[AiF] AiF Clone on the way?

[Havard]

There is some discussion of a clone of AiF in this thread:
http://odd74.proboards.com/index.cgi?bo ... hread=6081

As Falconer mentions in that thread we already have Dragons @ Dawn and Powers & Perils, but it is always interesting to see some attention to older games.

Any thoughts? Would such a project be of interest?

-Havard

[finarvyn]

1. It's a shame that Dave never got around to releasing this again. I know that he commented on the OD&D Discussion boards a few years ago that he had a re-release in the works and I guess it got lost in the shuffle along the way somewhere.

2. I have mixed feelings about this. AiF has never been that common a game, so I wonder what the demand will be for it. Also, D@D seems to fill a similar niche. I'm not sure that anyone will care much about an AiF clone, honestly.

[Rafael]

Hehehe, we don't have P&P, Wizbro has.

As to an AiF Clone, from how I came to know the rules, there are a few games that you can fit to it, rules-wise.

It's the scenarios that are difficult to duplicate, from today's perspective!

That's why I devoured "Lamentations of the Flame Princess" in the sparse free moments over Ropecon weekend.
Because that game (at least the basic set, so far) gives you that sense of weirdness that I so closely associate with Arneson,
and 70s gaming.

[Havard]

Hehehe, we don't have P&P, Wizbro has.

We have it in the sense that the rules (and setting) are freely available for download in the link I provided above.

-Havard

[Havard]

2. I have mixed feelings about this. AiF has never been that common a game, so I wonder what the demand will be for it. Also, D@D seems to fill a similar niche. I'm not sure that anyone will care much about an AiF clone, honestly.

I'd say it all boils down to who does it, and how that person does it. After all, its not like there is only one OD&D clone out there...

-Havard

[finarvyn]

I'd say it all boils down to who does it, and how that person does it. After all, its not like there is only one OD&D clone out there...

True, but keep in mind that OD&D was maybe 1000x (or more) more popular than AiF. There are lots of folks who own and play OD&D, either through printed copies or PDFs when they were still for sale. Almost nobody that I've encountered has ever heard of AiF, let alone actually seen or played it.

[Havard]

True, but keep in mind that OD&D was maybe 1000x (or more) more popular than AiF. There are lots of folks who own and play OD&D, either through printed copies or PDFs when they were still for sale. Almost nobody that I've encountered has ever heard of AiF, let alone actually seen or played it.

True, but I am not sure that the OD&D clone sales are just linked to their popularity back in the old days. AiF being written by Dave Arneson could have the potential of getting attention on the level of Dragons at Dawn at least, just for the historical reasons. Clones also benefit from their authors being able to clean up flaws when needed.

OTOH, there is perhaps a growing notion of there being too many clones of old games out there now. Perhaps we need adventures and settings more than yet another ruleset?

-Havard

[ThePerilousDreamer]

There is some discussion of a clone of AiF in this thread:
http://odd74.proboards.com/index.cgi?bo ... hread=6081

As Falconer mentions in that thread we already have Dragons @ Dawn and Powers & Perils, but it is always interesting to see some attention to older games.

Any thoughts? Would such a project be of interest?

-Havard

I would love to see an Aif clone if it were possible or if not then an alternate continuation of the game would be cool.

[finarvyn]

there is perhaps a growing notion of there being too many clones of old games out there now. Perhaps we need adventures and settings more than yet another ruleset?

I think that much of this is a "too many D&D clones" issue, not so much "too many clones." Seems like a bunch of folks are taking the original game and putting in a few house tweaks, then marketing it as its own flavor.

I'm not certain that AiF fits that pattern because it's so different and has historical significance. On the other hand, those factors are also what could make an AiF clone fail becasue it might be too small a niche group. After all, AiF didn't sell many copies when it was its own thing, so why expect a clone to be more popular. :?

[hedgehobbit]

After all, AiF didn't sell many copies when it was its own thing, so why expect a clone to be more popular. :?

A clone might actually be playable.

Who owns the rights to this game anyway?