Quote from: QuireSorry to dispute this, but it's a lot more than a few linking sentences.

I'm not about to count words in the core rulebook in order to make concrete comparisons - but I'd estimate there is less than half the words in the SRD than there is in the rulebook. And a quantity of that is not flavour text or mere examples, but actual rules, conditions, source, etc. Some of the reduced rules barely make sense. The Skills chapter is a good example; if anyone hasn't looked at the rulebook yet, try reading the SRD first and you'll see what I mean.*

Of course, the 30mm+ margins on the core rulebook bloat the fuck out of it too.

- Q

* Conversely, there's the ridiculous combat example to consider too. Two pages of example that often contradict the rules that went before it.

Well, I didn't notice a huge difference between the book and the SRD when I looked at them.  YMMV.

At rpg.net, Mongoose are indicating they may rerelease the MRQ core book and companion as one book, which is welcome for potential future buyers.

Somehow that doesn't surprise me after Mongoose Conan Atlantean edition and now 2nd edition. Eventually they release the version I'd rather have had the first time around. >.<

Quote from: BalbinusAt rpg.net, Mongoose are indicating they may rerelease the MRQ core book and companion as one book, which is welcome for potential future buyers.

Yep.  I'm curious to see that now, because it could make a big difference in how I was looking at the product line.

A couple of wonky rules I can handle.  But there's not much you can do about poor organization.

Quote from: QuireI'm not about to count words in the core rulebook in order to make concrete comparisons - but I'd estimate there is less than half the words in the SRD than there is in the rulebook. And a quantity of that is not flavour text or mere examples, but actual rules, conditions, source, etc. Some of the reduced rules barely make sense. The Skills chapter is a good example; if anyone hasn't looked at the rulebook yet, try reading the SRD first and you'll see what I mean.*

Which SRD do you mean? I've been looking at the fan-made combined SRD at:

http://www.justanotherwebsite.net/mrqwiki/images/1/18/RunequestFull.pdf

and the Skills rules there seem perfectly serviceable to me - although, granted, I do have a lot of experience with RQ and BRP-based systems. Which parts do you think could use improving?

And even then, do the rules really need 134 pages of extra material in order to adequately explain everything? No. I still maintain that a high, high, high proportion (25-75%) of those extra pages in the printed rulebooks are a result of the horrible layout.

Quote from: BalbinusAt rpg.net, Mongoose are indicating they may rerelease the MRQ core book and companion as one book, which is welcome for potential future buyers.

That's very good news indeed. I wonder if they'll take an opportunity to present a full-blown second edition, or at least clear up some of the wobblier parts of the system (like the rules for skills over 100%)?

Quote from: Warthurthe [SRD] Skills rules there seem perfectly serviceable to me - although, granted, I do have a lot of experience with RQ and BRP-based systems. Which parts do you think could use improving?

And even then, do the rules really need 134 pages of extra material in order to adequately explain everything? No. I still maintain that a high, high, high proportion (25-75%) of those extra pages in the printed rulebooks are a result of the horrible layout.

I'd definitely agree with you on a quarter of those. But just looking from the rulebook on my desk to the SRD on screen amazes me how much text has gone. But then...that's kind of the point of an SRD. In more than a handful of places, though, it has left the remnants looking distinctly odd.

Specifically in the Skills SRD, Group Tests and Large Groups And Percentile Success are left wide open.

I'm already feeling like I've harped on way too long about this, but an example of disappearing text pretty much rendering the SRD version of it as next to useless is the Cults chapter.

In short, and to sign off on this particular point from me: I wouldn't suggest that the rulebook and the companion are anything like the pinnacle of RPG design. And the SRD on its own is even less so.

- Q