Oh no offense meant. I would never assume to know the mindset of writers and their intent, I can only read what they wrote and then color it with my own biases be they accurate or misplaced. I would like to say, that my initial revolt against the Divine was very juvenile and ignorant on my part. I completely misunderstood and fictionalized in my own mind the intent of the Divine. As written, the Divine is so overwhelmingly dominant and "pure", that is until I started to really get to know the game and the story. I took two or three years for me to warm up to it, as well as a good friend who said a single sentence and shattered my overly defensive irritation of the Divine RAW.
I am much better now. Got my ignorance out of my system and now I revel and dance in glee to the great music this game provides. Even if the song is Amazing Grace... I just shake my bum secularly. heh heh heh
In conclusion, yeah the problem was entirely my own. At no point has the writing of Ars been anything BUT responsible, smart, and creatively open and free to interpretation, but some of us readers are flawed beasts.
PS. thank you for the endless hard work, sincerely
None taken. The idea that Ars Magica is somehow a Christian or anti-pagan game is one that pops up occasionally, so I was just taking the opportunity to keep the countervailing memes alive.
Thanks for the kind words, as well. It's always good to hear that people really are enjoying the material we produce.
That's very good. I wish to add that the Dominion is a very nice religion-agnostic concept that furthers that goal. My compliments tend to be built backward.
Not meaning to drag the Divine OT further, but I just can't resist adding that this is a game about medieval Europe as people there/then thought it was, which must inevitably have God being the all-acompasing force behind everything. Just like it has magic being real. I don't believe in magic, yet it doesn't preclude me from playing a magus. Some of my personal believes are close to what Portianitor said, yet I strive to make God in ArM what it was for medieval people, because I feel it would be detrimental to the setting and the game to apply a modern deconstructionist mindset to the subject.
That being set, God being ineffable and beyond mortal comprehension is as much integral to medieval european christianity ("the ways of God are inscrutable" and all that).
Just wanted to check in with a question on release date. Web page for book says February. Are we looking at end of March or later? Or has it been released and I just completely missed it?
Ah, but two of those are for a UK company, and they plan to release them in 2014, so by the time they finally get about to it, I may have forgotten them entirely. 8)
Yes, seven last year, and in terms of primary drafting, not one so far this year. 8) I'm having a bit of a rest tonight, and then I'm going to dissect two histories of Sicily.
I must say that it is fantastic. So many great ideas. I particularly liked the Baron Geoffroi, and the Demonically inspired cult, and the Waimie but there are no weak concepts, it was just that these three were particularly suited to my campaign and playing style.
Each chapter has so many story ideas and many suggestions for integrating them into a campaign.
I think this book is particularly good for story guides who are new or do not have a lot of time to prep for games. Just using one or two chapters of this book as a guide and you will almost have an entire campaign mapped out for you.
The stories do build on the earlier Releases, particularly RoP:M and The Church. It may be tricky using Antagonists if you are missing multiple earlier books.
My copies arrived today. I have to say, it's another corker!
There were a couple of the antagonists that I didn't read too closely during the development of this book for various reasons but I've caught up on them now and I think there's really something for just about every saga in there.
I do like the sense of progression that comes through with each antagonist that allows the troupe to introduce them and then build on their stories to logical conclusions. Good going, team! I hope, as more of the forum massiv get their hands on it, that the direction in describing a strong set of diverse new characters and their stories pays dividends. I know there was some question about that direction in the earlier pages of this thread.
Got my ignorance out of my system and now I revel and dance in glee to the great music this game provides. Even if the song is Amazing Grace... I just shake my bum secularly. heh heh heh
