Timewaster's Guide Archive
Games => Role-Playing Games => Topic started by: Mad Dr Jeffe on March 04, 2004, 08:31:57 AM
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Well the third movie has been out for a while now and as you all know managed to clean up at the Oscars. Sadly the folks at decipher have been silent. I expected a ROTK sourcebook by now, heck long before now actually.
With all of the problems Deciper had in the original game does this mean that the game line is dead?
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Well they haven't updated their LOTR rpg site for about 7 months. But they're still releaseing books for it (the last one, riders of Rohan came out last month). So who knows.
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Really didn't even know there was a riders of Rohan book... is it any good?
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This was on the decipher site's forum:
Since we announced the shift from L.A. to Norfolk we have been investigating all the possible solutions that would allow us to continue our RPG lines. We are still heavily involved in this process and thus we don't have much to say. I can say that we will announce our plan sometime around the end of March. In the meantime, beginning March 5 we will begin posting a series of unpublished adventures for both RPGs. They will be downloadable for free on decipher.com. I hope that helps our player base continue to enjoy the LOTR and Star Trek RPG systems we developed.
from this post and others it appears that Decipher has postponed all RPG productoins for the time being since they're moveing offices and probaly have to hire a lot of people.
Also starting tomorrow they're going to start posting free adventures for both ST and LOTR, there were ones that were going to be published but not becasue of the RPG production freeze. fell if you see this you might want to post a link to the free adventures (which aren't up yet).
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hrm... if they're hiring in virginia, I could move southward....
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hehe maybe you could work for that teeny-bop magazine of thiers. "written for girls, by boys!"
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hey, I AM a boy.
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http://www.boycrazy.com/
hehe they even have a CCG that linked to the magazine. I wonder why Fell never asked for it?
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yeah, seems like that would be right up his alley
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Me and spriggan looked around, and i think that the 3 releases in feburary are a mistake on Amazons part. Neither Amazon.co.uk, an online RPG dealer or deciphers website had them listed.
Its a pity, since i now have the entire line barring the maps (bleh) and the moria supplement. Incidentially, which book is number 4? My collection has 1,2,3,5 and the lack of 4 makes it look bad. Its a great game, just the combat rules need work (people have too many hitpoints so that combat lasts forever) and decipher need to learn what pre-release Q&A is.
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I got a press release including the details Sprig posted above, but as you've noticed I haven't had much time to post anything the past couple of days. The problems with the Decipher RPG are ongoing, and they haven't put out any books for it since the Moria boxed set (which was #4, I think, but that's from memory so don't be sad if I'm wrong). Basically, they have avoided for months any solid answer to the question "are you still going to produce the game?" which is kind of an ominous silence. Some of the books, such as the Helm's Deep set, have been announced for over a year without seeing any release. I honestly can't tell you what's going on with it, and I can't get any info out of the PR guy (though I've tried). I can assure you that they're keeping the CCG license for several more years, so presumably they'll have the RPG license as well...whether or not they'll do anything with it is still up in the air.
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It seems like a poor use of a liscense.
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Okay, this is what I have found out about Decipher's RPG arm:
D20
Yep. I have no solid proof in black and white, but I have heard from some people who follow the industry religiously that Star Trek and LotR are being revamped to mesh with D20.
Be afraid.
Oh, and we are playing Lord of the Rings this coming Friday! The first time in months!! Woo-hoo!!
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decipher employes have said on their message boards that by the end of the month (march) there will be a new RPG release scedule posted. So I guss we'll know for sure then.
Also this was posted there only a few days ago:
As pointed out on the Trek board, there are no plans at this time to make a D20 version of any CODA game...
--Doug Burke
Decipher RPG Net Rep
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There was a big to-do over at rpg.net when the layoffs ocurred. It was mentioned then that there are going to be adventures released for LOTR in PDF form, most likely, in the near future. As for the long term...I think it's dead, Jim.
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those adventures are allready out for download.
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Decipher is a good example of how not to run a RPG company in the 21st century. Yeah I know they do more than just RPG's , and I know that they are moving shop and all, but... having said that its not like someone cant do a web update from anywhere, and thats the problem... its been forever without any word from them and the only place they've ever talked about releases is in their forums... I get the Game trade magazine and still dont know when they plan to publish stuff. Todays RPG buyer is 10000% more informed than Rpg buyers in D&D's heyday... and personally I decide what I plan to buy months in advance.
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We need a Mole inside Decipher so we can figure out what's going on with there RPGs. They're looking for an inhouse Mac techsupport person. Jeffe or SE, you guy could do that, then let us know whats going on
http://www.decipher.com/aboutdecipher/hr/index.html
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I don't know if I believe they could match or beat my current salary for an entry level position. I certainly don't think a game company is going to provide more stability than my current place.
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Psh, and here I was thinking you were a team player SE, dosen't the phrase "Take one for the team!" mean anything to you? Sure just blame it on job security, or that you have a familiy and lots of mouths to feed! But ask yourself this, isn't gaming more important? Isn't it?
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I'm sorry, I didn't realize, "take one for the team" actually meant "bend over and take one for the team." heheh.
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and as I am less than pleased with them and their game lines I dont think I could either...
Plus I just got a Mac, havent graduated to techie on it yet....
But mainly it means I would have to move to Tidewater and Norfolk again, and Im not doing that anytime soon. Traffic in DC is bad, Traffic in Norfolk is stupid.
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Well anyone up for the latest buzz on the LOTR RPG?
Earlier this month an ex-decipher (one of the lead RPG designers) employe posted on the RPG.net boards that Dechipher had been in talks with GW over working together on several products (though no specifics were given as to what those were). Most people have been thinking that Decipher has been thinking of sublincencing out there lincesnes for RPG lines, so in other words Sub-lienceing LOTR RPG out to GW for design and production. This would make since, since the two had been in talks for a few months before Decipher desolved there RPG deparment. And GW has been wanting to get into the RPG market more.
Enter today, where Green Ronin just announced that they have worked out a deal to develop RPGs for GW. So now that GW has set up a means to get there RPG's made and published will we see Green Ronin with LOTR? Possibly. But that would mean Decipher lincencing LOTR to GW who would intern lincence it out to GR. Seams overly complicated to me. It this rumor actualy pans out, I'd expect it to be GR designing it with Decipher doing the US publishing and GW getting the Europen rights to the game. Not a joint deal like some have suggested.
http://www.greenronin.com/press_releases/?id=games_workshop
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Want some LOTR rpg goodness? Well Dechipher may be asleep at the wheel but the fans aren't. Here's (http://www.hither-lands.com/home.htm) alternate rule system for gaming in middle earth. It's got nothing to do with Dechiper's CODA system and looks pretty good.
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Heh. Looks like something my group can try out. For the past month we have been playing either Hero (aka: Capes & Crusaders), Warhamster (a complete game to be found in an old issue of Dork Tower), or Gear Krieg (two-fisted pulp adventure in a 1930's world infulenced by Robotech), but this looks like it would be worth a try to my Tolkien-hungry crew.
Oh, from what I have heard, all of Decipher's rpg's are being cut since their rpg arm has basically all been let go. I don't know how much truth there is in that, so take it with a grain of salt.