Topic: My Birthday is Today

[EltonJ]

Yeah, Elton Robb here.  It says I'm 47, but in actuality my body is still 41.  So, a question.  If I bought Wizards of the Coast, would you think that would be a good thing?

[Cory Magel]

Probably. But is Hasbro selling?

[Hurin]

Nah man, save your cash for the Tolkien license, and give it back to ICE. We can retcon all the old Middle Earth modules with RMU stats.

[RandalThor]

Happy Birthday!!!

Why would you buy WotC?

[Malim]

I think WoTC would be a good buy.. If you have like 1.000.000.000 dollars to spend.

[RandalThor]

You think it is worth 1 billion?

[Cory Magel]

I believe around 2000 they sold to Hasbro for almost 500 million.

[Hurin]

Magic The Gathering makes a lot of money. They print tiny cardboard cards for $4 a pack.

[Malim]

They make ALOT of money each year! So I wouldnt be suprised IF they sold its in that ballpark!

[EltonJ]

Happy Birthday!!!

Why would you buy WotC?

Actually, I was originally just going to buy Dungeons and Dragons from Wizards of the Coast.  However, that changed to the whole company over time.  I have enough, I can buy the company.  I want to be able to work on 6th Edition.  And possibly partner with new ICE on some projects.  Such as an official RMU compatible Eberron (possibly).

All I think of is the good we can do with D&D.  And partnering with ICE in the future will be good for ICE and the new WotC.

[Malim]

If you have that kind of money, why not make Rolemaster from RM2 where i think the most fans are tbh.
Make shadow world the new faerun..

[Boromir]

On the aside above:

Given how so much great material from RM2 is not under license and likely to never be given the difficulty of finding the large number of missing authors (see https://ironcrown.co.uk/ICEforums/index.php?topic=11282.0 thread) I think that to recreate RM2 in all its glory it would be better to start with RMSS/RMFRP (which pretty much is all licensed), where most of the good material from the RM2 Companions ended up anyway, and create a backport version of RM2.  Call it RM3. 

Start by restoring the stat bonus to the old RM2 level (3 times larger than in RMSS/RMFRP), rip out the talent law, restore the skill lists to the flatter form in RM2CII (but derive it from RMSS/RMFRP), and so on, and you would have a "complete" RM2, or as complete as we are ever likely to see.

That's not to suggest I won't get onboard with RMU when it is finally released, but it feels like a significantly new game to me.

(Yes, please, buy the MERP license.)

[EltonJ]

On the aside above:

Given how so much great material from RM2 is not under license and likely to never be given the difficulty of finding the large number of missing authors (see https://ironcrown.co.uk/ICEforums/index.php?topic=11282.0 thread) I think that to recreate RM2 in all its glory it would be better to start with RMSS/RMFRP (which pretty much is all licensed), where most of the good material from the RM2 Companions ended up anyway, and create a backport version of RM2.  Call it RM3. 

Start by restoring the stat bonus to the old RM2 level (3 times larger than in RMSS/RMFRP), rip out the talent law, restore the skill lists to the flatter form in RM2CII (but derive it from RMSS/RMFRP), and so on, and you would have a "complete" RM2, or as complete as we are ever likely to see.

That's not to suggest I won't get onboard with RMU when it is finally released, but it feels like a significantly new game to me.

(Yes, please, buy the MERP license.)

Ahem.  Buying the license to Middle-Earth isn't in the plans.  Christopher Tolkien is dead. I'll have to go to his children to get the MERP license back.  Although a quick look at drivethru shows that the One Ring publishing maybe defunct.

[Hurin]

I think One Ring lost the Tolkien license just recently:

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/44616/dispute-ends-cubicle-7s-the-one-ring-publishing-agreement

[EltonJ]

I think One Ring lost the Tolkien license just recently:

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/44616/dispute-ends-cubicle-7s-the-one-ring-publishing-agreement

Sounds like there is an opportunity coming with that news.

[MisterK]

Sounds like there is an opportunity coming with that news.

Not really sure it is an opportunity. Those who hold the license rights to Tolkien works are notoriously picky about what they allow and don't. Many of the reasons why the last two games floundered lie within the limitations that are imposed on products.

MERP came in before the noose tightened, which is why they could get away with so much more. But I believe 90% of what was published for MERP could not be published now.

I think things like AtDM are the best you can do for Middle Earth now as far as RPGs go (plus, between MERP products, LotR products and tOR products, there is a wealth of published material and I'm not sure you need more).

[EltonJ]

Sounds like there is an opportunity coming with that news.

Not really sure it is an opportunity. Those who hold the license rights to Tolkien works are notoriously picky about what they allow and don't. Many of the reasons why the last two games floundered lie within the limitations that are imposed on products.

MERP came in before the noose tightened, which is why they could get away with so much more. But I believe 90% of what was published for MERP could not be published now.

I think things like AtDM are the best you can do for Middle Earth now as far as RPGs go (plus, between MERP products, LotR products and tOR products, there is a wealth of published material and I'm not sure you need more).

Fortunately, the Copyright on Lord of the Rings is soon to expire.  J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973.  So, about 2043 to 2045, the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit will go into the Public Domain.