Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Drumstick · **Joined:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:57 am **Posts:** 1223

I was curious if anyone has read these books, because at the moment I quite engrossed in them. It was initially the 'Game of Thrones' series that got me into it and frankly I think it's the best thing that has come out since Lord of the Rings. It's a whole world of it's own set in Westeros, perhaps more realistic (if you can get that in fantasy) than others as you've got the whole feudal system going there along with treason and plotting. I'm gearing up for Season 2 of this which comes out on the 1st of April, and getting pretty excited about it. In fact it includes Sean Bean in the cast, so I'm sure you can relate. At the moment I've just finished a Clash of Swords part 2, and onto the next book. Also I had another thought, this series could do well in the miniature world, as there are enough heroes and armies to have a good choice - a little like lotr. What do you think?

Drum

imrail · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:24 pm **Posts:** 666

There are miniatures available, quite nice.
The miniatures are not based on the tv series, just the books.

I found out about it a year or 5 ago, and until now I read all the books.
The politics, backstabbing and plot twists are amazingly fun.
But the writer, George R.R. Martin isn't that fast with writing, it takes a year, maybe two for another book

The Horde Lord · **Joined:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 6:58 pm **Posts:** 301

I've tried makeing some profiles but it's quite hard since ASOIAF is mostly deicided on the strategic and political level rather than on the battlefield.

Ice Queen · **Joined:** Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:07 am **Posts:** 57

The cable program is interestingly explicite. I did not like the card game -- takes too much time away from my miniature games.

Drumstick · **Joined:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:57 am **Posts:** 1223

@imrail: I believe those are like 52mm miniatures or something aren't they? I was thinking more 28mm, where you can have whole battles. Yes the plots and scheming are really entertaining to read, and come through very well in the series too. At least I won't hit that problem waiting for books until I've got further through.

@Hordelord: hmm yes I see what you mean, are you basing them on lotr sbg rules or something different?

@IceQueen: Did realize they had a card game - doubt I'd try it anyway, was never into cards very much unless I needed to pass time.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:01 pm

@imrail, have you ever wrote a book yourself, a year is very fast. Try waiting 3 years for an Inheritance Cycle book.

@Drumstick, I thought there is only 3 or 4 armies in GoT, which is hardly enough, but there may be more in the books.

The Horde Lord · **Joined:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 6:58 pm **Posts:** 301

@Drumstick: Yes I used Lotr SBG rules.

@GTW: You can easely make 10 (7 + Stannis + Iron islands + Crownlands)factions in the Seven Kingdoms alone, six of them will be almost identical though, excluding heroes. Then you have the wildings, wchich would be a really cool and different faction, kinda like the Misty Mountains in lotrsbg. Then you have the Dothraki, The free cities, Qarth and a bunch of Mercenary companies. IMO, not enough variety to make enough factions.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:44 pm

The only ones I thought were; Starks, Lannisters and Dolthraki. I forgot Wildlings, and know little if any about the rest, in fact I didn't even know that some of those existed.

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:40 pm

For future posts I hope we're keeping this topic spoiler free.

There are many factions GTW. The first season mainly focused on those 3 you mentioned. Now this season the Baratheon house is going to play an even bigger role, and House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands will be introduced. The thing is with these factions on the tv series there's no division between the common soldiers & elite guards, they all look the same. For House Stark for example, he has no elite guard, rangers, or shock troops, he always has those same common troops, unless you want to make Men of the Nights Watch a troop type apart of that faction.

Since it's one big Kingdom anyway, there should be a campaign game where the more territories you control, you take over those types of troops and add it to your force for the next battle against your opponent.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:09 pm

I thought there were only 2 other Baratheons, until I saw the trailer yesterday. Sacriledge, you have increaced the exitement and anticipation for series 2. Could you not make up elites etc? GW do that a lot.

It better be spoiler free!

imrail · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:24 pm **Posts:** 666

GothmogtheWerewolf wrote:

@imrail, have you ever wrote a book yourself, a year is very fast. Try waiting 3 years for an Inheritance Cycle book.

Didn't Rowling write a book every year?
I was wrong he takes most of the time 3/4 years for a book.
It is hard to write, I know.

Raymond E. Feist releases a book once a year I thought, maybe more.

Never tried writing a book myself and never will

A friend of mine wrote a book, took her couple of years.
It was never published the book was not good, to difficult names, and she used names etc. of people she knew.
( I was a priest gnome)

Drumstick · **Joined:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:57 am **Posts:** 1223

Well I can count 11, there's the Lanisters, Starks, Baratheon, Arryn, Greyjoy, Tyrell, Tully, Wildings, Hill tribes, Black borthers and the unsullied. All these are troops we have already seen on the tv edition of Game of Thrones, or will see in the next season which airs today. Otherwise there are dozens of other houses in the books, but the ones listed probably have the best shot. Heroes wise there quite a bit of choice, but I agree showing the difference between elite and normal troops might be difficult because there isn't anything to go on.

imrail · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:24 pm **Posts:** 666

Magic is difficult game wise, what are the stats for the dragons, how do you create profiles...
So many questions. If we search a bit on the internet there are probably rules and profiles for a game.

Here a link for the miniatures:
http://www.darkswordminiatures.com/
It could be NSFW, there is some nudity.

Pindergorn · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:22 pm

I'm loving this series of books and the second season of the HBO show is due to start tomorrow. However, the things I find hard to come to terms with are the rate at which G.R.R.Martin kills off his main characters (Sean Bean's character dies very early on, as does a certain King in the North; both of whom are MAJOR characters who most people would root for); and the awfully slow rate at which the author writes his books. From what I hear, he seems to come out with one book every decade, or two if he splits them into two parts. At the moment as I hear, hes maybe a third of the way through book 7. Unfortunately, hes not getting any younger and after 20 years or so writing this series, theres still no end in sight.

I bought the first book immediately after I watched Season 1 of the show, and then book 2 soon after that. Then got books 3,4, and 5 off Amazon shortly before Christmas. I started A Storm of Swords Part 1 Steel and Snow just before Christmas, but put it down for a long time (its like Lord of the Rings, in that its not a fast read) to read Bernard Cornwells Saxon Stories (my Uni housemate had books 3 and 4). I've finished those books now, so I've gone back to Storm of Swords. I'm now on page 284, and Robb Stark has just personally executed Rickard Karstark for murdering two defenceless prisoners. Oh, and I was on about page 50 when I resumed the book...a week ago. I read fast.

What are peoples favourite characters? Mine are, in order of preference:

Jon Snow.
Robb Stark.
Tyrion Lannister (the only Lannister I like).
Arya Stark.
Eddard Stark.
Daenerys Targaryen.
Davos Seaworth.

No doubt, half of them will be dead by the end of the series (if they're not already).

Drumstick · **Joined:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:57 am **Posts:** 1223

King Ondoher wrote:

I'm loving this series of books and the second season of the HBO show is due to start tomorrow. However, the things I find hard to come to terms with are the rate at which G.R.R.Martin kills off his main characters (Sean Bean's character dies very early on, as does a certain King in the North; both of whom are MAJOR characters who most people would root for); and the awfully slow rate at which the author writes his books. From what I hear, he seems to come out with one book every decade, or two if he splits them into two parts. At the moment as I hear, hes maybe a third of the way through book 7. Unfortunately, hes not getting any younger and after 20 years or so writing this series, theres still no end in sight.

I bought the first book immediately after I watched Season 1 of the show, and then book 2 soon after that. Then got books 3,4, and 5 off Amazon shortly before Christmas. I started A Storm of Swords Part 1 Steel and Snow just before Christmas, but put it down for a long time (its like Lord of the Rings, in that its not a fast read) to read Bernard Cornwells Saxon Stories (my Uni housemate had books 3 and 4). I've finished those books now, so I've gone back to Storm of Swords. I'm now on page 284, and Robb Stark has just personally executed Rickard Karstark for murdering two defenceless prisoners. Oh, and I was on about page 50 when I resumed the book...a week ago. I read fast.

What are peoples favourite characters? Mine are, in order of preference:

Jon Snow.
Robb Stark.
Tyrion Lannister (the only Lannister I like).
Jon Snow.
Arya Stark.
Eddard Stark.
Daenerys Targaryen.
Davos Seaworth.

No doubt, half of them will be dead by the end of the series (if they're not already).

I agree with you on him killing people off too fast, I won't mention who (I'm just starting a Feast for Crows) as lets try and keep this spoiler free. I haven't run into the problem of not having enough books from him, but soon will as I finished a Storm of Swords in 2 weeks.

What did you guys think of episode 1?

Pindergorn · **Posted:** Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:41 pm

Cersei gets put in her place by Tyrion. Joffrey gets slapped - again. Jaime makes a new canine friend. Whats not to like?

And I know the rough plotline of the entire series anyway. I got annoyed with the rate at which my favourite characters are being killed off, so I looked at the ASOIAF wiki. Spoiled the suspense for myself somewhat, but at least now I know the bigger picture and can put my emotional investment in characters into context.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:34 pm

I have read 5 of the books (one of them is 2 parts of the same 'book'). There are elements that are intriguing and some are quite gory and graphic. I have not seen the HBO miniseries though friends who have read the books liked the series - and they film a lot of it in Northern Ireland. I wonder if they need any extras? (Lunatic required: must own many swords. Anti-tank weapons optional) :lol:

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Sun Apr 08, 2012 1:32 pm

imrail wrote:

GothmogtheWerewolf wrote:

@imrail, have you ever wrote a book yourself, a year is very fast. Try waiting 3 years for an Inheritance Cycle book.

Didn't Rowling write a book every year?
I was wrong he takes most of the time 3/4 years for a book.

Rowling wrote 1.4 books a year, 7 books in 10 years, but the first 3 were really short.

I saw a pic of theuthour of ASoIaF and he looks ancient, I hope he finished the last ones soon, he ill propably get the 6th (8th) book, but I'm not sure about the 7th (9th or 10th).

@Dorth, there are 5 books in the US, 2 of which were split in the UK to make 7, I think.

Oh, and I've just ordered a set of the full 5(7) so far, which'll arrive next month.

Drumstick · **Joined:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:57 am **Posts:** 1223

One thing I find annoying is now that I've read ahead, I know whats coming and won't be surprised by the series anymore - darn :-X

But the books are brilliant and there is so much happening. I'm curious to know where Brenn's storyline goes as I'm a quarter through a Feast for Crows.

Pindergorn · **Posted:** Sun Apr 08, 2012 4:53 pm

Drumstick wrote:

I'm curious to know where Brenn's storyline goes as I'm a quarter through a Feast for Crows.

You mean Bronn, Tyrion's fickle sellsword?

@Gothmogthewerewolf

yes, the author is approaching 70 now. He's certainly not getting any younger, and his health can only get worse. The problem is, he does not devote his time exclusively to A Song of Ice and Fire. He also writes many other novels, including science fiction (which as I understand it is what how he originally started out as an author). He's basically not willing to devote his entire life to ASOIAF, and insists on his right to completely abandon it if he chooses (To my detractors). Which is a shame really, because it is almost on par with Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings for pure epicness.

Personally, I just want him to actually finish the damn series before he shuffles off this mortal coil. I think he should consider it a personal failure as an author if he leaves this work unfinished. I don't care how long it takes him, as long as he actually does finish it before it's too late. As I understand it, there are at least 2 more books to come, The Winds of Winter (of which about 200 - 300 pages have been written) and A Dream of Spring. He really needs to get the series back under control and bring it to a conclusion because its getting massively complicated.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

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