review: Iron Kingdoms

[JP Dogberry]

Yeah, wells, ya pays ya nickel, and ya takes ya chances.

[Entsuropi]

It still feels a bit like an ad. There didn't feel to be enough critique, I think.

[Spriggan]

It still feels a bit like an ad. There didn't feel to be enough critique, I think.

It was a lot worse before, problem with giveing something a perfect score, to me anywase, is that if you critique too much then it dosen't deserve a perfect score.

I listed the 2 things I didn't like in the reveiw, there realy wasn't anything else that I had problems with, and neither of them were worth lowering the score to me since all the other stuff was so well done.

That being said, I had a real problem with fully explaineing my views with this review.  I think it's because I spent so much time thinking about it when I normaly don't.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

yeah, perfect reviews sound like ads. But there's no other way to do them.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

but if there is something there to critique then is it really worth the score?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

that's the whole point. If you don't complain about it, you sound like you're pushing the product. But if it really deserves the score, there's nothing to complain about. We've got a mindset that thinks you can't praise something universally.

Not a problem for me. I'm such a negative personality that I can usually find something to say bad about a product. I don't think I've ever given a 6.

[Nicadymus]

Not knowing much about the world other than what you have stated, I think you did a good job of marketing the product, while trying to maintain objectivity.  Were I interested in acquiring a setting for my next fantasy campagin, I might consider acquiring it.  But after this Star Wars I am going to do a Dragon Lords of Melnibone campaign.  The appeal of that setting over the Iron Kingdoms stemmed from my having read the novels based in the world.  If there were novels for the Iron Kingdoms that one could use as a way to familiarize oneself with the area, mentioning those might add to the appeal of the game.  If not, so be it.

All in all I would give your review approx. 4 clocks as it tended to markety the book but not to such a degree that I felt like I was watching an infomercial.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Spriggan I really dont get a good feel for the World or the setting from the review. Could you go into a little more detail, or compare it to say Forgotten Worlds (arguably WOTC's strongest and most developed setting)

Does the Campaign take place on one continent or a whole world. Is technology primarily military, or do elements of it come into everyday life (cars, radios etc.)

What is the dramatic crux of Iron Kingdoms, what drives the characters to adventure? Is it war, greed, a heroic quest or something else?

Doesnt this have something to do with a tabletop game of some kind?

[Spriggan]

Most of that stuff is vaguely touched upon since there's another 400 page book comming out just about the countries and peoples.

It takes place on a small part of a contenit, about the size of Europe, where people don't realy have the boat tech to traverse the seas, so they're kinda stuck where they are.

There's a russian country, westren europe country, barbarian highlands ect.  From the small part they included in this book I can tell you that it's better the the Realms, but I don't care for the Realms much anyway.  The setting is more strickt then standard DnD books, you wount be useing Monster Manuel 2 or 3 with it, nor the planer handbook (there are no planes of existances).  Basicaly only things that would "fit" in with their setting are ok from different books, which is nice since it gets rid of all the clutter that you have with other settings.

The Tech is mixed, the military is more advanced, but there are things that everyday people know about or might own.  As I've said several times it a mix of  Victorian and Wild west, so no there are no radios, cars,
etc, though one my find a toaster.  There are automated items, so it would be plauseable to have a very simple car or the like, but it would be a very rare and wonderious thing.

And yes, the wargame and the RPG are connected.  The RGP came first the the Wargame (there were Iron Kingdoms adventures years ago with out any setting books).  While they are realated the 2 products have different people working on them and you'll find that the miniature game and RPG may not allwayse mix when it comes to setting.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Interesting,... well I bought the Wargame (war machine )yesterday,... and have the RPG on my list for Christmas...

I do like the concept, it sounds pretty cool.

Which begs the question, why dont they have tv shows or movies based off concepts like this.

[Mr_Pleasington]

Get Escalation first.  It's well worth it if you already have Prime.

[Spriggan]

So have you picked up the this book yet Mr.P?

[Mr_Pleasington]

I used to really want it, and I've debated it several times, but the truth is that my list of campaign settings is already full.   I'm planning on running Necessary Evil and if that doesn't work out I'll run Eberron.  I love the Iron Kingdoms, but it looks like I'll get my flavor from the mini game instead of the rpg.

It is really tempting though.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Mr. P, I think you should try REALLY hard to get a job in the DC area so I can be in your game groups. Not that this was related to the rest of the thread, but, y'know...

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

yeah you play the games I want to get other people into....