Ok, this is one of those epic reviewing posts where I hit pretty much everything. I've actually got a few video games to review this week and also reviewed a couple of awesome tabletop games this week, so it should be a nice long post. Feel free to read more after the break.
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Here's where I'm just gonna post quick brief blurbs about various things from this month.
Tabletop Games:
Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game: 4/5, Mongoose Games, modified d20 OGL, overpriced, so get it used or pick up the pocket edition. It's a good read, but unless it's gonna be your only d20 book, it's not worth $35.
Robotech: The Roleplaying Game: 5/5, Palladium Games, loads of art, good for fans of the series. Takes a fair amount of experience with the setting (read as Hulu binge, 12 hours worth).
Robotech II: The Roleplaying Game: The Sentinels: 4/5, Palladium Games, lots of art, sample adventures, but requires a lot of background knowledge to understand.
Shadowrun: Germany Sourcebook: 4/5 FASA Games, good looking, lots of detail, but runs into detail overload. Not really a book for the kiddies.
Shadowrun: Sixth World Almanac: 4/5 Catalyst Game Labs, good source of information, nice typesetting, lots and lots of info, not a book for the kiddies.
Vintage Battletech Rulebooks: FASA (Released by Catalyst Game Labs): 5/5, giant collection of books, 12 dollars, nice history of Battletech, and also has a lot of gameplay potential in it.
Books:
Never Deal With A Dragon: 4/5, good Shadowrun novel, but it's got a few things that just don't feel right.
Games:
Counter-Strike: Source: 4/5, good video game, but it's got a heavy dependence on the other players; if they're boring, the game can degenerate, despite its merits.
World of Zoo: 4/5, heavily kids oriented, but as an old Catz player, I gave it a shot, and found it immersive and enjoyable.
Killing Floor: 4/5, nice game progression, but all in all fails to deliver a horror experience, atmosphere broken by some of the character voice, but other than that good. Lots of replay, and using the katana is fun (though the chainsaw needs work, it feels like a chore. Really, really not one for the kiddies.
Mass Effect: 5/5, good feel, style, art, only gripe is cookie-cutter environments. Shallow RPG play is rescued by a heavy focus on action. Awesome views, good weapons.
Supreme Commander 2: 4/5, has a decent feel and good gameplay, but has gone too heavily to shorter, simple games, unlike its Total Annihilation roots.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising: 4/5; has a fun game system, but it seems too shallow to really be enjoyable. Gains points for reckless mayhem.
Minecraft: 3/5: Good game, but is really dependent on playing with friends, gets boring quickly solo (in build mode, and survival mode is hard), and has limited in-game communication, requiring external communication (like Xfire).
Tabletop Games:
Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game: 4/5, Mongoose Games, modified d20 OGL, overpriced, so get it used or pick up the pocket edition. It's a good read, but unless it's gonna be your only d20 book, it's not worth $35.
Robotech: The Roleplaying Game: 5/5, Palladium Games, loads of art, good for fans of the series. Takes a fair amount of experience with the setting (read as Hulu binge, 12 hours worth).
Robotech II: The Roleplaying Game: The Sentinels: 4/5, Palladium Games, lots of art, sample adventures, but requires a lot of background knowledge to understand.
Shadowrun: Germany Sourcebook: 4/5 FASA Games, good looking, lots of detail, but runs into detail overload. Not really a book for the kiddies.
Shadowrun: Sixth World Almanac: 4/5 Catalyst Game Labs, good source of information, nice typesetting, lots and lots of info, not a book for the kiddies.
Vintage Battletech Rulebooks: FASA (Released by Catalyst Game Labs): 5/5, giant collection of books, 12 dollars, nice history of Battletech, and also has a lot of gameplay potential in it.
Books:
Never Deal With A Dragon: 4/5, good Shadowrun novel, but it's got a few things that just don't feel right.
Games:
Counter-Strike: Source: 4/5, good video game, but it's got a heavy dependence on the other players; if they're boring, the game can degenerate, despite its merits.
World of Zoo: 4/5, heavily kids oriented, but as an old Catz player, I gave it a shot, and found it immersive and enjoyable.
Killing Floor: 4/5, nice game progression, but all in all fails to deliver a horror experience, atmosphere broken by some of the character voice, but other than that good. Lots of replay, and using the katana is fun (though the chainsaw needs work, it feels like a chore. Really, really not one for the kiddies.
Mass Effect: 5/5, good feel, style, art, only gripe is cookie-cutter environments. Shallow RPG play is rescued by a heavy focus on action. Awesome views, good weapons.
Supreme Commander 2: 4/5, has a decent feel and good gameplay, but has gone too heavily to shorter, simple games, unlike its Total Annihilation roots.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising: 4/5; has a fun game system, but it seems too shallow to really be enjoyable. Gains points for reckless mayhem.
Minecraft: 3/5: Good game, but is really dependent on playing with friends, gets boring quickly solo (in build mode, and survival mode is hard), and has limited in-game communication, requiring external communication (like Xfire).
Shadows (located here) is a sort of in-universe SR3 fansite, featuring Stump (a Dwarf Street Sam) and his opinions or accounts of runs he's been on or weapons that are releasing. Firepower Flier will be released as a PDF here, and by Stump in his self-written guidebook "Shadows".
Also, I have to vent on a topic that's been messing with me for a while: the comparison of modern video games versus traditional tabletop games. While I enjoy both, I feel that it is important to point out that there is a danger from such high-energy activities as video games with loads of pre-processed data. It is important to use one's imagination (more so during the formative years), in order to reach full logical and creative potentials.
Also, I have to vent on a topic that's been messing with me for a while: the comparison of modern video games versus traditional tabletop games. While I enjoy both, I feel that it is important to point out that there is a danger from such high-energy activities as video games with loads of pre-processed data. It is important to use one's imagination (more so during the formative years), in order to reach full logical and creative potentials.
Firepower Flier will be a combination SR3/WASTE work that will contain guns for the discerning adventurer, as well as rules for using them in both systems.
I said I'd have WS:IV up by the end of April, I think.
I just checked, and it's not up!
Here it is (packaged with WS:III, since they're really dependent upon each other).
Funny, I could've sworn I put it up. Could be the result of caffeine, headaches, Excedrine, and various other factors.
I just checked, and it's not up!
Here it is (packaged with WS:III, since they're really dependent upon each other).
Funny, I could've sworn I put it up. Could be the result of caffeine, headaches, Excedrine, and various other factors.
| wastesupplementaliiiiv.pdf |
So I've had a DriveThruRPG account for a long time (apparently to my latest e-mail address, so it can't be that long, I'm surprised I didn't remember it when I tried to create a new one). I recommend it heartily to everyone who has even a slight interest in tabletop gaming. It has tons of free stuff (account is required) as well as other great stuff. Plus, as an added bonus, Classic Traveller is on sale for absolutely nothing (April 7, 2010). So here's a link to it:
Classic Traveller
If you just want to go to DriveThruRPG, a link is available on the side bar.
Oh, one more thing: Check the e-mail invoice from the purchase, it contains links to two additional PDF files that are required to play. It would be nice if they would be more clear about this, but it's still a neat site.
EDIT: You can get Heavy Gear 2nd Edition (and the Technical Manual) and Classic Spycraft, both of which I highly recommend [though Classic Spycraft will require a d20 player's handbook, there is the "Modern d20 Core Kit" {search that exactly} which is free which can take its place]. Also, there are some nice compiled SRD PDF's.
Classic Traveller
If you just want to go to DriveThruRPG, a link is available on the side bar.
Oh, one more thing: Check the e-mail invoice from the purchase, it contains links to two additional PDF files that are required to play. It would be nice if they would be more clear about this, but it's still a neat site.
EDIT: You can get Heavy Gear 2nd Edition (and the Technical Manual) and Classic Spycraft, both of which I highly recommend [though Classic Spycraft will require a d20 player's handbook, there is the "Modern d20 Core Kit" {search that exactly} which is free which can take its place]. Also, there are some nice compiled SRD PDF's.