fail.
Quote from: danbuter;424633(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/FRCS-1ED.jpg)
Fuck yes.
RPGPundit
Quote from: winkingbishop;424816I like True20 the game just fine as well. My comment was about the cover alone. It is suck...and minty.
The trade dress for it, in general, is just crap.
I can't get into True20. It's just waaayyy too bland for me.
What was the thinking behind True20, I wonder.
Did Kenson just go, "hey, I created this great set of alternative D20 rules but I want to present it in the blandest and ugliest way possible"?
Maybe he just has an unhealthy fixation with the uglier tints of green?
Or perhaps he felt bad for the artists who weren't good enough to even do work for GURPS?
I suppose we'll never know...
Jgants,
How much influence does any RPG book author have over what the artwork is or which artist gets assigned to it?
- Ed C.
Quote from: Benoist;424897I can't get into True20. It's just waaayyy too bland for me.
For a time, it was my system of choice, but eventually got annoyed/bored with the wound table, which kind of sucked for me, because, although I think hit point systems work well for supers, I don't like them for most other genres. My eventual solution was to create a hybrid system, that uses both.
Quote from: DKChannelBoredom;424771(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Stormbringer_RPG_4th_edition_1990.jpg)
Every cover for
Stormbringer has been great, IMO, but this one is the best (although 5th ed. comes close).
My personal favourites (in addition to the above Stormbringer cover):
1. The Otus covers for the Basic and Expert D&D rules.
2. Dave Trampier's PHB (1e AD&D) cover.
3. Pretty much any cover illustrated by Angus McBride (MERP and Rolemaster). These are pretty good:
(http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/fantasy/Tolkien/angus010.gif)
(http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/fantasy/Tolkien/angus005.gif)
(http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/fantasy/Tolkien/angus003.gif)
(http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/fantasy/Tolkien/angus007.gif)
Quote from: Grymbok;424709I like that - who's the artist?
It's called "The Caves of Chaos" by Michael Komarck. It's from the Player's Handbook II (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ag/20060529a&page=5) for D&D 3.5. Overall, I think his artwork does a good job of capturing an "in media res", which I think is important for game art. (http://www.komarckart.com/bk_int12.html) In fact the reason why I like the Dark Conspiracy cover better than the Star Frontiers cover, even though both have the same distinctive Elmore look, is that the Dark Conspiracy cover depicts an "in media res" situation while the characters on the Star Frontiers cover look posed (unless you want to assume the woman is in shock after getting shot down on her way to the mall).
Angus McBride got it right every single time.
Also, these:
[ATTACH]439[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]440[/ATTACH]
Yeah, I'll chime in with those praising Angus McBride. I don't think you can find an example of him getting it wrong.
Simple, but great:
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_k8cMYOGdbtg/TQOj3C3NfII/AAAAAAAAADo/NxZ1SAMzWLw/s640/SR%20cover%20Super%20Tuesday.jpg)
Pure '80s:
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_k8cMYOGdbtg/TQOj3FTVIaI/AAAAAAAAADs/mVqLpGhDR1s/s640/SR%20cover%20Mercurial.jpg)
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_k8cMYOGdbtg/TQOj3d1M1xI/AAAAAAAAAD0/rLEyPC5nENo/s640/SR%20cover%20Sprawl%20%20Sites.jpg)
A personal favourite from SR3:
(http://lh3.ggpht.com/_k8cMYOGdbtg/TQOj3Hz78SI/AAAAAAAAADw/p0aq3_Yqq1w/s640/SR%20cover%20Matrix.jpg)
Finally, the best and worst Shadowrun cover:
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_k8cMYOGdbtg/TQOj3dY4bFI/AAAAAAAAAD4/U5z6qbr62N0/s640/SR%20cover%20Brotherhood.jpg)
Quote from: ColonelHardisson;424649Quote from: winkingbishop;424626Quite fond of this one for the wrong reasons - AD&D Unearthed Arcana:
That's a good call. As a general rule, I really dislike Easley's color artwork, but UA is a fantastic cover.
Yep. I like it so much that I made it the centerpiece of my 5-panel DM screen.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN8PSdnkoI/AAAAAAAAASE/MwCX94Do1kM/s400/add-screen.jpg)
Ok, covers done right. (Brace yourself, you asked for it...)
Dungeoneering games:Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3aBlMA9I/AAAAAAAAARU/_gC-lo1xdq8/s400/red-340.jpg)
Red signal color, Conan the Dragon Slayer, glowing sword, treasure, all in a box - perfect storm for a mass market game of its day. Also, in the mid-80s the slick Elmore style was state of the art (no pun intended).
Swords & Wizardry Core Rules(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3_XsfbsI/AAAAAAAAAR8/q8BWhSqoer4/s400/sw-340.jpg)
The perfect homage to two icons - the red idol cover and the cartoony style of Erol Otus. Sending all the right messages to the intended target customers. (Other than the new cover of the Complete Edition...)
Tunnels & Trolls (German Edition)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3-2G6oEI/AAAAAAAAARs/g7-yojDdtb8/s400/sd-340.jpg)
Again, an adventure situation, this time more about exploration, a (stealthy) dragon, sword, treasure, plus a mysterious sorceress; again, all in a box. It only lacked the mass market distribution.
General fantasy:Midgard:(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3ZmHvD3I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/OPIwLgJHZ6w/s400/mid-340.jpg)
When James Maliszewski asked (http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2010/09/open-friday-imagining-d.html) "What cover encapsulates your vision of
D&D in a single image?" I took the liberty of interpreting "D&D" like most non-gamers do (synonymous with the whole hobby), and thought of that image and situation.
Probably my most favorite RPG cover ever.
Rolemaster Spell Law:(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3-hD1DBI/AAAAAAAAARk/8IR5UKNy75E/s400/rm-sl-340.jpg)
"Sneaking about an evil warlock's castle, using a cloak of invisibility? I
want to be that roguish wizard! (Well, wait, not in
that situation...
I could do better than him...)" Any cover leading to that line of thought does something right.
The graphic style is a bit simple (for a cover illustration) but it was very evocative of the game's subject matter.
Rêve de Dragon:(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3adiNKzI/AAAAAAAAARc/4d5nSYOptOw/s1600/reve-640.jpg)
The French original to
Rêve: The Dream Ouroboros (praised by boulet above) came in a very sturdy slipcase including three softcover booklets and a 4-panel screen (which repeated the georgeous wraparound slipcase artwork by Florence Magnin). The booklets had matte, chamois-colored covers with a small line illustration in red ink, plus spot varnish - very stylish.
The GM book showed a pseudo-medieval tavern scene which mirrors the act of what the players do during the game. Of all RPGs I've ever seen, this is the one that put the most thought into
what game elements to illustrate, and
how. And it was profusely illustrated throughout, by just one artist: Rolland Barthélémy.
Oniros:(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3Z1Oo0hI/AAAAAAAAARM/jPKwg_bMlCk/s400/oni-340.jpg)
About one year after the slipcase edition came a stripped-down introductory version of
Rêve de Dragon, in one softcover book. Here we have a situation similar to the one on the German
Midgard book.
Literary worlds:
MERP (German Edition):
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3Bv2i4oI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/xO5az3wmURk/s400/mers-340.jpg)
Here the task is simple - just show iconic scenes and/or characters from the source.
(This particular McBride cover seems a bit dated by today's standards, but it was very effective in its days.)
Agone:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3A-qoFVI/AAAAAAAAAQU/A7c90HbHMKU/s400/agone-340.jpg)
Normally I don't like collage-style covers but this one is just pulling the eyes in with its overabundance of detail.
Stormbringer (German Edition):
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3_MuY8gI/AAAAAAAAAR0/f_lfIdbMsa8/s400/storm-340.jpg)
That famous Achilleos poster image. On a boxed set. (Sales-wise only one other image would have been stronger/better: the Rodney Matthews cover (http://www.phantastische-zeiten-shop.de/images/heyne03643.jpg) that the book publisher used for the omnibus paperback edition of the novels.)
Modern day fantasy/SF:
MEGAIII (Casus Belli Special Edition):
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3BVhr9CI/AAAAAAAAAQs/m5fm8mu5EXA/s1600/mega-340.jpg)
This one screams multi-dimensional, time-travelling adventure. It's the closest thing to a Valérian RPG (Valérian being one of the main sources that inspired the Luc Besson film The Fifth Element). Dirt-cheap, published as a magazine.
(The cover was done by a famous comic book artist, Oliver Vatine.)
Nephilim:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3Z_8aZyI/AAAAAAAAARE/v0p3wiUgnGw/s400/neph-340.jpg)
Variations of the VTM design are looking soo old today, but back then this was very mysterious, clearly one of the games that I wanted to buy and love for the cover alone.
Koyake Yuuyake:
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3A9shiEI/AAAAAAAAAQc/JpIGOIdq4dA/s400/koyake-340.jpg)
Probably the most charming RPG ever written, in a My Neighbor Totoro kind of way: Japanese nature spirits help people in need, without being seen. This cover captures the mood perfectly, hinting at the playfulness of the child-like "faerie" creatures in a rather tranquil moment.
(obviously familiar with most of the stuff Dirk posted)
I love it all. Now the lack of translation of Midgard pisses me off. BIG TIME.
I really would check out this game. I get a really good vibe out of it.
I have never read any Valérian, and it looks like very little has been translated in to English. I'll have to see if I can find a volume or two in Spanish; it looks awesome.
Speaking of Angus McBride covers, this box set cover got me to buy the game.
(http://www.icewebring.com/ICE_Products/RM2/images/RM2_1000_Rolemaster_Box1989.jpg)
I have said this before, but European (Spanish, German, Italian, and French) versions of games like HeroQuest, Chaosium's RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu, and Stormbringer/Elric/Hawkmoon have far more class.
They just seem to do a better job.
(http://www.glorantha.com/products/images/coverSpanishHQ.jpg)
(http://www.glorantha.com/products/images/FrenchPavisHW.jpg)
(http://www.glorantha.com/products/images/GermanHeroWars.jpg)
This one is the American version and is quite poor.
(http://www.glorantha.com/products/images/cover1001.jpg)
Judge Dredd a terrible game?
Oh come on it wasn't that bad. It has some innovative game mechanics that it stole from FASA and Car Wars. The only thing it lacked was playtesting, and homebrew solved that.
Better than D20
Jong, am I to assume that you call Universal Brotherhood best AND "worst" mainly because it is a massive spoiler?
RPGPundit
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;425241Tunnels & Trolls (German Edition)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/TQN3-2G6oEI/AAAAAAAAARs/g7-yojDdtb8/s400/sd-340.jpg)
Again, an adventure situation, this time more about exploration, a (stealthy) dragon, sword, treasure, plus a mysterious sorceress; again, all in a box. It only lacked the mass market distribution.
Originally a Dragon Magazine cover. I can't recall the issue number. Dragon Magazine has an amazing number of covers that were "done right" back in the early-to-mid 80s. For that matter, there were plenty of Dragon's covers that were "done right" throughout its entire run.
the Forgotten Realms box, yes. I remember seeing that pic in ads in Dragon Magazine and being totally won over. Also the first three of the BECMI set. I liked the cover of the Expert box the most.
(http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/role-playing-games/7-1.jpg)
The game itself may have been terrible, but the Aria RPG had great covers, especially the Worlds book.
(http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/gifbin/p13/pick_aria.jpg)
Quote from: RPGPundit;425453Jong, am I to assume that you call Universal Brotherhood best AND "worst" mainly because it is a massive spoiler?
RPGPundit
Yes. The volcano ad delivers the satire element magnificently and without actually spoiling the plot. Unfortunately, there's the little problem of that GIANT FREAKING MAN-BUG stealing the whole show. *facepalm*
[snip Clyde Caldwell's
Dragon/Schwerter&Dämonen cover]
Quote from: ColonelHardisson;425461Originally a Dragon Magazine cover. I can't recall the issue number.
I know. That's probably where the Fantasy Production people saw it first, considering that they not only operated one of the oldest game stores in Germany, but that they were
the driving force behind RPGs in Germany, having translated both
Tunnels & Trolls (for their own company), and
Dungeons & Dragons (originally for Knaur and Schmidt Spiele, but the rights went to a competitor), and created
Das Schwarze Auge (for Knaur/Schmidt, as a replacement for the lost
D&D deal).
But
Schwerter & Dämonen was the first professionally published RPG in Germany, some weeks before
D&D and
DSA.
(
Midgard, mentioned upthread, was the first German RPG, written and published semi-professionally, years before
S&D.)
It's still a bit weird that
DSA "won" the battle because their first covers belong clearly in the "done wrong" category, especially when compared to both
S&D and
D&D.
Quote from: Peregrin;424588One of my most favoritest covers ever.
Quote from: Tim;424609I lusted after Runequest III for months as a kid, based almost solely on this cover. It just seemed so serious and grown-up and real!
Quote from: DKChannelBoredom;424771Oh the ducks....
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Stormbringer_RPG_4th_edition_1990.jpg)
Actually this cover is one of my all time favorites. I think it was Stormbringer 4th edition, but it was also front of Drager & Dæmoner (Dragons & Demons), one of the first roleplaying games in Danish. I don't know if it was a translation of RuneQuest or Stormbringer, but it was awesome... and had ducks.
(http://www.verden-hinsides.dk/wp-content/uploads/Cover-til-Grundreglerne-120x150.png)
Fuck yes. Also, Angus McBride for Godhood.
Oh, all these covers are Chaosium games. What a surprising development :D
Quote from: Lawbag;425360Judge Dredd a terrible game?
Oh come on it wasn't that bad. It has some innovative game mechanics that it stole from FASA and Car Wars. The only thing it lacked was playtesting, and homebrew solved that.
Better than D20
Love that "some innovative mechanics it stole from ..." :)
It was a poor game but with excellent background. One of the strengths I guess with a game based on a comic lisense was that the artwork was uniformly great but give me access to the JD back catalogue and even I could furnish a book with good artwork.
I think Savage Worlds is a natural for a JD game. Their's Probably a Savaged Judge Dredd out there somewhere. I did my own Savaged Strontium Dogs (http://www.jibbajibba.com/StrontiumDogs/STRONTIUM%20DOGS.pdf) and in effect the two are pretty inter-changeable.
Quote from: Aos;425267I have never read any Valérian, and it looks like very little has been translated in to English. I'll have to see if I can find a volume or two in Spanish; it looks awesome.
Too bad the translations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val%C3%A9rian_and_Laureline#English_translations) don't cover many albums. It's prime scifi inspiration material. Laureline and Valerian are really close to my heart, even childhood role models for me.
QuoteYes. The volcano ad delivers the satire element magnificently and without actually spoiling the plot. Unfortunately, there's the little problem of that GIANT FREAKING MAN-BUG stealing the whole show. *facepalm*
Yeah, well, I do get that point. On the other hand, if it hadn't had the man-bug, I would probably never have picked up that book and made it pretty much the only Shadowrun game I ever ran in my life.
RPGPundit
Spot the theme
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/Friendly_Computer/BtAXpress.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/Friendly_Computer/BtJXpress.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/Friendly_Computer/Batshit.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/Friendly_Computer/CtKXpress.jpg)
That's right sexy girls sell books. Though I must say I was pleased with this baby
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/Friendly_Computer/CoCXpress.jpg)
Yes there is still a girl on it but she is dressed quite conservativly.
I have no control over the art of my books so its always a plesant surprise to see the covers.
Ian, don't take this the wrong way, but those covers in this thread, really?
I think it's really cool that your games are published, but the cover art seems a tad bland.They don't tell me a lot about the game inside and they hardly exudes plot ideas and atmosphere, to me at least.
Again, not a critique of you or the game(s), but I don't think your covers really get it (or get it wrong for that matter).
Quote from: Ian Warner;426097That's right sexy girls sell books.
Or indicate a serious fetish issue on the author's/publisher's part?
One cover is one thing. But a whole series of them? Now I start wondering, to be honest.
I'm not sure they get it right or wrong either I just thought the theme would be interesting.
I can't wait to see what horrors are on the Wizkid cover.
But did you really need to spam this thread with them? They are nowhere near the covers that have been posted by others.
Quote from: Ian Warner;426097Spot the theme
Shameless self-promotion.
Did I win? Did I win?
Seanchai
Quote from: Benoist;426117Or indicate a serious fetish issue on the author's/publisher's part?
"Fetish"? For what? Women? Dude, that's the one thing that's NOT a "fetish"....
RPGPundit
Quote from: Koltar;424963Jgants,
How much influence does any RPG book author have over what the artwork is or which artist gets assigned to it?
- Ed C.
I'm not Jgants, but I've had a bit of luck with covers.
I suggested the original image that became
Slaves of Fate, and when I saw the original cover proposed for
Basic Roleplaying, I complained and meticulously described the image that became the cover for the Big Gold Book... an image that's become the trade dress for all of the BRP monograph releases.
My complaints about the cover for the deluxe edition of
A Game of Thrones went unheard, however.
I suppose it depends on the company and if the author is an artist as well. That's pretty much the only way you can guarantee what the art is like in my experiance. Do it yourself. I do wish I could sometimes.
Quote from: RPGPundit;426330"Fetish"? For what? Women? Dude, that's the one thing that's NOT a "fetish"....
RPGPundit
Well, there's women, and then there are prostitutes.
To me the cover of the first edition HârnMaster says it all: "This is a brutal pre-industrial game-world with scarce surplus, meager specialization and rigid social classes. Ultimately, it means rich knights come over and burn your house. Depending on their banners, it's called either taxing or pillaging. This is medieval Deadwood. If you think that's too rough, go back to your nice little pseudo-modern equal-opportunity fantasy."
EDIT: Just to be clear, for the reason above, I'm an avid fan of Hârn.
(http://www.waynesbooks.com/images/graphics/harnmaster.jpg)
The whole painting is here:
(http://img39.picoodle.com/img/img39/9/9/30/f_HarnCoverm_ac50bd4.jpg)
That's the first time I've ever seen that Harn image up close... never got the gist of what was going on until now. For some reason I thought Harn was some RPG version of 'Settlers of Cataan'.
Quote from: jahud;426397To me the cover of the first edition HârnMaster says it all: "This is a brutal pre-industrial game-world with scarce surplus, meager specialization and rigid social classes. Ultimately, it means rich knights come over and burn your house. Depending on their banners, it's called either taxing or pillaging. This is medieval Deadwood. If you think that's too rough, go back to your nice little pseudo-modern equal-opportunity fantasy."
EDIT: Just to be clear, for the reason above, I'm an avid fan of Hârn.
Man after that build up I was expecting a bloke in full plate stomping on a pesant's head.
Cadwallon (http://gallery.burrowowl.net/index.php?q=/image/12899.jpg)
Not the best art of that book is on the cover - not by a long shot. And still, it's a stunner as far as I'm concerned.
Rogue Trader (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/rogue-trader/wallpaper/Rogue-Trader3-1024x768.jpg)
Quote from: Ian Warner;426433Man after that build up I was expecting a bloke in full plate stomping on a pesant's head.
Yeah, that's medieval social classes for you, abridged version. :)
Quote from: jahud;426980Yeah, that's medieval social classes for you, abridged version. :)
Yeah, basically. What I found interesting is that the only one in the whole picture who looks happy is the dog.
More Michael Komarck
This is why Baratheon's words are "Ours is the Fury"
(http://greenronin.com/SIF_RPG_GoT.jpg)
Now that's good stuff. Waaaaaaay better then the old PDF cover.
Cyberpunk has some great covers:
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/rvilliers/RPG/Cyberpunk20202E.jpg)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/rvilliers/RPG/CP2020_Night_City.jpg)
WHFRP 1E has already been mentioned, which is easily my fav, along with many other good ones. Here's a few others I liked...
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V4bcJtB37-k/Tvyjw300PkI/AAAAAAAAAB0/tUhWRSPmNXM/s1600/Dragon_Warriors_Re_Release.jpg)
THIS (http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8037/questordo.jpg) cover for a supplement for the new line is rather nice as well]
(http://www.newbigdragon.com/games/covers/TheSystem-OriginalEdition-Cover.jpg)
(http://www.mookychick.co.uk/images/deliria-rpg.jpg)
Sadly horrible game, but great cover and setting. The first game I bought online, based on the cover alone.
(http://index.rpg.net/pictures/show-thumbnail.phtml?picid=4241&maxWidth=150&maxHeight=300)
(http://www.exilegames.com/images/hex_cover.gif)
(http://www.antipope.org/charlie/gifs/RPG-cover.jpg)
I liked this one as a kid...looking at it now, it looked better upside down in all those comicbook ads...the flying wizard guy is kinda wonky
(http://www.tsrinfo.net/archive/dd1/planes.jpg)
Though I have no interest in the game, I loved the cover to LoTFP
http://paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZOPDFLFP/PZOPDFLFP101E_500.jpeg (http://paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZOPDFLFP/PZOPDFLFP101E_500.jpeg)
My first and fav Paranoia cover...
(http://www.zombieranchcomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/paranoia-cover.jpg)
This pic does little justice to the leatherbound Ltd Ed. Hellboy RPG...
(http://www.sjgames.com/images/20/2028/cover_sm.jpg)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xc9hGqUwnsY/TK9CdRyxJTI/AAAAAAAAA0M/lJuX9__u4Ew/s1600/rough.jpg)
DL 8 - Dragons of War by the late Keith Parkinson.
(http://www.tsrinfo.net/archive/dl/dl-dl8.jpg)
To me it is still THE defining "epic moment" in any D&D campaign. When I saw this cover in my LFGS, the module walked to the counter and paid the cashier by itself. It took me a few hours to exit shock and realize that it was part of a series.
Once again, Michael Komarck shows his talent. He rocks.
I love this thread!!!
For me In Nomine. Another in the vein of Traveller. Not so much about art, but iconography and page layout. The weathered (Latin-Gothic?) font, the short and easy to grok Latin title, the absolutely iconic burning feather... the expanse of blackness. Immediately ladened heavy with symbolism and yet a muted aesthetic.
(http://www.sjgames.com/in-nomine/Core/img/cover-lg.jpg)
(This is not the greatest scan so imagine it darker.)
(I was actually one who didn't like Smif's art as much in the interior art. I think he does great work, and by now I can't imagine the game without him. But initially his style was too jarring compared to my first projected associations based upon this cover.)
Another one that holds a similarly iconic and yet mysterious feel ladened with associations to me is Blue Planet. Something about the feeling of looking up-down? towards the light from the depths of a reef-abyss? always catches my breath. To see alien aquatics imaged in understated style adds an explosive contrast. Throw in the font and then a quick setting summary at the bottom and I just had to have it afterwards.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/V1cover.jpg)
I am truly shocked that no one's posted these two beauties. Then again, I am a child of the 90s RPG-wise.
The original Rifts cover by Keith Parkinson.
(http://binarybonsai.com/images/parkinson-rifts.jpg)
The original Dark Sun cover by Brom (or was it Tom Baxa?).
(http://img1.annuncicdn.it/0d/ff/0dffafa753cebddeb0dcf3c0bda5de1f_orig.jpg)
Quote from: Ian Warner;426433Man after that build up I was expecting a bloke in full plate stomping on a pesant's head.
Note the man hanging from the tree...
-TGA
Quote from: Opaopajr;515261For me In Nomine. Another in the vein of Traveller. Not so much about art, but iconography and page layout. The weathered (Latin-Gothic?) font, the short and easy to grok Latin title, the absolutely iconic burning feather... the expanse of blackness. Immediately ladened heavy with symbolism and yet a muted aesthetic.
I prefer the Limited Edition hardcover covers, which I really liked, though this image doesn't really do it justice (it's in shiny red, embossed in the hardcover) (See here if the image doesn't come up) (http://index.rpg.net/pictures/show-water.phtml?picid=6665)
(http://index.rpg.net/pictures/show-water.phtml?picid=6665) (http://index.rpg.net/pictures/show-water.phtml?picid=6665)
The evil one was in black with an upside-down cross. Both have a Bible-like feel to them.
The best role-playing game covers, in my opinion, either show an adventuring party (where "party" = 3 or more individuals, not one or two people) in medias res (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res) or something evocative of something in the setting, like the Classic Traveller covers or In Nominae cover that makes the rulebook look like a Bible.
Great examples parties in medias res from earlier in this thread are:
AD&D 1e Player's Handbook (also Hackmaster and Swords & Wizardry, which were inspired by it)
Warhammer FRP
Dragon Warriors
Cadwallon
Hollow Earth Expeditions
Rolemaster
Despite complaints about them earlier in this thread, both Dark Conspiracy and the newer Bureau 13 do a good job showing a party in medias res.
Covers that aren't bad because they show a party, but where they either look too posed or just hanging out include:
Midgard
Rogue Trader
Danger Quest
Twilight 2000 1e
Star Frontiers (which I complained about earlier in this thread)
Well, since we've had lots of the really good stuff, here's some more of the worst:
(http://www.jasonrhart.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/fatal.jpg)
(http://images.trollandtoad.com/products/pictures/289181.jpg)
(http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4581/67374567.jpg)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tsp9Xjez__8/SX5SZm5_cOI/AAAAAAAACy0/QjmiZSjuGGc/s400/starQuestEdLipsett.jpg)
(http://www.purplepawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/hot_chicks_rpg.jpg?w=200)
(http://d4d6d8d10d12d20sbehindtheskeletoninthecloset.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/game2bbook.jpg?w=306&h=400)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDxT0z2--sE/TsiXGx5z4UI/AAAAAAAABFg/nOPGOvVZ0eE/s320/500x-D%2526d_original.jpg)
(yes, someone posted this as "getting it right". Either that's some powerful nostalgia, or some powerfully different aesthetic standards)
And to cap it off, here's a pic of the most awful LARP get-up I've ever seen...
(http://allrpgsareterrible.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/elf2fx.jpg)
Quote from: TristramEvans;515365(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDxT0z2--sE/TsiXGx5z4UI/AAAAAAAABFg/nOPGOvVZ0eE/s320/500x-D%2526d_original.jpg)
(yes, someone posted this as "getting it right". Either that's some powerful nostalgia, or some powerfully different aesthetic standards)
While it is a pretty fugly execution, I think it's rock solid from a conceptual standpoint: Dragon. Treasure. A perspective that says "you're one of these adventurers" instead of "look at these awesome adventurers".
And to be fair to the cover of FATAL: It fairly accurately communicates the game that waits inside.
Quote from: TristramEvans;515365Well, since we've had lots of the really good stuff, here's some more of the worst:
I hate you.
In the "Got it Right" category:
K&Co Hacklopedia of Beasts
(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/261748_1654656980892_1671099902_1152376_746132_n.jpg)
Honestly, pictures do not do this book justice. The Real Thing is so much more impressive...
My favourite RPG cover, though less for the art style and more for the message it gave was Exalted's First Edition cover:
(http://www.tgfa.org/rpg/characters/images/Exalted_00Cover.jpg)
My favourite series of RPG covers is Dragon Warriors, which include:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V4bcJtB37-k/Tvyjw300PkI/AAAAAAAAAB0/tUhWRSPmNXM/s1600/Dragon_Warriors_Re_Release.jpg)
(http://ewigeheld.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/in-from-the-cold.jpg)
The best of the bunch are:
(http://serpentking.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Sleeping_Gods.jpg)
My favourite.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_edfdVc9_vCE/TIFRN7w0foI/AAAAAAAABcY/qerL_vESrf4/s1600/fcdwbestiary.jpg)
[ATTACH]589[/ATTACH]
The Mekton II cover is one of my favorites. I feel it is the definitive anime mecha game cover, and that is primarily because the mech is important in the image, but is not the dominating part of it. The characters have center stage. Plus, it's a cover to an anime game in which the cover actually looks like anime art (like a late 80s mecha anime promotional image). That's a rarity.
As for bad covers, I'll admit that I've never been fond of the original AD&D1 covers. The PHB and DMG covers look like someone drew something to look "metal" and then someone else came along and scribbled some other junk on it to look Kewler. The MM is an absolute trainwreck. That's why when I bought my AD&D1 books back in the day, I made sure to only get the "new version" covers. Too bad they never did the Fiend Folio, because it's updated cover looked badass.
Quote from: Skywalker;515739My favourite series of RPG covers is Dragon Warriors, which include:
I like all of those Dragon Warriors covers because they all show an adventuring group in the thick of things, which is my ideal.
I liked most of the Exalted book covers, including the interior art.
Quote from: ColonelHardisson;425461Originally a Dragon Magazine cover. I can't recall the issue number. Dragon Magazine has an amazing number of covers that were "done right" back in the early-to-mid 80s. For that matter, there were plenty of Dragon's covers that were "done right" throughout its entire run.
Also used as the cover for Dungeons & Dragons:Warriors of the Eternal Sun for the Genesis game console, one of the AD&D Book of Lairs, and probably numerous other things.
Quote from: JongWK;515224Cyberpunk has some great covers:
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/rvilliers/RPG/CP2020_Night_City.jpg)
I definitely agree with this one. A really strong image which screams of what the game is trying to convey.
Quote from: Reckall;515249DL 8 - Dragons of War by the late Keith Parkinson.
(http://www.tsrinfo.net/archive/dl/dl-dl8.jpg)
To me it is still THE defining "epic moment" in any D&D campaign. When I saw this cover in my LFGS, the module walked to the counter and paid the cashier by itself. It took me a few hours to exit shock and realize that it was part of a series.
Yes. This is one of my favorite Dragonlance and fantasy images. It was the one I'd always show to people and say "THIS is Dragonlance."
Quote from: John Morrow;515744I like all of those Dragon Warriors covers because they all show an adventuring group in the thick of things, which is my ideal.
I like how Friends and Foes shows the PCs recruiting a new knight PC after the events on the Bestiary cover :)
Quote from: Skywalker;515739My favourite RPG cover, though less for the art style and more for the message it gave was Exalted's First Edition cover:
Damn, I remember this one. It actually makes me sad. So much promise...
Quote from: Skywalker;515739My favourite series of RPG covers is Dragon Warriors, which include:
The artist, Jon Hodgson (who happens to lurk around here), is one of my current favorites in the industry. I don't have the link right now (I'm at work), but look for a YouTube video in which he details his research and ideas for the One Ring RPG art. Just goes to show that it takes a bit more than sheer techncial proficiency (which I, as a layman, feel he's got in spades) to crank out great art. This guy is one clever cookie.
I nominate this:
(http://s16.postimage.org/c6nvxian9/IMG_0008.jpg)
It puts into shade all other covers. It tells you exactly what the game is about, jumps out at you and says 'buy me' and the quality continues inside, with:
(http://s17.postimage.org/snjrxbjov/IMG_0009.jpg)
and
(http://s16.postimage.org/n2ox3prad/IMG_0010.jpg)
amongst others. When you spend all your meagre budget on other stuff and don't have enough for art that might, you know, sell the book, you can always fall back on cheap Rob Liefield knock offs with strange proportions. Stuff that even Liefield himself might say "Did someone draw that crouched over with a pencil jutting from their anus?" before realising that it was a reasonable copy of the shit he turns out. At least there wasn't a over-abundance of pouches, spiky hair and people with no feet, even if they were stretched to look like they were on stilts. Saying that, there might be. My eyes can't stand the strain of looking for too long at the book, knowing that I have a couple of copies of DC heroes 2nd and 3rd edition that will do the job and relegate this to book end.
Clearly, Blood of Heroes showed you can never have enough Cyborgs, Voodoo Witch Doctors, Bondage gear clad women, Ninjas and secret agents on the cover of your superhero book. No actual superheroes, mind, but what the fuck, let's run with it anyway as its better than the shit we're putting inside the covers.
*sigh*
MEG system, rest in peace.
Mekton II did have a very good cover.
RPGPundit
The New HackMaster PHB gets it right, IMO;
(http://www.kenzerco.com/images/rpg/hackmaster_adv/phb_prerelease.png)
That's nice. Is it actually out yet?
It is in RC2 state, meaning that they are in the middle of layout and final tweaks. The deal that they have is going to end soon. So right now you can buy it and get the physical book and the PDF for the price of just the book. Supposed to go to the printer in the next week or so(maybe this week).
Keep in mind that brown around the pic in the middle is going to be a faux-leather cover like the HoB and A&8's...
I really like the cover of the first edition of 'Werewolf: The Apocalypse', with the slash-mark cut-outs revealing the peaceful sylvan scene underneath the toxic waste-coloured cover.
Spoiler
(http://www.legendgames.org/acatalog/werewolfapocalypse005.jpg)
I thought it was a nice idea as well, though less so in the softback version :D
and the "bullet hole" through the entire book for werewolf:wild west
Quote from: beeber;518838and the "bullet hole" through the entire book for werewolf:wild west
They were going to do that with Hero 5th, but the bullet only went half way through...
-clash
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;518718I thought it was a nice idea as well, though less so in the softback version :D
There
was no hardback version of the first edition.
Quote from: flyingmice;518840They were going to do that with Hero 5th, but the bullet only went half way through...
-clash
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