Topic: RMU Beta and MERP

[Cory Magel]

We essentially did the same.  We played D&D 2nd Ed with a lot of RM1&2 materials combined in before moving to MERP, played one MERP campaign.  We were looking at RM2 as a system, but saw some issues we didn't like (balance had gone out of control and the round structure just plain sucked) so we switched over to RMSS just as it was hitting the shelves.  Haven't found anything better yet, although (as most) we've made our own changes.

[Guillaume]

It was at one point, a contender with D&D as the most widely used system. . .that point was a long time ago, which indicates we either have an older crowd and/or one that likes to dig back in the cellar to sample prime old vintages.

Definitely in the 80s it was D&D or MERP as the fantasy roleplaying game.  The other games were far in term of sales and game groups. ( even French games in French had a hard time competing against those two... ) 

[Mider]

I always like the detail of the modules, it was more open faced, not like with D&D where it was go here, kill that, reap the rewards.  It was up to the GM to take the setting and go with it.  And of course, who did not love the maps in MERP!

[Cory Magel]

I'm currently putting together a new campaign and will be using the Northeast portion of Middle-Earth as the setting.  The 'known world' will be that corner of the world.  This way I can include or expand things in an interesting way long term if I want to.  I just might eventually work it into a campaign which would require high level characters and starts at in the 2nd age (when Numemor sinks).  Course, that's years down the road.

[peacekeeper_b]

MERP was amazing it introduced me to RM and Middle Earth has always been one of my favorite settings. I was largely able to ignore the spell system (very few players in my games played Mages or Animists) and many of the spells seemed to be more of skill/stat modifiers than actual spells like in D&D, yet you did have attack spells and such and they occassionally didnt fit, but hey thats ok.

I think filing off the Middle Earth setting and adding their own setting and ICE could release a game similar to MERP (and initially thought HARP was that game) and could even add their own "similar" setting. A land of mostly men with the ancient races slowly moving to voluntary exile, either across the sea or deep in the earth, just as a great evil rises in the east to challenge mankind for control of the known world. Enter orcs and trolls and undead kings and go!

I think ICE would benefit by releasing a level 1-10 "primer" for Rolemaster. And MERP is a great place to start. WORM (World of Role Master).

[Ecthelion]

Also for me MERP was the entry to ICE's FRPG systems, later switching to RM2, then RMSS/RMFRP and later adding HARP. We especially liked the skill system approach in MERP as well as the attack tables and criticals. And we still use Middle Earth as setting, occasionally using the old MERP modules for background information.

I hope that RMU will keep the good parts of MERP and RM and will improve some of the areas where RM had weaknesses. From what I have seen until now I must say that indeed some of the old weaknesses have been removed/mitigated (e.g. wearing armor is now more of an advantage than with the old system), but at the same time there are areas where MERP and RM were strong and there was no reason for changes IMO, but which now have undergone a change to the worse (e.g. rebalancing of weapons, critical tables). So let's see what the next beta brings...

[DavidKlecker]

I also started with MERP and love it. Our group then after a while migrated to the Rolemaster System which was quite similar. However as we all got older we needed a simpler system and I brought in Harp. MERP was awesome and when we switched to RM we retained using the Middle Earth world so we re-tweaked the Races, Herbs and some of the professions to match as much as possible Middle Earth. Those were the days. 

[Zut]

I think ICE would benefit by releasing a level 1-10 "primer" for Rolemaster. And MERP is a great place to start. WORM (World of Role Master).

WORM? Good idea! Get a point!

[Sherpa]

Kinda makes me sad that ICE doesn't hold rights to MERP anymore. I love the game and still play it. Im also a younger player. MERP is the reason im a Tolkien nut haha. Most of us call it "Basic Rolemaster"

Fun fact. ICE stands for "Iron Crown Enterprises" which is a reference to Morgoth's Iron Crown from Middle Earth.

[peacekeeper_b]

Kinda makes me sad that ICE doesn't hold rights to MERP anymore. I love the game and still play it. Im also a younger player. MERP is the reason im a Tolkien nut haha. Most of us call it "Basic Rolemaster"

Fun fact. ICE stands for "Iron Crown Enterprises" which is a reference to Morgoth's Iron Crown from Middle Earth.

Especially since the current Lord of the Rings RPG sucks.

[markc]

There is also the Iron Crown of Lombardy, which I have linked below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Crown_of_Lombardy


MDC

[smug]

Definitely in the 80s it was D&D or MERP as the fantasy roleplaying game.  The other games were far in term of sales and game groups. ( even French games in French had a hard time competing against those two... ) 

In the UK, Runequest was similar in appeal to D&D, as I recall.

I love Runequest (although dislike Glorantha, an example of a setting being a disincentive to play a game although the later Fantasy Europe setting was perfect for me). My RM is mostly/entirely in Middle-Earth (although I like and own a bunch of Shadow World), so RMU compatibility with RM2, in the sense of easy on-the-fly conversion would be a big selling point for me. To be fair, though, I've not had a reason yet to leave RM2 (or RMX, which I use for new people and some rules from which I'm putting into my RM2, most particularly the starting hp) so I may not really be the target audience anyhow.

[peacekeeper_b]

Definitely in the 80s it was D&D or MERP as the fantasy roleplaying game.  The other games were far in term of sales and game groups. ( even French games in French had a hard time competing against those two... ) 

In the UK, Runequest was similar in appeal to D&D, as I recall.

I love Runequest (although dislike Glorantha, an example of a setting being a disincentive to play a game although the later Fantasy Europe setting was perfect for me). My RM is mostly/entirely in Middle-Earth (although I like and own a bunch of Shadow World), so RMU compatibility with RM2, in the sense of easy on-the-fly conversion would be a big selling point for me. To be fair, though, I've not had a reason yet to leave RM2 (or RMX, which I use for new people and some rules from which I'm putting into my RM2, most particularly the starting hp) so I may not really be the target audience anyhow.

Thats true, I am more likely to stay with RM2 as I just prefer it (I get attached and I am very nostalgic!)

I do like RQ (except its crappy layout and art and look of the RQ2 books).