[Malathis]

How much of a legal nightmare would it be for catalyst to create thier own 4th age game, useing modified SR rules?

[Sendaz]

How much of a legal nightmare would it be for catalyst to create thier own 4th age game, useing modified SR rules?

Heh, which is sort of what I asked way back in the original post for this thread, though I referred to it as more of a retcon to be able to bring it back inline.

Though to be honest, is it needed?  We have the players from then in the here and now with just enough vague references to maintain their respective premises.

The writers have been working away from tying too much to that separate entity and done pretty well with that plan.

Personally I would like to have the 4th Age back inhouse, but if I have to answer is it needed I would probably have to admit it's not gamebreaking if it isn't.

Nice to have yes, but not essential.

But what about all the secrets and stuff going all the way back to then? 

Consider the lesson of the sheep.

[Reaver]

I imagine it would be a huge legal battle... Earthdawn is back in the hands of FASA (new), and one of the original FASA company men (Babcock?) is at the helm...

But as said, was it a profitable venture to start? Is there enough sales to even make an overture of a liencing agreement worthwhile?

[Malathis]

Nice to have yes, but not essential.

Pretty much my thoughts, I liked the connection to the 4th age and the horror meta plot. It would just be intresting to see more of the stories of what happened to the major players that were around back then (including some of the ones that didn't survive to the 6th age. Maybe some sort of metaplanar adventure similar to Harlequins Back that dealt with the past, not time travel but some sort of symbolism within the advanced magic that occured around certain events that's needed to fix something in the now, and the metaplanar quest is the way to dig up the secrets again.

[Crimsondude]

Perhaps it could be due to the glut of fantasy settings in tabletop RPGs, and that there are games which are much better in terms of mechanics and/or setting.

Well, when you look at the fantasy games market, the big 2 right now seem to be pathfinder and D&D... And from there you have dozens of less well known titles (and Earthdawn). So yea, the fantasy market is pretty flooded....

It is when D&D accounts for over 50% of the entire market.

And 13th Age is by all accounts better than anything else and likely to make a dent.

[Reaver]

Perhaps it could be due to the glut of fantasy settings in tabletop RPGs, and that there are games which are much better in terms of mechanics and/or setting.

Well, when you look at the fantasy games market, the big 2 right now seem to be pathfinder and D&D... And from there you have dozens of less well known titles (and Earthdawn). So yea, the fantasy market is pretty flooded....

It is when D&D accounts for over 50% of the entire market.

And 13th Age is by all accounts better than anything else and likely to make a dent.

Never heard of it.

[Crimsondude]

13th Age is either out, or coming soon and I just happen to know a bunch of people who've played it.

designed by the two guys who were head designers for 3.X and 4th respectively

learns from both and adds to them

it's what D&D Next should have been

If CGL ever did a 4th World game, I'd want it not to be anywhere near Barsaive. And preferably before the Scourge.

[bigity]

Still have and love my ED 1st edition books.  I like many of the mechanical changes in later editions (Step Table changes for instance), but the writing was good.

But even as a ED fan, we don't need to wrap up every plot line from ED or have every thing in ED have a corresponding thing in SR.  It's enough to have a few things here and there.

[spuwdsda]

When FASA pulled the plug on ED, the word from the line editor was that the profitability wasn't high enough - it wasn't losing money. The FASA execs decided that their development resources were better spent on new lines.

[Parker]

Overall, Catalyst will just concentrate on 6th World+.  Any retro will be left to home-ruling by the GMs willing to take the time & trouble to retcon back to 4th World.  Heck, the other GM in the gaming group I'm in agrees that such an endeavor would probably work better with Pathfinder or steampunk D20.

[SnackerBob]

Overall, Catalyst will just concentrate on 6th World+.  Any retro will be left to home-ruling by the GMs willing to take the time & trouble to retcon back to 4th World.  Heck, the other GM in the gaming group I'm in agrees that such an endeavor would probably work better with Pathfinder or steampunk D20.

I'd rather they avoided d20 all together. I'd rather play 1st edition ED than any d20 system, wonky dice and all.