If you do get it, don't be
dissapointed by the sheer lack of atmosphere in the book! But the Angus
McBride pictures are gorgeous, and all you need is Howard Shore in the
background and you're done. It's not a bad game, but if you have any
more than two/three players it's a bookkeeping nightmare. I've played
Rolemaster, which is even crunchier, with five other people and I just
wanted to tear my hair out. And theirs.

Oh yes, I know of Rolemaster's stupidly crunchy system. I'd probably play with 2 others if I got MERP. However I'm a fluff supporter, the lighter and more abstract the better in most cases. You played Tunnels and Trolls?

I've not played for about five or six years. It
was the first full-on fantasy campaign I got really stuck into and got
me into proper storytelling games so I've always had a soft spot for
it. It's overly complicated and you need a math doctorate to play it,
but I like it. I've known and gamed with dozens of people over the
years and only two other gamers would ever play it with me, and that
was only because they were Tolkien fans. I just keep the boxset for
sentimental reasons, now. *sniff*

 Haha, I see.It's one of those games that I've always meant to get my mitts on but never got round to it. But I'm glad you told me that it's ridiculously crunchy, probably buy it still but not play it

 Just noticed that you're a fellow countryman, kudos to you.