Decipher brings back LOTR RPG

[Mr_Pleasington]

Wow, this is interesting.  I really didn't think they would come back to RPGs after the big fiasco of closing down their RPG line.  Check it out:

http://www.decipher.com/content/2005/01/010705lotrrpg2005.html

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

except they still havent decided to do the third movie sourcebook...

I like this quote as a symbol of their cluelessness

Our roleplaying customers let us know they wished the line to continue, and we're happy to announce today that it will. We understand their frustration and appreciate their patience while we sorted out the necessary details."

Like there was ever a question that the line should continue,

Personally I think they missed the boat on this one. Especially with movie tie ins in 2003-4 I mean its been 2 friickin years.

Now who wants to bet on a release date in 2005 given their track record.... Im thinking december instead of their highly dubious april.

[Mr_Pleasington]

The word around the net is that they have about five or six books that have been written since before the shutdown.  So it's not a matter of quantity of content at least.

I just hope they pay their writers who didn't get their due after they shut down the first time.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Yeah, I dont think Im going to be getting any of there stuff anytime soon....

I already sold the corebook, because I didnt like the way the mechanics worked, or the boatloads of errata.

[Entsuropi]

I like LoTR. The system needs tweaking - people need less hitpoints, or to do more damage - but the magic system is good and the system really did feel to evoke ME.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

to each their own, I just felt it was too much like all the other fantasy rpgs out there...

[Spriggan]

The word around the net is that they have about five or six books that have been written since before the shutdown.  So it's not a matter of quantity of content at least.

I just hope they pay their writers who didn't get their due after they shut down the first time.

I actualy read somethign form 2 former Decipher staffers that pretty much said there were a few books almost ready to be published when they got fired (one was a head writer on one of those books).  And I do hope they get paid, Deciphers mistakes shouldn't screw over ex-emploies like that.

I'm wondering if it's too little too late though, the momentium of the movies is over and lots of people don't want to get back into a game which support still isn't certain.  Also they have to start form scratch on talent (I'm assumeing most of the writers are new) and we know that is wasn't until the last few products that LoTR realy started to stand out as a viable game.  Though I doubt we'll see a new intrest in Startreck from Decipher considering most licence holders are trying to get out of their contracts with Paramount.

I just read this on theDecipher  message board too

The announcement doesn't say that Decipher is going to have any new LotR RPG books written, only that they're going to publish them

and that there were a number of books playtested and ready to be published (in that the books were written and tested)

Paths of the Wise: Guidebook to Loremasters and Magicians
Fields of Battle: Guidebook to Warriors and Barbarians
Helm's Deep
Isengard
Rohan: Realm of the Horse-Lords
ROTK Sourcebook
ROTK Adventure Game

those were listed by someone involved in the books testing.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

I'm wondering if it's a little too late though, the momentium of the movies is over and lots of people don't want to get back into a game which support still isn't certain.

Ditto

[Fellfrosch]

They're LotR CCG is struggling quite a bit, probably because of the lost momentum from the movies. The RPG audience is a little more stable than that of CCGs, though, so we'll have to see. I suspect they'll just publish what's already written to get the last bucks they can out of it.