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Systems & Settings => Other Settings => Topic started by: Carter on December 20, 2021, 04:38:44 PM

Title: Just Joined MERP player
Post by: Carter on December 20, 2021, 04:38:44 PM
Hi Guys
Just joined this group and really pleased to have found it. I spent a year hunting down and collecting MERP and all its supplements and expansions including all the related Middle Earth Boxed Games. I am so pleased its a remarkable piece of work and even if all of its not cannon, I'm delighted with it. Of course now I want to play it. Does anyone play online etc. Otherwise its just great to be here 
Title: Re: Just Joined MERP player
Post by: Hurin on December 20, 2021, 10:40:23 PM
Welcome to the forums!

Lots of us play online. There is an ongoing Third Age campaign on Roll20 that I know of (I have my own group). We were just discussing it here:
https://ironcrown.co.uk/ICEforums/index.php?topic=20448.msg238410#msg238410

Good luck finding a game!
Title: Re: Just Joined MERP player
Post by: Cory Magel on December 20, 2021, 11:14:24 PM
All system biased aside, I think the ICE MERP products far surpass all others as far as the quality and amount of content.
Title: Re: Just Joined MERP player
Post by: MisterK on December 21, 2021, 01:01:39 AM
All system biased aside, I think the ICE MERP products far surpass all others as far as the quality and amount of content.
That's probably, at least in part, because of increasing IP use restrictions and monitoring. Look at what ICE published for MERP during the heydays - a large part of it is completely original content, actually. The games that followed had far less leeway (the shortest leash being on the Lord of the Rings game, which was basically restricted to what the *movies* showed). TOR is a middle of the road kind of thing: there is original content, but it stays within well-defined boundaries.

Things like Shadow in the South, Greater Harad, and Court of Ardor could never be published under a Middle Earth license anymore. What allowed MERP to flourish was the freedom the writers had, even though the line editing was not always up to par (something that has plagued the Shadow World line to a much severe degree before Terry put a stop to it).
Title: Re: Just Joined MERP player
Post by: Aspire2Hope on December 21, 2021, 07:53:44 AM
Hey Carter, welcome aboard!
Title: Re: Just Joined MERP player
Post by: pantsorama on December 21, 2021, 10:40:55 AM
All system biased aside, I think the ICE MERP products far surpass all others as far as the quality and amount of content.
That's probably, at least in part, because of increasing IP use restrictions and monitoring. Look at what ICE published for MERP during the heydays - a large part of it is completely original content, actually. The games that followed had far less leeway (the shortest leash being on the Lord of the Rings game, which was basically restricted to what the *movies* showed). TOR is a middle of the road kind of thing: there is original content, but it stays within well-defined boundaries.

Things like Shadow in the South, Greater Harad, and Court of Ardor could never be published under a Middle Earth license anymore. What allowed MERP to flourish was the freedom the writers had, even though the line editing was not always up to par (something that has plagued the Shadow World line to a much severe degree before Terry put a stop to it).

It's like West End Games version of Star Wars.  They had loose reins, and ended up generating so much original content.