MERP: I need help fixing the info on the fan sites

Posts: 80 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:16 pm

The various MERP fan sites have some incorrect or incomplete info, and I'm looking for help determining the errors/omissions.

Here are some specific questions to get things moving:

Do you have a copy of the Court of Ardor module with a copyright of 1982? The fan sites list it as copyright 1982, but every copy I've ever seen has been copyright 1983. I'm looking for evidence that there really is a 1982 version.

Do you have a copy of the 1990 printing of the Campaign and Adventure Guidebook? The fan sites show 1982 and 1983 printings, and those two dates are well substantiated, but red_bus mentions a 1990 printing in this thread:
http://www.acaeum.com/forum/about893-0-asc-40.html

Do you have a 2nd edition of a MERP1 product that isn't well understood to have a 2nd edition? Example: There are two different printings of the Haunted Ruins of the Dunlendings module (ICE 8101), one printed in 1985 and one in 1987, and they have different color covers. The fan sites don't seem to know about this. I'm curious whether there are any similar variants of other MERP1 products.

For that matter, do you have a 3rd edition of any such product?

Do you know of any MERP products with an different cover used on later printings?

(The fan sites already know about these 2nd editions and/or alternate covers: Campaign and Adventure Guidebook, Isengard, Riders of Rohan, Northern Mirkwood.)

What was the content and/or distribution difference between these two covers of the MERP rulebook?

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Thanks!

Posts: 2891 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:50 pm

Afraid of the Dark wrote:

Do you have a copy of the Court of Ardor module with a copyright of 1982? The fan sites list it as copyright 1982, but every copy I've ever seen has been copyright 1983. I'm looking for evidence that there really is a 1982 version.

I have 2 or 3 copies of Ardor, including my original bought BITD, so I'll check their dates and report back, AotD.

Posts: 1276 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:06 pm

I have both of those covers, but I could not even begin to tell you what the distribution differences are -- maybe content, if I really looked through them, but I don't like MERP and only have them as curios.

Posts: 80 · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:42 am

serleran wrote:

I have both of those covers, but I could not even begin to tell you what the distribution differences are -- maybe content, if I really looked through them, but I don't like MERP and only have them as curios.

If nothing else, checking for differences in copyright date would be useful.

Posts: 972 · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:48 pm

HI AotD, welcome to the Acaeum.

I have what I thought were both editions of the Campaign and Adventure Guidebook, but they are 1982 and 1983 printings. Have never seen a 1990.

I have two distinct printings of the 1st edition Northern Mirkwood.

Can you give a link to your website? Are you planning to monitor values?

For years there was a good site in which the owner monitored prices on Ebay. After that disappeared, I have used www.icewebring.com for info, but it is hard now to deem to true worth of these items as the prices vary so much.

Have you considered setting up a subweb here at The Acaeum?

Posts: 80 · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:20 am

Thanks for the welcome.

I'm ultimately trying to improve the icwwebring pages, even though I'm not affiliated with them. They are the best merp site ... I just want to correct a few errors in the site. (I contacted the owner of the site and he would be happy to make corrections and changes if I can find enough data points to support them.

For Northern Mirkwood, are you talking about the 1983 and 1984 editions with different covers? If so, those are already pretty well understood ... Except there isn't a comprehensive list of the differences between those two editions. (iirc, there are a few minor difference in the books besides the obvious cover differences.)

Posts: 972 · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:52 pm

Mine are the well-established printings. So nothing new to add.

You should consider making a sub-web here. Acaeum really is one of the best sites for keeping a tab on the value of items and for that reason really contributes to the hobby. I would happily monitor some of the prices. Cheers, Jeremy

Edit: alternatively, see if the people over at icewebring are interested. I really miss that great site that used to monitor values (I think it was called asp.merp.com). It gives you an idea of what is rare or not and when you are being ripped off or not.

Posts: 80 · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:30 pm

I'm making some good progress, but I can still use some help:

I now own a 1990 printing of the Campaign and Adventure Guidebook ... unintentionally ... I assumed I was buying the 1983 version, so imagine my surprise when the 1990 version arrived.

If anybody has he 1983 version (which is marked as Second Edition on the cover) and is willing to scan a few pages for identification purposes, please let me know.

I'm still looking for:

* Anybody with a 1982 copy of The Court of Ardor.

* Anybody with a copy of The Tower of Cirith Ungol and Shelob's Lair that has black & white maps on the inside-front cover, last page, and/or inside-back cover.

I'd love to see scans of a few identifying pages of those things.

Posts: 1 · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:19 pm

I've got a fair amount of MERP stuff. This won't help you too much, but my Ardor copy is 1983 -- a bit more evidence that a 1982 version doesn't exist.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:33 pm

A MERP subweb on the Acaeum would be pretty cool.

I am sure lots of members could help out with scans.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:36 pm

Afraid of the Dark wrote:

* Anybody with a copy of The Tower of Cirith Ungol and Shelob's Lair that has black & white maps on the inside-front cover, last page, and/or inside-back cover.

I have a copy of this item in my collection. My Excel file indicates that it is from 1984.

I cannot lay hands on it at this moment...but does the year help at all?

Is that likely to be what you want?

Posts: 1210 · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:43 pm

FormCritic wrote:

A MERP subweb on the Acaeum would be pretty cool.

I am sure lots of members could help out with scans.

great idea... and as far as i understand AotD could be a honorable manager of it!

Posts: 80 · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:03 am

FormCritic wrote:

I have a copy of this item in my collection. My Excel file indicates that it is from 1984.

I cannot lay hands on it at this moment...but does the year help at all?

Is that likely to be what you want?

If it really has black & white versions of some of the maps which would normally be in color, then yes, this is helpful.

But the key is black & white versions of maps which which would be color on other printings.

My copy is also dated 1984, but the covers (front and back, as well as inside covers) and first two and last two pages are color.

Hosting the info on the Acaeum might be a reasonable goal, once I get the preliminary information compiled. (And I'm getting there...) But there are freedoms associated with hosting the information myself that I'm not ready to give up yet.

Posts: 4704 · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:21 am

I have chased after a 1982 Court of Ardor for years. I can confidently say it does not exist; I've checked out at LEAST 50 copies and all are 1983.
I will try and figure out which of my 10,000 storage bins has my MERP stuff and help you out as much as I can. I'm missing a few things, but I have 99% of what they put out.

Posts: 80 · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:36 pm

Here's the site I've put together so far with a bunch of printing/edition information:
http://homepage.mac.com/guyf/MERP/PrintingEditionReference.html

This does not reflect all the information that I have on the various editions/printings. It's just what I've had time to assemble into a web page. More will get added as I have time...

Posts: 972 · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:20 pm

Afraid of the Dark wrote:

Here's the site I've put together so far with a bunch of printing/edition information:
http://homepage.mac.com/guyf/MERP/PrintingEditionReference.html

This does not reflect all the information that I have on the various editions/printings. It's just what I've had time to assemble into a web page. More will get added as I have time...

Hey, nice work. That is an excellent resource.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:36 pm

Afraid of the Dark wrote:

Here's the site I've put together so far with a bunch of printing/edition information:
http://homepage.mac.com/guyf/MERP/PrintingEditionReference.html

This does not reflect all the information that I have on the various editions/printings. It's just what I've had time to assemble into a web page. More will get added as I have time...

Thank you, Afraid of the Dark. That is the kind of workmanship we like to see.

Posts: 1210 · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 3:04 am

Afraid of the Dark wrote:

Here's the site I've put together so far with a bunch of printing/edition information:
http://homepage.mac.com/guyf/MERP/PrintingEditionReference.html

This does not reflect all the information that I have on the various editions/printings. It's just what I've had time to assemble into a web page. More will get added as I have time...

excellent!!!
...congrats for it is really useful!
...now you can even think to transfer all this knowledge in an acaeum ad hoc subweb or in tome of treasures!

just a question: have you checked with this page if you can get additional info from the contents of this catalogue?

ciaooo

Posts: 1736 · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:21 am

Afraid of the Dark wrote:

Here's the site I've put together so far with a bunch of printing/edition information:
http://homepage.mac.com/guyf/MERP/PrintingEditionReference.html

...

Amazing stuff - well done!!

Posts: 80 · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:39 pm

Yeah, I'm aware of the icewebring catalog, thanks. I've been talking with Brent Knorr about collaborating in order to update the glitches in his list.

Also, I just updated the web page with more info, including Northern Mirkwood, Southern Mirkwood, Moria, and a historical (though incomplete) look at the product catalogs (at the bottom).