The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Although West End Games has disappeared from view of late following a merger with a French game company, in 1995 their Star Wars line was still going strong. That year saw the release of something fairly unexpected- a thin softcover titled Star Wars Live-Action Adventures. I stumbled upon it by accident at my shop of choice and swiftly assimilated it into my LARP collection.

The book promises readers the chance to dress up and match wits with all our favorite Star Wars stereotypes- Brash Pilots! Young Jedi! Grizzled Rogues! Sinister Spies! Green Clovers! Blue Diamonds! You get the picture. Does it deliver on that promise? In many ways, it simply can't, but if you spend a little time really examining it, you'll find it blossoming in a fashion that isn't immediately obvious. Let's take it from the top:

SETTING

The setting, of course, is the Star Wars universe, and if you can't discover how it looks and feels, there is no hope for you. No hope at all. But will Live-Action Adventures allow you to explore every grim and gritty facet of that universe, the way its colorful tabletop counterpart does? In a word- no. There just really is no way to integrate space combat, at-will hyperspace jumps, and frequent shoot-outs with platoons of costumed extras, save at greater expense and effort than most LARP groups can realistically afford. To their credit, the designers don't even devote more than a paragraph or two to direct discussion of space travel and combat, implying by its near-omission that this should be a game of face-to-face interaction away from the heavy hardware.

CASABLANCA IN SPACE

A successful large-scale game of live-action Star Wars would seem to demand an eclectic cast of characters. Having a dozen people play the part of a single Rebel starship crew, for example, could be done faster, easier, and in a far more satisfying manner using the tabletop system. However, if you could build that eclectic cast, this game could really sing. It seems designed for a setting lifted from Deep Space Nine or Babylon Five- a crossroads of space and cultures. The more one examines it, the clearer it becomes that a good game would all but demand bars, gambling tables, booths, lounges, and dark, lonely corridors. The designers seem to have known this all along. Good for them!

STYLE

Sadly, here's where the book falls down. Not once do we see pictures of anyone actually playing this game. The chapters are illustrated with stock Star Wars photographs of varying quality and relevance, some of them computer-altered. They're filler, plain and simple, and while they do offer some good close-ups of clothing and equipment, other West End products are already brimming with visual references. Not to mention the films themselves. Haven't they just been tattooed at birth directly onto the retinas of all children born after 1983 or so?

The text on each page is placed over a semi-transparent black & white space scene from one of the films. While this looks nice from a distance, it makes parts of the text difficult to read, and photocopying is out of the question for three-quarters of the book.

Everything about the visual style of the book suggests that it was laid out hurriedly. How difficult would it have been to shoot and prepare photographs of some West End staffers, freelancers, or their friends in costumes, enjoying a game? How sincere can a game really seem if it looks as though no one cared to actually play it? Also, the book is missing a few vital things, such as an index. This is a shame, since the poor visual design frames some good writing and ideas.

SYSTEM

Although the later Gamemaster's Toolkit would offer a dice-free resolution method, the system presented in this book requires each participant to carry a single six-sided die as a randomizer. This isn't very complex or demanding, but it firmly cements Live-Action Adventures' niche as a hotel or convention game, since any serious struggle between characters or NPCs will need some convenient flat surfaces. A handy GM with a book or clipboard could suffice, but the system at its core is not as portable and wilderness-ready as, say, Mind's Eye Theatre. By comparison, you could play MET while weightless aboard the Space Shuttle if you had to. This is a minor quibble, but a valid one- flexibility enhances playability.

The character statistics are a truncated version of those found in the tabletop game, which is a smart move. Players familiar with tabletop Star Wars can move into live-action with very little assistance. Furthermore, crafty GMs with a bit of time can easily take anything they like from the tabletop material and covert it for live-action use. The compatibility of the systems is both a good idea and a well-executed one.

SUPPORT

The book really shines in this department. The authors clearly define the various levels of live-action thetrical game by the size and effort required. This is a boon to any first-time live-action GM: solid and quantifiable advice rather than vague generalities. They also offer many useful pages of tips on keeping players involved, arbitrating disputes, and keeping records. One-time games and continuing campaigns are discussed with equal consideration. Lastly, the game includes a pre-generated scenario, "The Shard of Alderaan," which is as textbook-perfect an introduction to a theatrical LARP scenario as a new player or GM could hope for.

FINAL ANALYSIS

There's a real gem of a game hiding within the poor layout of this hard-to-find book. The authors display a genuine love of both the Star Wars setting and the live-action genre, even when they don't seem entirely certain which direction they want to take this sourcebook in. Star Wars Live-Action Adventures has serious potential with a little work from a crew of dedicated coordinators. With the proper player briefings and costume efforts, a live-action Star Wars game could be the most exciting few gaming hours to ever happen to its players. If you can find a copy, I recommend snatching it up before it disappears into the Bargain Bin Zone... forever.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Star Wars Live-Action Adventures
Author: Anthony Russo and Scott Heinig Category: game Company/Publisher: West End Games Line: Star Wars Cost: $20.00 Page count: 128 ISBN: 0-87431283-3 SKU: 40130 Capsule Review by Scott Lynch on 10/27/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Space Live-action	Although West End Games has disappeared from view of late following a merger with a French game company, in 1995 their Star Wars line was still going strong. That year saw the release of something fairly unexpected- a thin softcover titled Star Wars Live-Action Adventures. I stumbled upon it by accident at my shop of choice and swiftly assimilated it into my LARP collection. The book promises readers the chance to dress up and match wits with all our favorite Star Wars stereotypes- Brash Pilots! Young Jedi! Grizzled Rogues! Sinister Spies! Green Clovers! Blue Diamonds! You get the picture. Does it deliver on that promise? In many ways, it simply can't, but if you spend a little time really examining it, you'll find it blossoming in a fashion that isn't immediately obvious. Let's take it from the top: SETTING The setting, of course, is the Star Wars universe, and if you can't discover how it looks and feels, there is no hope for you. No hope at all. But will Live-Action Adventures allow you to explore every grim and gritty facet of that universe, the way its colorful tabletop counterpart does? In a word- no. There just really is no way to integrate space combat, at-will hyperspace jumps, and frequent shoot-outs with platoons of costumed extras, save at greater expense and effort than most LARP groups can realistically afford. To their credit, the designers don't even devote more than a paragraph or two to direct discussion of space travel and combat, implying by its near-omission that this should be a game of face-to-face interaction away from the heavy hardware. CASABLANCA IN SPACE A successful large-scale game of live-action Star Wars would seem to demand an eclectic cast of characters. Having a dozen people play the part of a single Rebel starship crew, for example, could be done faster, easier, and in a far more satisfying manner using the tabletop system. However, if you could build that eclectic cast, this game could really sing. It seems designed for a setting lifted from Deep Space Nine or Babylon Five- a crossroads of space and cultures. The more one examines it, the clearer it becomes that a good game would all but demand bars, gambling tables, booths, lounges, and dark, lonely corridors. The designers seem to have known this all along. Good for them! STYLE Sadly, here's where the book falls down. Not once do we see pictures of anyone actually playing this game. The chapters are illustrated with stock Star Wars photographs of varying quality and relevance, some of them computer-altered. They're filler, plain and simple, and while they do offer some good close-ups of clothing and equipment, other West End products are already brimming with visual references. Not to mention the films themselves. Haven't they just been tattooed at birth directly onto the retinas of all children born after 1983 or so? The text on each page is placed over a semi-transparent black & white space scene from one of the films. While this looks nice from a distance, it makes parts of the text difficult to read, and photocopying is out of the question for three-quarters of the book. Everything about the visual style of the book suggests that it was laid out hurriedly. How difficult would it have been to shoot and prepare photographs of some West End staffers, freelancers, or their friends in costumes, enjoying a game? How sincere can a game really seem if it looks as though no one cared to actually play it? Also, the book is missing a few vital things, such as an index. This is a shame, since the poor visual design frames some good writing and ideas. SYSTEM Although the later Gamemaster's Toolkit would offer a dice-free resolution method, the system presented in this book requires each participant to carry a single six-sided die as a randomizer. This isn't very complex or demanding, but it firmly cements Live-Action Adventures' niche as a hotel or convention game, since any serious struggle between characters or NPCs will need some convenient flat surfaces. A handy GM with a book or clipboard could suffice, but the system at its core is not as portable and wilderness-ready as, say, Mind's Eye Theatre. By comparison, you could play MET while weightless aboard the Space Shuttle if you had to. This is a minor quibble, but a valid one- flexibility enhances playability. The character statistics are a truncated version of those found in the tabletop game, which is a smart move. Players familiar with tabletop Star Wars can move into live-action with very little assistance. Furthermore, crafty GMs with a bit of time can easily take anything they like from the tabletop material and covert it for live-action use. The compatibility of the systems is both a good idea and a well-executed one. SUPPORT The book really shines in this department. The authors clearly define the various levels of live-action thetrical game by the size and effort required. This is a boon to any first-time live-action GM: solid and quantifiable advice rather than vague generalities. They also offer many useful pages of tips on keeping players involved, arbitrating disputes, and keeping records. One-time games and continuing campaigns are discussed with equal consideration. Lastly, the game includes a pre-generated scenario, "The Shard of Alderaan," which is as textbook-perfect an introduction to a theatrical LARP scenario as a new player or GM could hope for. FINAL ANALYSIS There's a real gem of a game hiding within the poor layout of this hard-to-find book. The authors display a genuine love of both the Star Wars setting and the live-action genre, even when they don't seem entirely certain which direction they want to take this sourcebook in. Star Wars Live-Action Adventures has serious potential with a little work from a crew of dedicated coordinators. With the proper player briefings and costume efforts, a live-action Star Wars game could be the most exciting few gaming hours to ever happen to its players. If you can find a copy, I recommend snatching it up before it disappears into the Bargain Bin Zone... forever. Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 4 (Meaty)