From: Close friend of Little Elvis (WALLMAN@VAX2.Winona.MSUS.EDU)
Date: Wed 13 Apr 1994 - 20:09:50 EEST
Because TOTRM says it will have a Malkioni issue sometime soon, I have some comments on just that. In general, I find the western civilizations to be much more difficult to use for a game setting than good old barbarian settings. What follows are some of my complaints, meant not just to complain but to hopefully get responses that will help me and others who find western civilization perplexing. I also hope the TOTRM issue will enlighten me further.
Western civilization is too complicated. Background sources mention Duke so and so and Count so and so, but exactly what is the organization of the nobles and their powers are rarely mentioned. I researched some heraldry for a campaign once, but the whole campaign could have been spent figuring out why Baron so and so had a boar's head and Bishop so and so had an oak tree in their heraldry.
Western civilization is stagnant. We had two Malkioni soldiers playing once and no one could tell them apart. True, better role-playing solves this, but really, where is there to go in a caste system? Orlanthi can rise to rune lords, rise to priests, and explore subcults. In earth's middle ages Europe wealthy merchants would purchase nobility and priesthoods. Does this happen in Glorantha's west?
Western civilization is too codified. This is sort of like my stagnant complaint. In earth's middle ages Europe, the great conflicts came from nobody really agreeing what each other's powers were. Popes claimed to make kings. Kings claimed to make popes. The Malkioni had much of their social laws pretty much layed down for them from square one. For example, does a growing wealthy middle class threaten the nobility in Glorantha?
Western civilization is too monotheistic. Yeah, I know that is the idea. The problem I see here is that in most of Glorantha conflicts between good and evil mostly are conflicts between X worshippers and Y worshippers. If everyone in the land worships the same thing, then good and evil reduces down to believers and unbelievers. I do not see unbelief being too common in Glorantha. Do primitive cults pervade western civilizations?
Please enlighten me. My complaints are mainly about pure Malkioni societies which seem to have great background information when supplied, but always seem to be full of holes when attempted to be used. IMHO.
Ed Enough about the great Elmal/Yelmalio debate. Wallman@vax2.winona.msus.edu What about the great Peterson/Petersen debate? ---------------------
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