I just discovered your channel, and Solo RP, and I am a big fan. I got into it for world building specifically but I have evolved into playing with a homebrew system and then settling battle encounters with Sword Wierdos. It is a lot of fun. Thanks for the effort you put in. And your humor.
Video 90 of me liking and then commenting on every new upload to tell the viewers that the Man Alone Podcast is absolutely some of that sweet, unhinged audio/vocal-honey. Psssst. What is a piece of knowledge that feels illegal to know, but isn’t?
Fantastic thoughtful look. Appreciated the Homicide/Wire reference too. Keep it up! Any interest in the solo potential in f the new Dolmenwood setting?
I’m another one who never heard of Coriolis until the Kickstarter and I was very intrigued by the QuickStart. I picked up TTH in the recent humble bundle and I love the setting but can see the difficulty in running it. The core book was actually the rules and several setting guides rolled into one which made it a lot to process. So that makes me the target audience. No emotional attachment and plenty of interest. As for the vibes, it felt to me like a sci fi version of The One Ring with a little Expanse sprinkled in. Which makes me wish I backed the KS.
Something I don't think a lot of people realize or think about, is that Free League as a company is juggling a lot of geese. They are putting out more games, more often than any other company out there and the games are each pretty unique. Part of that is that they can get mixed signals from each of their products. "Oh, lots of people are really grabbing on to the simplicity of this game, let's try making something like that." "Oh, people love the richness of this setting, let's try to take some of the best parts, simplify it, and make it more accessible." Ok, so some of the people who love C:TTH don't like C:TGD. It was still a pretty successful KS and a ton of people were actually interested in it. I don't think every product they make is going to be a banger and I won't hold them to that standard. They still make some of the most amazing games on the market and they will still continue to do so. The worst part for me, isn't the new edition to Coriolis. It's that they are not printing TTH anymore. That's the killer. My final thought is that I think they learned a lesson from all this. Alien "2e" was supposed to KS last October. I think whoever in corporate that was pushing for all these updated editions had to eat some humble pie after the vitriol when TGD was announced. There are a lot of incomplete thoughts in there, but I hope I'm making sense. 😂
I see it more like the second album of a band. You have this first album with this really unique oriental sound that the few fans know, and then after years of waiting the second album comes and it sounds completely different. If it's great, it can be the breakthrough for this band, but if it sounds like all the other music albums out there... then it's the band with the one outstanding but rather unknown album and the uninspired second album. For me, The Great Dark also has a lot of unusual sounds. I like the vibes of the great 19th century explorers and the black death sounds in it. It's definitely not as ambinised at the beginning as The Third Horizon, but we only have a few early demo tapes. Sometimes less is more... we'll see/hear.
Great analogy… reminds me of the story I don't know if it's true but apparently when the killers had just released hot fuss, they saw Bono backstage and we're a bit starstruck and he walked towards them and they were trying to figure out if they should say hello or what and without missing a beat, Bono walks past and leans into Brandon flowers' ear and says ''just make sure you don't put out some weird experimental second album''
This kind of feels like what happened with Traveller back in the 80s with the move to the Shattered Imperium as part of the launch for MegaTraveller. A lot of the things you clearly love about the current version of Coriolis are things that have kept someone like me from diving in. The Third Horizon looks like an interesting setting, but I've already invested a ton of time and money into various incarnations of Traveller, and don't see myself diving into a new background that is so detailed. I bought into the new version because I liked the idea of a Year Zero engine sci-fi game that was focused on exploring the unknown, rather than learning all the twists and turns of an existing civilization. So, to answer your question, I think a big part of the reason they are doing this is to bring in people like me, who already have a long-term investment in another sci-fi game system, but also like the Year Zero engine and can be tempted to get Version 2 because of the lower up-front investment in time to learn the new setting. It is a shame they are shutting down version 1 of the game, though. I think in a year or two they might have quite a few people looking for those older books, once they have played around with Version 2 for a little bit.
@@robw4736 this makes a lot of sense however, what is your opinion on them even making it a Coriolis game rather than just creating a different sci-fi setting?
@@amanisalone I think it is probably both marketing and emotional attachment. Coriolis is Free League's recognized sci-fi franchise. It's also one of their original properties, so I am sure there is an emotional attachment there. GDW did the same thing when they launched their 'new' sci-fi franchise in the 80s. They initially called it Traveller 2300. The problem was, it wasn't set in the Traveller timeline, and it wasn't a 2D6 system like the original Traveller. GDW thought any sci-fi they did should be called Traveller, no matter what the setting or game system. Players felt differently, so GDW eventually renamed the game 2300 AD.
In what way? My understanding is they aren’t revising the system and don’t want to make a new edition. They’re adding some supplements to maximize the 5e conversion but I don’t think there is much more to look forward to.
They are actually most likely doing a new edition of the original symbaroum. Mattias Johnsson Haake said himself that (around 2025-2026) is the 10th anniversary for the english release and that is due for a revision.
@@wayfaerer3574I thought they were just redoing the rule book for organization, clarity, and errata. But I could be wrong. I only get this kind of info second hand.
“Why aren’t they releasing it as a new, standalone IP?” Just a guess on my part but it’s probably safer that way. They already have the established brand recognition from the first one and the value of that should not be overestimated. Would the kickstarter have been as successful if they had rolled out some brand new thing that nobody had heard of? Maybe I guess, Free League fans are pretty loyal in that regard but you have to admit it probably tickled your curiosity more than it otherwise would have because you were already familiar with it. Also, if they had released it as a new IP then that would make it the fourth(?) sci-fi space setting in their catalog after Coriolis, Alien, and Death in Space and that’s a lot of very similar games for customers, especially casuals, to parse through.
@@Wugglesworth good point and I think you’re probably right… Sometimes something doesn’t have to be intimately familiar. It just has to sound familiar.
I get your issues with dropping the lore and your sentiment and , I'd prolly have the same issues, but as a solo-first player (and never having read TTH), I'm much more excited for a streamlined, well designed system that can just give me a taste, an intense vibe, and let me loose. I appreciate the middle-eastern lore and original nuanced approach, but fuck choosing between 35 worlds, 12 factions, and handling everything between.
I agree with most of your takes, but I think this is the game they felt they needed to make to definitively kill The Third Horizon. Where TTH was a philosophical and even religious game, The Great Dark is the flip side of that as a secular game. It is “still” Coriolis because it has to be - sorta like matter to anti-matter.
This is not only an interesting take I also think you might be right in terms of the approach that they were taking with this. It is sad to see it go though because there are lots of secular futurist Games out there and not as many with the rich cultural theological and philosophical environment that the third horizon presented
The vibe and richness of the first edition seems gone. I read the first book and bought it recently and looking forward to running it. This new version seems neutered and lost its zest for life. I guess I’ll wait and see but I’m treading carefully. I’m not overly optimistic about this edition though. I enjoy most other IPs they have and hate to see them do this to their own.
I just discovered your channel, and Solo RP, and I am a big fan. I got into it for world building specifically but I have evolved into playing with a homebrew system and then settling battle encounters with Sword Wierdos. It is a lot of fun. Thanks for the effort you put in. And your humor.
That sounds fun
9:45 looks like a 36-system cluster?
Agreed, would make a great story.
Video 90 of me liking and then commenting on every new upload to tell the viewers that the Man Alone Podcast is absolutely some of that sweet, unhinged audio/vocal-honey.
Psssst. What is a piece of knowledge that feels illegal to know, but isn’t?
Fantastic thoughtful look. Appreciated the Homicide/Wire reference too. Keep it up! Any interest in the solo potential in f the new Dolmenwood setting?
I’m another one who never heard of Coriolis until the Kickstarter and I was very intrigued by the QuickStart. I picked up TTH in the recent humble bundle and I love the setting but can see the difficulty in running it. The core book was actually the rules and several setting guides rolled into one which made it a lot to process. So that makes me the target audience. No emotional attachment and plenty of interest. As for the vibes, it felt to me like a sci fi version of The One Ring with a little Expanse sprinkled in. Which makes me wish I backed the KS.
Something I don't think a lot of people realize or think about, is that Free League as a company is juggling a lot of geese. They are putting out more games, more often than any other company out there and the games are each pretty unique. Part of that is that they can get mixed signals from each of their products. "Oh, lots of people are really grabbing on to the simplicity of this game, let's try making something like that." "Oh, people love the richness of this setting, let's try to take some of the best parts, simplify it, and make it more accessible." Ok, so some of the people who love C:TTH don't like C:TGD. It was still a pretty successful KS and a ton of people were actually interested in it. I don't think every product they make is going to be a banger and I won't hold them to that standard. They still make some of the most amazing games on the market and they will still continue to do so.
The worst part for me, isn't the new edition to Coriolis. It's that they are not printing TTH anymore. That's the killer.
My final thought is that I think they learned a lesson from all this. Alien "2e" was supposed to KS last October. I think whoever in corporate that was pushing for all these updated editions had to eat some humble pie after the vitriol when TGD was announced. There are a lot of incomplete thoughts in there, but I hope I'm making sense. 😂
I see it more like the second album of a band. You have this first album with this really unique oriental sound that the few fans know, and then after years of waiting the second album comes and it sounds completely different. If it's great, it can be the breakthrough for this band, but if it sounds like all the other music albums out there... then it's the band with the one outstanding but rather unknown album and the uninspired second album.
For me, The Great Dark also has a lot of unusual sounds. I like the vibes of the great 19th century explorers and the black death sounds in it. It's definitely not as ambinised at the beginning as The Third Horizon, but we only have a few early demo tapes. Sometimes less is more... we'll see/hear.
Great analogy… reminds me of the story I don't know if it's true but apparently when the killers had just released hot fuss, they saw Bono backstage and we're a bit starstruck and he walked towards them and they were trying to figure out if they should say hello or what and without missing a beat, Bono walks past and leans into Brandon flowers' ear and says ''just make sure you don't put out some weird experimental second album''
I love the setting of Coriolis! Looking forward to playing it someday :)
This kind of feels like what happened with Traveller back in the 80s with the move to the Shattered Imperium as part of the launch for MegaTraveller. A lot of the things you clearly love about the current version of Coriolis are things that have kept someone like me from diving in. The Third Horizon looks like an interesting setting, but I've already invested a ton of time and money into various incarnations of Traveller, and don't see myself diving into a new background that is so detailed. I bought into the new version because I liked the idea of a Year Zero engine sci-fi game that was focused on exploring the unknown, rather than learning all the twists and turns of an existing civilization. So, to answer your question, I think a big part of the reason they are doing this is to bring in people like me, who already have a long-term investment in another sci-fi game system, but also like the Year Zero engine and can be tempted to get Version 2 because of the lower up-front investment in time to learn the new setting.
It is a shame they are shutting down version 1 of the game, though. I think in a year or two they might have quite a few people looking for those older books, once they have played around with Version 2 for a little bit.
@@robw4736 this makes a lot of sense however, what is your opinion on them even making it a Coriolis game rather than just creating a different sci-fi setting?
@@amanisalone I think it is probably both marketing and emotional attachment. Coriolis is Free League's recognized sci-fi franchise. It's also one of their original properties, so I am sure there is an emotional attachment there. GDW did the same thing when they launched their 'new' sci-fi franchise in the 80s. They initially called it Traveller 2300. The problem was, it wasn't set in the Traveller timeline, and it wasn't a 2D6 system like the original Traveller. GDW thought any sci-fi they did should be called Traveller, no matter what the setting or game system. Players felt differently, so GDW eventually renamed the game 2300 AD.
This new edition vibes with me, but then again it's Martin Grip.
I'm kinda nervous for Symbaroum now.
In what way? My understanding is they aren’t revising the system and don’t want to make a new edition. They’re adding some supplements to maximize the 5e conversion but I don’t think there is much more to look forward to.
They are actually most likely doing a new edition of the original symbaroum. Mattias Johnsson Haake said himself that (around 2025-2026) is the 10th anniversary for the english release and that is due for a revision.
@@wayfaerer3574I thought they were just redoing the rule book for organization, clarity, and errata. But I could be wrong. I only get this kind of info second hand.
“Why aren’t they releasing it as a new, standalone IP?”
Just a guess on my part but it’s probably safer that way. They already have the established brand recognition from the first one and the value of that should not be overestimated. Would the kickstarter have been as successful if they had rolled out some brand new thing that nobody had heard of? Maybe I guess, Free League fans are pretty loyal in that regard but you have to admit it probably tickled your curiosity more than it otherwise would have because you were already familiar with it.
Also, if they had released it as a new IP then that would make it the fourth(?) sci-fi space setting in their catalog after Coriolis, Alien, and Death in Space and that’s a lot of very similar games for customers, especially casuals, to parse through.
@@Wugglesworth good point and I think you’re probably right… Sometimes something doesn’t have to be intimately familiar. It just has to sound familiar.
I get your issues with dropping the lore and your sentiment and , I'd prolly have the same issues, but as a solo-first player (and never having read TTH), I'm much more excited for a streamlined, well designed system that can just give me a taste, an intense vibe, and let me loose. I appreciate the middle-eastern lore and original nuanced approach, but fuck choosing between 35 worlds, 12 factions, and handling everything between.
I agree with most of your takes, but I think this is the game they felt they needed to make to definitively kill The Third Horizon. Where TTH was a philosophical and even religious game, The Great Dark is the flip side of that as a secular game. It is “still” Coriolis because it has to be - sorta like matter to anti-matter.
This is not only an interesting take I also think you might be right in terms of the approach that they were taking with this. It is sad to see it go though because there are lots of secular futurist Games out there and not as many with the rich cultural theological and philosophical environment that the third horizon presented
Just saying hi
The vibe and richness of the first edition seems gone. I read the first book and bought it recently and looking forward to running it. This new version seems neutered and lost its zest for life. I guess I’ll wait and see but I’m treading carefully. I’m not overly optimistic about this edition though.
I enjoy most other IPs they have and hate to see them do this to their own.