The Inside Scoop on Gaming

When I look at a game I want to be transported to its world. I wish all disbelief, suspended and the world to seem internally consistent. I also like mature, role-playing. I take my gaming very seriously. I find, so do most people, because they get into the setting and often we end up telling life and death stories. It is very rare to find a game that meets my high expectation. Seven Seas does just that.

I was looking forward to this game for a very long time. The subject matter engaged me. I love swashbuckling action. I love action, period. I'm keen on story and I'm partial to intricate detail. I grew up on the Scarlet Pimpernel and Errol Flynn Movies. I find sword duels and snappy, gossipy, intrigues, irresistible. Most of all, I enjoy a good costume/period drama like "Dangerous Liaison's" "Brave Heart" or "Elisabeth".

Imagine my delight to find all this in one game.

When I look at an RPG I look for a number of things. I look at the production values of the book and most of all the art. I look to the game system next and then the game world. I look at how well they mesh together. I look at the background information and the campaign possibilities/setting.

Right away the wonderful William O'Conner art work captured my imagination. I have always loved his art (from Ars Magica, etc) and it is featured on the cover in wonderful colour. The leatherette effect of the glossy cover is a little strange and my biggest complaint about the whole book would be this cover effect. I imagine it is meant to emulate an old leather bound book. It only just manages to do so. It is far too glossy to look leathery unfortunately.

The interior art is the usual mixture of very good and average. The book could have used more art by the likes of Ramon Perez, I feel. The art is appropriate to the subject and really sets the tone and flavor of the game world. The full color plates by Terese Nielson are stunningly beautiful and lavishly detailed.

The game system, is the same one used in "The Legends of the Five Rings", also by Alderac. Essentially you roll a number of ten sided dice equal to your Attribute and your skill. You keep a number of dice equal to your Attribute ratting. Adding them up gives you a total. If you have rolled well enough, (over a certain number or "difficulty") you succeed at the task. The system has been modified to suit the genre. It is elegant and extremely adaptable. Any dice which rolls a ten now, "explodes" (is rolled again. The two rolls are added and counted as the one roll) and adds to the total, should you decide to keep it.

There are five major attributes similar to Rings from L5R. Skills are wonderful and innovative. You purchase a skill, which is a package of sub-skills called "Knacks". For the base price of the skill, you get every skill in the package at a rudimentary level. You can then increase each knack (sub-skill) separately.

Character generation is simple yet complete. Due to the Skill and knack system PC's end up able to do a wide range of appropriate tasks. I liked this. Most games, regardless of genre, make PC's who are very poorly actualized in terms of the world they belong in. Put simply they, cant or don't, have skills you would expect. The 7th Sea system addresses this shortcoming with out bombarding the Player with useless skills.

Any game in which I can take skill in eye gouging has my vote!!!

Character generation is headed up by 20 questions, which are designed to help generate a PC, are fun and thought provoking. Although hardly a new RPG, design feature, it is superbly executed. This is a mark of the game through out. The innovations are small in nature, but large in effect. It reminds me of the German approach to car design. They strive, not to remake the car, but to build the most excellent car possible. Following this design credo has lead to a proliferation of all the thing's role players say they want, under the one cover.

It is possible to play a Sorcerer, a Swordsman, a Pirate, A Courtesan, a Scholar, a Zealot or an Anarchist, and any number, of other options.

Sorcery is powerful and is very different from country to country. There are five separate types of magic, each very different from the last.

Glamour is the magic of Avalon (a mythical British Isles) and allows a sorcerer to tap into and use the power of Avalon's legends.

Vendel (a union of islands with the feel of Scandinavia) has Runes as its magic. These Runes are the words of creation and carry some of the power of the Gods.

Porte is the art of opening a breach in the fabric of reality itself. This allows transport of objects and people. It looks horrible and filthy; indeed the gash between dimensions actually bleeds strange blood.

Pyeryem is the Ussuran magic (a cold land similar to our Russia) and allows shape changing and beast mastery.

Fate magic is the sorcery of Vodacce (an Italian like confederation of islands and mainland interests, something of a sprawling Venice) This is the most interesting and unusual of the magic's, as it is concerns it self with the manipulation of destiny itself.

It is interesting to note that Castile (Thea's equivalent of Spain), has no magic, but does have the Church. The Faithful of the Church have been known to do many miracles. Anyone from any nation can be Faithful. The effects of Faith on the game a hard to predict. In my game Faith will be very important, giving the faithful a certain amount of power. This may not be true of all games, using the same game systems.

Also the Eisen (Thea's equivalent of the Prussian principalities) have no magic but have access to a special metal. Stronger then normal steel, the Eisenfursten (the nobles) hoard this valuable resource and keep its metallurgy a closely guarded secret.

Not all PC's have magic but all PC's have Drama Dice. These Dice allow the PC's to take control of situations, to influence certain outcomes and cheat fate. These are similar to the Luck dice, or points in many games. The same game mechanic balances magic use. In order to cast a spell, a sorcerer must use one of her Drama Dice.

The combat systems are fun. They really are. Not since Feng Shui have I had this much fun with a combat system. At this point I feel it is very important to note 7th Sea is a cinematic game, or what I like to call a "imagineactive" game. It is not realism biased. It is drama biased.

Having said that, it is very appropriate and feels very "real" to play. It will have you vaulting balustrades, swinging down lighting ropes and fighting in the rigging before you know it. Before you ask, pistols are here and they are lots of fun, not to mention very noisy, and messy. If you like dramatic combat you will like this game.

My one complaint with combat is that it can take quite a bit of your evening to play out a fight. This does decrease, as you become more familiar with the combat rules. I particularly liked the fencing rules. You can tell the Alderac guys love swords and swordplay. I wonder how Jennifer feels about it all!

The history and background is derived from 16 and 17th century Europe and is richer because of it. I can not overstate how clever this alternate history is. I feel this is the best part of the game. Moreover, it is also balanced and familiar. This game is not degraded by juvenile, male power fantasies, or subtle chauvinistic tones. It is mature, well put together and very cleverly integrated with the fantasy elements inherent in a setting with sorcery. I feel a special mention regarding the subtle involvement of Jennifer Wick is due. Her and John's scholarly backgrounds have added meat to the bones of Thea. Furthermore this is the only game, other then Vampire, my wife has shown very much personal interest in.

As mentioned, I had been eagerly awaiting this game and was possessed by my muse. I penned a campaign in the three months I awaited its release. It involved the French, the Church, the Italians, Britain and deepest darkest Africa. I can, as it turns out, drop my campaign like a template over the 7th Sea world of Thea and see it interconnect and take on new life. The integrated meta-plot of 7th seas actually enhances my own ideas. I don't feel this is merely coincidence. I believe this is a deliberate effort, on behalf of the design crew, to make it a playable world. Goldstars to you all.

Even had I not done this, reading the books provided me with a wealth of story ideas. I feel that the success of any game inevitably depends on its playability. Not its systems, but the ease with which a GM can throw together a story, the players will enjoy. The literature available as source material is extensive and the additional direction provided in the GM's guidebook makes stories just flow onto paper.

Having said that this requires more of the typical GM then most AD&D campaigns, but no more then Vampire or L5R. In fact the richness of the background helps direct the stories.

I have found a simple stand and deliver scenario can provide a whole evenings play, due to role playing from the PC's. I crave this level of interaction with my players, so am actively encouraging their foppish involvement in my blossoming game.

This is how games should be done. Five out of five

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

7th Sea
Author: Wick Wick Wilson Category: game Company/Publisher: AEG Line: 7th Sea Cost: $29.95 Page count: $250 Capsule Review by Shannon R Lewis on 06/29/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Historical Horror Espionage Conspiracy	When I look at a game I want to be transported to its world. I wish all disbelief, suspended and the world to seem internally consistent. I also like mature, role-playing. I take my gaming very seriously. I find, so do most people, because they get into the setting and often we end up telling life and death stories. It is very rare to find a game that meets my high expectation. Seven Seas does just that. I was looking forward to this game for a very long time. The subject matter engaged me. I love swashbuckling action. I love action, period. I'm keen on story and I'm partial to intricate detail. I grew up on the Scarlet Pimpernel and Errol Flynn Movies. I find sword duels and snappy, gossipy, intrigues, irresistible. Most of all, I enjoy a good costume/period drama like "Dangerous Liaison's" "Brave Heart" or "Elisabeth". Imagine my delight to find all this in one game. When I look at an RPG I look for a number of things. I look at the production values of the book and most of all the art. I look to the game system next and then the game world. I look at how well they mesh together. I look at the background information and the campaign possibilities/setting. Right away the wonderful William O'Conner art work captured my imagination. I have always loved his art (from Ars Magica, etc) and it is featured on the cover in wonderful colour. The leatherette effect of the glossy cover is a little strange and my biggest complaint about the whole book would be this cover effect. I imagine it is meant to emulate an old leather bound book. It only just manages to do so. It is far too glossy to look leathery unfortunately. The interior art is the usual mixture of very good and average. The book could have used more art by the likes of Ramon Perez, I feel. The art is appropriate to the subject and really sets the tone and flavor of the game world. The full color plates by Terese Nielson are stunningly beautiful and lavishly detailed. The game system, is the same one used in "The Legends of the Five Rings", also by Alderac. Essentially you roll a number of ten sided dice equal to your Attribute and your skill. You keep a number of dice equal to your Attribute ratting. Adding them up gives you a total. If you have rolled well enough, (over a certain number or "difficulty") you succeed at the task. The system has been modified to suit the genre. It is elegant and extremely adaptable. Any dice which rolls a ten now, "explodes" (is rolled again. The two rolls are added and counted as the one roll) and adds to the total, should you decide to keep it. There are five major attributes similar to Rings from L5R. Skills are wonderful and innovative. You purchase a skill, which is a package of sub-skills called "Knacks". For the base price of the skill, you get every skill in the package at a rudimentary level. You can then increase each knack (sub-skill) separately. Character generation is simple yet complete. Due to the Skill and knack system PC's end up able to do a wide range of appropriate tasks. I liked this. Most games, regardless of genre, make PC's who are very poorly actualized in terms of the world they belong in. Put simply they, cant or don't, have skills you would expect. The 7th Sea system addresses this shortcoming with out bombarding the Player with useless skills. Any game in which I can take skill in eye gouging has my vote!!! Character generation is headed up by 20 questions, which are designed to help generate a PC, are fun and thought provoking. Although hardly a new RPG, design feature, it is superbly executed. This is a mark of the game through out. The innovations are small in nature, but large in effect. It reminds me of the German approach to car design. They strive, not to remake the car, but to build the most excellent car possible. Following this design credo has lead to a proliferation of all the thing's role players say they want, under the one cover. It is possible to play a Sorcerer, a Swordsman, a Pirate, A Courtesan, a Scholar, a Zealot or an Anarchist, and any number, of other options. Sorcery is powerful and is very different from country to country. There are five separate types of magic, each very different from the last. Glamour is the magic of Avalon (a mythical British Isles) and allows a sorcerer to tap into and use the power of Avalon's legends. Vendel (a union of islands with the feel of Scandinavia) has Runes as its magic. These Runes are the words of creation and carry some of the power of the Gods. Porte is the art of opening a breach in the fabric of reality itself. This allows transport of objects and people. It looks horrible and filthy; indeed the gash between dimensions actually bleeds strange blood. Pyeryem is the Ussuran magic (a cold land similar to our Russia) and allows shape changing and beast mastery. Fate magic is the sorcery of Vodacce (an Italian like confederation of islands and mainland interests, something of a sprawling Venice) This is the most interesting and unusual of the magic's, as it is concerns it self with the manipulation of destiny itself. It is interesting to note that Castile (Thea's equivalent of Spain), has no magic, but does have the Church. The Faithful of the Church have been known to do many miracles. Anyone from any nation can be Faithful. The effects of Faith on the game a hard to predict. In my game Faith will be very important, giving the faithful a certain amount of power. This may not be true of all games, using the same game systems. Also the Eisen (Thea's equivalent of the Prussian principalities) have no magic but have access to a special metal. Stronger then normal steel, the Eisenfursten (the nobles) hoard this valuable resource and keep its metallurgy a closely guarded secret. Not all PC's have magic but all PC's have Drama Dice. These Dice allow the PC's to take control of situations, to influence certain outcomes and cheat fate. These are similar to the Luck dice, or points in many games. The same game mechanic balances magic use. In order to cast a spell, a sorcerer must use one of her Drama Dice. The combat systems are fun. They really are. Not since Feng Shui have I had this much fun with a combat system. At this point I feel it is very important to note 7th Sea is a cinematic game, or what I like to call a "imagineactive" game. It is not realism biased. It is drama biased. Having said that, it is very appropriate and feels very "real" to play. It will have you vaulting balustrades, swinging down lighting ropes and fighting in the rigging before you know it. Before you ask, pistols are here and they are lots of fun, not to mention very noisy, and messy. If you like dramatic combat you will like this game. My one complaint with combat is that it can take quite a bit of your evening to play out a fight. This does decrease, as you become more familiar with the combat rules. I particularly liked the fencing rules. You can tell the Alderac guys love swords and swordplay. I wonder how Jennifer feels about it all! The history and background is derived from 16 and 17th century Europe and is richer because of it. I can not overstate how clever this alternate history is. I feel this is the best part of the game. Moreover, it is also balanced and familiar. This game is not degraded by juvenile, male power fantasies, or subtle chauvinistic tones. It is mature, well put together and very cleverly integrated with the fantasy elements inherent in a setting with sorcery. I feel a special mention regarding the subtle involvement of Jennifer Wick is due. Her and John's scholarly backgrounds have added meat to the bones of Thea. Furthermore this is the only game, other then Vampire, my wife has shown very much personal interest in. As mentioned, I had been eagerly awaiting this game and was possessed by my muse. I penned a campaign in the three months I awaited its release. It involved the French, the Church, the Italians, Britain and deepest darkest Africa. I can, as it turns out, drop my campaign like a template over the 7th Sea world of Thea and see it interconnect and take on new life. The integrated meta-plot of 7th seas actually enhances my own ideas. I don't feel this is merely coincidence. I believe this is a deliberate effort, on behalf of the design crew, to make it a playable world. Goldstars to you all. Even had I not done this, reading the books provided me with a wealth of story ideas. I feel that the success of any game inevitably depends on its playability. Not its systems, but the ease with which a GM can throw together a story, the players will enjoy. The literature available as source material is extensive and the additional direction provided in the GM's guidebook makes stories just flow onto paper. Having said that this requires more of the typical GM then most AD&D campaigns, but no more then Vampire or L5R. In fact the richness of the background helps direct the stories. I have found a simple stand and deliver scenario can provide a whole evenings play, due to role playing from the PC's. I crave this level of interaction with my players, so am actively encouraging their foppish involvement in my blossoming game. This is how games should be done. Five out of five Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)