The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I have to say that when I first came across the website for Haven: City of Violence when going through some links from a friend, I thought that it was a neat idea and told myself I would come back to it later. Eventually I did, and I printed out all of the information on the site and then neatly bound it in a little folder and say down to read it. While I've never been a big fan of film noir or action movies, I have to say that I found Haven: City of Violence to be disappointing overall. The setting has some possibility, but there is precious little of it and the rules are odd and uninspired. This problem is further compounded by the generally low quality of writing and large numbers of typos to provide and overall feeling of a half-finished product.

First I will talk about what I printed out to use as the book itself, since Haven: City of Violence is available for free on the net, at the Louis Porter, Jr. Design site. Then I'll briefly mention the attractions of their new webpage (they recently moved when the company bought a domain name, completely revamping the site).

City of Haven

Unfortunately, it is these 8 pages that are the high point of the game. For some reason, so many people don't seem to understand that the setting is so much more important than the rules. Anyone can make up rules but it is the setting that is the real heart and soul of a game. The hardest part to get right or fix if it is wrong, it is the setting that makes or breaks a game, at least for me.

It starts off with a short bit of introductory fiction. The tale is interesting enough and seems reasonably close to the genre of film noir, but it is seriously plagues by editorial problems, so much that it detracted from my enjoyment of it (not an easy feat). After that are several short paragraphs on each of the six major sections of the city of Haven.

The sections are nice enough (and I have to say that the title bars are so stylish that I think much of my appreciation for the game comes solely from them), but they are almost disgustingly short and sparse. They are little more than campaign note, nothing even resembling a complete game setting. There are some neat details here and there, but nothing so great as to carry the game like it should.

Them Damned Rules

This is the bulk of the game, what I would estimate to be around 70 or so pages, and they really fell short. As I said, I don't really like action movies, I need something more to entertain me, but I do watch them from time to time (mainly Hong Kong action films because Hollywood has no taste, but that's a separate issue). I'm reasonably familiar with Feng Shui and that is how I picture and action movie system working (although it is on the high-end of the genre, to understate the matter). The rules for Haven: City of Violence, aside from being written somewhat poorly and so being hard to grasp entirely without some work, definitely fall short of the mark.

The character system itself is easy enough to understand, and reminds me in many ways of a mix of Continuum, Silhouette, and AD&D, but usually taking the worst traits of each. Relying upon Primary and Secondary Attributes more than Skills, characters also turn to various advantages and disadvantages, many of which border on the supernatural and completely break the standard conception of the genre. I'm fine with that, in fact I love it when someone really pushes the envelope, but there is no mention of the repercussions of the use of these traits. Some can break the mood or feel of a game unless a moderator is careful, and such things need to be acknowledged and dealt with in games. Some of the advantages (like Antihero) are really neat, but they were not dealt with very well, referring to unclear rules or systems or just plain done in an unappealing manner.

Unfortunately, the basic die mechanic is never really clearly laid out, I had to puzzle out just how to check against stats by inference and example, which is, again, a Really Bad Thing.

Then the game turns to combat and much of the rest of the pages are filled with charts and weapons and special maneuvers, which is sure to distance me since I find little of interest in combat-only games. I admit that the title itself says "City of Violence," but I was hoping that was more of an abstract ideal, that the city of Haven was a realm straight out of a detective movie, where violence is everywhere but combat is not the focus. There is a fine distinction and Haven: City of Violence seems to miss it.

The Website

The website, http://www.lpjdesign.com/Violence.html, has a bunch of links, information on the creators and playtesters, as well as downloads. The basic rules are all available in .pdf format as is a few newsletters (entitled New World Order) that contain supplemental information, not unlike how Biohazard Games uses Undercurrents to support to their Blue Planet game line, but LPJ Design does not manage to reach the same quality as Biohazard, sadly.

The website also has rules for submissions, and email list, pictures, sample characters, and the like. I recommend that those who are vaguely interested in the idea of the game check out the background and setting, but ignore the rules.

Judgement has been made

And I have found Haven: City of Violence lacking for my tastes. For people who do want a combat-oriented game, this may be it (it is free, after all), but I am not the one to judge it on those terms because I can barely understand the appeal (it's like video games, but less interesting). Haven is not the film-noir game of detectives and beautiful women and big thugs with baseball bats chasing you through the rain in your trench-coat and fedora, it is a game about cheap violence and taking the other man down, which is, simply put, not my cup of tea.

Style: 1 (Unintelligible)
Substance: 2 (Sparse)

Haven: City of Violence
Author: Louis Porter, Jr. Category: game Company/Publisher: Louis Porter, Jr. Design Line: Haven: City of Violence Cost: free Page count: approximatley 60-80 pages, printed out Capsule Review by Derek Guder on 11/08/99. Genre tags: Modern_day Historical	I have to say that when I first came across the website for Haven: City of Violence when going through some links from a friend, I thought that it was a neat idea and told myself I would come back to it later. Eventually I did, and I printed out all of the information on the site and then neatly bound it in a little folder and say down to read it. While I've never been a big fan of film noir or action movies, I have to say that I found Haven: City of Violence to be disappointing overall. The setting has some possibility, but there is precious little of it and the rules are odd and uninspired. This problem is further compounded by the generally low quality of writing and large numbers of typos to provide and overall feeling of a half-finished product. First I will talk about what I printed out to use as the book itself, since Haven: City of Violence is available for free on the net, at the Louis Porter, Jr. Design site. Then I'll briefly mention the attractions of their new webpage (they recently moved when the company bought a domain name, completely revamping the site). City of Haven Unfortunately, it is these 8 pages that are the high point of the game. For some reason, so many people don't seem to understand that the setting is so much more important than the rules. Anyone can make up rules but it is the setting that is the real heart and soul of a game. The hardest part to get right or fix if it is wrong, it is the setting that makes or breaks a game, at least for me. It starts off with a short bit of introductory fiction. The tale is interesting enough and seems reasonably close to the genre of film noir, but it is seriously plagues by editorial problems, so much that it detracted from my enjoyment of it (not an easy feat). After that are several short paragraphs on each of the six major sections of the city of Haven. The sections are nice enough (and I have to say that the title bars are so stylish that I think much of my appreciation for the game comes solely from them), but they are almost disgustingly short and sparse. They are little more than campaign note, nothing even resembling a complete game setting. There are some neat details here and there, but nothing so great as to carry the game like it should. Them Damned Rules This is the bulk of the game, what I would estimate to be around 70 or so pages, and they really fell short. As I said, I don't really like action movies, I need something more to entertain me, but I do watch them from time to time (mainly Hong Kong action films because Hollywood has no taste, but that's a separate issue). I'm reasonably familiar with Feng Shui and that is how I picture and action movie system working (although it is on the high-end of the genre, to understate the matter). The rules for Haven: City of Violence, aside from being written somewhat poorly and so being hard to grasp entirely without some work, definitely fall short of the mark. The character system itself is easy enough to understand, and reminds me in many ways of a mix of Continuum, Silhouette, and AD&D, but usually taking the worst traits of each. Relying upon Primary and Secondary Attributes more than Skills, characters also turn to various advantages and disadvantages, many of which border on the supernatural and completely break the standard conception of the genre. I'm fine with that, in fact I love it when someone really pushes the envelope, but there is no mention of the repercussions of the use of these traits. Some can break the mood or feel of a game unless a moderator is careful, and such things need to be acknowledged and dealt with in games. Some of the advantages (like Antihero) are really neat, but they were not dealt with very well, referring to unclear rules or systems or just plain done in an unappealing manner. Unfortunately, the basic die mechanic is never really clearly laid out, I had to puzzle out just how to check against stats by inference and example, which is, again, a Really Bad Thing. Then the game turns to combat and much of the rest of the pages are filled with charts and weapons and special maneuvers, which is sure to distance me since I find little of interest in combat-only games. I admit that the title itself says "City of Violence," but I was hoping that was more of an abstract ideal, that the city of Haven was a realm straight out of a detective movie, where violence is everywhere but combat is not the focus. There is a fine distinction and Haven: City of Violence seems to miss it. The Website The website, http://www.lpjdesign.com/Violence.html, has a bunch of links, information on the creators and playtesters, as well as downloads. The basic rules are all available in .pdf format as is a few newsletters (entitled New World Order) that contain supplemental information, not unlike how Biohazard Games uses Undercurrents to support to their Blue Planet game line, but LPJ Design does not manage to reach the same quality as Biohazard, sadly. The website also has rules for submissions, and email list, pictures, sample characters, and the like. I recommend that those who are vaguely interested in the idea of the game check out the background and setting, but ignore the rules. Judgement has been made And I have found Haven: City of Violence lacking for my tastes. For people who do want a combat-oriented game, this may be it (it is free, after all), but I am not the one to judge it on those terms because I can barely understand the appeal (it's like video games, but less interesting). Haven is not the film-noir game of detectives and beautiful women and big thugs with baseball bats chasing you through the rain in your trench-coat and fedora, it is a game about cheap violence and taking the other man down, which is, simply put, not my cup of tea. Style: 1 (Unintelligible) Substance: 2 (Sparse)