Tomorrow I pick up this game, I just found out its arrived.

So, was I wise to purchase it? Anyone else come across it?

Qin:The Warring States, that is...

RPGPundit

Saw it at GenCon. Looked pretty. Was tempted.

I saw it @ Gencon and it is a grat looking book. Just didn't end up buying it though.

I picked up Burning Empires and Hollow Earth Expidition instead.

Any more info everybody?  I hear it looks good, but how's the game itself?

Quote from: joewolzAny more info everybody?  I hear it looks good, but how's the game itself?

Well I paged through it and it looks like the system can be used for a more historical game all the way upto wire-fu type stuff.

I didn't read enough of it to really comment much on the setting.

It is published by a french company and I have heard mixed reviews of the translation.

Thats about all I have.

Found a review... time to look up the book for my own perusal

http://www.bluealien.org/node/194

Quote from: McrowI picked up Burning Empires and Hollow Earth Expidition instead.

Those two sound like they are worth some threads of their own. Stand by...

I've done a SLIGHTLIER more in depth look into the topic, indeed I've seen the character sheet, and I think I'll get the PDF version off of DrivethruRPG later, tomorrow maybe.

I am a bit nervous as I noticed that the company is the same that produces KULT, and I was not impressed with their take on KULT, though maybe I was spoiled by the sheer madness of that first printing.

The game uses the five elements as stats, and it looks like a Kult style damage meter, skills grouped by stats (and thus elements) and a few other tidbits. I don't particularly like the companies website, though it does use a lot of artwork. It looks like sepia ink 'greyscale' artwork for the most part, attractive quality stuff, I'm not dissing it.

If it is translated from Kult, then the character creation is going to be hit and miss, sad to say.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the game for all I never got to play it, but character creation always seemed to be a mess to me, especially once you got into skills.  Of course, I say that being significantly less familiar with the 7th circle version of the game, so take it with a grain of salt.   I can guess that the difference between realistic play and 'wire fu' will be a matter of how many points you get to buy the more cinematic powers, rather than anything specifically rules related. Again, this is based off how how Kult handled things (and here I do know 7th Circle rules for Kult).  Theoretically this means your perfectly ordinary realistic heroes could find themselves facing a wuxia villian if the GM is an ass, since it isn't a change in rules, the way GURPS handles more cinematic stuff (not that GURPS is a model for cinematic play....).

That's my two cents. Use at your own discretion

KULT was a long time ago.

Anyways, it has now arrived. I haven't had a chance to start reading it yet, but so far what I have seen is awesome.
I'll update more about it later...

RPGPundit

Since I got the jump on you a little bit, thanks to the magic of internet I've had a chance to poke at this a tiny tiny bit.  

One of the great swine debates was always the Metaplot. Now we have a historical game... and this lends itself easily to Metaplotting. Instead of the 'game designed' writing fiction, you have the great sweep of actual events dictating events in the Game.

This can be equally disempowering at the table.  I'm not flat out condemning the game yet. But I was extremely disappointed when skimming the last twenty pages or so that are the senario ( and a lead up for a published campaign) and seeing fiat encounters and 'they can't kill this guy/let him be killed because it would fuck up the campaign/history'.  What the fuck???!!!

I won't call the history in it slavish, but certainly it seems to be predominantly focused on the big picture style.  To put it in perspective, its not unlike Star Wars games where the players have to deal with Luke Skywalker, hitch rides from Han Solo and otherwise watch the events of the prescripted movies play out as they watch. Can be fun, sure, but not nearly as fun as letting people actually particpate in the game as its going, not as it went for someone else.

Also, while I appreaciate 'style' in a game, having a Jianshu skill instead of a swords skill might be a bit confusing, especially on top of your 'Metal' Stat.   I, for one, do not speak chinese.

I'll reserve any final judgements for a proper read through of the ruleset, I'm still waiting for it to finish printing (and why, oh lord WHY did the damn printer decide to start at teh END? Sigh....)

As for Kult being a long time ago: That doesn't mean that they won't use it all over again.   Only this time with chinese set dressing. We will see before the day is done.

I haven't really gotten to the setting part, so this is not a comment on how they handled it in particular, but I will say that "history as metaplot" depends a lot on how its managed. It CAN end up being restrictive, and any GM has to be careful with it, but it can also be the absolute best kind of "metaplot" ever if its carefully executed.

RPGPundit

Updated to note that I've pretty much read through the whole "system" half of the book, and I loved it.

We desperately needed a good system for chinese historical wuxia, not a piece of garbage Borgstromosity like "weapons of the gods".  You got to hand it to the Frogs, they made a system without so much as a hint of pretentiousness that shows the Swine how its done! Good on them, I shall smoke my Butz-Choquin Republique in their honour!
:froggy:

RPGPundit

PS: we've either got to get a "french flag smiley", or get that "froggy" smiley a beret.

Quote from: RPGPunditPS: we've either got to get a "french flag smiley", or get that "froggy" smiley a beret.

Just use the 1940 era one.
:nazi:

Dude, that's pretty fucking harsh.












(but yeah, I snickered)

Quote from: RPGPunditUpdated to note that I've pretty much read through the whole "system" half of the book, and I loved it.

We desperately needed a good system for chinese historical wuxia, not a piece of garbage Borgstromosity like "weapons of the gods".  You got to hand it to the Frogs, they made a system without so much as a hint of pretentiousness that shows the Swine how its done! Good on them, I shall smoke my Butz-Choquin Republique in their honour!
:froggy:

RPGPundit

PS: we've either got to get a "french flag smiley", or get that "froggy" smiley a beret.

Could this mean...a Three Kingdoms Campaign at long last?!!?!?!!! :hyper: