tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post4355819005413070914..comments2024-03-25T00:18:14.319-07:00Comments on Against The Wicked City: So close and yet so far: the story of Mutant ChroniclesJoseph Manolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-13169391293047124852023-06-07T18:37:48.517-07:002023-06-07T18:37:48.517-07:00Holy shit this was a trip down memory lane. Thank ...Holy shit this was a trip down memory lane. Thank youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-88319111925164922702022-02-02T03:36:57.065-08:002022-02-02T03:36:57.065-08:00Pretty excellent article. I got into MC through Si...Pretty excellent article. I got into MC through Siege of the Citadel first (great board game). The RPG was, at the time, the closest thing to a 40K RPG on the market…and being a 40K fan, oo-baby!<br /><br />But I was in my 20s in the ‘90s, not my teens, and some of the stereotypes…especially the Japanese/Mishima ones…were just sooo cheesy and embarrassing. The initial (core) “Freelancer” concept was okay. Much of the premise (which IS different from 40K, despite 40K tropes) is pretty good/interesting. The system was pretty average/clunky 90s stuff…which meant pretty boring to play, in practice.<br /><br />But the full-on splat book deluge and 90s emphasis on wall-o-text background/setting narrative was so…ugh. So many words to wade through, just to find a sword that does D6+1 damage. *sigh*<br /><br />I didn’t know about the Mutant/Gamma World connection till I read Age of Ravens post-apoc RPG history series a couple-few years back. I guess Mutant Year Zero (2018) was their most recent reboot of the system.<br /><br />Oh…and the Doomtroopers film starred Thomas Jane (from Hung) in addition to Pearlman. I lost interest when I saw no one had the shoulder pads. Didn’t have nearly the variety of demons either (a little low budget).<br /><br />(Oh…there was also, briefly, a MC comic book)JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-11998296446572887122021-02-22T13:40:22.609-08:002021-02-22T13:40:22.609-08:00I have to admit mutant chronicles is something a w...I have to admit mutant chronicles is something a weakness of me, it seen mostly as "what is shadowrun was set in space" or "what is warhammer was cyberpunk insteas of uber imperalist/facist" I will said a problem is that indeed, it never could evole like 40K did.Diego ernestohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14162112803281913763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-19384354089587335412019-06-16T06:10:10.517-07:002019-06-16T06:10:10.517-07:00It's OK, Anon. Kent just judges everything by ...It's OK, Anon. Kent just judges everything by his own rather idiosyncratic standards. Thanks for the kind words, though! Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-43924580641613942712019-06-16T01:50:19.078-07:002019-06-16T01:50:19.078-07:00Bullshit. These articles are informative, very fun...Bullshit. These articles are informative, very fun to read and generally very well written. Interesting subjects are explored in genuinely engaging ways. This is as far from "word-vomit" as can be. I seriously hope Joseph doesn't take the above, uh, advice seriously.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-25610907260700857822019-06-13T20:16:48.489-07:002019-06-13T20:16:48.489-07:00You have mastered tolerance like the silver surfer...You have mastered tolerance like the silver surfer.Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-79795284705533047452019-06-13T13:56:43.756-07:002019-06-13T13:56:43.756-07:00Hi, Kent! Good to see that you're still as che...Hi, Kent! Good to see that you're still as cheerful and generous as ever!<br /><br />I find the history of the industry quite interesting, myself. If you don't then that's fair enough, but I'm a bit perplexed by why you'd waste time reading blog posts about things you don't care about. Surely life's too short for that.<br /><br />However! I do happen to agree with you that a year spent mostly writing about other people's stuff is quite long enough. I hope to put up more primary content soon!Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-46406758264066898412019-06-12T14:48:58.152-07:002019-06-12T14:48:58.152-07:00These surveys of yours became boring some time ago...These surveys of yours became boring some time ago because they are formulaic and you vomit out words.<br /><br />Try thinking. Come up with an idea.<br /><br /><br />Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-52353949787100001152019-06-12T13:39:14.623-07:002019-06-12T13:39:14.623-07:00I like some of the figures - the Mawmen are great,...I like some of the figures - the Mawmen are great, and the Meltymen would make great D&D Adherers - but £5 per miniature is well over what I normally like to spend. Right now I'm still firmly in the cheap collection building phase.Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-65369272465309255652019-06-12T11:15:56.609-07:002019-06-12T11:15:56.609-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Jerome Samsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00886505335771600600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-64122707297557794552019-06-12T07:34:22.899-07:002019-06-12T07:34:22.899-07:00You might like Thunderchild Miniatures who do a r...You might like Thunderchild Miniatures who do a really nice line in ridiculously expressive Post-Apoc minis https://www.tcminiatures.co.uk/storepjamesstuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13288777018721199748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-62831022775297134592019-06-11T15:31:30.646-07:002019-06-11T15:31:30.646-07:00Glad you liked it! Feel free to link away...Glad you liked it! Feel free to link away...Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-57525896429009714082019-06-11T14:33:13.588-07:002019-06-11T14:33:13.588-07:00Thank you for this awesome post! I am going to lin...Thank you for this awesome post! I am going to link folks here this week on my blog/podcast.Jeremy "frothsof" Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04663928183049867947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-53970930664992270332019-06-09T22:07:55.492-07:002019-06-09T22:07:55.492-07:00I'm sorry, but now you've got me imagining...I'm sorry, but now you've got me imagining the Inklings huddled over painting tables set up in the Bird and Baby; Tolkien is explaining at length that "the chap with the pronounced pauldrons is called a Space Wolf, but he's betrothed to that princess from, err, what they call a Craft World" - at which point C.S. Lewis grumbles over his difficulty drybrushing the legs on his "Death Fauns" - and Tolkien interjects "For the last time, Clive, they're not fauns but beastmen - and abhumans haven't been canonical for who knows how many editions!" Charles Williams merely chuckles and keeps working on his Dark Eldar. Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-34521281983373123132019-06-09T21:49:05.920-07:002019-06-09T21:49:05.920-07:00Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-46437208450933504302019-06-09T21:30:37.478-07:002019-06-09T21:30:37.478-07:00I remember, oddly, the backstory fascinating me th...I remember, oddly, the backstory fascinating me the most. Perhaps I was just vulnerable to purple prose at that age (definitely). Discovering an evil citadel on the solar system's hidden tenth planet "Nero." What's not to love? I wonder where those rulebooks went??HDAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13506175636615989219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-7808773811525642592019-06-09T21:26:50.831-07:002019-06-09T21:26:50.831-07:00I had Siege of the Citadel as a kid (in fact, it m...I had Siege of the Citadel as a kid (in fact, it may still be buried in a closet somewhere), and we had fun with it like we did with the Milton-Bradley HeroQuest and Battle Masters. I recently found a number of the original books (core rules, Algeroth, Ilian, and Capitol) at various semi-local FLGS, but haven't worked my way through them yet.<br /><br />The movie is hilariously bad, but I watched it anyway because I'm a Ron Perlman fanboy. The lead actor is the same guy who plays Miller on The Expanse.Stephenhttp://vesperswar.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-46668141508520314262019-06-09T16:14:41.234-07:002019-06-09T16:14:41.234-07:00Wait, the Doom Troopers people are Paradox? Holy c...Wait, the Doom Troopers people are Paradox? Holy crap.<br /><br />I stumbled upon the roleplaying game in early 00s, was wildly impressed that the obscure as heck Megadrive game was a part of a roleplaying games franchise (roleplaying being my freshest discovery at the time) and looooved the megacorporations and the demons so much I cooked a little campaign then and there, which we later successfully played.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-42449578366155214642019-06-09T14:57:32.252-07:002019-06-09T14:57:32.252-07:00I hope you realise that I'm going to need to d...I hope you realise that I'm going to need to do a whole post on famous authors and their Warhammer armies now.Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-66524600100377017372019-06-09T14:49:15.458-07:002019-06-09T14:49:15.458-07:00Early Warhammer was often comic, but the comedy of...Early Warhammer was often comic, but the comedy often had a satiric purpose. (Mag'Uruk Thraka, the Black Planet of Birmingham, etc.) Like the media that inspired it - Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Nemesis the Warlock - the ideas were serious, or at least heartfelt, even when the fiction wasn't. It's changed a lot since then, and many things which were originally meant as comedy are now treated super-seriously. But I do think it always had substance as well as style, and that's part of what has allowed it to survive when so many competitors have fallen by the wayside.Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-11529051570636185102019-06-09T14:13:11.569-07:002019-06-09T14:13:11.569-07:00I always had the feeling the Warhammer universes w...I always had the feeling the Warhammer universes were not originally meant to be too serious - Abaddon? Khazilid? - but have grown into some super-serious fandoms, I agree that means there must be more meat to it. I think MC's honesty appeals to the kid in me who was a GW fan.Tom Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00512219290892896310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-24339208342283710562019-06-09T14:08:16.781-07:002019-06-09T14:08:16.781-07:00The Victorian-Medieval connection is quite sound, ...The Victorian-Medieval connection is quite sound, and hadn't as such occurred to me before. Without giving too many personal details away, I've dwelt in Britain all my life and so I'm willing to get a little more granular about, for instance, Gothic revival in architecture - but this is still pretty broadly right by my judgement. Probably especially right for Games Workshop creators in the 1980s reading 2000 AD.<br /><br />'I never know the old Hive Helsreach, before the WAAAAAGH...'Solomon VKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11763252777153908412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-88644121636343241362019-06-09T13:59:28.217-07:002019-06-09T13:59:28.217-07:00Mhm. In particular, I suspect that the Gothic aest...Mhm. In particular, I suspect that the Gothic aesthetics would mean something rather different from a continental perspective. A lot of the aesthetic logic of 40K comes from the fact that, in Britain, Gothic architecture simultaneously evokes medieval Catholicism *and* Victorian industrial imperialism. After all, it wasn't so long ago that Britain really *was* the seat of a crazy all-conquering military-industrial empire with a necrophiliac death fetish and a tendency to cover everything in outsized Gothic architecture. <br /><br />Graham Greene: Inquisitors and Assassins (obviously).<br /><br />Hilaire Belloc: Salt-of-the-earth Imperial Guard led by heroes of the Ecclesiarchy. <br /><br />Evelyn Waugh: A detachment of Imperial Knights with extremely detailed heraldry.Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-50323286156011371712019-06-09T13:41:07.240-07:002019-06-09T13:41:07.240-07:00I think it's an honest reflection of what 40K ...I think it's an honest reflection of what 40K often is in practise, as opposed to what it's supposed to be in theory: a rather comically macho universe about ludicrously swole dudes spending ten thousand years punching each other FOR THE EMPRAH! But 40K means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and it would be reductive to say that's all it *ever* is. As I've suggested here, if that was all there was to it, it probably wouldn't have outlived the 90s. <br /><br />But Mutant Chronicles certainly is very honest about what it is, and that's one of the things I find attractive about it. All the false profundity has been torn out of it to make room for EVEN BIGGER HANDGUNS.Joseph Manolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05387275537008858939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392427526916288536.post-53343468697756711812019-06-09T13:35:20.500-07:002019-06-09T13:35:20.500-07:00As you say, it shouldn't be too difficult to c...As you say, it shouldn't be too difficult to come up with something for your own regiment. Though a little cursory work on Google hasn't turned up much evidence of this on a shallow trawl.<br /><br />A continental European 40k does sound fascinating. The place of the Catholic Church as the great enemy of Protestant Britain post-Reformation lodges in my mind at this stage; certainly a continental 40k might look very different from the established 'Catholic Space Nazis' and address the vast hierarchy of the Ecclesiarchy differently.<br /><br />(By way of contrast, this throws up the image of what the 40k armies of Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh and Hilaire Belloc might look like...)Solomon VKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11763252777153908412noreply@blogger.com