So what else is new?

Well, this one promises to leapfrog over the boring right into the territory of the bizarre:

QuoteTrigee Enterprises Co. DBA Gygax Games and Mongoose Publishing are proud to announce their agreement for the publication of Lejendary Adventure a multi-genre role playing game system by Gary Gygax, the father of tabletop role-playing games.

The relaunch of the Lejendary Adventure multi-genre role playing game system will include the newly edited core rule books Lejendary Rules For All Players, Lejend Master's Lore and Beasts of Lejend. The system is rules-light, skill based and features richly detailed world settings.

New world environments written and created by Gary Gygax and never before published material will follow, along with new adventures written by a team of writers dedicated to surprise and entertain the avid gamer.

Gail Gygax of Gygax Games, based in Lake Geneva, Wis., leads a team of talented and dedicated "Gygaxian" developers to continue with the creative works of her late husband.

Mongoose Publishing, based in Swindon, England, is the UK's largest publisher of role-playing games, and is known for producing high quality licensed products.

June 2009 will see the first release of Lejendary Rules for All Players hardback and A Question of Tribute scenario. Further releases will follow on from this at regular intervals.

http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=25769

Yeah, I heard something about this.

I'm more concerned with Castle Zagyg, and what will happen with that. I mean, look at this lineup they had.  God, that would have been killer.

So wait a minute...

Does that mean... that LA is just the bait... and CZ is the real prize?!?!?!?

It would make sense. You buy the LA license, which will sell exactly 5 copies worldwide, but you get the CZ license on top, which will sell... more.

After Traveller, Gygax falls to Mongoose?

Say it ain't so.

The shop in Bend has the Troll Lord LA starter box, and I've been repeatedly tempted to pick it up because it's been marked down to about $15 on account of being more than a little shop worn, but I never went through with it.

The marketing blurb on the back was bizarre though.  It's weird seeing all the standard fantasy heartbreaker, anti-D&D sorts of bullet points, on the back of a game designed by the man who created D&D as we know it.

Quote from: Pierce Inverarity;260605So wait a minute...

Does that mean... that LA is just the bait... and CZ is the real prize?!?!?!?

It would make sense. You buy the LA license, which will sell exactly 5 copies worldwide, but you get the CZ license on top, which will sell... more.

After Traveller, Gygax falls to Mongoose?

Say it ain't so.

Dunno. Here's the last bit I heard over at the Troll Lord boards.  

I actually liked the job they did w/ Riki-Tiki-Trav.  Most of Mongoose's other stuff, however, can be a bit on the slapdash side.

Bring back Cyborg Commando!

Quote from: Zachary The First;260619Most of Mongoose's other stuff, however, can be a bit on the slapdash side.

The Conan RPG line is consistently Mongoose's best. Before Conan, I was very, very leery of buying Mongoose products.

QuoteDoes that mean... that LA is just the bait... and CZ is the real prize?!?!?!?

I'd really doubt that. It seems very apparent there is no grand manuscript holding Gygax's vision of Castle Greyhawk, nor was there ever one - at least since he left TSR. I'd love for that not to be true, but I believe the last substantial bit of work was written by Jeff Talanian with some input from Gary. I've had a peek at the kind of notes GG kept in his DM's notebook and slimly terse is an understatement. Anything subsequent called CZ might be a nice tribute, or a competent reinvention but it won't be posthumous Gygax. Now that everyone who actually discussed the project with him has been booted it's also hard to see where the writing would come from, unless Trigee is going to pull out some old-school heavy-hitter from the TSR days.  

If you ask me, Gail's hoping to make some cash from what she has without having to deal too much with the specifics of the 'gaming industry.' Mongoose seems capable at least of managing a licensed line - maybe not always satisfying to gamers but probably easy money for the license holder.

Quote from: ColonelHardisson;260678The Conan RPG line is consistently Mongoose's best. Before Conan, I was very, very leery of buying Mongoose products.

I do stand corrected.  The re-issue on Conan was very nice indeed.

Somebody at Dragonsfoot posted a succinct summary of the public reception of LA on release:

QuoteGygax: Let me tell you about my new favorite game, Lejendary Adventure.

RPGnet: You old hack! You can't even spell.

EnWorld: How do you pronounce drow? And are you ever going to write for DnD again?

Gygax: No, really, LA is what I'm writing for now.

RPGnet: Yawn. You still think you are relevant? Ha!

EnWorld: What did Mordenkainen's bedroom look like? Are you ever going to publish a conclusion to the GDQ series.

Quote from: Kellri;260682... I believe the last substantial bit of work was written by Jeff Talanian with some input from Gary....

This is incorrect, at least according to Jeff Talanian.  In addition to his many detailed conversations with Gary about CZ, he worked with a very detailed 'bible' of notes specifically written for CZ, in addition to Gary's original notes.  To say that CZ:UW merely had "some input from Gary" is simply false.  

As for the future of CZ, however, I share your pessimism.

Quote from: Pierce Inverarity;260708Somebody at Dragonsfoot posted a succinct summary of the public reception of LA on release:

Ouch. True, though. :cool:

Quote from: Pierce Inverarity;260708Somebody at Dragonsfoot posted a succinct summary of the public reception of LA on release:

That's pretty much how it went. :banghead:

Quote from: Zachary The First;260793That's pretty much how it went. :banghead:

Well, yeah, but the game doesn't exactly hit one out of the park. I like Dangerous Journeys better. And that's saying something.

Seanchai

Quote from: Seanchai;260834Well, yeah, but the game doesn't exactly hit one out of the park. I like Dangerous Journeys better. And that's saying something.

At least with Dangerous Journeys the concept of Gygax writing a generic, bland, fantasy heartbreaker was new.

It'd be like if he would have released something called "Syborg Kommando" in his final years - the game would still be not very good, we'd still have seen it (and not liked it) before, and now all it would offer is a dumb spelling.

It's not that I don't appreciate Gygax or his contributions.  But let's face it,  Lejendary Adventure (or DJ or CC) is light years behind the quality or imagination of D&D.