Are we there?

[jongjom]

At least we can assume it'll be out by 1st June as the new RuneQuest will at the UK Games Expo. 

https://www.chaosium.com/bloggen-con-origins-and-uk-games-expo-event-schedules-have-been-submitted-join-us-this-summer/

[g33k]

59 minutes ago, jongjom said:

At least we can assume it'll be out by 1st June as the new RuneQuest will at the UK Games Expo. 

https://www.chaosium.com/bloggen-con-origins-and-uk-games-expo-event-schedules-have-been-submitted-join-us-this-summer/

I fear that's not a surety:  IIRC they've said that a 2nd QS is coming (presumably based on a later, more-final version of the rules).  These mentions might be that QS-v2, though I honestly hope (and semi-expect) that it'll be the full edition...

[jongjom]

1 hour ago, g33k said:

I fear that's not a surety:  IIRC they've said that a 2nd QS is coming (presumably based on a later, more-final version of the rules).  These mentions might be that QS-v2, though I honestly hope (and semi-expect) that it'll be the full edition...

I thought that, but there again it might not look good to do another QuickStarter. There are only so many drum rolls you can do to raise expectations before it becomes a bit of a joke. 

[jongjom]

However, even if just the QS-v2 is released by then I'd imagine that RQ:G's date of release will have been announced.

If not arrived, it should hopefully be seen as imminent.

[Yelm's Light]

I don't see the point to another QS.  Why waste the effort to revise the rules of an incomplete version when they're going to be releasing RQG soon anyway?

[styopa]

I don't see a point in another quickstart per se, but AFAIK Chaosium did pretty well by having the BRP model of a simplified version of the rules available for free (really, the progenitor of the d20 licensing concept which was a *fantastic* one in terms of revivifying D&D - only that WotC stepped on their own toes by releasing 3.5 and then 4 and then 5 so fast they undercut the value proposition and handed customers to Paizo).

[simonh]

1 hour ago, Yelm's Light said:

I don't see the point to another QS.  Why waste the effort to revise the rules of an incomplete version when they're going to be releasing RQG soon anyway?

I think having a QuickStart will be just plain a good thing to have when it’s out anyway. After all they did one for Call of Cthulhu so why not RQ?

Simon Hibbs

[styopa]

1 hour ago, simonh said:

I think having a QuickStart will be just plain a good thing to have when it’s out anyway. After all they did one for Call of Cthulhu so why not RQ?

Simon Hibbs

I think it's a non-trivial amount of work to cull down a rulebook into a functional micro-version of itself.  Comment, Jason?  

I agree it's a great idea from a marketing perspective. 

Given the small staff at Chaosium it's a zero-sum thing: the number of products they are pushing out, and in particular the intent to follow RQ:G hard after with sourcebooks, adventures, supplements, etc (that all must be in the works already, obviously) means that producing product X means less time for product Y.  I just don't know that they have the resources to do that without hurting something else.

[simonh]

16 hours ago, styopa said:

I think it's a non-trivial amount of work to cull down a rulebook into a functional micro-version of itself.  Comment, Jason?  

I agree it's a great idea from a marketing perspective. 

Given the small staff at Chaosium it's a zero-sum thing: the number of products they are pushing out, and in particular the intent to follow RQ:G hard after with sourcebooks, adventures, supplements, etc (that all must be in the works already, obviously) means that producing product X means less time for product Y.  I just don't know that they have the resources to do that without hurting something else.

That all makes sense, but if the calculation is that a QS is good for CoC, then I don't see how the calculation is different for RQ. I suppose it depends to what extent it's a flagship game, after all I don't expect every Chaosium game to get a Quickstarts.

Hopefully though, 90% of the work done on the QS already can be leveraged, and all that needs doing is updating the rules and characters in it to compliance with the final version of the game.

Simon Hibbs

Edit - 90%, not 9!

Edited March 22, 2018 by simonh

[el_octogono]

Hi all! I have a lame question... I've never been into Glorantha but this new RQ edition may be of interest to me. The thing is, there are a lot of Glorantha books out there and I'd like to know if this new release will be enough to roleplay and explore the world or other setting books will be needed. Thanks!

[simonh]

27 minutes ago, el_octogono said:

Hi all! I have a lame question... I've never been into Glorantha but this new RQ edition may be of interest to me. The thing is, there are a lot of Glorantha books out there and I'd like to know if this new release will be enough to roleplay and explore the world or other setting books will be needed. Thanks!

I started roleplaying in Glorantha with just the RQ2 rulebook and Apple Lane, a short introductory scenario book, and you should be able to do exactly the same with the new edition. If anybody says you're doing anything wrong, tell them you're playing in your Glorantha, not theirs or anyone else's. That's what we all do, it's what Greg Stafford does, it's the only sane way to play. In terms of exploring the world, well exploring it as published will really need the publications, but you can absolutely start small and go from there organically.

The new edition will consist of a core rulebook, a GM pack of campaign material with a ton of scenarios, and a monsters book with info on playing non-human characters. The game is designed to be played with all three, so trying to do with less than that might be awkward at least to start with, but if cost is an issue you can pick up many old RQ2 and RQ3 scenario packs in PDF relatively inexpensively, or old scenarios from magazines and such. You should be able to use those with minor adjustments (how much you do that, if at all, is a matter of taste) since the new edition is designed to be pretty backwards compatible. If there's anything you're not sure how to handle, we're here to help.

Honestly this year will be the best time to get into Glorantha in decades. Welcome to the tribe, and have fun!

Simon Hibbs

Edited March 24, 2018 by simonh

[g33k]

1 hour ago, simonh said:

The new edition will consist of a core rulebook, a GM pack of campaign material with a ton of scenarios, and a monsters book with info on playing non-human characters. The game is designed to be played with all three, so trying to do with less than that might be awkward at least to start with

Simon Hibbs

I'll disagree.  I think the core book will be complete, with ample scope for play.

Sure, there's more-advanced content in the GM-pack, monsters and non-human PC-options in the Beastiary; but that's all optional and/or advanced stuff.

See the latest (and final) update:

https://www.chaosium.com/blogdesigning-the-new-runequest-part-23

 

[The God Learner]

For what it's worth, we got quite far with just the RQ 2 rulebook, no scenarios or anything except a couple of maps (see below) and what we put together ourselves. Of course, that was standard issue adventuring rather than deep mythic delving or a new dozen cults each week, but we had a lot of fun anyway. I'd recommend doing it like this: pick a spot on the map, either Boldhome or Pavis in case you can't decide, and have the players meet up at the classic inn. Give them a cousin or uncle who can provide them with work and tell them how things work. Then they can be sent off adventuring, for example to recover relics, kill some chaos, escort caravans, fight a war, plunder temples, meet a dragonewt, punch a duck, etc. See if you can read up on local flavor as you go or just make it up. I don't think we ever visited most points on the Dragon Pass map even.

And then if you want more, know that there is this huge background available. 

[The God Learner]

Oh yes, and don't let them tell you the Monomyth isn't real.

[Joerg]

5 hours ago, The God Learner said:

Oh yes, and don't let them tell you the Monomyth isn't real.

And do feed the trolls.

(When you meet them, offer them some food and a greeting in Darktongue...)

[styopa]

10 hours ago, Joerg said:

And do feed the trolls.

(When you meet them, offer them some food and a greeting in Darktongue...)

I prefer to send an Elf ambassador, two birds with one stone.

[The God Learner]

I'll add, it's all there to fire up your imagination, no more, no less. So take what you like and leave the rest. 

If you start out in Pavis, have a look at The Complete Griselda. You can buy it from Chaosium or (somewhat awkwardly) borrow it at archive.org as https://archive.org/details/completegriselda00vari

Other inspiration: look for sword-and-sandal movies or, for reading, maybe the Greek heroic myths (except they're often on the water, but skip such details and let the spirit fill you), Beowulf, and suchlike. Might be that the old Ray Harryhausen movies can set the right tone too. (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366063/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1) There are some more recent Ancient Greek movies too, but I haven't seen them. 

Finally, for a bit of foreshadowing, add the detail that the uncle who sends the group out on adventures has a wooden leg or a missing arm. Your party will soon see why.

[Rick Meints]

Having a QuickStart version of any system serves two very core purposes:

1. It is a low risk, low expense way to try the system. For someone new to the system, or even roleplaying in general, splashing out $50 (for example) on a core rulebook is a big leap. Alternatively, spending maybe $10 on the QuickStart (or just grabbing a FREE PDF) is a very low risk, low cost way to tempt them to TRY the game.

2. We want the game to be very approachable. If we can present the core concepts of the game, get them creating a character, and playing it via a 64 page (or less) product, that very much demonstrates that the game does NOT have a high learning curve.

In the end, we need to give people no easy reasons to not give the system a try, and the too biggest hurdles are price and time. The QuickStart solves/answers both of those concerns. As the sales maxim goes: give them no reason to say no.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Rick Meints

[styopa]

Those are good goals.

When people ask me, I say yes, it might SEEM like the game has more 'mechanical' bits than other games (let's be candid it's always going to be compared with D&D) but the key distinction is that the mechanics in RQ make such intuitive, logical sense they actually don't get in the way.  My go-to example is combat:  D&D seems way simpler, right?

- In D&D, the attacker rolls to hit, if they hit they do damage.  Simple, yes.  However, that number they need to hit is a single rationalized result that comes from combining in specific ways their skill, their proficiency with the weapon they're using, the armor of the target, the size of the target, the nimbleness of the target & the awareness of the target.  What all those mean, and how they go together is in fact fairly complex.

- In RQ the attacker rolls against their chance to hit.  The defender, if they're aware of the strike, can try to dodge or parry. 

RQ has more rolls, yes - more complicated?  To the average person I don't think so.

[seneschal]

"Punch a duck"???  Such a fowl deed would be ducksploitation!

[g33k]

On 3/29/2018 at 7:51 AM, styopa said:

I prefer to send an Elf ambassador, two birds with one stone.

That'd be the Duck ambassador...