Here are some scattered thoughts about the Gamemaster's Guide, based on the information given at Kickstarter and my prior experience with Symbaroum.
The Adventure: It will be quite interesting to see their views on "designing settings, NPCs, in-game conflicts, adventure landscapes, and adventure chronicles". I'm guessing it will reflect the design philosophy that has given us this fantastic game. Although, for an experienced GM, I doubt they will add a whole lot beyond that. The guide to Troupe Play, on the other hand, is incredibly exciting. From what I've read about the concept I think it will be an awesome match for Symbaroum. I'm hoping the rules will also describe how to add Shadow Play (as in the Swedish game Svavelvinter). Guidelines on how to challenge heroic characters have been requested by many people. Nice to see it in here! For me personally, both when it comes to the group where I'm a player and the groups I have GM'ed, this hasn't been an issue. We grow very slowly and tend to stay out of combat as much as possible.
The Challenges: I stopped caring about advanced traps after reading Grimtooth's Traps, so that part is a big meh. Large-scale battles are interesting because there are actually quite a few such battles that would be fun to play out. The part about running an estate/outpost should also come in handy, perhaps mostly for those heroic characters. We're already running an inn in our current campaign (actually my fiancee's character is and we're helping out). I tend to skip most long journeys so that part is less interesting to me. Guidelines for social challenges are always welcome unless they are too rule-based.
The Rewards: Ideas for rewards other than gold and artifacts will make for an excellent addition.
All in all, I think it will be worth getting. I tend to skip or even frown upon rules that add complexity but not much else. In the Advanced Players' Guide, I have mostly used boons and burdens, new abilities, new rituals, new mystical powers and have used the archetypes as inspiration. Very few of the rules are being used. Same in the group where I'm the player. I'm quite sure I will do the same with the Gamemaster's Guide.
I was hoping they would add a lot more history, geography, etc. with the GMG but at the same time, I can understand their decision to add most of it in the adventures/campaign.
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Wrote some additional thoughts regarding troupe play:
I believe troupe play would fit Symbaroum very well mainly because there are so many factions in-game, on different power levels, that would be fun and interesting to play. Without spoiling too much, the race between multiple groups to find clues around Karvosti (Part 2 of The Throne of Thorns) lends itself very well to troupe play. You could switch groups for some sessions or you could combine some main characters with player-controlled NPCs (a bit of an oxymoron, I know). You could also play no-name characters in the vicinity of real power players like the High Chieftain or even the Queen herself. Perhaps for one session, you want to play an event from Ordo Magica's point of view or from the Sun Church's. A skilled GM and a group open to it could create more layers to an already very deep setting.
Disclaimer: I have never played Ars Magica or any other game that involves troupe play so I could be way off track. Please correct me if I am!
