There was a deeply unsatisfying feeling when I realized there weren't mechanics for a lot more of the metaphysics in the setting. I'm deeply in the school of "system matters" when it comes to ttrpgs and it regularly feels like a lot of modern systems seem to ignore the importance of writing out those systems for the important parts of their settings.
Exalted also has much better lore and the counting successes system allows for genuinely cool "anime" style fights, when Charms and Combos are added it's one of the best system imaginable for playable mythology.
It depends what you want. Perrin made a great mechanical system to realistically simulate combat.....but this is in fact anathemic to GLORANTHA. You can't have "realism" and "mythic heroes that are the equivalent of armies" or heroquesting or deep ritual.
I'd agree that the Perrin Conventions are not a great fit for GLORANTHA as presented.
1) hot take: HW was actually a better mechanical system for the storytelling/high drama low realism/high magic/mythic sort of approach that the current RQG writers wanted to present.
2) RQG to me fails on many levels because it was
a) fuelled by Chaosium's misunderstanding of the kickstarter RQ2 enthusiasm as "we want these rules" instead of the "oh look, an ancient rules set everyone liked" nostalgia that is really was,
b) RQG was written by lore nerds, not game-mechanic people. They were all so busy remembering their good times playing RQ 'back in the day'* that they simply refused to recognize RQ2 was a 40 year old rule set and lots of things have grown better. Nobody plays the little-brown-books D&D either FOR GOOD REASON.
c) editing. RQ2 presented a rule set, spells, gods, monsters and a setting adequately in 88 pages. RQG in 400 pages (!) basically was only useful for /humans/ from dragon pass and now if you want the monsters, spells, a few of the basic gods and the setting you're probably at 1200 pages and $150? $200? AFAIK the gods books alone are slated to be 10 books (1 per pantheon) at 240pp each and $30 min.
Anyone who recognizes my tag knows I'm unabashed about loving RQ3. I didn't bear the vitriolic, eternal grudge that some of the Old Guard have for Avalon Hill for abandoning Glorantha (something Greg contractually basically required them to do...).
But as much as I still hold deep affection for Greg Stafford in my heart - he was one of the nicest men you could ever hope to meet - and will always respect his creation, I feel that RQG with it's self-indulgent style, unbelieveable costs, and disregard for mechanics has basically left me behind. There's no way I - even with the years I've been involved since the Digest, discussions with Greg about Gloranthan weather, and even some shitty maps I contributed to HW - no way I could possibly keep up with their basically-infinitely-recursive canon. Nor would I want to much, now with retcons like "Glorantha has 7 genders!" ugh.
I've run an RQ campaign for 16 years, and my players love adventuring in the RQ setting, mainly they love the mechanics. I freely admit that it's *basically* D&D with Runequest rules.
*I'm 56 myself, and started playing RQ2 in 1980. I get it. But I was a wargamer before being an RPGer, so I definitely have a focus on rules, mechanics and authenticity over "wonder" and "Cambellian myth-walking"
There was a deeply unsatisfying feeling when I realized there weren't mechanics for a lot more of the metaphysics in the setting. I'm deeply in the school of "system matters" when it comes to ttrpgs and it regularly feels like a lot of modern systems seem to ignore the importance of writing out those systems for the important parts of their settings.
1. The Perrin Conventions are bad actually.
2. Perhaps Exalted was made to do RuneQuest with an actual Hero tier.
Exalted also has much better lore and the counting successes system allows for genuinely cool "anime" style fights, when Charms and Combos are added it's one of the best system imaginable for playable mythology.
It depends what you want. Perrin made a great mechanical system to realistically simulate combat.....but this is in fact anathemic to GLORANTHA. You can't have "realism" and "mythic heroes that are the equivalent of armies" or heroquesting or deep ritual.
I'd agree that the Perrin Conventions are not a great fit for GLORANTHA as presented.
Otherwise, I like the mechanics.
1) hot take: HW was actually a better mechanical system for the storytelling/high drama low realism/high magic/mythic sort of approach that the current RQG writers wanted to present.
2) RQG to me fails on many levels because it was
a) fuelled by Chaosium's misunderstanding of the kickstarter RQ2 enthusiasm as "we want these rules" instead of the "oh look, an ancient rules set everyone liked" nostalgia that is really was,
b) RQG was written by lore nerds, not game-mechanic people. They were all so busy remembering their good times playing RQ 'back in the day'* that they simply refused to recognize RQ2 was a 40 year old rule set and lots of things have grown better. Nobody plays the little-brown-books D&D either FOR GOOD REASON.
c) editing. RQ2 presented a rule set, spells, gods, monsters and a setting adequately in 88 pages. RQG in 400 pages (!) basically was only useful for /humans/ from dragon pass and now if you want the monsters, spells, a few of the basic gods and the setting you're probably at 1200 pages and $150? $200? AFAIK the gods books alone are slated to be 10 books (1 per pantheon) at 240pp each and $30 min.
Anyone who recognizes my tag knows I'm unabashed about loving RQ3. I didn't bear the vitriolic, eternal grudge that some of the Old Guard have for Avalon Hill for abandoning Glorantha (something Greg contractually basically required them to do...).
But as much as I still hold deep affection for Greg Stafford in my heart - he was one of the nicest men you could ever hope to meet - and will always respect his creation, I feel that RQG with it's self-indulgent style, unbelieveable costs, and disregard for mechanics has basically left me behind. There's no way I - even with the years I've been involved since the Digest, discussions with Greg about Gloranthan weather, and even some shitty maps I contributed to HW - no way I could possibly keep up with their basically-infinitely-recursive canon. Nor would I want to much, now with retcons like "Glorantha has 7 genders!" ugh.
I've run an RQ campaign for 16 years, and my players love adventuring in the RQ setting, mainly they love the mechanics. I freely admit that it's *basically* D&D with Runequest rules.
*I'm 56 myself, and started playing RQ2 in 1980. I get it. But I was a wargamer before being an RPGer, so I definitely have a focus on rules, mechanics and authenticity over "wonder" and "Cambellian myth-walking"
Hello,
What games DO you play? There seems to be a distinct lack of mention of them [except Exalted].
Excellent comments. I love rules-lighter systems like HeroQuest, Cypher, Fate, and Cortex but IMHO they have trouble with long form campaigns.