The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I have been roleplaying for 20 years now and Gm-ing for 12, I have been writing for Conventions for the past ten years. I think it is safe to say that I know a good game when I see one. I am one of the few lady designers here in Australia runnning games regularly at home and at cons. I have seen em all down the years, and run them as well. My bulging book cases are testement to that fact!

I have looked for traps, hunted cthullu, been a glitter-boy girl, catharted over my lost humanity, fought dragons for my leige-lord, and been a unicorn battle maiden and....the list goes on........

Some folks aren't happy with 7th Seas. I have read their reasons, and everyone has a right to gripe and not be happy. I would like to point out the reasons why I like this game. First things first, the gripe that Players guide is just an overveiw without substance. I have read it cover to cover. This world is sooooooooooo vast, to cover everything in an indepth manner, to outline all of that info in the manner that a lot of the critics would want would produce a volume so heavy and un-weildy and not too mention, unbelieveably expensive. The screams of derision would be heard from outer space. Stop me if I am wrong, but i have always been under the impression that a PLayers guide is just that, enough info for a player to pick up a volume designated for them, and have just enough info to help them formulate a character and play.

The 7th Seas Players guide delivers just that. Enough info for folks who are just interested in playing, nothing more. This book delivered big time. For a player, there is more than enough info to wet the appitite for more, and have them chomping at the bit to get going.

Why should the players have access to everything at their fingertips, there is so much happening in this world, there is so much possibility for some greast story telling, why should the players be robbed of the all surprises?

I am a great believer in keeping some things under wraps, that creates a sense of mystery and wonder. And we all don't get enough of that in our ordinary day to day lives, if we did, then maybe the world wouldn't be in the crappy state it is now.

The gripes about continuning product, the hints at supplements etc...well, it's called BUSINESS. This Industry like any other, it has to keep itself going. The only way that roleplaying companies keep their heads above water (barely sometimes), is by the release of product. If the product is good, and well thought out and MARKETABLE, that ensures that the company has money coming in and folks keep their jobs and we keep getting roleplaying games.

So of course AEG are going to explore this for all it's worth, to be honest, I don't care. It has been a long long long time since I have felt excited by a game, and fired up with ideas to run folks through. I have got ideas for loads of things that I can run , and that was just from reading the Players guide. If the continuiung porduct can be released promptly and be of the same calibre, I am happy to buy the product. If the quality lags and the material is pretty shaky in its relevancy, then I will be the first person to vote with my feet. I will also be extremely vocal in asking "Why".

For the complexity of the background, there is no way that everything could be explored in depth. I am happy to wait for the supplements, but the other point is...why be bound by the written word, why not take the info at hand and make it your own? The only reason to be hanging on the arrival of a particular supplement is if the reader wants to go by the book..then that is all down to a matter of choice and nothing to do with content.

THe Pirate reference in the book. CVritics have been complaining that the book hasn't delivered the Pirate Genre it promised. I would like to point out that the Card game which is being released in August, according to my information, is a Pirate based card game. From my reading, I was under the impressin that the roleplaying game would be related to the game. And again, it delivers. This parallel european world is a world ripe for maruading pirates. Our Pirates in our time line didn't just wake up one morning and take to sea. The politics of the time shaped the world and its boundaries, and those circumstances saw the arrival of the pirates. Its all cause and effect.

Besides, there are two other Pirate specific games currently on the market. IF it's just pirates you want, then just pirates you can get. This game delivers so much more than that, you have the possiblity of focusing only the pirate nations if you wish, but if you have players who want more, who to change their focus for something different such as the archeology side, or play a game that focuses around politics and intrigue instead of running dice grooves down your dinning room table, then this game can keep the dice moungers, rules lawyers and the diceless ones, and the ruless wonders...happy.

To be able to deliver a product that will appeal to a broad spectrum of people, is a pretty big ask. But this game has something for everyone, and over all, I have been very pleased with the result, so far.

I will add that there is no such thing as the perfect game, and there are a couple of things that I wasn't completly enamoured with (such as the monster list, very cliched and I expected better from AEG, and a little bit more about the Empire of the Crescent Moon and Cathay would have had me leaping through hoops), but in saying that, having some un-knowns is kinda cool, because it will aid in exploration later on, and means I can add something of my owm as well. That has great story potential for me and my players.

Overall, I was pleased with result, and bare in mind, we shell out way more for our games than you guys do in the US, (thanks to our exchange rate), I was quite happy to have spent the 50.00 aussie dollars as a result. If you want a book that is going to give you enough material to sit down and have a grand time with your friends, then this will be the game for you.

The format is clear and well set out, all the important information is written in a and easy to read as well as easy to find. The pronunciation guide is useful and much needed addition, as well as the layout for the two different classes of ships. There is a lot of scope for the further development of this game, and I for one, are looking forward to seeing what will be coming next.

I will be buying the gm's guide later on this week, and will post a review when I have had a chance to disect it.

JO's rating system: 7th Seas PLayers Guide: 4 stars out of 5

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

7th seas Roleplaying
Author: John wick Category: game Company/Publisher: AEG Line: th seas Cost: 55.00 aussie dollars Page count: n/a Capsule Review by jo on 07/05/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Historical Horror Comedy Espionage Conspiracy Vampire Gothic Asian/Far_East Diceless	I have been roleplaying for 20 years now and Gm-ing for 12, I have been writing for Conventions for the past ten years. I think it is safe to say that I know a good game when I see one. I am one of the few lady designers here in Australia runnning games regularly at home and at cons. I have seen em all down the years, and run them as well. My bulging book cases are testement to that fact! I have looked for traps, hunted cthullu, been a glitter-boy girl, catharted over my lost humanity, fought dragons for my leige-lord, and been a unicorn battle maiden and....the list goes on........ Some folks aren't happy with 7th Seas. I have read their reasons, and everyone has a right to gripe and not be happy. I would like to point out the reasons why I like this game. First things first, the gripe that Players guide is just an overveiw without substance. I have read it cover to cover. This world is sooooooooooo vast, to cover everything in an indepth manner, to outline all of that info in the manner that a lot of the critics would want would produce a volume so heavy and un-weildy and not too mention, unbelieveably expensive. The screams of derision would be heard from outer space. Stop me if I am wrong, but i have always been under the impression that a PLayers guide is just that, enough info for a player to pick up a volume designated for them, and have just enough info to help them formulate a character and play. The 7th Seas Players guide delivers just that. Enough info for folks who are just interested in playing, nothing more. This book delivered big time. For a player, there is more than enough info to wet the appitite for more, and have them chomping at the bit to get going. Why should the players have access to everything at their fingertips, there is so much happening in this world, there is so much possibility for some greast story telling, why should the players be robbed of the all surprises? I am a great believer in keeping some things under wraps, that creates a sense of mystery and wonder. And we all don't get enough of that in our ordinary day to day lives, if we did, then maybe the world wouldn't be in the crappy state it is now. The gripes about continuning product, the hints at supplements etc...well, it's called BUSINESS. This Industry like any other, it has to keep itself going. The only way that roleplaying companies keep their heads above water (barely sometimes), is by the release of product. If the product is good, and well thought out and MARKETABLE, that ensures that the company has money coming in and folks keep their jobs and we keep getting roleplaying games. So of course AEG are going to explore this for all it's worth, to be honest, I don't care. It has been a long long long time since I have felt excited by a game, and fired up with ideas to run folks through. I have got ideas for loads of things that I can run , and that was just from reading the Players guide. If the continuiung porduct can be released promptly and be of the same calibre, I am happy to buy the product. If the quality lags and the material is pretty shaky in its relevancy, then I will be the first person to vote with my feet. I will also be extremely vocal in asking "Why". For the complexity of the background, there is no way that everything could be explored in depth. I am happy to wait for the supplements, but the other point is...why be bound by the written word, why not take the info at hand and make it your own? The only reason to be hanging on the arrival of a particular supplement is if the reader wants to go by the book..then that is all down to a matter of choice and nothing to do with content. THe Pirate reference in the book. CVritics have been complaining that the book hasn't delivered the Pirate Genre it promised. I would like to point out that the Card game which is being released in August, according to my information, is a Pirate based card game. From my reading, I was under the impressin that the roleplaying game would be related to the game. And again, it delivers. This parallel european world is a world ripe for maruading pirates. Our Pirates in our time line didn't just wake up one morning and take to sea. The politics of the time shaped the world and its boundaries, and those circumstances saw the arrival of the pirates. Its all cause and effect. Besides, there are two other Pirate specific games currently on the market. IF it's just pirates you want, then just pirates you can get. This game delivers so much more than that, you have the possiblity of focusing only the pirate nations if you wish, but if you have players who want more, who to change their focus for something different such as the archeology side, or play a game that focuses around politics and intrigue instead of running dice grooves down your dinning room table, then this game can keep the dice moungers, rules lawyers and the diceless ones, and the ruless wonders...happy. To be able to deliver a product that will appeal to a broad spectrum of people, is a pretty big ask. But this game has something for everyone, and over all, I have been very pleased with the result, so far. I will add that there is no such thing as the perfect game, and there are a couple of things that I wasn't completly enamoured with (such as the monster list, very cliched and I expected better from AEG, and a little bit more about the Empire of the Crescent Moon and Cathay would have had me leaping through hoops), but in saying that, having some un-knowns is kinda cool, because it will aid in exploration later on, and means I can add something of my owm as well. That has great story potential for me and my players. Overall, I was pleased with result, and bare in mind, we shell out way more for our games than you guys do in the US, (thanks to our exchange rate), I was quite happy to have spent the 50.00 aussie dollars as a result. If you want a book that is going to give you enough material to sit down and have a grand time with your friends, then this will be the game for you. The format is clear and well set out, all the important information is written in a and easy to read as well as easy to find. The pronunciation guide is useful and much needed addition, as well as the layout for the two different classes of ships. There is a lot of scope for the further development of this game, and I for one, are looking forward to seeing what will be coming next. I will be buying the gm's guide later on this week, and will post a review when I have had a chance to disect it. JO's rating system: 7th Seas PLayers Guide: 4 stars out of 5 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

7th seas Roleplaying