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Did any Published Setting/RPG Line ever end well?

Started by RPGPundit, September 17, 2007, 04:00:46 PM

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RPGPundit

September 17, 2007, 04:00:46 PM
I'm trying to think of it now, either a setting or a series of metaplot type RPG books for a specific game; out of those that came to a planned end, did any ever actually end well? In the sense that the end felt good, or even that it was cancelled on a high note?

RPGPundit
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#1
September 17, 2007, 04:37:04 PM
The only one that I can think of off hand that was planned well was WW's Orpheus, where they had a beginning, a middle, and an end, all written beforehand and revealed over the course of five books.  However, I didn't particularly enjoy the notion of having to buy all five books to play the game, so I never pursued the matter any further.

!i!

Cab

#2
September 18, 2007, 03:29:25 AM
Quote from: RPGPunditI'm trying to think of it now, either a setting or a series of metaplot type RPG books for a specific game; out of those that came to a planned end, did any ever actually end well? In the sense that the end felt good, or even that it was cancelled on a high note?

RPGPundit

Mystara for classic D&D. If you ignore the trailing off of the setting into the 2nd ed product line, the finale (Wrath of the Immortals) was excellent.
 

Imperator

#3
September 18, 2007, 03:51:46 AM
It could be said that the oWoD lines ended properly. Another matter is the quality of the ending products (some I liked, some I disliked), but they ended on a high note.
EDIT: After tre-reading the OP, I realize that the question excluded settings like WoD. Nevermind.
My name is Ramón Nogueras. Running now Vampire: the Masquerade (Giovanni Chronicles IV for just 3 players), and itching to resume my Call of Cthulhu campaign (The Sense of the Sleight-of-Hand Man).

Lawbag

#4
September 18, 2007, 04:14:19 AM
Quote from: ImperatorIt could be said that the oWoD lines ended properly. Another matter is the quality of the ending products (some I liked, some I disliked), but they ended on a high note.
EDIT: After tre-reading the OP, I realize that the question excluded settings like WoD. Nevermind.

yes they ended, but not in a good way, whichever way you take it.
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Imperator

#5
September 18, 2007, 05:27:18 AM
Quote from: Lawbagyes they ended, but not in a good way, whichever way you take it.
That's a matter of personal opinion.
My name is Ramón Nogueras. Running now Vampire: the Masquerade (Giovanni Chronicles IV for just 3 players), and itching to resume my Call of Cthulhu campaign (The Sense of the Sleight-of-Hand Man).

Lawbag

#6
September 18, 2007, 06:16:55 AM
perhaps in terms on putting us and them out of our misery.
"See you on the Other Side"
 
Playing: Nothing
Running: Nothing
Planning: pathfinder amongst other things
 
Playing every Sunday in Bexleyheath, Kent, UK 6pm til late...

Imperator

#7
September 18, 2007, 06:24:19 AM
I don't think so.
 
I see how some people could be disappointed with the ending of some of the lines. I liked Gehenna, The End of Empire and Time of Judgement overall (never got to read Apocalypse or Ascension), but not all the scenarios were equally interesting for me. Many people complained about the lack of closure of some of the products (for example, no canonical info on the Antediluvians was provided), and I understand that.
 
Since the very beginning, Gehenna was promised as inminent. The apocalyptic feeling was an integral part of the oWoD. And finally, when White Wolf delivers what they were promising for 13 years, people gets pissed because of that.
 
Gamers need something to complain about.
My name is Ramón Nogueras. Running now Vampire: the Masquerade (Giovanni Chronicles IV for just 3 players), and itching to resume my Call of Cthulhu campaign (The Sense of the Sleight-of-Hand Man).

Blackleaf

#8
September 18, 2007, 07:31:06 AM
What about the original Dragonlance trilogy and series of modules?

Warthur

#9
September 18, 2007, 09:09:48 AM
Quote from: CabMystara for classic D&D. If you ignore the trailing off of the setting into the 2nd ed product line, the finale (Wrath of the Immortals) was excellent.
What about the Poor Wizard's Almanacs? The ones produced for BEMCI/RC D&D were pretty damn good, and they came after Wrath of the Immortals.
I am no longer posting here or reading this forum because Pundit has regularly claimed credit for keeping this community active. I am sick of his bullshit for reasons I explain here and I don\'t want to contribute to anything he considers to be a personal success on his part.

I recommend The RPG Pub as a friendly place where RPGs can be discussed and where the guiding principles of moderation are "be kind to each other" and "no politics". It\'s pretty chill so far.

Warthur

#10
September 18, 2007, 09:12:48 AM
To be honest, I don't think - from my perspective - any game metaplot ever ended well. Then again, I'm generally hostile to metaplot in all its forms: it puts the GM in the awkward position of either going along with it, and thus having anything the players achieve be secondary to the metaplot, or ignoring it, and accepting that half the supplements that come out for a particular game are going to be useless.

Metaplot inherently assumes that there is a story happening in the game world which is more important - at least to the publishers - than what's happening at your gaming table, whereas at the gaming table the only events which have any importance (on an OOC level) are those which your PCs are experiencing.
I am no longer posting here or reading this forum because Pundit has regularly claimed credit for keeping this community active. I am sick of his bullshit for reasons I explain here and I don\'t want to contribute to anything he considers to be a personal success on his part.

I recommend The RPG Pub as a friendly place where RPGs can be discussed and where the guiding principles of moderation are "be kind to each other" and "no politics". It\'s pretty chill so far.

jrients

#11
September 18, 2007, 09:21:52 AM
Do sequenced modules count as 'metaplot' for this discussion?  G1-3, D1-3, and Q1 made a hell of a story arc by all reports.  I never ran anything other than the G series myself.
Jeff Rients
My gameblog

obryn

#12
September 18, 2007, 10:17:51 AM
The only metaplots I like pretty well are the ones that start but never finish in any gamebooks.

Arcana Evolved did this, for instance.  The core book gave you a few pages of "This is the stuff that's happening" and then basically told you to work the rest out for yourself.

Notably, you could completely ignore that little plotline and play however the heck you wanted.

-O
 

Warthur

#13
September 18, 2007, 02:27:24 PM
Quote from: jrientsDo sequenced modules count as 'metaplot' for this discussion?  G1-3, D1-3, and Q1 made a hell of a story arc by all reports.  I never ran anything other than the G series myself.
Not really, because future AD&D supplements and core rulebooks didn't assume the events of that series as some kind of canonical backstory regardless of whether you'd actually run them or not.

For similar reasons, I don't consider the Arcana Evolved example to be an example of "metaplot" - it's just establishing the current situation in the gameworld in a manner that that all campaign settings do. It's the approach HarnWorld takes - the core setting material and all the supplements are set at exactly the same time period, and there's no "future history" planned out.
I am no longer posting here or reading this forum because Pundit has regularly claimed credit for keeping this community active. I am sick of his bullshit for reasons I explain here and I don\'t want to contribute to anything he considers to be a personal success on his part.

I recommend The RPG Pub as a friendly place where RPGs can be discussed and where the guiding principles of moderation are "be kind to each other" and "no politics". It\'s pretty chill so far.

Ian Absentia

#14
September 18, 2007, 04:52:20 PM
Quote from: ImperatorSince the very beginning, Gehenna was promised as inminent. The apocalyptic feeling was an integral part of the oWoD. And finally, when White Wolf delivers what they were promising for 13 years, people gets pissed because of that.
I would have been more satisfied if the Apocalypse/Gehenna/What-Have-You had effectively annihilated all of the supernatural from the "World of Darkness," leaving only a "World of Bleakness" I suppose.

!i!
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