Quote from: Premier;459208I've played the two Gold Box computer games and count them among the best of that line. Never had a chance to play it PnP, but certainly wouldn't mind giving it a spin.

Funny thing is--I enjoyed the Sega version of one of them (the first one) better than the computer game. They were all very fun, but the Sega controls worked better for me and I liked the overhead 3/4 movement instead of the tiny "eye-view" version.

Still fun games, I'd love to play the tabletop game.

Quote from: RPGPundit;459179There is and there was; Williams basically made two different Buck Rogers games during her time at TSR in order to channel money from the company right into her personal family wealth.

As such, this game was not well loved or very well received in its time.

RPGPundit

I think its was pretty much ignored really.  I think that it is possible that I identified it with the Buck Rogers TV show and probably just ceased to think of ti beyond that.

Looking at it now, it has some neat parts and does seem pretty solid, overall, though.
The layout of the books reminds of a shopping mall from the same time period, clean and functional, but sterile and uninspiring.

Quote from: Aos;459281I think its was pretty much ignored really.  I think that it is possible that I identified it with the Buck Rogers TV show and probably just ceased to think of ti beyond that.

Looking at it now, it has some neat parts and does seem pretty solid, overall, though.
The layout of the books reminds of a shopping mall from the same time period, clean and functional, but sterile and uninspiring.

The visuals overall are kind of lacking but I think there are some good setting ideas in there, just rendered blandly. I doubt the williamses had much input into the thing other than it needed to use their license.

I kind of ignored it... it didn't look like it had much to do with the Buck Rogers I knew (the old comics and serials)... the only reason I looked at it twice was it didn't have the obvious tie in to the TV show.
Their other Buck Rogers RPG, the 'Cliffhangers' one, was more what I'd imagined.

Quote from: Simlasa;459297I kind of ignored it... it didn't look like it had much to do with the Buck Rogers I knew (the old comics and serials)... the only reason I looked at it twice was it didn't have the obvious tie in to the TV show.
Their other Buck Rogers RPG, the 'Cliffhangers' one, was more what I'd imagined.

I've heard that one was flat out awesome, but I've never managed to pick up a copy.

It's cheap on Ebay.

Here's my personal take on it. I make no claims for historical accuracy.

By the early 90's TSR's street cred among gamers, atleast the ones I knew, was at it's lowest ebb. They brought out a string of non-D&D games like Gamma World 4th edition, Amazing Engine and Buck Rogers with cheap and nasty production values and systems that seemed kind of dated and rushed out before they were fully baked.

Bare in mind this was at the precise time other game companies were upping the ante  in terms of production values or deisgn innovation or both. This are the years Vampire, Amber, OVer the Edge, Rifts among others whhich all pushing the envelope one way or the other.  

In retrospect these TSR games weren't actually all that bad. With a little extra polish the 1991 version of Gamma World could have been sensational (and I am still very fond of it) and some of the Amazing Engine world books are pretty cool. And while I only have a passing familiarity with the Buck Rogers game, the near space setting seemed surprisingly rich.

Basically, lots of missed opportunities.

Quote from: Soylent Green;459306Here's my personal take on it. I make no claims for historical accuracy.

By the early 90's TSR's street cred among gamers, atleast the ones I knew, was at it's lowest ebb. They brought out a string of non-D&D games like Gamma World 4th edition, Amazing Engine and Buck Rogers with cheap and nasty production values and systems that seemed kind of dated and rushed out before they were fully baked.

Bare in mind this was at the precise time other game companies were upping the ante  in terms of production values or deisgn innovation or both. This are the years Vampire, Amber, OVer the Edge, Rifts among others whhich all pushing the envelope one way or the other.  

In retrospect these TSR games weren't actually all that bad. With a little extra polish the 1991 version of Gamma World could have been sensational (and I am still very fond of it) and some of the Amazing Engine world books are pretty cool. And while I only have a passing familiarity with the Buck Rogers game, the near space setting seemed surprisingly rich.

Basically, lots of missed opportunities.

OK sorry if this demands a new thread more than anything but what about GW could have been boosted up easily? I was very fond of this version of GW myself.
I kind of agree with Amazing Engine. From memory (and going on the Dragon ads) Amazing Engine and Planescape seemed to appear about the same time, so maybe this was the "the company is sinking, quick do something!" phase. As with many things TSR, amazing engine was some good settings but crummy system.

D&D 2e 1987
XXVc- 1990
Amazing Engine/Planescape 1994


I don't think this was a desperation game. I think this was a game designed to make the Dille (owners of the BR property) family some cash. However, in the defense of the designers (Mike Pondsmith et al.) Buck is more or less shoe horned in to it. The game itself feels far more like 50's-70's solar system science fiction.

Quote from: Aos;459319D&D 2e 1987
XXVc- 1990
Amazing Engine/Planescape 1994


I don't think this was a desperation game. I think this was a game designed to make the Dille (owners of the BR property) family some cash. However, in the defense of the designers (Mike Pondsmith et al.) Buck is more or less shoe horned in to it. The game itself feels far more like 50's-70's solar system science fiction.

I'd agree - the first Buck Rogers game predates that whole thing.  The second one (Cliffhangers) maybe - same googling places this in 1993.
A review I read of Cliffhangers in Dragon seemed to suggest that part of the reason Cliffhangers existed was that the first BR game wasn't as successful as hoped, but the whole company wouldn't have been in dire straits in the time period of the first Buck Rogers.

EDIT: In partial recompense for being a jerk and wandering off-topic, I found an XXVC related link which may be of interest. (?)

http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~leirbakk/rpg/buckrogers/buckrogers_index_e.html

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;459318OK sorry if this demands a new thread more than anything but what about GW could have been boosted up easily? I was very fond of this version of GW myself.

They could've finished the design, and they could've given it to one team that actually worked together, instead of splitting it between two teams who went on to develop completely incongruous mechanics that were then sandwiched together.

I like the game too, but it's very clear that it wasn't exactly built by any kind of consistent design.  On the one hand you've got proto-D20 stat and combat systems, but they're paired to a completely ass-backwards skill system.

The whole design is very sloppy and smacks of being the assemblage of many different random ideas stuck together to get a product out the door.

When I think of this game these days I can't help but think it's an ideal system for a retro clone, and a setting vaguely similar - to avoid being chased by lawyers for the Dille family.

Quote from: J Arcane;459395They could've finished the design, and they could've given it to one team that actually worked together, instead of splitting it between two teams who went on to develop completely incongruous mechanics that were then sandwiched together.

I like the game too, but it's very clear that it wasn't exactly built by any kind of consistent design.  On the one hand you've got proto-D20 stat and combat systems, but they're paired to a completely ass-backwards skill system.

The whole design is very sloppy and smacks of being the assemblage of many different random ideas stuck together to get a product out the door.

Are we talking about the 4th ed. of Gamma World?

I didn't think this was so bad. From memory, its d20+ mod vs. target number most of the way throughout, with no real skill system - just a percentage roll to see if you get swim or read/write as skills?

Quote from: Soylent Green;459306By the early 90's TSR's street cred among gamers, atleast the ones I knew, was at it's lowest ebb. They brought out a string of non-D&D games like Gamma World 4th edition, Amazing Engine and Buck Rogers with cheap and nasty production values and systems that seemed kind of dated and rushed out before they were fully baked.

I owned the Metamorphosis Alpha rules for Amazing Engine, and considered it a good idea ruined by a bland, generic system and bland, shoddy writing. The other games in the line may be good, but MA was just boring. I ended up not running the campaign I was all psyched up about before I actually owned the product.

Quote from: Premier;459208I've played the two Gold Box computer games and count them among the best of that line. Never had a chance to play it PnP, but certainly wouldn't mind giving it a spin.

I wish there was an easy way to play the old Gold Box games on an iPhone or Android.

Actually, I'm a little surprised no one has hashed together a retro-clone powered, gold box style, indie videogame.