Goodman Games

Long time lurker, first-time poster.

While I love the OAR series by Goodman and have the first 6 installments, I was really disappointed that OAR 7 is a Judge's Guild module. Perhaps I'm alone in this thinking, but I was never a fan of JG and plan to pass on OAR #7. I think I read somewhere (this could be a rumor or gossip) that Caverns of Thracia could be OAR #8. If it is, I'll pass on that too.

Is anyone else more interested in TSR products getting the OAR treatment than any of the JG stuff, or am I the lone ranger here? Or is there a licensing issue that is keeping Goodman from pursuing more TSR/WoTC properties?

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and input.

Best,
Wally

I think that many of the best TSR modules have already gotten OAR treatment, and some of the others have gotten WotC treatment. (For example, look at Tales From the Yawning Portal and see some awesome modules already converted into 5E. I can imagine that Goodman Games would avoid doing those since they were so recently done.)

Also, remember that years ago Dragon magazine printed an article on the top 30 modules for D&D. Twenty-nine were TSR and the other was Dark Tower, so I can see why it was highly coveted. Thracia is from the same author and is considered to be pretty strong as well.

Growing up I never even knew about JG. I'm willing to give them a look over, but I don't have like.. an excitement of them being republished like some people do. I can see why some people would want them to be published though so I think its alright. Ultimately the sales on these will determine if they keep doing them and if the JG remakes sell well, they'll keep doing them I'm sure.

3400 folks are already in for OAR 7, but then the length of the tail on the project will have an impact, too. I think OAR 1 has had 4 or 5 print runs so far...

My own personal willingness to buy the OAR series so far has been if its just 1 book, or multiple books, I'm personally less interested in the ones where its more than one book.

BanjoJohn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:42 am Growing up I never even knew about JG. I'm willing to give them a look over, but I don't have like.. an excitement of them being republished like some people do. I can see why some people would want them to be published though so I think its alright. Ultimately the sales on these will determine if they keep doing them and if the JG remakes sell well, they'll keep doing them I'm sure.

I discovered JG in the mid-1970's through their advertisements in Dragon magazine (and found out that their home base was something like an hour from where I lived). I subscribed to their monthly (bi-monthly?) product stream and used a lot of their material in my campaigns at the time; their City State of the Invincible Overlord became the mainstay of my campaigns for years thereafter.

Their best material is top-notch, their worst is highly cringe-worthy. JG was known for being very up-and-down as far as the quality of their products, so I wouldn't just look at one random product and then make a decision about the company. Both Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia are considered to be on the good end of the JG spectrum by most folks I've encountered.

BanjoJohn wrote: ↑Thu Jun 30, 2022 7:39 am My own personal willingness to buy the OAR series so far has been if its just 1 book, or multiple books, I'm personally less interested in the ones where its more than one book.

I get that. To me, even the first OAR books were too thick for easy use at my gaming table. I would have rather had a boxed set with reprint and 5E revised materials therein. I've been buying the whole set so far, but Temple of Elemental Evil is huge at two volumes and Dark Tower will probably be much too huge at three. One thing that made the original modules so cool is that they contained entire adventures in just a few pages. OAR is more like a complete campaign in each volume.

finarvyn wrote: ↑Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:48 am Their best material is top-notch, their worst is highly cringe-worthy. JG was known for being very up-and-down as far as the quality of their products, so I wouldn't just look at one random product and then make a decision about the company. Both Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia are considered to be on the good end of the JG spectrum by most folks I've encountered.

True of TSR products too I think a lot of it was author dependent too. DT and Thracia were both Jacquays joints. Most things with the name of Gygax or Jacquays on them, is a pretty good bet they are good.

rredmond wrote: ↑Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:35 am

finarvyn wrote: ↑Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:48 amTheir best material is top-notch, their worst is highly cringe-worthy. JG was known for being very up-and-down as far as the quality of their products, so I wouldn't just look at one random product and then make a decision about the company. Both Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia are considered to be on the good end of the JG spectrum by most folks I've encountered.

True of TSR products too I think a lot of it was author dependent too. DT and Thracia were both Jacquays joints. Most things with the name of Gygax or Jacquays on them, is a pretty good bet they are good.

I wish there was a "like" button so that I could do that instead of having to post an actual reply.

Both authors you cited are known for quality.

I'm a fan of classic and Necromancer Games era Judges Guild, but I will still admit that most of their output was garbage or mediocre. Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia deserve the OAR treatment though, they are timeless classics well worth having on your shelves.

Agreeing with Marv that there needs to be a like button

But still:

Ravenheart87 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 28, 2022 5:22 amDark Tower and Caverns of Thracia deserve the OAR treatment though, they are timeless classics well worth having on your shelves.

Boosting the signal!