RQ2 Premium Reprint - What would it take?

[Falconer]

(I wasn’t sure which forum was appropriate for a RQ2 topic. The RQ forum seems geared towards RQ6. RQ2 is at least unquestionably related to Glorantha.)

There have lately been a lot of “premium reprints,”*“special editions,” etc., of famous RPGs. AD&D 1e, Call of Cthulhu, and Rolemaster 2e, to name a few.

I have just been wondering. What would it take to see a similar limited, finely-bound reprint of the Runequest 2e combined with one or two supplements (Cults of Prax would definitely be good). Is there any demand for such a thing? Could the rights be negotiated?

[Baragei]

Probably pretty much. Chaosium doesn't have the rights to RuneQuest - that is held by the Design Mechanism. I can't see either of them coughing up time and scarce money on an admittable marginal product.

However - AEONS by Vile is essentially a RQ2 retroclone (and looking pretty spiffy, if he could only finish it;)). And the Gloranthan Classics from Moon Design are classics for a reason.

But I fear we'll have to wait a long time for fine-bound hardcovers.

[tzunder]

there are loads of copies of RQ2 on ebay.

[yojimbo]

Not going to happen. Unlike Wizards of the Coast, The Design Mechanism have a version of RQ in print that they are promoting. Why would they want to undermine RQ6 by producing a nostalgia piece like an RQ2 reprint? WotC are publishing the reprints because they do not have new D&D items to sell at the moment while D&D Next is being developed.

As mentioned previously, AEON is an RQ2 retroclone and you also have the Glorantha Classics books by Moon Designs.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

Ahem! Let me just leap in there and point out that AEONS is a D100 game more closely related to RQ2 than to RQ3, BRP or Legend, but it is by no means a clone. Glyphmaster was to be a RQ2 retroclone but I turned it into the D100II SRD because of a lack of time and because the MRQ1 SRD on which it was based didn't have enough material for a proper simulacrum. Rules-wise, however, it is very close to RQ2 and I might one day decide to turn it into a proper rulebook. Downloads here have recently passed the 1,000 mark, I'm happy to report (although it's available elsewhere on the web, too):

D100II SRD 1.3 - Downloads - Basic Roleplaying Central

And I promise I will finish AEONS right after I finish BLUEHOLME™ Compleat Rules ...

Oh, and welcome to BRP Central, Falconer!

Edited June 29, 2013 by Vile

[Falconer]

Why would they want to undermine RQ6 by producing a nostalgia piece like an RQ2 reprint?

No offense, but, can’t we get past that way of thinking, yet? Don’t RQ6, Legend, Magic World/BRP, OpenQuest, HeroQuest, SPQR, and GORE already all “undermine” each other? People play all these. People also play OOP games like MRQII and Avalon Hill RQ3. People also play less-related games like Pathfinder and GURPS and a million other RPGs. They’re all designed to cater to different tastes. WOTC has learned that suppressing old editions doesn’t help the popularity of a new edition; that the new edition must stand or fall on its own merits—i.e., it really has to be BETTER in order to be competitive, not just in-print.

In other words, if they did a RQ2 limited reprint, they might make a buck off it from the people who want it, but if RQ6 is really superior it won’t hurt RQ6.

[bturner]

Most of the folks who produce the various RuneQuest and RuneQuest-like games these days aren't operating with an excess of resources. Much as I would dearly love to see a beautiful reprint of the RQ2 rules, I would much prefer that the same effort be spent upon producing new material and building the strength of the community.

[silent_bob]

Heck, I would be happy with a PDF of Chaosium's old RQ2 rules. A PDF wouldn't consume many resources and would generate a quick bit of cash from old timers like me.

Most of the folks who produce the various RuneQuest and RuneQuest-like games these days aren't operating with an excess of resources. Much as I would dearly love to see a beautiful reprint of the RQ2 rules, I would much prefer that the same effort be spent upon producing new material and building the strength of the community.

[nclarke]

Producing a PDF requires either the original electronic document or a good clean paper copy. The first being extremely unlikely to be in a format currently supported if even it's in any sort of electronic format and the second requiring painstaking scan and OCR with hours of correction from the OCR'd document is probably going to cost more that the cost of a licence and what you'd get in income.

TL:DR Don't hold your breath.

[silent_bob]

Why would they need to use OCR? Just scan the rules in like WOTC did with their old modules from the late 70s and early 80s.

Producing a PDF requires either the original electronic document or a good clean paper copy. The first being extremely unlikely to be in a format currently supported if even it's in any sort of electronic format and the second requiring painstaking scan and OCR with hours of correction from the OCR'd document is probably going to cost more that the cost of a licence and what you'd get in income.

TL:DR Don't hold your breath.

[nclarke]

If you don't OCR the text you can't search it or copy and paste it. The whole point of having a PDF is being able to use the text as a searchable form or you'd buy a copy of eBay. You also can't correct the spelling in a picture which is what a scanned but not OCR'd book is.

[silent_bob]

Good point. But the Chaosium RQ2 rule book is only 120 pages, so OCR would not take that long.

If you don't OCR the text you can't search it or copy and paste it. The whole point of having a PDF is being able to use the text as a searchable form or you'd buy a copy of eBay. You also can't correct the spelling in a picture which is what a scanned but not OCR'd book is.

[nclarke]

So go on then. Then you just need to get approval from the IP holder (s) and set up a kickstarter/indiegogo campaign.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

The problem is that the RuneQuest 2 text belongs to Chaosium and the RuneQuest trademark and Glorantha belong to Issaries. I don't know whether they'd want to collaborate on producing a PDF, but even if they did I imagine it would be a loooong wait ...

[soltakss]

There wouldn't be much point, in my view.

There are unauthorised PDFs available, if you know where to look. They are perfectly acceptable in terms if quality, but are not searchable. Obviously, I would not condone selling or buying such PDFs. My point is that it is possible to produce them at a reasonable quality.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

There wouldn't be much point, in my view.

Thanks for the reminder! That, actually was the point of the OP, wasn't it? That a premium reprint would be nice - but a PDF, well, not so much.

[Falconer]

I bought the Griffin Mountain reprint, and then I had to hunt down used copies of RQ2, Cults of Prax, and Gateway Bestiary. They’re falling apart too quickly after use at the gaming table. I just thought how nice it would be to have a hardcover reprint.

[silent_bob]

Falconer,

I have the red hardcover version of RQ2 and it is nearly indestructible! A hardcover reprint would be nice, because the old hardcovers are expensive.

[Falconer]

Yeah, I have lusted after that. I think it would just be cheaper to take my softcover in to a bookbinder and get it done.

[Mankcam]

Falconer,

I have the red hardcover version of RQ2 and it is nearly indestructible...

I never knew a red hardcover of RQ2 existed. I have the softcover version from the boxed set, and my cousin had the full colour cover stand alone version of that. I preferred boxed sets back in the 80s, but this was before hard cover books for core rules became the norm in the 90s. In hindsight I would prefer to have a hardcover edition, if only for posterity if nothing else. RQ3 was always my preferred rule set, but RQ2 did have its charms. I'll have to hunt down a picture of the red hardcover version of RQ2 just to satisfy my own interest Edited July 16, 2013 by Mankcam

[SDLeary]

I never knew a red hardcover of RQ2 existed. I have the softcover version from the boxed set, and my cousin had the hardcover stand alone version of that. I preferred boxed sets back in the 80s, but this was before hard cover books for core rules became the norm in the 90s. In hindsight I would prefer to have a hardcover edition, if only for posterity if nothing else. RQ3 was always my preferred rule set, but RQ2 did have its charms. I'll have to hunt down a picture of the red hardcover version of RQ2 just to satisfy my own interest

Noble Knight has them from time to time, but they go for a pretty penny. If you do look it up, use Reston Publishing in your search.

SDLeary

[Falconer]

http://adventuresandshopping.blogspot.com/2011/09/runequest-games-workshop-character.html

[jp42]

I kick myself for ever getting rid of my hard-bound copy. We played it until the binding started to break, but I really wish I still had it.

I am not sure I'd buy it again in a reprint, but a cleaned up PDF copy, with all errata and a bit more modern publication sense would be lovely.

[Baron]

I would buy a few copies for my table.

[Joerg]

While this feels like grave-digging a thread, it seems that what it takes to get a preomium reprint is the 50th anniversary of Glorantha in 2016, probably a minor kickstarter, and Chaosium being taken over by MoonDesign.