tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post6473438815724790684..comments2024-03-17T22:08:39.591-04:00Comments on Tenkar's Tavern: New Swords & Wizardry Complete cover Revealed!Tenkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159289652051155824noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-23839955342027051282016-10-30T15:00:41.799-04:002016-10-30T15:00:41.799-04:00I'm down for the original cover because of the...I'm down for the original cover because of the retro-feel, and I just don't get that vibe with the new cover.White Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01950664603221280460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-74298889474907465402016-09-30T12:35:37.997-04:002016-09-30T12:35:37.997-04:00I really dislike this cover. I love S&W, but t...I really dislike this cover. I love S&W, but this cover just feels wrong. In order of preference (for the cover), I like Core (Mullen), Whitebox (Mullen), Complete (Otis).Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11966422995019330959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-74876102850674234712016-07-29T15:02:43.836-04:002016-07-29T15:02:43.836-04:00Purely a personal preference, of course, but I thi...Purely a personal preference, of course, but I think the new one is ugly in terms of it colors and the combinations of colors. The art has a dark, muddy, and/or indistinct quality that I don't care for. The title's lettering style doesn't seem like a good fit for the new art either. Like many others, I'm also not sure what the new art is depicting. So I prefer the Otis one sort of by default. I'm open to new cover art; I like the color scheme of the Otis cover a lot, but I'm not a big fan of his art in general. Still, Otis's cover has a lot more going for it than the new one.Christian Southwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08707980703756667883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-51054998212816799812016-07-29T10:50:13.830-04:002016-07-29T10:50:13.830-04:00The new cover appears to be the spirit of a deer r...The new cover appears to be the spirit of a deer rising from its bones with fireflies or moths around it. It evokes animism, Shinto (ever seen Princess Mononoke?), magic, and rebirth. Great stuff but as I said more like the cover art of a concept album. It is good art though.J.B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06487345400331904026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-40491118454828660882016-07-29T10:10:16.926-04:002016-07-29T10:10:16.926-04:00The new cover appears to be the spirit of a deer r...The new cover appears to be the spirit of a deer rising from its bones with fireflies or moths around it. It evokes animism, Shinto (ever seen Princess Mononoke?), magic, and rebirth. Great stuff but as I said more like the cover art of a concept album. It is good art though.J.B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06487345400331904026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-32209955424418422142016-07-28T08:07:27.926-04:002016-07-28T08:07:27.926-04:00I prefer the older, more traditional cover over th...I prefer the older, more traditional cover over the glossy, newer cover. Though I do tend to prefer my games "grittier", I like the action on the older cover, where characters in peril are actually *doing* something. I think this speaks to player agency, which is critical. The newer cover shows . . . something . . . sorta . . . doing . . . something. I think.Forrest Aguirrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05531127358059851571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-51932928020380743062016-07-28T01:34:23.139-04:002016-07-28T01:34:23.139-04:00Setting aside that the older one is Erol Otis...
...Setting aside that the older one is Erol Otis... <br /><br />The new cover communicates nothing about "adventure". It looks more like a gothic horror thing... Not even sure what it's supposed to be.<br /><br />Some kind of animated Deer-skull thing with thorn antlers? What does it have to do with Swording and Wizarding? <br /><br />Look back at B/X covers... Look at old AD&D covers... Most communicate a group of stalwart adventurers going up against something. <br /><br />Man vs. Nature, as it were... PCs vs. Monster. Heroes vs. Villains.<br /><br />The new cover does nothing to communicate what the game is about.Raging Owlbearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10556804177905125874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-17118824564059602562016-07-28T00:14:28.373-04:002016-07-28T00:14:28.373-04:00I like the blue cover. The new one, eh . . . not s...I like the blue cover. The new one, eh . . . not so much. It seems like an album cover or a book cover. It doesn't feel like a game book cover that tells me anything about what's inside.Peter Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246000382321978462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-63244932031113279162016-07-27T23:41:30.686-04:002016-07-27T23:41:30.686-04:00I showed this cover and all of the older covers of...I showed this cover and all of the older covers of all of the S&W flavors to quite a number of gals (girlfriend, daughter, daughter's friends, my friends, my girlfriend's friends). Guess what? Not only did they ALL dislike the cover, they strongly preferred each and every one of the other covers far and away more so than the new. These are not gamer gals. They are mostly geeks of one stripe or another. Some in their 30s, 20s, teens, and a handful of 9-10 year olds. Sounds like a new audience, huh? Now, what if they liked it and didn't know what was in it/what it was about? Drawn in by the new cover only to discover it's some fantasy action rpg. They might even feel as though it's a 'bait and switch'. Not exactly a winning plan.Eric Norredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15402701790531282674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-60922613164841662032016-07-27T21:04:37.142-04:002016-07-27T21:04:37.142-04:00Is this supposed to be that re-vamped S&W done...Is this supposed to be that re-vamped S&W done by a bunch of women?<br /><br />It looks like a dream journal a 14 year old girl (or boy these days) bought in Barnes and Noble!<br /><br />Not just no, hell no!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-5724976592395084882016-07-27T20:23:56.388-04:002016-07-27T20:23:56.388-04:00What is that a picture of? A tree? Honestly can...What is that a picture of? A tree? Honestly can't tell. Doc Savagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08783244633195233970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-17674513452972301982016-07-27T19:06:50.405-04:002016-07-27T19:06:50.405-04:00To continue:
Examine the cover for Pathfinder Core...To continue:<br />Examine the cover for Pathfinder Core: a dragon, a wizard, and a warrior. Action. Something's happening. I know it's a game, and I know it's going to involve magic and dragons.<br /><br />LotFP: There is an atmosphere that you know is "weird," but you need to know it's a clone to understand the weirdness. It is not a cover designed for a new gamer to understand what the game is about.<br /><br />Call of Cthulhu, at least the earlier editions, required that you be somewhat familiar with Lovecraft's work to know what it was about. It could expand the gamer base if the people knew what a Cthulu was.<br /><br />The first edition Player's Handbook gave players what they want: victory and loot. Notice orcs weren't used as the dead monsters. No one knew what orcs looked like, but they know what lizard-men look like.<br /><br />Contrast that to the DM's Guide. Focused on the GM, it doesn't provide treasure as much as conflict (the GM runs the monsters, and there's a big red one right there on the cover!). Flipping to the back, it shows a scene of the City of Brass, suggesting that the background of the game, the setting, is the realm of the GM. While these aren't great covers, they do the job quite well. <br /><br />The magenta Basic DnD set - and then the blue Expert box, that builds on the original cover by showing the wizard scrying the adventurers.<br /><br />Take a look at Raging Swan's covers: Basic black, with the title. They are not designed to bring new gamers in, they are designed to support the current player base. <br /><br />Plus, I had another realization about what the image looks like, and there's no way I can display that in a family-friendly environment.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15657793356913767894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-68883714281552083812016-07-27T17:20:34.251-04:002016-07-27T17:20:34.251-04:00Wow.I dont own S&W and this is the first look ...Wow.I dont own S&W and this is the first look for me at the Otus cover, it is phenomenal and right on with OS gaming! The newer image is also awesome but has some ambiguity that makes it look like an album cover for a killer band!J.B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06487345400331904026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-20330174538896561212016-07-27T17:20:16.345-04:002016-07-27T17:20:16.345-04:00Wow.I dont own S&W and this is the first look ...Wow.I dont own S&W and this is the first look for me at the Otus cover, it is phenomenal and right on with OS gaming! The newer image is also awesome but has some ambiguity that makes it look like an album cover for a killer band!J.B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06487345400331904026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-52356484532947397822016-07-27T16:19:07.342-04:002016-07-27T16:19:07.342-04:00It's definitely a different feel. I like the m...It's definitely a different feel. I like the metal vibe from it. Copies with the Otus cover continue to be available; we still have plenty of them left.Matt Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07678557558458924177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-5002226131061622052016-07-27T14:31:55.666-04:002016-07-27T14:31:55.666-04:00I'm not into it, personally. I'll give the...I'm not into it, personally. I'll give the game the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe they're trying to take it in a much different direction. However, even giving it that, I'm not really sure what I'm looking at. (Whatever it is, though, it looks more like it belongs on the cover of a melodic death metal album rather than an RPG.)<br /><br />The previous cover was great at immediately telegraphing its intentions. One look at that Erol Otus cover (or even the Core cover by Peter Mullen) and you know EXACTLY what Swords & Wizardry is about and what it's trying to accomplish.mrm1138https://www.blogger.com/profile/05858260241792853695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-65817365705009320832016-07-27T13:43:53.976-04:002016-07-27T13:43:53.976-04:00I like the new cover, and the discussion and opini...I like the new cover, and the discussion and opinion it creates, because it is different, somewhat challenging, and reaches out to a new audience; S&W, and the rest of the DIY DnD exemplars, are easily robust enough now to start appealing to and reaching out towards new tastes, new creative talent, and new audiences. The plain fact of the matter is if you liked the old cover you probably already own it (or easily could), and if this new cover causes new people to pick up the rules and play the game, then really that's the best thing that can happen for the game (and associated games) anyway.Viktorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04867648528753994863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-69063246863879266192016-07-27T13:04:31.437-04:002016-07-27T13:04:31.437-04:00I respect the artist & publisher for trying so...I respect the artist & publisher for trying something new in a hobby that, for both better and worse, sometimes struggles to reach beyond its own nostalgia. <br /><br />That being said, I *don't* think the new art is a good fit for S&W given that it doesn't reflect the primary themes, action, or characters of the game. My honest first thought was, "Shoot, I should really go buy a copy or two of the Mullen cover before those become hard to find." I love Otus more than I can rationally account for, but the Mullen cover does even a better job of evoking the *feel* of my game at the table.<br /><br />I think the new art would be a great fit for a ritual magic supplement that outlined a couple hundred new spells, sanity & side effects rules, a few new classes, etc. Jarrett Perduehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781934913113611353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-78765390695712224852016-07-27T12:49:08.923-04:002016-07-27T12:49:08.923-04:00I love everything about the new cover, except the ...I love everything about the new cover, except the fact that it does not invoke "swords and wizardy". If that was a game about chaotic magic, it would be my immediate choice. But as for Swords & Wizardy, I prefer the old picture - because that has a connection to what the game is about, because that shows you what you will find inside with a single image.Onnohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16535742155511617318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-33369260153489890972016-07-27T11:49:09.057-04:002016-07-27T11:49:09.057-04:00I have to throw my vote to the EO cover as well. T...I have to throw my vote to the EO cover as well. The new version doesn't tell you what's inside. Sherlockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14110396766518730866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-58790577881826973172016-07-27T11:48:41.645-04:002016-07-27T11:48:41.645-04:00I have to throw my vote to the EO cover as well. T...I have to throw my vote to the EO cover as well. The new version doesn't tell you what's inside. Sherlockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14110396766518730866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-20782455865098645872016-07-27T11:12:46.866-04:002016-07-27T11:12:46.866-04:00This isn't the cover I would have chosen, but ...This isn't the cover I would have chosen, but I do like it. yippyjoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708300656126031627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-35809885751787005622016-07-27T11:04:10.440-04:002016-07-27T11:04:10.440-04:00Mullen's Core was my favorite, too (and I also...Mullen's Core was my favorite, too (and I also loved White Box).yippyjoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708300656126031627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-25071631407623120902016-07-27T11:01:48.868-04:002016-07-27T11:01:48.868-04:00Frankly, I like the Otus cover. I think it scream...Frankly, I like the Otus cover. I think it screams "Old School" and elicits a nostalgic feeling for the old days. That being said, are the publishers trying to reach a new audience? If so, that new cover might help.<br /><br />In the long run, it's what's between the book's covers that really matters.Chris Nasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07023925427632508504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724254580047847936.post-54537428666013702982016-07-27T10:56:21.022-04:002016-07-27T10:56:21.022-04:00I'm in the minority it seems but I much much p...I'm in the minority it seems but I much much prefer the new one. Far more intriguing.Andy Evanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01417303953367838323noreply@blogger.com