Quote from: jrientsChuck:  When I'm already hearing bad things about the corebook, a dodgy boxed set is just another brick in the wall whether Mongoose can be held morally responsible or not.  Hearing about these kinds of gaffs makes me nervous about buying.

I can understand having it make you nervous about getting the city boxed set. Personally I havent either. But I wouldn't miss out on the core book because of that, it's a really good product.

QuoteI will readily admit that part of my problem is that I am grumpy about never having played the two Conan games I've owned since the year originally published.  It makes me wonder if two decades from now the Mongoose version will be gathering dust on my shelf.  That's not Mongoose's fault either, but it still informs my purchase decision.

I can see that. Still, it's a great read and so pretty. I am a sucker for Conan. Of course Ive already run the new game several times too.

QuoteOn the other hand, this is the first time I've heard concerted praise for Mongoose's Conan from people whose opinions I respect.

It's really a cut above, one of my four favorite d20/OGL fantasy books (that would be CoC, Conan, Thieves World and OGL Ancients for anyone keeping score).

Quote from: RPGObjects_chuckIt's really a cut above, one of my four favorite d20/OGL fantasy books (that would be CoC, Conan, Thieves World and OGL Ancients for anyone keeping score).

Someone actually likes OGL Ancients? I personally found it too much rules (and those not very good in comparison) and not enough setting. Relics & Rituals: Olympus seems a bit better. On the egyptian front, "Nile Empire" isn't half bad (but what's the deal with the publisher? Pretty good research but the worst cheesecake since Elmore?)

Another endorsement for the Conan RPG by Mongoose here.  I have the original version of the corebook.  The typos are annoying, but the errors in the book do not render it unusable by any means.  Plus, the subsequent products were a lot better edited.  Yeah, there was that snafu with the map, but honestly, I can't see that as too big of a deal.  The artist shouldn't have done it, but on the other hand it's not reasonable to expect Mongoose to have caught it either.

Quote from: SosthenesSomeone actually likes OGL Ancients? I personally found it too much rules (and those not very good in comparison) and not enough setting. Relics & Rituals: Olympus seems a bit better. On the egyptian front, "Nile Empire" isn't half bad (but what's the deal with the publisher? Pretty good research but the worst cheesecake since Elmore?)

Well I can only speak for myself but yes, I thought it was a great book for running D&D with an ancient mythology theme (as opposed to a Tolkien-esque theme).

I didn't see it as a sourcebook for the ancient world, in fact I still don't, which is why the lack of setting didn't bother me overmuch (that said it does have a nice concise beginner's atlas to the ancient world as I recall).

It's a PHB for someone who wants to run a Hercules/Xena-esque D&D campaign with some interesting rules for weapons, armor and magic.

I've used bits and pieces of it in my home campaign and it worked nicely. I also just think it's a good looking book.

Quote from: AkrasiaThe first time?  That's a bit surprising, as it seems to be one Mongoose game that is consistently praised on RPG fora (e.g. the Purple Place & ENworld), despite the initial editing problems and the map fiasco.

I don't hang out on EN World enough to have a good read on the scene.  And heaping praise on favorite RPGs has gotten a little out of control on RPGnet, so I tend to ignore all but a few voices over there.

I have to say '06 was a really lean year for me. Admittedly thats mainly due to me only getting to play forum based games.

The only thing I bought that I really disliked was Shadowrun 4th, and that was a '05 release. Not that I expected to like it. I mainly wanted it as reference material.

Quote from: RPGObjects_chuckI can see that. Still, it's a great read and so pretty. I am a sucker for Conan. Of course Ive already run the new game several times too.

they sure are slick looking books and lots of flavor stuff. Ive run a couple of TSR Conan games using the mongoose stuff as campaign material. My guys loved it!

I like a lot of Mongoose stuff. Conan is their best RPG to date (the Road of Kings sourcebook is pretty great too, BTW), with Paranoia coming in a close second. But I also liked OGL Steampunk and Infernum.

They do, of course, publish their fair share of rubbish. And I'll agree that their artwork is subpar, even on some of the books I like.

Quote from: The Evil DMthey sure are slick looking books and lots of flavor stuff. Ive run a couple of TSR Conan games using the mongoose stuff as campaign material. My guys loved it!

You should start a thread telling us how that TSR Conan RPG runs. I actually still have a copy of it.

Quote from: el diablo roboticoI like a lot of Mongoose stuff. Conan is their best RPG to date (the Road of Kings sourcebook is pretty great too, BTW)

Scrolls of Skelos is also good. It's the magic expansion for the Conan RPG. That may seem pointless, but believe me, it really expands upon the basic game's magic system really well, very much in the spirit of the source material.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonScrolls of Skelos is also good. It's the magic expansion for the Conan RPG. That may seem pointless, but believe me, it really expands upon the basic game's magic system really well, very much in the spirit of the source material.

Totally agree. I've got SoS too, and it's a very nice addition.

Quote from: ScaleMongoose Runequest - poorly edited, and just glaringly mediocre, and released incomplete, as a flood of insufficient 96 page fragments, leaving old fans bitter (and expectedly so, RuneQuest grognards are prone to react vehemently to any change), and potential newcomers uninspired.

the damn thing just made me laugh. $25.00+ a pop for a third of a book?!
It's a great marketing strategy if it works for them. but all it convinced me is that my old RQ stuff will suffice. I will download their free Signs & Portents magazine though, I'm a whore for freebies.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonYou should start a thread telling us how that TSR Conan RPG runs. I actually still have a copy of it.

Actually Col. I dug up an old article that I wrote for Knights of the Dinner Table magazine a year or so back. they have this column called "Lost game safari" where folks wax nostalgic about games from yesteryear. If your interested in reading it I posted it on my Blog.

Its not a stinker but I do have to mention Rappan Athuk: Reloaded into the disappointed bucket.  The adventure itself is solid, high-mortality,  dungeon-crawl goodness but the boxed set presentation completely misses the point of being a boxed set: three softcover books...in a box.  No extras that having a boxed set implies.  The maps are all stapled together in a book; I would expect a bunch of pull outs.  The box has no room for any notes and extras that someone might want to put in there.  

While I appreciate the throwback to an earlier era of boxed set goodness, there was some practical uses for utilizing the boxed set format.  Necromancer may as well have bound the three books together in shrink wrap and perhaps lower the price some -- as it was limited to a print run of 1000 copies, as its an update and reprint of their signature product, I'm sure they would have sold them out.

Quote from: MoriartyIts not a stinker but I do have to mention Rappan Athuk: Reloaded into the disappointed bucket.  The adventure itself is solid, high-mortality,  dungeon-crawl goodness but the boxed set presentation completely misses the point of being a boxed set: three softcover books...in a box.  No extras that having a boxed set implies.  The maps are all stapled together in a book; I would expect a bunch of pull outs.  The box has no room for any notes and extras that someone might want to put in there.

If you want to get rid of it, I'd be willing to try making you a really good trade for it...  I missed out on the hardcopy and don't want to deal with something that big via pdf