From: MOBTOTRM@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Date: Sat 09 Apr 1994 - 10:24:47 EEST
G'day Everyone,
I agree with Lewis:
>I would like to express my support for those who have stated >That Glorantha is not Earth and we should not be so quick to >transplant things for Earth to Glorantha (frex. games although I >will forgive the Issaries Trading Sticks game). While Earth >analoges may be useful for out understanding of how Glorantha >works, I would hate to see Glorantha cheapened by the wholesale >transplantation of concepts that occurs in some other FRPGs.
...and Nick:
>I agree that we should avoid "stealing" things directly from this world for >use in Glorantha.
I note that this is a point brought up in the review of Dorastor in TALES #11 (I'll quote it here for the benefit of those of you who haven't received their copies yet):
#The map work and graphics are by AH's new graphic designers, and are
#uniformly excellent, with some deft original touches: the depiction
#of the Tobros Mountains over the ages made me chuckle, and reminded
#me just how un-Earth-like Glorantha is supposed to be. Which is why
#I find one new section particularly intrusive and unwelcome: "Living
#in the World" on p.86 compares parts of Dorastor to various places on
#Earth.
#I have two problems with this: firstly, unless you've been there,
#stating that certain locations are based on terrestrial areas are
#not all that helpful: how many Aussie or European RQers know the
#Housatonic river valley in NW Connecticut well enough to visualize
#it? (Indeed, how many American RQers would?) Secondly, I would be
#reluctant to make such obvious and gross parallels in a publication,
#as it tends to cheapen the uniqueness and originality of Glorantha.
#If the Tobros Mountains are the Cascade Range, then why don't we just
#play our RQ in "Alternate Earth" and be done with it?
##[full review of DORASTOR: Land of Doom in Tales #11]##
I agree with the reviewer's sentiments entirely. I'll relate an anecdote which brought me round to this way of thinking, with a thud:
When Greg Stafford came to Australia in October 1992, my wife and I took him up to the Yarra Valley for some wine-tasting and then on to Marysville, a picturesque town nestled in the mountains of the great Dividing Range. We went on a hike through the bush up to a spectacular viewpoint of the mountain range stretching off into the distance. By then it was late afternoon, and in the golden glow the mountain ash covered slopes looked even more beautiful. Taking in the view, Greg said, "You know, this is exactly what I imagine Sartar would look like". I thought to myself, hey wow, if Greg thinks so, this *must* be what the hills of Sartar look like, and I am lucky enough to have shared the same vision. However, I remember 4enthusiastically relating this tale to someone at RQ Con, but they dismissed it by replying, "Yeah, but that's what Greg says wherever he goes"!
What do other people think about making direct comparisons between terrestrial and lozengial locations?
Cheers
MOB
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