Re: Swords of Pelarn and Shadowgames

From: bernie.hasselman@sympatico.ca (Bernie Hasselman)

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 00:00:00 +0000

On 27 Jan 1997 14:10:16 GMT, you wrote:

>I have just received the rulebook and module for Swords of Pelarn. I have
>never played this gamesystem and have a number of questions. Could someone
>be so kind as to tell me...
>
To answer your questions, I will assume that you are talking about the
Legends play-by-mail game system, and that you are playing this
through
Midnight Games in Oregon.  I have played with this company in the
past,
though not this module.  I was playing with them before the days of
email, and found the turn around time too long, with Canadian customs
slowing the mail down.  Also, it was very expensive.  Sword of Pelarn
uses a different program to moderate game activities, so some of the
information below may not be entirely correct.

>1) What advantages does a player who has played THIS scenario before have
>over me, the newbie?
>
The Legends game system is a very complex and dynamic game.  This
means
that only the main characters and forces will be in the same place
from
game to game.  Many of the Ancient Arcana spellls and items remain the
same from game to game, and so a list of these items would definitely
be
handy for you to pick up.  A good site for this is
www1.tip.nl/users/t017001/legends.html.  There are plenty of files
here
for the 'newbie' to quickly gather knowledge that the experienced
players have acquired.  The next thing to do, is get involved in a
group
of players who work closely together.  Strength in numbers, learning
through trial...

>2) is there a web site where I can get background information on the game?
>
There are several web sites:

www1.tip.nl/users/t017001/legends.html   -   player run
www.mgames.com                                      -   Midnight Games
www.tightbeam.com/dragon-games            -   Dragon Games

>I ask the firsr question because I don't want to get intoa game where some
>people know in advance exactly where they have to go to complete the
>scenario, rendering the game unfairand mechanical.
>
If you are interested, Dragon Games, the Canadian provider of Legends
(of which I am not affiliated beyond being a player), is offering a
chance to play for free.  Check out their website and look under
'New'.
They are starting a new game, with Hero positions only.  This will
level
the playing field for most players.  It is also more dynamic than the
American company, as many of the items, monsters and statuses change
from game to game, making it more difficult for experienced players to
have much more information than the novice.

As your email is from AOL, I will assume that you are an American.
Dragon Games charges the same as Midnight, but in Canadian funds.
They
also offer 30% exchange, giving you a lot of bang for the buck.

>Similar in a way to Middle Earth 1650 where everone knows where all the
>dragons are and the answers to recruiot them and the riddles.
>
As I said earlier, Legends is more complex and dynamic than any other
PBM I have seen.  There is no certainty from game to game what the
challenges will be, nor where victory conditions will be found.
It takes a while to master, but it is a lot of fun.  I hope that you
thoroughly enjoy your experience, and get more people involved.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me.

Bernie Hasselman
bernie.hasselman@sympatico.ca

References

Swords of Pelarn and Shadowgames
eazimmer@aol.com (EAZimmer)
Mon, 27 Jan 1997 00:00:00 +0000