2nd edition Wyrmsworks - anyone checked it out?
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Post Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:05 pm 
 

I picked up a copy of Wyrmworks Capella's Asylum from NK recently, and it turns out that they're available in general online @ http://www.mysticstation.com/catalog/in ... rers_id=16 including the particularly-tempting-looking Wyrmworks Collections @ http://www.mysticstation.com/catalog/pr ... cts_id=133 for $160:

The WyrmWork collection contains all of the currently available WyrmWork maps at a special collection price of $160.00. This is a savings of over $20.00 from purchasing the maps separately. You get all of the available maps from Wyrm Works that include:
Alizaren's Castle
Alkavan's Bazaar
Bricks & Bones I
Bricks & Bones Volume II
Capella's Asylum Special Edition
Capella's Asylum Standard Edition
Capella's Mines
Cityscape 1
Dragonest
Dwarfen Crag
Map Sampler
Ships: Alkavan's Harbor
Witchaven
Please note the collection price does not include shipping and handling


So, are they worth it in general?  What are the differences between 1st and 2nd editions (if any)?  They look similar in concept to the Hess Games  blank maps and such, but a little less nice looking in general.


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Post Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:20 pm 
 

I talked with Mystic Station a couple of years ago.  The are listed as selling the Wyrmworks items for a while now in the Games Quarterly Catalogs.

From what I can tell, they run a print on demand type business.  The maps themselves are the same as the originals but I'm sure there are differences in paper quality.  I don't have any 2nd edition versions, but I think the 2nd edition versions have white covers (also with the Mystic Station logo) whereas the originals all have red covers.  

Price wise, $160 is a lot.  I think I talked them down to $100 for the set but then didn't end up buying them because I decided I wanted the originals.  I am only missing one now and usually don't pay more than $5 for each.

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Post Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:11 pm 
 

Mars wrote:From what I can tell, they run a print on demand type business.  The maps themselves are the same as the originals but I'm sure there are differences in paper quality.  I don't have any 2nd edition versions, but I think the 2nd edition versions have white covers (also with the Mystic Station logo) whereas the originals all have red covers.


Yes, the Capella's Asylum I have is all ink-jet printed on standard paper, all grayscale except for the Mystic Station shield logo.

Mars wrote:Price wise, $160 is a lot.  I think I talked them down to $100 for the set but then didn't end up buying them because I decided I wanted the originals.  I am only missing one now and usually don't pay more than $5 for each.


Thanks muchly.  I'm not hugely impressed with Capella's Asylum, and only bought the item because I was below NK's $10 minimum order (I bought the Dungeon of Dread cover puzzle for Ethan's birthday---he LOVES puzzles!).  I'm not sure that I'll bother to pick up more, unless other titles are of better/higher quality in terms of the creativity of the maps, etc.?


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Post Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:51 pm 
 

There are two of the first print sets on Ebay right now too if you do a search for "wyrm works".  I made an offer on one of them for $7 back in October so at this point, an offer of $4 or $5 each might get them.

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Post Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:56 am 
 

Believe me, these products are deeply shite. You don't want them in your collection, and you don't want to be spending $16 on them, let alone $160.
They are SO bad, they are almost offensive. It's almost like they are taking the piss out of us muppets that buy them.


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Post Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:35 am 
 

What do you really think, Ian? ;)


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Post Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:16 pm 
 

I don't think I would be quite as harsh as Ian on these but their usefulness is definitely limited.  They are what they are, sets of maps for various structures and ships.  I think that most people who are going to build their own adventure, castle, or even ship would have more fun designing their own rather than using someone elses.

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Post Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:32 am 
 

Mars wrote:I don't think I would be quite as harsh as Ian on these but their usefulness is definitely limited.  They are what they are, sets of maps for various structures and ships.  I think that most people who are going to build their own adventure, castle, or even ship would have more fun designing their own rather than using someone elses.


Yeh, I wouldn't drop the house on them like Ian did, but having said they they are probably worth about $5 each or so, tops.  I kind of liked a few of them...bought them with the thoughts of making a giant, random type dungeon for solo adventuring, but never got around to using them.

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Post Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:09 pm 
 

I ended up with a copy of the Wyrm Works product "Iron Mount (Dragonest 2)" in a lot of books I bought:

Attachment:
dragonest_2-ironmount-small.jpg


It's listed as a 1998 Wyrmworks product (#1012) and might be transitional into the Mystic Station period, perhaps, since it has a white cover (but not MS logos, naming, etc.).  

Anyone else seen other later-era Wyrm Works books/products that are similar?

Allan.

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Post Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:59 pm 
 

I was buying all of their products Allan (not because they were any good, merely because they were produced, such is my lot in life), and Stock code 1013, titled Lairs came out in 2001, while 1001 through 1011 were made from 1994 to 1998. I believe that 1012 was possibly only available in electronic format (which mercifully for me meant I did not have to acquire it). It's possible my memory is faulty, this was 20 years ago however, but I seem to remember a discussion with him regarding this. At GenCon in 2004 I bought Dwarven Crag, under the Mystic Station Designs LLC, stock code WYM8s copy #2 of 100 from him and I believe I again discussed with him whether I had all of his paper based items.


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Post Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 12:50 am 
 

The print quality of the sheets is pretty low, Bill, and they do have that black-shiny look that suggests they may have been made on a copier.  That said, there are very fine features and tiny room numbers on them that are clear and crisp, too.  I'll see if I can compare them other Wyrm Works items I've got and see if they're similar or not.  (My first impression when I saw it didn't have a red cover and saw the quality of the print was that it might be a fake!).  

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Post Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 1:23 am 
 

I have a copy of Dragonest 2:  Ironmount that looks just like what you posted, Allan.  It looks printed to me, and not like a photocopy.  I also have a copy of another WW product, Dwarfen Crag, that doesn't seem to have a stock code, copyright 1996, that also only has white paper and no red cover.  I would have thought that I would have picked up both of these at some Gen Con or other.

Contra stratochamp's view, I rather like the WW products, and have used them occasionally in games.


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Post Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 2:49 am 
 

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that what Allan or Mark have are photocopies; I was kind of implying that they might be downloads. I do feel strongly that no physical item was available as of 1998 for stock code 1012, because otherwise I would have bought it, but I realize that's not proof. It is also possible that he made a physical copy sometime after 2003, at which point I would not have felt compelled to buy it (as the geas that has been cast upon me covers items made up through and including 2003). If one was wondering why I bought stock code #1013 from 2004, I think I just couldn't resist picking up copy #2/100.


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Post Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 2:51 am 
 

Oh, in closing, I have nothing for OR against his products. I've never opened them. I was just mentioning that the reason I bought them was not because I thought they were good.


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Post Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:35 am 
 

I know a few years back someone was selling fake copies. Possibly Wargameseast or at least one of his multiple personalities.


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Post Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 12:13 pm 
 

burntwire brothers wrote in 2nd edition Wyrmsworks - anyone checked it out?:I know a few years back someone was selling fake copies. Possibly Wargameseast or at least one of his multiple personalities.


I think I picked up a few of their Hess Games forgeries before I realized what they were.  Those were poor quality, and clearly photocopies.  I'm pretty sure that my copies of Wyrm Works did not come from him; and the quality is excellent, and doesn't look at all like a photocopy.


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Post Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:42 pm 
 

Bracton wrote in 2nd edition Wyrmsworks - anyone checked it out?:Contra stratochamp's view, I rather like the WW products, and have used them occasionally in games.


I like to have a variety of maps available when needed, but I do like the Hess, Companions, Mammoth Dungeons, and others map sets more than those from Wyrm Works most of the time (some of the Hess ones were relatively lame too).  

Bracton wrote in 2nd edition Wyrmsworks - anyone checked it out?:
burntwire brothers wrote in 2nd edition Wyrmsworks - anyone checked it out?:I know a few years back someone was selling fake copies. Possibly Wargameseast or at least one of his multiple personalities.


I think I picked up a few of their Hess Games forgeries before I realized what they were.  Those were poor quality, and clearly photocopies.  I'm pretty sure that my copies of Wyrm Works did not come from him; and the quality is excellent, and doesn't look at all like a photocopy.


Agreed Mark:  the IM/DN2 doesn't look like those did, with obvious copy tell-tales.   The print quality looks "shiny"-ish, though, which could just be whatever technology they used in 1998 to print them---perhaps they did a short-run via Kinkos or something like that for the convention season one year.

Allan.


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Post Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:09 pm 
 

Bracton wrote in 2nd edition Wyrmsworks - anyone checked it out?:I have a copy of Dragonest 2:  Ironmount that looks just like what you posted, Allan.  It looks printed to me, and not like a photocopy.  I also have a copy of another WW product, Dwarfen Crag, that doesn't seem to have a stock code, copyright 1996, that also only has white paper and no red cover.  I would have thought that I would have picked up both of these at some Gen Con or other.

Contra stratochamp's view, I rather like the WW products, and have used them occasionally in games.



Are you using them in some... recent... games...?   :wink:


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