Some Hopes for the New Runequest

[kaydet]

After reading through the Quickstart and participating in some discussion here on the forums, I thought of some things that I'd like to see in the new edition of Runequest. 

• If it is or should be possible to do in Glorantha, it should be possible to do in the rules (though perhaps not necessarily in the core set).
  • I think one of the most interesting things about Glorantha is the way in which heroes build themselves. There is a magical ecology that is exploited by those clever enough and fortunate enough to penetrate its mysteries. I'd like to so mechanics allowing a player to do the same with his or her character -- though they do not have to see behind the curtain as the GM does. It would be a great and amazing game where a player built his character into a great Hero using his own skill and intuition.
• The rules and mechanics of the game should reinforce the mechanics of the universe
  • e.g., if a character can heroform a god or ancestor in Glorantha, there should be rules to do so, and the rules should replicate the same process that would be expected of that hero in Glorantha. If a character would have to undergo a certain process in Glorantha, such as a ritual or sacrifice, then the rules should require that same process.
• Maps should be poetic rather than prescriptive
  • I loved the map in the Quickstart, and I hope that this same style of poetic map is carried through. It is so much more evocative than the crisp and clear maps used in other sourcebooks so far. There's a time and a place for solid and precise imagery, but I think for the most part the poetic maps are more effective and more evocative for a world like Glorantha.
• Editing needs to be tight -- no misused runes, repeated passages, or careless copy-paste errors
  • I think the Quickstart was better than some other products I've seen, but it was still marred by some repetition and some incorrect runes. These are errors that should have been caught even by a quick read-through of an editor, let alone the double-checking that the writer should be doing. On the whole, though, I was pretty impressed with the book. I believe that as an item that will (hopefully) introduce a whole new generation of gamers into Glorantha, special care will be taken to ensure that the quality of the book is commensurate with the quality of its subject matter.
• No nostalgia for its own sake
  • The resistance table in particular comes to mind. I am not a game designer, but the inclusion of this table smacks of nostalgia. While the idea of sacred cows might be appealing for a game set in Glorantha, I confess that I am somewhat worried that some parts of the game are being carried forward even though a better alternative might be available; if it has a reason to be in the game, then let it be so, but this is and should be a modern game with modern ideas and methods.
• Better to have only a little high quality art than lots of mediocre material.
  • There's good and bad Gloranthan art. The most common problems I've seen are images blown up to the point where they appear pixelated, and the (re)use of images that are starting to show their age. I'd rather have only a few high quality pieces than old art scattered everywhere.

Edited July 28, 2017 by kaydet

[g33k]

Do bear in mind that the project is VERY far advanced, and heavily playtested by both newbies and grognards.  For example, I strongly believe the "Resistance Table" to be a matter of personal preference, and that both options were examined (and playtested).  It isn't simple nostalgia, but a conclusion that the majority of the playtesters found it to be better.

I expect that things like this will be HR'ed at individual tables/campaigns/GMs/etc...

 

[kaydet]

@g33k I know. They're just thoughts.

[MOB]

On 28/07/2017 at 9:27 AM, kaydet said:

 

• Editing needs to be tight -- no misused runes, repeated passages, or careless copy-paste errors
  • I think the Quickstart was better than some other products I've seen, but it was still marred by some repetition and some incorrect runes. These are errors that should have been caught even by a quick read-through of an editor, let alone the double-checking that the writer should be doing. On the whole, though, I was pretty impressed with the book. I believe that as an item that will (hopefully) introduce a whole new generation of gamers into Glorantha, special care will be taken to ensure that the quality of the book is commensurate with the quality of its subject matter.

We were under time constraints in order for the Quickstart to be printed, shipped and ready for Free RPG Day, and a few errors unfortunately snuck through. However, you can download the errata for the printed version here. The digital version is up to date with the errata included - just download it again for the corrected version.

The RQG rulebooks are being extensively reviewed and proofread, but there will also be the opportunity for the last and extremely useful "Tribal Edit" here on BRP Central once the PDFs are released, before the final files are sent to the printer (we couldn't do a tribal edit for the Quickstart).

[MOB]

On 28/07/2017 at 9:27 AM, kaydet said:

It would be a great and amazing game where a player built his character into a great Hero using his own skill and intuition.

Previous editions of RuneQuest didn't take characters through to Hero status; RQG does. These rules will be in the Gamemaster Book.