mangahunterd Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 Well I was pretty excited. I finally got a copy of the Valdorian Age and had some time to sit down and start reading it last night... Typically I try not to be critical of other people's work, especially since I have not been published, but I had to put down the book after the first 40 pages just because of all the corny names and the B-Movie fantasy gangs. I could not believe that I read that there is a gang in Lowtown that wears panties in their belts to associate them with their gang.... I can put up with a lot of idiosyncrasy but that about killed me.... I have read a boat load of bad campy fantasy in my life but this was just too much especially for a high end product from HERO games. While I am sure the rules information is great the game background information has been really hard to plug through. Now I am not saying that everything is bad there are some good nuggets in it and I have thought of a couple of plot lines that could be done nicely within the city, it is just that for a grim and gritty campaign world there seems to be a lot of campiness. Of course I could be wrong, maybe they were going for the over the top pulp fantasy feel but I didn't think that was what they were trying to do. Oh well just a rant from a fan that was probably too pumped up about a product that he had to high an expectation. I am sure I will go home tonignht and pick it up again and start reading, I will jsut make sure I have had a scotch or two first:drink: However having said this how does everyone else see it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 Re: Valdorian Age Brain Ache I haven't read all the bits like that. Some of the stuff, as with any published setting, you just ignore or tweak to meet the satisfaction of your particular game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendsmiths Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 Re: Valdorian Age Brain Ache I have focused on the rules section of the setting and I find it to be a great setting. I'm not running it right now so I didn't get around to the background details, but I think it is defenitely and over the top pulp fantasy setting. The rules for sorcery I find outstanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 Re: Valdorian Age Brain Ache Yeah, I had a very similar reaction to the names and flavor. My review is here: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11210.phtml The book kind of grew on me over time, but I had to cut it a lot of slack in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Labrat Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 Re: Valdorian Age Brain Ache Maybe I'm just anti-SnS, but this is the one book I've never felt compelled to buy. And that's saying a lot. I don't know, I just thought that another Fantasy (albeit low fantasy) genre book seemed redundant for Hero to produce and catered to those who couldn't take the 30 minutes or so to dial down the high fantasy aspect of FH enough on their own... in either case I couldn't justify not tooling low fantasy myself just by customizing already existing rules in FH, if I ever had the urge to play SnS to begin with. Secondly I just think that low fantasy is way too limiting in character types and would eventually lead to the Ultimate Hack N Slash... which stopped being cool in about eigth grade. Sure maybe as a distraction for a night where nobody wanted to be serious this may be fun, but I can't see a year's campaign coming out of it. Now I'm not saying that I'm being fair, I'm sure that I have minimal exposure to the genre due to these self-imposed biases, but I'm sure I'm not alone in this kind of thinking. I honestly think that if I bought and read TVA it might sour my taste for fantasy as a whole for a while. After all I never empathised much with Arnold in the Conan movies, never rose above a yawn for Conan literature and sure the heck never thought that running around in animal pelts with an immense phallic-like sword-substitution was all that impressive to begin with. I just don't think that I was born in the right era to enjoy this kind of escapism (and I'm barrelling towards 40). My $0.02. You'll probably be better just to ignore me and move along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 Re: Valdorian Age Brain Ache Name: The Valdorian Age is unique as a product name' date=' which is always important. Valdor sounds like Valor, which may or may not be coincidental but evokes a response nonetheless, and it rolls of the tongue well. It sounds like it should be spoken by a stentorian lecturer with a heraldic bent, or Mako in a voice over to the brooding opening scene of the campaign, complete with brass horn and kettle drum soundtrack. "Lo they were the years of the VAL-DOOR-IAN AGE, an era of HIGH ADVENTURE and DARK MAGICS, when men were MEN and barbarians could become KINGS!!!!!....". Or something like that.[/quote'] Yer gettin' rep for mention Mako! (and making me laugh pretty hard) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 Re: Valdorian Age Brain Ache Yer gettin' rep for mention Mako! (and making me laugh pretty hard) Mako is my hero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.