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Post by Abridged Versions on Oct 11, 2004 20:59:05 GMT
Okay, I'm a huge Lone Wolf fan. I have loved the books since I was a kid, started with book 13 (Abridged) and eventually collected all of the LW seires, plus 1 new order, plus 1 grey star. i also write for the LW-ERPG (which I urge any writers to sign up for), am starting a group with the new RPG, and helped fix some of the erata in the original books.
My question is a few-fold.
First off, i own the US Grand Master editions. Imagine how upset I got last year when I realized they were abrigded. Since then, I've discovered how they did it and know that, while readable, the books are not as good abridged. Of course.
So, questions are this:
1. Are they ever releasing, in print form, the non-abridged versions? Can we, um, make them?
2. If not, is there anywhere other than ebay I can find the originals?
3. Do the abridged versions actually cut out any major story?
4. I know what I've heard online and such, but I never had too much trouble navigating the GM abridged. Is there an errata sheet somewhere online, or does anyone have any interest in posting one that can at least fix the issues in the GM series?
I'll go through and do it myself, eventually. I spend a lot of time working as "official errata fixer" for games, mostly older editions where faqs no longer exist. But if someone has one already, then cool.
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Post by Zipp on Oct 11, 2004 21:00:26 GMT
oops. Put the subject in the wrong spot. Used to a different forum format. Sorry.
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Post by Ofecks on Oct 11, 2004 21:27:40 GMT
It's okay, I own the abridged editions, too. Thank god (or Ishir, whoever) for this website. 1. Are they ever releasing, in print form, the non-abridged versions? No, I really don't think the UK editions will be published in the US. No. Mr. Dever wouldn't allow that. He only agreed to let Project Aon re-publish the books electronically. Why would you want print versions when you can use the Statskeeper? If you just can't wait for PA to publish them, then you should join the team and help out. Probably not. They're not being published in English anymore. If I were looking for them, I'd check online used bookstores in the UK. Major story? No, not really. Both versions start and end the same, and they have similar stuff in between. Unfortunately, entire routes and choices were cut sometimes. For instance, in book 13, you can take a different route to get to Mogaruith (through the mountains as opposed to the Forest of Ruel) in the original version. The only abriged book that had serious flow errors (enough to grind your adventure to a halt) was book 14. All the rest of them were okay, from my own recollection. As for your specific question, why bother? PA has already taken care of it. Uh, you know where you are, right? You can download books 1-15 here, complete with errata correction and rules clarification. The GM series published here are the non-abridged UK editions. 16 should be along any day now. |
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Post by StarLight on Oct 11, 2004 21:49:47 GMT
Does that mean that the books 16-20 I just ordered online are abridged? And how are they different?
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Post by Zipp on Oct 11, 2004 22:01:59 GMT
Reply to both replies.
First off, thanks for the information, although I knew most of it already. In answer to your question, I'm a purist. Hell yes I've downloaded all the GM's on Aon so far, but nothing beats turning pages and the ability to carry it with you. I'm such a fanatic, I may print out all the pages and put it together as a book again.
Is there any reason Joe doesn't want to reprint? It seems like the fans are emerging from the wallpaper these days.
As for the second reply, the deal is this:
Lone Wolf was brought over to the states sometime after it's first publishing. All the books, including side series like Grey Star, were brought over in original form EXCEPT for the Grand Master series, which for some unexplainable reason was abridged.
The abridgement worked like this:
The LW books are set up so that Lone Wolf starts and ends at the same place and always has certain encounters. Generally, it would work like
Lone Wolf infiltrates...Lone Wolf gets caught... Lone Wolf finds and fights Bad Guy... Lone Wolf wins
with two main paths, with numerous small side paths inside them, to get from one spot, or highlight, to the next. The abridged version takes one of these paths and negates it completely, forcing you to choose the other.
Yeah, that sucks. But it still would've worked, except that the editors didn't, well, edit very well. Certain number connections remained broken, some puzzles became unsovlable, certain items were unatainable.
I would say, if you got a good deal on the abridged versions, go ahead and keep them. Finding the books non abridged these days, in paper form, is not incredibly hard, but it is expensive. Like, 40 to 50 a book. Times that by 8... about 400 total. And then there's shipping and handling... tack on another 100...
In any case it's do-able. Check out Desert Lynx's Oasis site for tips and links to how to find the UK versions.
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Post by Zipp on Oct 11, 2004 22:04:07 GMT
Whoops, messing up a lot today. ANd I can't seem to get the edit button to work. I didn't mean I knew most of your information, that was a typo. I meant I suspected the informaiton about not getting the books online. Just clarifying.
I'm a sucker for the details. Why I'm in this abridged obsession in the first place...
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Post by KaiLord on Oct 12, 2004 3:52:15 GMT
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Post by outspaced on Oct 12, 2004 9:42:06 GMT
Is there any reason Joe doesn't want to reprint? It seems like the fans are emerging from the wallpaper these days. He did want to reprint. He was apparently trawling through publishers in 98-99 after his contract with Red Fox was terminated 4 books early, but no one was interested. The interview with him on www.magnamund.org might explain this a bit better. Eventually, in late 1999, he decided that since he was no longer going to make money directly from the gamebooks he'd make them available online. Step forward one Jon Blake . . . It's actually worked out very well for him. The online presence of Project Aon has rekindled a lot of interest in the original gamebooks, ultimately leading to the Mongoose RPG. I honestly don't believe the d20 RPG would have been successful without the Aon Project's diligence and hard work--all voluntary. Since he's given his blessing to making the gamebooks freely available online, both the originals and d20 conversions via Mongoose, I don't see the English editions ever becoming available again. However, it is within the license to print the Aon versions, even binding them, as long as it is for personal use. This was clarified fairly recently in a response written to KaiLord. Additionally, the Aon editions will--eventually--be released as PDFs. Just don't hold your breath!  This will allow easier printing, though they will all be fully hyperlinked as well, making them readable on-screen. Hope it helps. |
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Post by Grayzie on Oct 12, 2004 10:54:04 GMT
3. Do the abridged versions actually cut out any major story? I have long been curious as to what one misses playing the abridged versus the unabridged. Here's hoping someone will one day compile a complete spoiler list comparing the two versions. |
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Post by KaiLord on Oct 12, 2004 21:05:10 GMT
That's right. Can't lend it, sell it, auction it, give it as a gift. But you can sit and stare at it and flip through it. If only I had thought of doing 2 columns per page.  Oh well, that'll be in the next version, once this one is unbound and destroyed. www.shirrok.com/PA124833.JPGwww.shirrok.com/PA124835.JPGThe best binding supply site I've found is www.hollanders.com, by the way. KL, jack of all trades |
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Post by outspaced on Oct 12, 2004 21:37:27 GMT
Day-amn, KaiLord!!  That looks COOL! Haven't touched the PDFing recently (been busy with other things), but I think I might go back to working on TJOH--unless, that is, anyone with experience of taking raw XML can convert it to PDF and save me doing all the roundabout (and completely unnecessary) work. The Aon Project would love to hear from you if you can! |
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Post by Sol on Dec 15, 2004 20:33:48 GMT
Kai Lord,
I was ASTONISHED at your re-publication of the Kai Saga for personal use (above). WOW! How many of the books are included in "Destiny of the Master?"
Sol
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This will allow easier printing, though they will all be fully hyperlinked as well, making them readable on-screen.
Oh well, that'll be in the next version, once this one is unbound and destroyed.