Update February 12, 1:11 pm EST: We got a chance to speak to Free League Publishing about the upcoming One Ring update and learned some interesting information. Designer Francesco Nepitello was kind enough to give us some great insights into what to expect from the new edition.
TechRaptor: For a decade, The One Ring has been considered the best attempt at bringing Middle-Earth to the tabletop-RPG world. What is it that you're hoping to achieve or change with the new edition?
Francesco Nepitello: "We hope to continue earning this level of high praise. We brought onboard some of the best artists in the industry, and look forward to continue the exploration of Middle-earth, going to places that we weren’t able to go before (hint! hint!)."
TR: The original version was often praised for its thematic rules, is this something you're going to lean into more in the new edition or will pure mechanics be your focus this time around?
FN: "Thematic rules remain my primary interest in design. The changes we applied were done exactly to make the thematic experience even tighter. We wanted the game to be more thematic AND more smooth at the same time."
TR: Are there any artists or other sources that you're basing the new edition's artwork on? (i.e. the movie style, Alan Lee, etc)
FN: "This is more for the graphic department to answer, but I can already tell you that Christian Granath (art direction and graphics) has studied a lot the art by Tolkien himself for a nice, analog feel, and that same was done by Alvaro Tapia, who is doing most of the interior art. Alvaro has also given a good look to what Angus McBride did in the past, and from what I have seen so far he also referenced a bit what we saw years ago in the animated movie by Ralph Bakshi. And then we have Martin Grip, who is providing the game and the source material one of the fresher looks we have ever seen in a Tolkien game."
The game is now live on Kickstarter so if you're interested in what you heard then go check it out now. Not only was the new edition funded in 4 minutes, but they're already only 3 stretch goals away from unlocking everything.
Original story follows:
Free League Publishing has announced a brand-new edition of the popular tabletop RPG set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth will be hitting Kickstarter on February 11th. The One Ring second edition promises to provide an updated ruleset compared to the first edition of the game that was released back in 2011.
The One Ring: Second Edition
It's been a full decade since The One Ring was originally released, and it's probably about time that we got an updated version of the best attempt at bringing Middle-Earth to the tabletop ever conceived. According to the press release, the new edition of The One Ring will feature a "streamlined ruleset" that incorporates a decade of fan feedback to give even better rules for the game.
Right now, it's not clear exactly what form these changes will take, but we should know more when the project hits Kickstarter on the 11th. Some fans will no doubt be keeping a close eye on proceedings, as the rules for the original The One Ring are very heavily thematic, and there could be some fear that streamlining the rules will force them to lose some of their flavor.
Teasing With A Trailer
A bit of extra info that Free League Publishing did drop is a brand new teaser trailer for the upcoming release which you can check out below. If you're interested in getting the news as soon as The One Ring drops, you can sign up on the pre-launch Kickstarter page to get told when it hits, and you'll be in good company with several thousand fans already waiting for news eagerly.
Are you excited about a new version of The One Ring? Will you be backing the game when it hits Kickstarter in a few day's time? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
