Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ajpopp 09-02-05, 04:27 PM	Hey! Any of you remember Mark of Heroes? That was a great campaign! I really liked the months where there were adventures to play--that was the best! I remember once we played two weeks in a row...<sigh> Those were the days. . . . Wait! I just had a great idea! Someone should revive the campaign! You know, release some new adventures or something. What do you guys think? I bet a lot of people would play! I know I would! Man, that was a great campaign... . . . I remember this adventure where these crazy mirror guys were coming through a portal from another plane...did anyone play in that? You might have trouble distinguishing it from all the other scenarios you played in. All four of them tend to run together in my mind too... . . . Seriously, no adventures til October? Nothing to move those-of-us-who-can't-afford-to-spend-$1,000-to-go-to-GenCon from 4th level to 5th level? (Don't get me started on regional premiers. Since when is the Northeast United States not a "region"? Yeah, right, I'll just go to Atlanta. That'll be cheaper.) Not even DM's Marks? I get it--the RPGA is understaffed. But come on. And No Ticket, a lower level adventure, runs longer than Finding the Way? How hard could it be to at least throw a DM's Mark up there every month? Or is this another insidious plot to get me hooked on campaign playing and then steer me to Living Greyhawk? Hmm...
Sieylianna 09-02-05, 04:56 PM	Hey! Seriously, no adventures til October? Nothing to move those-of-us-who-can't-afford-to-spend-$1,000-to-go-to-GenCon from 4th level to 5th level? At least you'll get credit for playing them. Those of us who played the Gen Con modules in slot zeroes had those results entered BEFORE they posted the level bump! HQ has shown no sign of fixing this mistake since it has been brought up multiple times over the past three weeks, so I may be finished with the MoH campaign. It did manage to beat LGR (I played the first 3 modules and quit playing) by keeping me interested for 7 modules. Ed
AnonyCon.com 09-04-05, 07:11 PM	Bring us more DM's Marks. They can fill in the gaps. Bring us a Northeast region. Look at the population numbers and then look at your regions. Bring us more RPGA staff. This performance is horrendous for what is supposed to be the current flagship campaign. Bring us a response from someone in the know. I've seen too many posts like this (that I heartily agree with) and no effort to fix it.
grahamdrew 09-04-05, 08:29 PM	You know, I hate to say it but overall Mark of Heroes is a pretty poor campaign. Great modules, great ideas, but a poor campaign. It's numerous shortcomings have really started to overcome it's high points. The sad thing is that all the problems are due to the RPGA/WotC controlling everything. If the campaign had some volunteer support it could be great, but the campaign isn't accepting help. Every one of the member run Living campaigns holds more than a measure of stability of Mark of Heroes (and Legacy of the Green Regent). Oh well. So much promise that fell so short. Andrew Beard
ajpopp 09-04-05, 10:04 PM	If enthusiastic volunteers keep the Living campaigns going...is there anything to prevent volunteers from developing a Living Eberron? Something more along the lines of MoH with level kicks and less paperwork and such? The main reason I don't get into Living Greyhawk is the few times I've gone to play, there's no place for a 1st level character. Add to that the groups that gleefully one-up each other about their uber-power-gamed characters, and I lose interest. But, being able to join the campaign at any time...re-tooling characters...keeping tracking to a minimum...and Eberron! You know, I hate to even mention this, given that the RPGA has come up with such a great idea. However, isn't it often the way that one person--or company--creates something, and someone else comes along and makes it better? Because the RPGA isn't even managing MoH at a maintenance level right now. That being said, I'm sure that I am underestimating the amount of work it takes to develop such a huge campaign. And yet, people have done it. Quite successfully, actually. Well, it's probably a pipe dream for someone with a 60-hour-a-week job, 3 young kids and who is enrolling part-time in a graduate program soon... Besides which--I just want to play! So come on RPGA, get MoH rolling again!
kenobi65 09-04-05, 10:11 PM	If enthusiastic volunteers keep the Living campaigns going...is there anything to prevent volunteers from developing a Living Eberron? If you're talking about trying to run a "Living Eberron" outside of the RPGA, the biggest problem would be that Eberron isn't Open Game Content. You wouldn't be able to use any Eberron-specific content without the permission of WotC / RPGA. (The Universe Construction Company was running Legends of the Shining Jewel in Forgotten Realms until WotC took notice, and forced them to revise the campaign and take it out of FR.)
ajpopp 09-04-05, 10:24 PM	Good point, Kenobi. That had totally slipped my mind. Wow, talk about a stranglehold--one that they are actively using. It's like when James Bond tossed the cipher machine over the cliff in For Your Eyes Only--"Now you don't have it, we don't have it."
kenobi65 09-04-05, 10:26 PM	(double post)
smerwin29 09-05-05, 09:39 AM	At one point, Ian Richards--RPGA's Program Manager--told people that they always welcomed new proposals for campaigns. About a month ago I sent a detailed proposal for a Living Eberron campaign that would kick into gear after the current Mark of Heroes D&D Campaign ended. The proposal outlined a Living Campaign that would still be regional in nature without the incredible infrastructure that is needed to keep a campaign like Living Greyhawk going. So far I have not even received an acknowledgement that he received my email. I'm not sure if that is because they really aren't looking at new campaigns, or because the email came from me. :D Anyway, I hope at some point the RPGA can figure out a way to meet their deadlines and get MoH and the other D&D Campaigns on even footing. Shawn
ajpopp 09-05-05, 09:56 AM	I would figure that the more active the campaigns are, the more product is sold. But is the RPGA interested in that? I mean, how connected is the RPGA to WotC and their business goals? Put it this way: myself, my brother and my best friend have been buying Eberron products largely for MoH. If MoH is defunct, then we have less incentive. Now, we play occasionally in a home game set in Eberron, but if the DM doesn't have the books, we don't really need them either. So, even if someone outside the RPGA organized a living Eberron, it ought to translate to product sales, no? And product sales keep WotC going. Wouldn't that be good for everyone?
pedr 09-05-05, 10:14 AM	I don't think that MoH is defunct. It is just rather poorly. I remember a while back Tim saying something to the effect of 'Origins mods don't have any expanded premiere requirements so should be out pretty soon after Origins.' Of course something (we'll never know what I shouldn't think!) got in the way and they're still MIA. One point though - they're optimized for level 3 or 4 characters (I played them at level 1 and our DM did a great job of downsizing them for us!!) so they should be quite easily playable once they come out now the level bump's happened. We'd all love to know when they'll hit the ordering system of course - not least because they're great modules. But the thing with MoH (and I get the feeling with LoGR before it) is to not hold your breath! Play and enjoy them when they're available but don't expect them to be regular in any way - any campaign run from RPGA HQ is, IMO going to have this problem! More's the pity.
grahamdrew 09-05-05, 11:39 AM	The problem with wait and play them when they're available is that is makes them entirely inapropriate for small-midsize convention play. We're already starting to plan our slots for a convention in mid October. I'm not willing to say we're going to be running Mark of Heroes at the convention if the module availability is so poor. The premires get them months before hand aso they don't have to worry about it, and home groups tend to be pretty flexable. That entire midrange gets cut out, though. Andrew Beard
kenobi65 09-05-05, 01:10 PM	I would figure that the more active the campaigns are, the more product is sold. But is the RPGA interested in that? I mean, how connected is the RPGA to WotC and their business goals? RPGA is part of WotC's RPG marketing department. So, yes, I believe that they're very strongly connected. So, even if someone outside the RPGA organized a living Eberron, it ought to translate to product sales, no? And product sales keep WotC going. Wouldn't that be good for everyone? Possibly. But you're starting to get into issues of intellectual property and copyright. IANAL, but my understanding is that if you own a copyright, and you don't defend it (i.e., prevent people from using your copyrighted material beyond what is considered "fair use"), you jeopordize that copyright. When you buy Eberron books, you're allowed to use them for your own game; this is not considered to be any violation of copyright, since that's what you buy the books for. But, my understanding is that if you develop your own campaign materials (adventures, character guidelines, etc.) using the non-OGL material, and then start distributing them to others to use (regardless of whether or not you're charging money for them), that's when you run afoul of the copyright.
TimRat 09-08-05, 08:45 PM	Well hopefully tomorrow you will see a new module and 2 DM's marks pop up to order. that is the hope for it. if it doesn't happen dont hang me but thats what i heard may happen. heck i'm hoping it does as i like to play them too :P
grahamdrew 09-09-05, 07:23 PM	OK, so I guess it's safe to say that didn't happen, right? Any chance we can get a second guess at when they'll come out? Andrew Beard
ajpopp 09-09-05, 08:56 PM	Thanks for trying Tim. I'll admit I didn't get my hopes up. The RPGA doesn't seem to be concerned about the credibility of their Answer Man lately. Me Pappy always used to tell me, "Say what you're gonna do, then do what you say." Well, okay, he didn't really tell me that--but he should have! They could take a lesson from that fine maxim. I'll just check in every once in a while and see if any adventures get posted. See y'all in Karrnath!
DoveArrow 09-10-05, 09:58 AM	I guess I'm not all that worked up because I'm going to Maine this month and won't be able to run a September game anyway. However, I really feel that the MoH games that I've run and played in have been some of the best games I've ever had the opportunity to experience and I'm kind've surprised by the frustration you guys are having with it. However, maybe that's because MoH is the only thing I've ever run or played in for the RPGA.
GuruChaz 09-26-05, 01:26 AM	I haven't been able to find any MoH games where I live to join. Do any of you run them over the internet?
grahamdrew 09-26-05, 10:49 AM	It's isn't RPGA-legal to run MoH over the Internet, as far as I know. You can run LF and core LG mods, but no D&D Campaigns. Andrew Beard
GuruChaz 09-27-05, 02:41 AM	I see. Thanks for the info.