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Post by CSP Kris on Oct 5, 2010 20:17:43 GMT
Since the Age of Shadow has been discussed briefly on a few forums recently, I thought that I would start a thread to address any questions folks may have regarding the game (be it a rules query, a general 'why did you do it this way' question, or even a possible error you may have spotted). So if there is something that is not very clear, or something that you think needs changing, feel free to post below and I will do my best to answer in a timely fashion
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Post by anglachel on Oct 21, 2010 16:49:43 GMT
Not a question per se, but i really hope you will flesh out the world a bit more (i want to say "at all" at the moment). I know you want this as a kind of first age middle-earth-like setting but i do think just copying in Tolkien's work/world would not be fitting...i mean why creating a map then? Just play in ME. This may sound really negative and maybe even aggressive ... but that is not my intention at all (but i didn't know how to word it better :embarrassed: ) . I just would like to see a new world growing out of this. And if Kris does not want to do it ... or at least not alone...maybe it could be a group-effort? (look, there's your question )
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Post by CSP Kris on Oct 22, 2010 21:58:11 GMT
Hello ...welcome to the forums and thanks for posting! With regard to the campaign world - I do hope to get a some setting information added to the website (and maybe even as a separate pdf download in time) ...though I have to admit that it might be a little slow in coming. I did originally create the game as a personal project for use in a First Age Middle Earth game - but as you can I'm not so keen on that idea now - as having a different world with just a 'First Age feel' should allow both the players and the GM a lot more freedom to run riot in that world (in essence to create their own histories rather than worrying about those set out in Tolkien's works). Anyway, generally speaking, I'd like to have a similar amount of information available as I have for the (D&D) Airtha setting - though in truth, that kind of thing generally has more chance of being put to paper (and developed further) when I'm actually running a game (which is something I'm not actually doing right now). So it might be a little slow in coming, but it should surface eventually. One thing I did think of was to perhaps insert little narrative snippets (like that found at the beginning of the rulebook) here and there (though not too much in one go) to try and make it less dry. However, I may not be a great writer - so I might fail miserably (or scrap the idea completely). I also think that an adventure written specifically for the setting would be a good way to get across some information and the general feel of the world (or perhaps just a few short encounters), but I'm probably getting ahead of myself there - so I should probably stop rambling on now (rather than hint at things that may be a long time coming - if ever at all ).
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Post by anglachel on Oct 22, 2010 22:56:22 GMT
Thanks for the welcome This sounds promising. I do hope that you'll get the time and inspiration you need for this. I think that all of the options you mentioned are a good way to add more detail and/or flavour to this setting. So hopefully, and i am aware that this is like daydreaming , you'll get around to do everything on that list. As i said, maybe some members are willing to help (if you are interested in a shared worldbuilding, that is) and a subforum for collecting ideas and collaborative brainstorming would be needed. Anyway, thanks for your reply and i hope to see more soon.......ish
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Post by CSP Kris on Oct 23, 2010 15:31:58 GMT
...if you are interested in a shared worldbuilding, that is... I'll admit that it is an interesting idea, though I don't know how well my own thoughts and ideas would sit with other folks and vice versa. Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to start a new thread (or poll) with the aim of nailing down some basic setting details - like whether beastlings or orcs should be the main antagonists, and things like that ((note that my own idea was to have the beastlings and fellgrim (basically different types of beastmen - or Rhashoth as the elves would call them) as the main foot soldiers of the enemy)).
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Post by CSP Kris on Oct 24, 2010 0:00:33 GMT
One thing I did think of was to perhaps insert little narrative snippets... This was something I thought I'd try for the pre-gens (though it's just a draft) and it's only a test: ageofshadow.freehostia.com/page5.html
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Post by anglachel on Oct 24, 2010 10:08:58 GMT
Hi Kris,
Very nice! I think your fears of failing miserably at this are unfounded. Hope to see more of those snippets. As a little caveat, i still think fluff text and descriptive prose for the world and its people would be a nice-to-have.
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Post by CSP Kris on Oct 24, 2010 12:45:56 GMT
Thanks for the words of encouragement. ...i still think fluff text and descriptive prose for the world and its people would be a nice-to-have... A slightly more detailed account of the few things that already appear on the site can also be found here (again as a first draft): ageofshadow.freehostia.com/page6.html
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Post by anglachel on Nov 1, 2010 19:01:11 GMT
I like your flavour text in that last piece.
Not so sure about the style of your elvish names (especially talking about the fallen elven king and his heir)...they have a more dwarvish ring to me. I think inspiration for names can be taken from Tolkien without having to feel like stealing, imho. You have done a good job with the names for regions mountains etc. .
Looking forward to more.
And i might throw out some ideas for setting etc etc and maybe even try my hand at some flavour text (if i find the time and the right mood). That is, if such things are wanted? And something to remember - english is not my native tongue.
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Post by CSP Kris on Nov 2, 2010 12:31:25 GMT
Not so sure about the style of your elvish names (especially talking about the fallen elven king and his heir... I have been thinking of changing some of the names (especially since Gilmir appears on the website as the current king and also in the introduction text of the book as an adventurer). Names I am thinking of changing are as follows: ElvesHoldmir to HarthadGilmir to HelegonGilmir's sons = Helegil & Ringon (not mentioned yet) Gilmir's daughter = Losseneth - twin sister of Ringon (not mentioned yet) MenHatus to Alaric
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Post by CSP Kris on Nov 2, 2010 12:50:17 GMT
And i might throw out some ideas for setting etc etc and maybe even try my hand at some flavour text (if i find the time and the right mood). That is, if such things are wanted? I'm not sure how to go about this... ...perhaps the easiest way would simply be to start a new thread outlining a particular idea/story/history that you have and then take it from there (and maybe get some input from a few people as the thread grows). In the meantime I will try and get a few more of my ideas down on paper (or tidy up some of the notes that I have) to give you more of a feel for the current state of affairs (or at least the state of things as I currently envisage them).
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Post by CSP Kris on Nov 2, 2010 19:51:04 GMT
I have been thinking of changing some of the names... I've actually gone ahead with this now and tidied the website up a little too ;D
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Post by anglachel on Nov 2, 2010 23:13:46 GMT
The new elf-names sound definitely less dwarf-ish in my ears. I will open a thread for some rambling from my side then We will see what becomes of it. If you do not like what you see you can always ignore it (but please make it known because I will most probably stop doing it in that case, because my idea was/is to help grow this world, not to work on something only i will find useful). Also looking forward to what you will be putting on paper. The current state of affairs is especially desirable because it helps creating the atmosphere for a game in the present of the setting.
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Post by CSP Kris on Nov 16, 2010 0:31:23 GMT
...looking forward to what you will be putting on paper... The trouble I am having is that the game that I plan on running will start in a time of relative peace ...and then 'things' would start to happen (sometimes very quickly). So it is hard to write much, as some things/places/people could be completely different within a very short space of time (for example some places might be destroyed, or occupied, or besieged, etc.).
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Post by anglachel on Nov 16, 2010 23:38:50 GMT
I think for the game itself (as a product you put on the i-net for others) you only need to describe it up to a fixed point in time. From there on it is in the hands of the individual groups. That is also the write up i hope you will present us. This fixed point should be one before all the things you have in mind for your campaign start to happen For your own game, i understand what you mean...but you still can use the background as a way to put color and flavour into the world you portray. You do not invalidate your work, if some parts get changed in the progress of a campaign. At least imho.
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