Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, Harley Stroh
-
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:22 pm
- FLGS: Tabletop Games and 31st Century Games
- Location: Lenexa, KS
Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Anyone checked out the new Age of Cthulhu adventure? Thoughts?
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
I bought it last week but have only had chance to take a quick glimpse at it.
The things that stand most out for me at the moment are the Americanisms. Now obviously its written by an American and the investigators are presumed American - but if you set the adventure in Britain it'd be nice if the Americanisms were relaxed a bit so that you can experience the adventure from the point of view of its setting and its protagonists. One example being the handout leaflet that should be written in English but colourful is spelt in American English.
A mistake that some American writers make at times rears its head in this scenerio too. It leaves you with the impression that London is Britain and that everything in England is just five minutes away from the centre of London. The two examples of this that I noted: The investigators arrive at the docks in the late afternoon just prior to attending the gala at the museum in London. The docks at which they arive would be either Southampton or Liverpool - cities that are hours away from London. Once at the gala one attendee needs to leave at 9.30 p.m. because he has an RSC event to attend in Stratford - making it sound like its five minutes away - instead of half way across the country.
Aside from my personal gripes, the outline of the plot looks good so far - but I've only skimmed through it I haven't read it yet.
The things that stand most out for me at the moment are the Americanisms. Now obviously its written by an American and the investigators are presumed American - but if you set the adventure in Britain it'd be nice if the Americanisms were relaxed a bit so that you can experience the adventure from the point of view of its setting and its protagonists. One example being the handout leaflet that should be written in English but colourful is spelt in American English.
A mistake that some American writers make at times rears its head in this scenerio too. It leaves you with the impression that London is Britain and that everything in England is just five minutes away from the centre of London. The two examples of this that I noted: The investigators arrive at the docks in the late afternoon just prior to attending the gala at the museum in London. The docks at which they arive would be either Southampton or Liverpool - cities that are hours away from London. Once at the gala one attendee needs to leave at 9.30 p.m. because he has an RSC event to attend in Stratford - making it sound like its five minutes away - instead of half way across the country.
Aside from my personal gripes, the outline of the plot looks good so far - but I've only skimmed through it I haven't read it yet.
'Gentlemen, we're in the stickiest situation since Sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun'. - Capt. E. Blackadder.
-
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:22 pm
- FLGS: Tabletop Games and 31st Century Games
- Location: Lenexa, KS
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Interesting. What about the maps and handouts, are they as dark as they were in Death in Luxor?
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
They're much lighter and easier to see/read in MiL.JonHook wrote:Interesting. What about the maps and handouts, are they as dark as they were in Death in Luxor?
I've read a bit more and the scenerio looks like it should be fun to run. There are maybe too many instances of SAN loss for my personal taste and the spelling errors of place names - though not detracting from the adventure - are a little annoying. Leister, White Chapel and Debonshire instead of Leicester, Whitechapel and Devon (though the latter would seem to be simply a typo).
'Gentlemen, we're in the stickiest situation since Sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun'. - Capt. E. Blackadder.
- Rick Maffei
- Hard-Bitten Adventurer
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:06 am
- Location: Flying overhead
- Contact:
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Thanks Garuda for the thought-provoking input. (You get extra points for being a Blackadder fan! It's a close call, but Blackadder II was probably my personal favorite of the series.)
I made an effort to insert little "British-isms" into the text, but there's certainly potential for more! Writing an adventure set in another country (especially when the adventure is also set in another time period) is always a challenge, to be sure. As you say, an American writing about another country will no doubt view it through an "American prism" so to speak. My personal design goal when writing an adventure is to write an adventure that's fun to play first and foremost, but I can say with certainty that I spent more time in the "research phase" of this project than anything I've written to date.
This brings to mind an old X-Files episode set in a New Jersey town—Mulder is shown driving his car past tall buildings in a NYC-style area, whereas in reality most of the town in question is actually rather modest suburbs with no skyscrapers to be had. I had a private chuckle over that, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the episode. I rather liked the idea of a weird parasitic creature living a mere 30 minutes away!
I made an effort to insert little "British-isms" into the text, but there's certainly potential for more! Writing an adventure set in another country (especially when the adventure is also set in another time period) is always a challenge, to be sure. As you say, an American writing about another country will no doubt view it through an "American prism" so to speak. My personal design goal when writing an adventure is to write an adventure that's fun to play first and foremost, but I can say with certainty that I spent more time in the "research phase" of this project than anything I've written to date.
This brings to mind an old X-Files episode set in a New Jersey town—Mulder is shown driving his car past tall buildings in a NYC-style area, whereas in reality most of the town in question is actually rather modest suburbs with no skyscrapers to be had. I had a private chuckle over that, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the episode. I rather liked the idea of a weird parasitic creature living a mere 30 minutes away!
DCC #26 The Scaly God
DCC #60 Thrones of Punjar
Monstercology: Orcs
Age of Cthulhu 2: Madness in London Town
Co-author Age of Cthulhu 5: The Long Reach of Evil
Co-author 2006, 2007, 2008 Tourney DCCs
Visit Rick's RPG Blog Jabberwock's Rest
DCC #60 Thrones of Punjar
Monstercology: Orcs
Age of Cthulhu 2: Madness in London Town
Co-author Age of Cthulhu 5: The Long Reach of Evil
Co-author 2006, 2007, 2008 Tourney DCCs
Visit Rick's RPG Blog Jabberwock's Rest
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
I just finished reading it yesterday and it is indeed a nice little adventure, and i like the link to Death in Luxor. The Map are indeed lighter so easier to see and read.
Although I noticed a typo/error in Vernons flat. The bedroom (2-3) and the bathroom (2-4) doesn't match up with the map: They've been inverted.
Other then that it's a great module.
Although I noticed a typo/error in Vernons flat. The bedroom (2-3) and the bathroom (2-4) doesn't match up with the map: They've been inverted.
Other then that it's a great module.
Yeah I notice, but oddly enough, those spelling mistakes are limited to the description of the wax museum. Elsewhere Leicestershire and Devon(shire) is spelled correctly.Garuda wrote: <Snip>...the spelling errors of place names - though not detracting from the adventure - are a little annoying. Leister, White Chapel and Debonshire instead of Leicester, Whitechapel and Devon (though the latter would seem to be simply a typo).
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4128
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Is it possible that the spelling mistakes were actually pronunciation guides for the unfamiliar?
Probably not, I guess, but it would help if you've never heard Leicester pronounced out loud before....
Probably not, I guess, but it would help if you've never heard Leicester pronounced out loud before....
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Doubtful, very Doubtful.GnomeBoy wrote:Is it possible that the spelling mistakes were actually pronunciation guides for the unfamiliar?
-Leicester was written properly previously in Chapter 4 (IIRC);
-Debonshire, is very likely just a typo since the V and B and next to each other;
-And Whitechapel in one word isn't hard to pronounce, and if you look at the picture it is written properly on the base of the Jack the Ripper mannequin.
Anyway it is nothing seriously major.
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4128
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Now I'm trying to remember if I ever visited Why-Tech-uh-Pel...
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
- Rick Maffei
- Hard-Bitten Adventurer
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:06 am
- Location: Flying overhead
- Contact:
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
I owe up to misspelling Leicester—clearly I wrote some sections from the padded cell Harley keeps me locked in much of the time.
As far a hard pronunciations, try visiting Wales if you want a real challenge!
As far a hard pronunciations, try visiting Wales if you want a real challenge!
DCC #26 The Scaly God
DCC #60 Thrones of Punjar
Monstercology: Orcs
Age of Cthulhu 2: Madness in London Town
Co-author Age of Cthulhu 5: The Long Reach of Evil
Co-author 2006, 2007, 2008 Tourney DCCs
Visit Rick's RPG Blog Jabberwock's Rest
DCC #60 Thrones of Punjar
Monstercology: Orcs
Age of Cthulhu 2: Madness in London Town
Co-author Age of Cthulhu 5: The Long Reach of Evil
Co-author 2006, 2007, 2008 Tourney DCCs
Visit Rick's RPG Blog Jabberwock's Rest
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4128
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
It helps to remember that W is a vowel...Rick Maffei wrote:As far a hard pronunciations, try visiting Wales if you want a real challenge!
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
- Ogrepuppy
- Tight-Lipped Warlock
- Posts: 921
- Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:26 pm
- Location: the Towers of Carcosa
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
Err..whh.....^ that just cost me some sanity.GnomeBoy wrote:It helps to remember that W is a vowel...Rick Maffei wrote:As far a hard pronunciations, try visiting Wales if you want a real challenge!
(I'd love to learn Welsh.)
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4128
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Anyone checked out MADNESS IN LONDONTOWN yet?
It's twue!Ogrepuppy wrote:Err..whh.....^ that just cost me some sanity.GnomeBoy wrote:It helps to remember that W is a vowel...
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham