The Inside Scoop on Gaming

This product is actually a GM's screen and 3 staple bound books (desk top published). The first 2 are independent but concurrent game systems: Good Guys Finish Last (for playing heroes) and Villains Finish First (for playing the bad guys, referred to as nemesis). The last is a guide to creating Superhero adventures and binding them into a campaign.

This is the first RPG I've seen that is totally removed from the hobbies war gaming roots. The system (shared by both games with minor modifiers) has more to do with a child's game of "let's pretend" than any simulation game I'm aware of. The publisher refers to this as Free Style gaming, but pretending is a better definition. There is some structure provided by the rules but the majority of the structure is determined by the genre, superhero comic books (it'll be interesting to see what their FRPG, Barony, looks like). In fact, players and GM alike are expected to base all of their decisions on what their readership (ie themselves) will enjoy and therefore continue to buy the characters' comic line (ie play in this campaign). The most drastic example of this is in the Villains Finish First rules, wherein it is a disadvantage to eliminate the Hero as the comic line would then cease to run and the Villain would get canceled with it. Wow! This is a game for true role-players not roll players, a game for those who can improvise and pretend together in a group, not story tellers. It may be a contradiction, but to get the most out of this one, you need to be a mature child.

Generically speaking the package is a great resource to any SHRPGer. Cliches of the genre are table-ized for flow charting or randomization (using dice or a 53 card deck - 1 Joker). The same is true of action resolution and other variables. The screen has attractive color (the only color) art and a few of these generically useful charts on the back. The 3rd book, Designing Comic Book Scenarios, contains most of the generically useful info and (I think) it can be obtained separately from Better Games (P.O. Box 11424, Burbank, CA 9150-1424).

The advancement system is a facet of these games that may be worth grafting to your own. It requires that a character accomplish adventures with specific types of actions called Ignobles. These ignobles are meant to be a recipe for comic book adventure success: Action, Awesome Power, Danger, Discipline, Heroics, Morale Dilemma, Public Opinion, Sense of Community, and Strategy. Once a hero or team's perform actions that satisfy each of these ignobles, they advance in skill.

Find an opportunity to check these games out and decide for yourself. As a separate campaign or as a source book for another it is well worth the price, as both it is a bargain. If its visual presentation was glossier, it would catch the eye of more people. Its present appearance, although organized, easy to read and neat, does not denote the quality of the material itself.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Avengers of Justice
Author: Better Games Category: game Company/Publisher: Better Games Line: Avengers of Justice Capsule Review by Papyrus on 06/01/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction	This product is actually a GM's screen and 3 staple bound books (desk top published). The first 2 are independent but concurrent game systems: Good Guys Finish Last (for playing heroes) and Villains Finish First (for playing the bad guys, referred to as nemesis). The last is a guide to creating Superhero adventures and binding them into a campaign. This is the first RPG I've seen that is totally removed from the hobbies war gaming roots. The system (shared by both games with minor modifiers) has more to do with a child's game of "let's pretend" than any simulation game I'm aware of. The publisher refers to this as Free Style gaming, but pretending is a better definition. There is some structure provided by the rules but the majority of the structure is determined by the genre, superhero comic books (it'll be interesting to see what their FRPG, Barony, looks like). In fact, players and GM alike are expected to base all of their decisions on what their readership (ie themselves) will enjoy and therefore continue to buy the characters' comic line (ie play in this campaign). The most drastic example of this is in the Villains Finish First rules, wherein it is a disadvantage to eliminate the Hero as the comic line would then cease to run and the Villain would get canceled with it. Wow! This is a game for true role-players not roll players, a game for those who can improvise and pretend together in a group, not story tellers. It may be a contradiction, but to get the most out of this one, you need to be a mature child. Generically speaking the package is a great resource to any SHRPGer. Cliches of the genre are table-ized for flow charting or randomization (using dice or a 53 card deck - 1 Joker). The same is true of action resolution and other variables. The screen has attractive color (the only color) art and a few of these generically useful charts on the back. The 3rd book, Designing Comic Book Scenarios, contains most of the generically useful info and (I think) it can be obtained separately from Better Games (P.O. Box 11424, Burbank, CA 9150-1424). The advancement system is a facet of these games that may be worth grafting to your own. It requires that a character accomplish adventures with specific types of actions called Ignobles. These ignobles are meant to be a recipe for comic book adventure success: Action, Awesome Power, Danger, Discipline, Heroics, Morale Dilemma, Public Opinion, Sense of Community, and Strategy. Once a hero or team's perform actions that satisfy each of these ignobles, they advance in skill. Find an opportunity to check these games out and decide for yourself. As a separate campaign or as a source book for another it is well worth the price, as both it is a bargain. If its visual presentation was glossier, it would catch the eye of more people. Its present appearance, although organized, easy to read and neat, does not denote the quality of the material itself. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Avengers of Justice