FFG Forum Archive

Posted at 2016-07-21 17:09:19+00:00

So, here is the first official confirmation that FFG owns the L5R RPG, and is using it as a revenue stream! Yay!

Also, it's a fairly significant sale across all editions on DriveThruRPG, so grab stuff while you can!

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/7/21/enter-the-emerald-empire/

Posted at 2016-07-21 17:17:27+00:00

FFG doesn't own "the" L5R RPG. It owns the the L5R IP and is free to either develop or outsource the development of a future role-playing game product.

More accurately, FFG is using it's prerogative as the owners of said IP to sell works related to it in this sale.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Kakita Shiro

Posted at 2016-07-21 17:20:23+00:00

No Atlas of Rokugan? I'm sad .

Posted at 2016-07-21 17:31:33+00:00

FFG doesn't own "the" L5R RPG. It owns the the L5R IP and is free to either develop or outsource the development of a future role-playing game product.

More accurately, FFG is using it's prerogative as the owners of said IP to sell works related to it in this sale.

In other words, there is no word on whether or not there will be a new edition of the L5R RPG, but FFG is exercising its IP ownership rights to generate revenue on the older editions of the L5R RPG. Which is still good, in my opinion. L5R RPG has been in a nebulous state since the sale last September. Now we have an acknowledgement, if obliquely, that they at least are planning on keeping the old RPG supplements up on DriveThruRPG, and are willing to promote them.

It is a small thing, but it is all we have.

And yeah, no Atlas of Rokugan, which is sad.

Posted at 2016-07-21 17:43:41+00:00

L5R RPG has been in a nebulous state since the sale last September.

I disagree. Whether FFG publishes a new iteration of the rules has no impact on your enjoyment of what is currently out there.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Kakita Shiro

Posted at 2016-07-21 18:01:27+00:00

The health of an older RPG as it passes from In Print to Out of Print to Legendary Status is an old argument and not necessarily one that L5R RPG 4th Edition has seen enough shelf time to really be judged by.

Right now, I do not believe they are printing MORE physical copies of the L5R RPG 4th Edition, nor are there any plans to print, produce, and market the game. Modern games remain accessible by PDF long after they have stopped being accessible in physical editions. By doing a promotion like this, FFG is showing movement on marketing the game, which is significant. Even if the RPG is still going strong (and it is by everything I have seen), I have also been a gamer long enough to watch other games slip into the "Out of Development and Out of Print" area of obscurity. Prior to this, neither FFG nor AEG has said ANYTHING about the L5R RPG, beyond a tweet from a PR woman about it being considered an essential part of the brand and IP that FFG was buying.

This sale is marketing, which is spent money in an attempt to generate additional revenue for a business. This is a good sign from the company that OWNS the IP, and thus the rights to develop the RPG further if they so choose. Additionally, it is a sale, which makes the 4th Edition (and previous editions) more accessible, in an ever-more cluttered marketplace. Getting some actual signal emerging from the silence is a good thing.

Posted at 2016-07-22 02:53:19+00:00

It pretty much confirm that FFG has no plan for doing a 5th edition.

Posted at 2016-07-22 03:20:18+00:00

It pretty much confirm that FFG has no plan for doing a 5th edition.

Posted at 2016-07-22 10:58:46+00:00

I see a lot of people here reading into this, and others saying how it means nothing. I think both views are correct in ways.

For me it is a good sign. Yes as Kakita Shiro says, it says nothing except they want to make money off IP they purchased holds some water. However at the same time it's indicative that they would like to preserve the history of the game, which to me shows they have confidence in the product.

It shows the difference also between AEG and FFG. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't remember it being possible to buy pdf's of the 1st and 2nd edition books?

Hopefully this announcement is also a little hint that there will be some information about the game at Gencon. We are almost halfway through the wait that we thought we'd have for the new version so more info is due any moment now.

Posted at 2016-07-22 11:07:14+00:00

This is so awesome. It's just like what GURPS does with their older books that are out of print.

Posted at 2016-07-22 12:36:28+00:00

I will admit that I really like that kind of stuffs. They know that older edition will get downloaded because some people enjoy an edition over the others. Why don't make a few bucks on it, providing these people to get access to them legally. They know that people will simply hunt down those PDFs illegally, because they want them and cannot get them legally anymore.

Does it mean anything? Besides the fact that they want to give access to the old stuffs, it also means that the RPG side isn't dead and forgotten. I think this is the best news out of it. No news about a 5th edition or anything, but still an information that the RPG will not simply put aside. I think we could expect a bigger news about the RPG "soon". Soon as 1-2 years probably, just enough time to close up the biggest job about the card game.

Posted at 2016-07-22 13:07:02+00:00

One of these days, I am going to sit down and write a series of reviews on the older modules. It'll be an interesting writing exercise.

Regarding if 5th Edition L5R RPG will get produced? I would not expect anything at all being in the water from FFG on this front until January 2018. If they are going to do a 5th Edition L5R RPG, I would expect to see it at GenCon 2018, provided sales of the L5R LCG justify the expansion into the RPG market. We might get something from the InFlight Report at GenCon 2016, but it is unlikely. Even if I am going to that seminar JUST to ask if there are any plans for teh L5R RPG.

Posted at 2016-07-22 15:37:18+00:00

As a marketer this sale could show me how strong the L5R RPG market still is which could give me guidance on how soon, of ever, to move into the market and with what level of resources. A huge influx of sales would suggest to me that moving into the RPG market, or speeding up the RPG development has worth to the company. A lack of interest in the sale means moving those resources to other projects.

That said, as a noob to this license, which editions and what books would be best to catch up on the fluff, if not the rules, before the LCG comes out?

Posted at 2016-07-22 15:46:54+00:00

Great Clans (4E) and Emerald Empire (4E) are great and probably a part of this sale. Atlas of Rokugan is also great, but is notably missing from the sale.

Posted at 2016-07-22 16:23:11+00:00

I do not think they released a PDF version of the Atlas of Rokugan, though. Which would be why.

In addition to Great Clans (4E) and Emerald Empire (4E), Imperial Histories (4E) has a lot of setting detail about particular time periods in L5R's history. Secrets of the Empire (4E) has a lot of the setting information missing from the Great Clans, and covers the Minor Clans, the monks, and the Imperial Families. Finally, Strongholds (4E) gives a lot of information on several cities of note.

Posted at 2016-07-23 06:27:23+00:00

As a marketer this sale could show me how strong the L5R RPG market still is which could give me guidance on how soon, of ever, to move into the market and with what level of resources. A huge influx of sales would suggest to me that moving into the RPG market, or speeding up the RPG development has worth to the company. A lack of interest in the sale means moving those resources to other projects.

That said, as a noob to this license, which editions and what books would be best to catch up on the fluff, if not the rules, before the LCG comes out?

I agree wholeheartedly about the business aspect of this sale.

I'll join Kakita Shiro and sndwurks in recommending The Great Clans (4E) and Emerald Empire (4E) as good resources for general setting information.

I'd suggest sticking with Fourth Edition in general at first since they were printed most recently and can thus provide information on several rather major events that occurred after previous editions had already been published.

Posted at 2016-08-17 20:42:46+00:00

Atlas of Rokugan will be available for sale at DriveThruRPG from Fantasy Flight Games next month.

Edited August 17, 2016 by Kakita Shiro

Posted at 2016-08-17 20:56:29+00:00

By now you mean next month. But in all seriousness, this is great news. I really like my physical copy and will likely pick up the digital version as well. I also think the map pack will be nice, assuming it is included in the price of the book. Just wish it had been available for the sale ...