FAQ project

[Corbon Loughnan]

Gentlemen,

I've run low on puff.
Antistone, whom I respect more than just about any other on the rules,
has publicly stated that he has no confidence in the project, and has
been noticeably lacking in input for quite a while.
Does someone else want to take it over from here and I'll keep out of
it?

Corbon

[jorge medina]

To be honest, I don't see myself getting that drive back anytime soon.  I spent so long analyzing the game in lieu of playing it that I've forgotten what it feels like to combine Descent and Fun.  I made a few half-hearted attempts to get back into the forums but I just don't have the time anymore.  Maybe if I actually get Descent out on the table I'll remember why this was so important.

The whole FAQ thing is a draining task without support from FFG, and I think they want to just try and solve it via the rules support mechanism in any case (anyone see that weird splash page about it?).  If we had some other motivated young soul to burn, I'd toss it to them.

Someone's going to have to compile the threads I guess.

:Jorge

[Eric Schuld]

Is it close enough the work can just be submitted?

[Raimund Ruppel]

I´d say we should at least try to compile the gathered threads so far and submit them to FFG. Maybe we can get at least a few useful answers.

I guess Antistone´s approach is a bit too fastidious and FFG and/or the FAQ will probably never meet his standards - but the average Descent player doesn´t really need those in all their details.

Corbon, did you prepare anything close to a draft that includes any or all threads and the GLoAQ answers that are missing in the FAQ ?

I am probably willing to prepare a doc to be sent to FFG, yet I have no clue where to send it exactly.

Best,
Raimund

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 18:43:08 -0600
> Von: Eric Schuld <esc...@gmail.com>
> An: desce...@googlegroups.com
> Betreff: Re: FAQ project

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[Eric Schuld]

I think it goes to Anton as a start.

[Corbon Loughnan]

I'll be trying to go through the threads and get a 'final' post from each thread to go inthe compilation over the next two weeks.
Once it is compiled I'll post it back here.

I haven't touched the GLOAQ answers at all.

I guess I was (still am somewhat) mostly dispirited that Antistone (in particular) would publicly disavow the project. It tells me we did things the wrong way, or hints to that at least. I felt we never really got *much* input from anyone about *improving* thread starter posts.

Corbon

[Eric Schuld]

Well - at the same time however - Antistone holds a specific perspective on how the game should be. (ref. his own complete set of rules.)

We took an impartial attempt - to present both sides - and let FFG decide. Can't be faulted for making that attempt.

[Raimund Ruppel]

Thanks Corbon for starting to finalize the first ten threads. I thoroughly read through them and commented as necessary.

Please note that some answers are pretty hard to understand if one is not aware of that darn word dropping function of the forum software (especially "choose", "delete" or "drop" - probably "select" and "remove" or "omit" would go through? Might be worth a try in the next set of threads). Prior to submitting, we will have to go through them all again and add the missing words...

Before the final submission, I plan to go through the GLoAQ answers and compile the ones missing from the FAQ into one document - to avoid double work, please notify here if somebody else already started or wants to start such a collection. My opinion is that these answers simply must go into the FAQ as well.

Best,
Raimund

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 08:58:55 -0600

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[Corbon Loughnan]

Hi

On 7 February 2011 22:59, Raimund Ruppel <bi...@gmx.net> wrote:

Thanks Corbon for starting to finalize the first ten threads. I thoroughly read through them and commented as necessary.

Thanks. It's good to see someone supporting things. I know nearly every thread could be improved, but all too few people have offered improvement suggestions.

Please note that some answers are pretty hard to understand if one is not aware of that darn word dropping function of the forum software (especially "choose", "delete" or "drop" - probably "select" and "remove" or "omit" would go through? Might be worth a try in the next set of threads). Prior to submitting, we will have to go through them all again and add the missing words...

To be honest that needs someone other than me to do a 'proof read' on the final document after the threads are collated - proof reading one's own work is not a good idea.
 

Before the final submission, I plan to go through the GLoAQ answers and compile the ones missing from the FAQ into one document - to avoid double work, please notify here if somebody else already started or wants to start such a collection. My opinion is that these answers simply must go into the FAQ as well.

Hooray! I simply don't have the time to get to this, so thanks for picking it up. I'm sure I started - nothing more than a collation from the GLOAQ thread, but I can't find the document now, sorry. :(

Corbon
 

[Raimund Ruppel]

Hi,

another aspect: Does FFG definitely wait for us to submit a list for the next FAQ? Since March approaching probably looks like FAQ time, I wouldn´t want to publish them a FAQ without our list.

Probably we should give Anton an advance notice that we are preparing such a thing, at least to hear that they are willing to accept and process it? I hope they didn´t lose any interest in the FAQ, especially after that weird splash screen regarding "no rules questions in the forums".

Best,
Raimund

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 10:09:19 +0800
> Von: Corbon Loughnan <corb...@gmail.com>

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[Eric Schuld]

Anton is aware of the community effort to help develop the FAQ. I believe they would hold off on any official posting to include ours. Especially when you consider that the questions are themselves brought from the community to begin with. This effort was simply to make it easier and less time consuming for them - in the hope they would just need to read the work done and make a ruling on which solution was correct.

There is also a remote chance I will be at the Terrinoth event on the 25-27th... I have signed up - but my wife and I are due in about 5 weeks or so... so pending how that continues to proceed - I may not want to be 3 hours away from my wife. :) So that being said - I might be able to just take a printed out FAQ update request with this groups work and hand deliver it to Kevin Wilson. :) But lets not count on it at this point.

[Corbon Loughnan]

Good luck for both those events!

I'd hope we can do a little bit of back and forth with Anton over a week or two in march - IIRC there seemed to be a bit of that last year.
A few of the questions are are linked with other questions and/or existing faq answers, so some checking of consistency will be required once we have answers, not to mention going over things any time they choose a "some other answer" option.

I'm going to be holidaying, with intermittent at best www/email access at times, through late feb early march anyway, so until around 13 March I won;t be able to participate much at that stage.

Corbon

[Eric Schuld]

Yeah thanks! We are getting pretty excited to have a kid - it's our first.

I will know more in the next week or two if I will be attending the event - I have registered in the hopes that I will be able to - and if I am - I will certainly bring it up with Anton and Kevin if Kevin is there this year.

[Raimund Ruppel]

Eric, all the best from my side as well!

Corbon, are you already on holiday? Or will we try to finalize most of the threads before you leave?

Raimund

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:55:38 -0600

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[biso]

2011/2/8 Corbon Loughnan <corb...@gmail.com>

To be honest that needs someone other than me to do a 'proof read' on the final document after the threads are collated - proof reading one's own work is not a good idea.

If you still need a hand, I'm here

biso

[Corbon Loughnan]

Ok, the FAQ document is ready for a proof read, except for a couple of
threads (Daze and Large monsters with Terrain).

1. Biso, would you prefer to have it posted to you directly?

2. Should we approach Anton and prepare for a dialogue?

The two threads definitely still need tidying up, and I'd like to add
a SoB balance discussion at the end, but the rest is ready-ish, proof
read aside.

Corbon

On Feb 11, 6:54 am, biso <enricobise...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 2011/2/8 Corbon Loughnan <corbon...@gmail.com>

[Eric Schuld]

I can certainly email Anton once the proofing is done. My wife and my baby's due date is today - and we could literally go anytime... so I cannot commit the proofing time right now. :)

I can still shoot an email to Anton once the proofing is done. Just let me know!

[biso]

1. Biso, would you prefer to have it posted to you directly?

Yes, in this way I can proof it offline

Thank you

See you soon 

[Raimund Ruppel]

Hi,

I am available for proofreading now as well, having returned from a short trip.

Best,
Raimund

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:46:28 +0100
> Von: biso <enrico...@gmail.com>

> An: desce...@googlegroups.com
> Betreff: Re: FAQ project

> >

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[Corbon Loughnan]

Sorry Biso. For some reason your reply here didn't automatically get
sent to my gmail so I didn't realise you had replied (actually
wondered what had happened.

Raimund's reply did, so we have been back-and-forth-ing for about a
week now.

I think it is almost ready to pass to Anton and start discussions (I
just sent back to Raimund what is possibly the final version once he
has read and accepted comments/changes)..

Eric, can you let Anton know. And then figure out how we go forward?
At the moment, the document has all the originally threaded Q&A we
prepared (and a few extra), then a GLOAQ section, then a SoB balance
section (with a description of various balance problems and collected
fan suggestions, but no concrete proposals) and then a final section
with a table to mark off progress for each question (under discussion,
decided, cut-and-paste final Q&A to end section ready for FAQ), then a
last (currently empty) section to contain the 'final' FAQ submission
Q&As as chosen by FFG.

Corbon

[biso]

Bad Luck 

I'm anxious to read your important work 

2011/4/11 Corbon Loughnan <corb...@gmail.com>

[Corbon Loughnan]

FYI
The final version was passed to FFG on June 3.

>Please send it to me and I will deliver the document to the appropriate developer.
>
>I've already confirmed with the development team members in question.
>
>Thank you and best regards,
>Anton Torres
>Marketing Manager
>http://www.fantasyflightgames.com

Raimund and I continued to work on it up to literally to the last day
(I made changes based on his last set of comments between seeing
Anton's reply and sending it to Anton), often disagreeing, but always
eventually finding something we could both live with.

I'd like to thank him particularly for carrying most of the load in
the last couple of months. We probably doubled the size of the
document with adding new questions and going through the existing FAQ
as well as virtually every card in the game.
The final document had 77 questions (despite everything I could argue
to keep the number down!), the GLOAQ (cross referenced to new
questions or with edits and commentary as necessary (not often)
questions, a section on errata suggestions for the existing FAQ, and
an SoB commentary section.

The ToC is copied below (though formatting is mostly lost, sorry).

Apologies that it kept growing with referencing back to this group or
the sub-forum, but it was so much quicker this way and with two
frequently opposed viewpoints and strong arguers I think we sorted
most issues out fairly well.

General Descent 5
2. Large, odd shaped monster movement 5
3. Walls and Doors 7
8. Guard + Mimic 9
12. LOS in own space 10
13. Daze 11
20. Rapid Fire/Cleaving/Quick Casting after a Dark Charm 15
21. Token limits 16
30. Large Monsters and Terrain 17
35. Adding dice to an Aimed attack 19
36. Jumping 20
38. Leap and landing on empty spaces 24
39. Damage that ignores Armour 25
40. Fog 26
42. Dark Charm and threat from surges 27
43. One Fist’s special attack 28
44. What makes a figure? 29
57. Crushing Block 30
58. Elevation 31
59. Start of Turn timing 32
60. Dungeonquest Heros specific clarifications: 34
61. Familiars 34
68. Spawning, placement and anti-spawn 35
69. Brilliant Commander + Hordes of the Things 36
70. Overlord turns interrupting heroes 37
71. Killer Chests and Mimic 38
75. Shadowcloak 39
Tomb of Ice 40
23. Hustle and MP 40
51. Riposting a Swoop… 41
52. Lunge 42
Road to Legend and general Advanced Campaigns 43
9. Healing Skills in Advanced Campaigns 43
10. Silver or Gold Start Advanced Campaigns 44
11. “in Dungeon” cards during outdoor encounters 45
24. Necromancy and Advanced / non-standard monsters 46
25. Double training at Secret Master locations 48
27. Hero immunity from Avatars and Lieutenants 49
32. Lt encounter movement requirements 49
41. Transport Gem timing 50
45. Dar Hilzernod reinforcing 51
47. Ascension plot and heroes with 0 wounds 52
56. Restock action in Advanced Campaigns 53
62. Upgrading dice 54
63. Wandering Merchant / Merchant Ship 55
64. Pits with special effects 56
65. Magic Gateways 56
67. Paying threat for special abilities during attacks. 58
74. Soul Ward 59
76. Fleeing the Overlord’s Keep 59
77. Villagers 60
Sea of Blood 61
1. Does the Revenge sink (and thus get healed) during a TPK encounter
result 61
4. Terrain 62
5. Burning Bay/Sea SoB level 65
6. The Kraken and Tentacles 66
14. Fleeing an Island Level 69
15. Trails with no encounter shield 69
16. Divine Favour 70
17. Armour and deep water 71
18. Wild Vortex rocks 72
19. Definition of a round ending and vessel movement 73
22. Exiting the Cage 77
28. Is scrub empty? 78
29. Ship upgrades 79
31. The Siren’s call 82
33. Scrub effect 83
34. Advance Campaign Level 68 – Maze of Madness 84
37. Advanced Campaign Level 50 – Pit pull 85
46. Cannons and Fatigue markers 86
48. Reinforcement Marker and new areas 87
53. Dallak 87
54. Soar on Islands 88
55. Sea of Blood starting Location 89
66. Level 67 House of the Unholy 90
72. Nimble 90
73. SoB Level #49 91
Gathered List of Answered Questions 92
Basic Game + Non-Campaign Expansions: 92
Campaign Expansion-related questions: 96
Existing FAQ Errata 98
Pg2 Large Monsters and Terrain 98
Pg4. Knockback etc. over water: 98
Pg5 Skills and Abilities 98
Pg5 Transformed Heroes 98
Pg6 General Hero Questions 99
Pg6 Monster Movement 99
Pg6 Overlord Cards 99
Pg7 Dark Charm 99
Pg7 Attack 100
Pg7 General game questions 100
Pg8 Environmental Hazards and Obstacles 100
Pg8 Skills and Abilities 100
Pg8 Miscellaneous 100
Pg9 Items Treasure and Equipment 101
Pg12 Miscellaneous 101
Pg12 Avatars 101
Pg14 Lts 101
Pg15 General game questions 102
Pg15 Glyphs and Town 102
Pg15 Environmental Hazards and Obstacles 102
Pg17 Miscellaneous 102
Pg17 Items Treasure and Equipment 102
Pg18 Opposing cards 103
Pg18 Environmental Props and Obstacles 103
Pg19 Ships and cannons 103
Sea of Blood Balance 104
Lieutenant Encounters 104
Non Lt Encounters 105
Five City raze condition 105
Plots 106
Treasure Maps 106
Divine Favour 106
Cities 106
Other issues 107
Solutions 107
Results 112
Checklist 112
Transcribed Q&A 114

Regards
Corbon

[Eric Schuld]

That's awesome - thanks for all the work on this!

[biso]

Corbon for President 

Bravi!!

2011/6/7 Eric Schuld <esc...@gmail.com>

[Corbon Loughnan]

Well, Raimund did most of the work since things tailed off in the forum actually.

And lets see how FFG make use of it before we celebrate too much.

Corbon

[Raimund Ruppel]

Let´s not forget that Corbon initiated the whole thing and had the drive to push it to the point where I joined more actively.

And frankly, my impression was more of an almost equally shared workload in the past two or three months.

Thumbs up for this project - eagerly awaiting FFG´s response.

Raimund

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Wed, 8 Jun 2011 07:28:11 +0800
> Von: Corbon Loughnan <corb...@gmail.com>

> An: desce...@googlegroups.com
> Betreff: Re: FAQ project

> Well, Raimund did most of the work since things tailed off in the forum

> actually.
>
> And lets see how FFG make use of it before we celebrate too much.
>
> Corbon
>
> On 7 June 2011 21:56, biso <enrico...@gmail.com> wrote:
>

> > Corbon for President [?][?][?]

> > Bravi!!
> >
> >
> > 2011/6/7 Eric Schuld <esc...@gmail.com>
> >
> >> That's awesome - thanks for all the work on this!
> >>
> >>

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