This my seem like a shill, but I am in no way affiliated with Clash or Flying Mice. So here's the story:

I just got a new Cell phone (a HTC EVO if you're curious) and it has a pretty large color screen and a fast processor. So what's the first thing a RPG fan is to do? Load up all his .pdf RPG books on to his memory card and read them at work!

It's given me the chance to read the Flying Mice games I have (which are Forward to Adventure+FtAGN, Bloodgames II and In Her Majesty's Arcane Service) again and they are phenomenally well made games. The writing and mechanics are the most solid, playable and complete out of any RPG products I own or can think of (FtA's mechanics are less solid, but more open ended and designed by RPGPundit instead of Clash Bowley).

I love the fact that all these games pretty much give you the keys to the kingdom, mechanically speaking, but don't have any of the mandatory DIY of most indie games. As a bonus, Clash's games have multiple resolution systems all with pretty distinct flavors. That, and a lot of the systems and setting material works really well with other systems too (like GURPS).

FtA plus the Gamemasters Notebook (I recommend them together, Flying Mice should make these a Bundle pack) really is a great Fun-First fantasy RPG. The Gamemasters Notebook is one of the most fun Tomes of Fantasy RPG Goodness available. It's a really good mash-up of not-quite-traditional mechanics and traditional not-so-serious gameplay. I don't think I'm allowed to conjoin any more words anymore, so I guess I'll leave it at that.

So yeah, I like these games a lot. I think anybody that doesn't mind a badly formatted but incredible to read RPG with terrible artwork (Clash doesn't give a fuck if you hate it BTW) and an incredible game inside should give one of these guys a try. In the meantime, I'm gonna finally pick up Starcluster 3.





Cue a level headed and modest reply from Clash in 3...2....1....

It's funny you posted this today. I added On her Majesty's Arcane Service to my Christmas list last weekend.. I'm hoping that a friend orders it for me. If not I'm sure I'll pick it up after the holidays.

I like the modern setting of Blood Games II better than On Her Majesty's Arcane Service, but the latter just felt more "packed" to me. Both great games, though.

Nice to see.

Not sure why, but I've always preferred mixing 'period pieces' with horror. It might be because growing up I was most familiar with Lovecraft and the old Hammer Horror movies. Even when I ran Chill I was far more excited about the 1890s campaign I ran than the modern one I ran afterward.

Even with CoC it took me forever to warm up to the idea of running a modern campaign. I was always plagued with the thought of some wiseass xeroxing pages from the Necronomicon and handing it out to random people. Or satellite imaging uncovering the home of the Flying Polyps or someone sonar-mapping R'lyeh. I've sine gone to GM re-education camp and feel much better about the topic

Playing SC3 with Clash and SilverLion right now as I type this I agree completely KrakaJak.

I may have to pick up copies of the starcluster .pdf's after xmas since ive heard nothing but good things about the game system from a couple of friends who got copies awhile back(also the review on here adds to the interest).

Wow! Thank you, guys! I was away running a game over IRC and didn see this until now. I'm really blown away! Thank you for your kind words, everyone, and especially KrakaJak!

You just made my month!

-clash

Clash,

Have you read The Sword of Albion. Rather a shit book but its based round a bunch of agents that work for John Dee and Walsingham and the Queen fighting against evil occult forces (here those forces are the world of Fairy) .
I was given the book as a gift and as I was reading it HMAS came to mind immediately.

We have played some starcluster in my group, and we did a couple of playtests as well; awesome game.

Indeed. Flying Mice game's rock.
I love the new tools in Starcluster 3.

Quote from: jibbajibba;422673Clash,

Have you read The Sword of Albion. Rather a shit book but its based round a bunch of agents that work for John Dee and Walsingham and the Queen fighting against evil occult forces (here those forces are the world of Fairy) .
I was given the book as a gift and as I was reading it HMAS came to mind immediately.

Ha! Yes, I bought it and read it - after OHMAS came out! I had never heard of it, but a guy on one of the forums I frequent - I think it was Big Purple - told me about it. It wasn't horrible, and had some interesting points, but I really didn't like how the Fairies were developed. The whole Seelie-Unseelie thing is Scottish, not English, and at the time Scotland and England were not exactly friends. It wasn't until James Stuart came to the throne that things Scottish became fashionable in England. Seelie-Schmeelie! The magic those fairies used was not at all like traditional fairy magic either. They just rang completely false with me.

But it was really eerie how closely the book's setting paralleled OHMAS!

-clash

Brendan and Tim:

Praise from the praiseworthy is beyond all praise! You are two of my favorite designers! Thank you!

And I owe you some observations on the alpha document you sent me, Brendan! It looks very good indeed, but I need to put my notes in order!

-clash

Clash makes good games.

I swear, every time I run one, I meet another handful of things that cause me to raise an eyebrow.   The number of times I've thought an ability was rough  and found out it played smoothly and naturally is ridiculous.  

It's always odd to me that he doesn't have a much larger, more active fan base.

Quote from: flyingmice;422689Brendan and Tim:

Praise from the praiseworthy is beyond all praise! You are two of my favorite designers! Thank you!

And I owe you some observations on the alpha document you sent me, Brendan! It looks very good indeed, but I need to put my notes in order!

-clash

We had a blast.