The Inside Scoop on Gaming

This is a free, generic game. As such it does its job. No graphics, lots of mechanics, and a solid platform to work with.

Fuzion is a nice, fairly generic system (good, seeing as that is the whole reason for its being). Why is it only "fairly" generic in my opinion? 'Cause, despite the many plug-ins, dial, and hoo-dads that one can play with in order to customize the world, the game still feels like it is made for over-the-top type of roleplaying. Superheroes and really powerful types are not my cup of tea.

The layout of the game is a bit uncomfortable to me. Looking over the rules we jump right into character creation and the (in) famous life path system. I personally like this. Take it or leave it... it is there. I like the aspect of not having full control of a character's background. Things like family and some random events are nice to throw into the pot so a player has to roll with some punches. A gamemaster can easily take parts they want and leave the rest. It is a nice addition and is lots of fun occasionally. However, starting off with this when one has no idea of the mechanics involved (and often referred to) I think is a poor choice on Fuzion's part.

In fact, the body of the rules is one of the last things presented- even after all the optional rules additions (called plug-ins). Again, this is a poor choice since a reader is presented with a wealth of information but can only understand a portion of it until they get to the end of the file. I found myself skimming a considerable amount of the time. Two readings for a player unfamiliar with either R.Talsorian's Interlock or Hero Games's system is a necessity.

Some things jumped out at me while looking over the rules. Primarily is that a 5 to 1 ratio is often used when converting character points into more powerful types of points, which is nice and convenient. Players have the opportunity to pay for everything with points that build a character... from superpowers to weapons to contacts etc.. Be warned! There be danger here since this could easily be used for min/maxing! However, the system does give players a huge amount of freedom for to create characters that fit the mold of the type of PC they want to create. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to create a character concept and discovering that generation cannot meet those standards. Yes, sometimes it is good for roleplaying. Othertimes it is just plain annoying. Fuzion looks to have solved this problem... and with GM permission a player should be able to complete nigh near any concept.

The plug-ins, once I understood them... were fairly nice. You get the bare bones of systems for superheroes, mecha, and martial arts. These additional rules are a nice touch and show where the generic quality of the game shines through. An enterprising GM has a lot of opportunity to create, tweak, and utilize to create entire worlds from these basics. Rest assured, I am not exaggerating when I say entire worlds have been created... search the web and you will see what I mean.

The basics are nice, but the GM does need to be enterprising. This is not a system for a new GM to tackle since they will need to be somewhat familiar with the mechanics before they should delve into the many possibilities that Fuzion offers. The mechanics are variable and left open to interpretation quite often (even with the number of dice one may use). Tables are placed with their corresponding sections, which sometimes, is a lot to ask for. However, there are a lot of tables and charts associated with the Fuzion system. Necessary tables for combat, SFX, and the like can be a pain to find in the middle of a game. A GM will need to do a lot of work consolidating tables and other general preparation acts for the game even before prepping a setting.

Overall, for a system that touts being generic I still remain unconvinced. The amount of space and time dedicated to superpowers and superhero type of characters really left me with a feeling that this system was really built for that type of game. However, the system seems to be solid. Nothing spectacular, but solid.

The real fireworks are expected from the GM/worldbuilder.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Fuzion system
Author: Hero Games and R. Talsorian Games Category: game Company/Publisher: Hero Games and R. Talsorian Games Cost: free! Page count: about 100 ISBN: none Playtest Review by Chris Gunning on 01/26/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Modern_day Generic	This is a free, generic game. As such it does its job. No graphics, lots of mechanics, and a solid platform to work with. Fuzion is a nice, fairly generic system (good, seeing as that is the whole reason for its being). Why is it only "fairly" generic in my opinion? 'Cause, despite the many plug-ins, dial, and hoo-dads that one can play with in order to customize the world, the game still feels like it is made for over-the-top type of roleplaying. Superheroes and really powerful types are not my cup of tea. The layout of the game is a bit uncomfortable to me. Looking over the rules we jump right into character creation and the (in) famous life path system. I personally like this. Take it or leave it... it is there. I like the aspect of not having full control of a character's background. Things like family and some random events are nice to throw into the pot so a player has to roll with some punches. A gamemaster can easily take parts they want and leave the rest. It is a nice addition and is lots of fun occasionally. However, starting off with this when one has no idea of the mechanics involved (and often referred to) I think is a poor choice on Fuzion's part. In fact, the body of the rules is one of the last things presented- even after all the optional rules additions (called plug-ins). Again, this is a poor choice since a reader is presented with a wealth of information but can only understand a portion of it until they get to the end of the file. I found myself skimming a considerable amount of the time. Two readings for a player unfamiliar with either R.Talsorian's Interlock or Hero Games's system is a necessity. Some things jumped out at me while looking over the rules. Primarily is that a 5 to 1 ratio is often used when converting character points into more powerful types of points, which is nice and convenient. Players have the opportunity to pay for everything with points that build a character... from superpowers to weapons to contacts etc.. Be warned! There be danger here since this could easily be used for min/maxing! However, the system does give players a huge amount of freedom for to create characters that fit the mold of the type of PC they want to create. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to create a character concept and discovering that generation cannot meet those standards. Yes, sometimes it is good for roleplaying. Othertimes it is just plain annoying. Fuzion looks to have solved this problem... and with GM permission a player should be able to complete nigh near any concept. The plug-ins, once I understood them... were fairly nice. You get the bare bones of systems for superheroes, mecha, and martial arts. These additional rules are a nice touch and show where the generic quality of the game shines through. An enterprising GM has a lot of opportunity to create, tweak, and utilize to create entire worlds from these basics. Rest assured, I am not exaggerating when I say entire worlds have been created... search the web and you will see what I mean. The basics are nice, but the GM does need to be enterprising. This is not a system for a new GM to tackle since they will need to be somewhat familiar with the mechanics before they should delve into the many possibilities that Fuzion offers. The mechanics are variable and left open to interpretation quite often (even with the number of dice one may use). Tables are placed with their corresponding sections, which sometimes, is a lot to ask for. However, there are a lot of tables and charts associated with the Fuzion system. Necessary tables for combat, SFX, and the like can be a pain to find in the middle of a game. A GM will need to do a lot of work consolidating tables and other general preparation acts for the game even before prepping a setting. Overall, for a system that touts being generic I still remain unconvinced. The amount of space and time dedicated to superpowers and superhero type of characters really left me with a feeling that this system was really built for that type of game. However, the system seems to be solid. Nothing spectacular, but solid. The real fireworks are expected from the GM/worldbuilder. Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 3 (Average)