steven@qubix.UUCP (Steven Maurer) (05/10/84)
References:
[Bugs which now, I searched for still....]
Marvel Comics recently contracted with TSR to write a
Super Hero Role Playing Game. Now after long time in waiting,
the game is out, and it COMPLETELY lives up to my expectations:
IT SUCKS THE BIG GREEN WEENIE
This game makes Tunnels and Trolls, Dungeons and Dragons,
and Bunnies and Burrows, look like sheer gaming elegence. The
entire system devolves to one chart where you roll Characteristic
vs Characteristic -- there is NO explaination of powers, NO ability
to create special side effects, and NO room for expansion.
The game appears to be targeted towards particularly
stupid grade school students.
If you see this book in a store, DON'T BUY. If you are
interested in a Super Hero Role Playing Game, buy Champions,
SuperWorld, Villains and Vigilanties, or anything else. I give
you fair warning.
Steven Maurerburton@inuxg.UUCP (Thomas Burton) (05/11/84)
xx <- two-footed bug stomp! Is this Steve Maurer the same guy that wouldn't know a range restriction or time limit on an AD&D spell if it bit him? If so, then I wouldn't be too quick to take his criticism of this role-playing game seriously. Not that I have tried the game myself; for all I know, it could be as lousy as Steve says it is. It's just that, from past experience with Steve, I've learned to take his comments with a grain of salt. Doug Burton ATT-CP Indianapolis inuxg!burton
hakanson@orstcs.UUCP (05/15/84)
<you can't eat just one>
I am not criticizing anyone, but I *am* offering another opinion:
I for one have never played with a referee who ignored the casting times,
ranges, or durations of AD&D spells. I would be extremely disappointed
in a referee's competence if he/she ignored these rules, since these rules
keep things from getting out of hand. For example, it's simply fair for
it to take ten minutes to an hour to conjure an elemental.
Now remember, I am no great fan of the AD&D system, as my previous articles
have intimated. But I have had some terrific adventures in the system, and
none of them depended on ignorance of these particular rules. However an
example of a rule which *is* usually ignored is the use of dice to determine
when in melee combat a character's attack "goes off." This is entirely too
cumbersome and unrealistic -- the most workable method of AD&D melee combat
I have seen is for the two opposing parties to each roll a d6 for initiative,
the party having the highest roll going first in all their attacks. This
streamlines the process of combat, seems very fair to all concerned, and has
been extremely workable.
Oh boy, here's another chance to spout off about Magic World. In a previous
response, I gave a mini-review of this Chaosium Basic Role-Playing-based
FRP game, in which I praised the combat and experience systems. Now, I will
briefly describe the magic system. Instead of exhaustively listing all the
possible spells as in AD&D, in MW they have a smaller number of basic spells,
with new ones being invented occasionally. The notion of levels of spells
is implemented by allowing any spell caster to specify (ahead of time) the
number of levels of power (POW points) he/she will put into the spell. It
takes a certain number (usually one) round per level to cast the spell, and
duration is usually dependent on the energy expended.
Each spell caster (and anyone can attempt to cast a spell) has a percentage
chance to successfully cast each spell. As in weapon and other skills, the
percentage can go up after an adventure in which the caster successfully uses
the spell. Since all characters are limited in the amount of POW points they
have (it's an attribute like Strength, Intelligence, etc.), the mage-type
characters in the Magic World system need some advantage to make their
abilities better than the ordinary run-of-the-mill character. This is done
by allowing Mages to construct at great expense a staff which can store POW
points, thus allowing them to cast more levels of spells than the unaided
spell caster. Mages usually get to start at a higher percentage on new
spells than the non-mage character, as well, and I believe it is possible
for them to increase their POW points by defeating opponents in what's
called a "Power vs Power" situation (non-mages can increase POW in the
same way).
All in all, I find Magic World to be a very realistic and yet very playable
FRP gaming system. Anyone else out there care to comment?
Marion Hakanson CSnet: hakanson@oregon-state
UUCP : {hp-pcd,tektronix}!orstcs!hakansonsteven@qubix.UUCP (Steven Maurer) (05/17/84)
[wee pee dee pee do wee pee dee pee do-pee] > Is this Steve Maurer the same guy that wouldn't know a range > restriction or time limit on an AD&D spell if it bit him? > If so, then I wouldn't be too quick to take his criticism > of this role-playing game seriously. Not that I have tried > the game myself; for all I know, it could be as lousy as Steve > says it is. It's just that, from past experience with Steve, > I've learned to take his comments with a grain of salt. "a range restriction" in AD&D refers ONLY to the casting range, unless specified otherwise, or the referee decides to change the system to add more realism. "time limit" on spells, like "weapon bonuses for armor class" are so often ignored that they can hardly be called part of the system. If you accept 'time limits' on AD&D spells, then you must accept the 'casting times' as well; almost all AD&D referees ignore both (because low level MU's have to wait up to a full minute to get off a spell). This is a fault of the system, since a rule that is so unwieldy that it is not played, cannot be called part of the system. The article to which I refered, mentioned that a feather fall was used in a campaign (by a typical AD&D referee) to splat a Xorn. I did not say that I do not know about rules to the contrary buried somewhere deep in the system, only that unless a referee worships the book(s) he will never find them. Finally, if you wish to take my criticism of the TSR/Marvel product with a grain of salt, go ahead and buy the thing. You will get exactly what you deserve. Steven Maurer
moriarty@uw-june.UUCP (05/18/84)
Gentlemen, Excuse me for breaking in on the role-playing game argument, but... GET IT THE FUCK OUT OF NET.COMICS!!!! Thank you so much! Have a nice day! The Napoleon of Crime | Currently skulking around | UUCP: MORIARTY | {ihnp4,decvax,tektronix}!uw-beaver!uw-june!moriarty | ARPANET: AKA -jwm- | moriarty@washington