It is with a somewhat heavy heart that I learned the news today (thanks Darryl-T) that AEG sold the Legend of the Five Rings Intellectual Property to FFG. See the full details in the official announcement.
You should know by now that I have less than zero interest in anything card-game related. As far as I am concerned, watching paint dry is more interesting than playing a card game. I hate cards. With a burning passion. So whatever happens to that game, I cannot find myself to be roused.
However, I really loved the RPG. Through it, we created a band of merry men back in Dublin that met twice a week and that gathered misfits from so many countries: Ireland, Northern Ireland/UK, Australian, Italy, Sweden, France, Canada, New Zealand, and after I left, the trend continued... I value the friendship of those I met through that game to this day: Oliver, Kristian, Darryl, Mary, Tammy, Christophe. But that's a personal thing and most of you do not have the attachment...
Now I welcome this news with a very wary eye. Barely one year since I got back into the game playing the Heroes of Rokugan campaign, and now it leaves its home at AEG for FFG. I have tried their new RPGs: Star Wars was "okay", and the 3rd edition of Warhammer, I simply decided not to get involved after the dice system and the lack of tactical acumen really turned me off it.
New dice system means I'm done and out. I always liked L5R's system, and destroying it as FFG has a habit of doing does not fill my with confidence that I will be playing Rokugan in the near future.
So now they get their hands on L5R, why do I not feel warm and fuzzy? Why do I feel like some waves of not-so-awesome is about to crash on Rokugan? I keep thinking about the following:
JP
It was the best of times, it was ... well, actually it was just the best of times!
ReplyDeleteI owe a lot to L5R. I took a chance back in the day, and replied to a message recruiting for a fantasy samurai RPG that I was only vaguely aware of. It led to the best, and longest-running, gaming experience of my life. I met, and played with, and befriended great, great people from so many countries. And said goodbye to them as, eventually, we all went our separate ways.
Now I don't have any issues with FFG, but my guess is that they'll concentrate on the card game side of the IP with a side order of board games. After that, we may see a new edition of the RPG and not much else.
Very few RPGs have the longevity of D&D, and L5R may be one of the ones to fall by the wayside. If this is the end of L5R as an RPG property, then it had a good run and brought me a great deal of enjoyment over the years. I salute it. It fought with honour! :)
Oliver-E (of the Akodo family, of the Lion Clan)
It's always good to hear from ye, Oliver!
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