The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Like the previously review, Avengers of Justice, I found Era Ten innovative, simple and exciting. The three books come wrapped in a cover/outer sleeve that contains tables on the inside, and can be used to construct a screen, though too flimsy on its own to be one. The three books are staple bound and cardboard covered with a standard type face and some line art. Battle Born is the 38 page role-playing rules and includes a loose cardstock character sheet. Encounters Sci-Fi Scenarios is a 53 page book of randomized encounter elements that uses a standard playing card deck as the randomizer. Designing Sci-Fi Scenarios has 38 pages of tables, again randomized by playing cards, for mission/scenario generation. Both books of tables include outlines, examples of table use and suggestions for carrying the cards' results into a game session or campaign.

Era Ten takes place in the far future, where a pacification virus has rendered most terrans and their alien allies (all called humans, even though one is tripedal for example). The few "immunes" are pressed into service as the protectors of humanity and the elite of those are the Battle Born, powered armor assault troops. In powered armor, they drop from orbit, doing combat with the enemies of the Tetra-League (man and his 4 alien allies).

Players can be one of four races; Terran "squishy thinkers", Cruz "triped war-dogs", Skia "haggling reptiles", or Cimmer "spartan aggressors". Each race receives a little background text and almost no descriptions, nor is their any good non-Terran art pieces (one of my minor complaints). Choice of race and carrier path (grunt, doc, tech-ninja, spec, or sarge) determine which of the five attributes, and many more skills, a character has. The five attributes; Durable, Fierce, Imperial, Inventive, Spirited, either exist indicating superiority or are considered average.

Players buy skills, aside from what they start with, using points they earn when their characters advance in rank/level. Advancement is handled by one of two options, the easier method has mission completion causing advancement, the complex requires characters to complete 9 "ignobles". Ignobles are story elements that are demonstrated through good role-playing (forex: heroics, cunning ploy, adventure, growth).

Every aspect of the game is handled using "Quick & Dirty" tables. Starship combat, mission generation, encounter generation, things like task resolutions, and critical hits/fumbles. I found all the tables very flexible and not the kind of random dribble you may be imagining now. If nothing else, this system is intelligent, inspiring and flexible.

Better Games' systems and campaigns continue to amaze me and remain the most interesting and innovative role-playing experiences I have had. FYI, there is a website through which they can be contacted, http://spacegamer.com/spacegamer/

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Era Ten
Author: Hillmer and Rahm Category: game Company/Publisher: Better Games Line: Free-Style Role-Play / Quick & Dirty System Page count: 38, 53 & 38 ISBN: 1-879182-00-9, -02-5 & -01-7 Capsule Review by Papyrus on 02/18/00. Genre tags: Science_fiction Far_Future Space	Like the previously review, Avengers of Justice, I found Era Ten innovative, simple and exciting. The three books come wrapped in a cover/outer sleeve that contains tables on the inside, and can be used to construct a screen, though too flimsy on its own to be one. The three books are staple bound and cardboard covered with a standard type face and some line art. Battle Born is the 38 page role-playing rules and includes a loose cardstock character sheet. Encounters Sci-Fi Scenarios is a 53 page book of randomized encounter elements that uses a standard playing card deck as the randomizer. Designing Sci-Fi Scenarios has 38 pages of tables, again randomized by playing cards, for mission/scenario generation. Both books of tables include outlines, examples of table use and suggestions for carrying the cards' results into a game session or campaign. Era Ten takes place in the far future, where a pacification virus has rendered most terrans and their alien allies (all called humans, even though one is tripedal for example). The few "immunes" are pressed into service as the protectors of humanity and the elite of those are the Battle Born, powered armor assault troops. In powered armor, they drop from orbit, doing combat with the enemies of the Tetra-League (man and his 4 alien allies). Players can be one of four races; Terran "squishy thinkers", Cruz "triped war-dogs", Skia "haggling reptiles", or Cimmer "spartan aggressors". Each race receives a little background text and almost no descriptions, nor is their any good non-Terran art pieces (one of my minor complaints). Choice of race and carrier path (grunt, doc, tech-ninja, spec, or sarge) determine which of the five attributes, and many more skills, a character has. The five attributes; Durable, Fierce, Imperial, Inventive, Spirited, either exist indicating superiority or are considered average. Players buy skills, aside from what they start with, using points they earn when their characters advance in rank/level. Advancement is handled by one of two options, the easier method has mission completion causing advancement, the complex requires characters to complete 9 "ignobles". Ignobles are story elements that are demonstrated through good role-playing (forex: heroics, cunning ploy, adventure, growth). Every aspect of the game is handled using "Quick & Dirty" tables. Starship combat, mission generation, encounter generation, things like task resolutions, and critical hits/fumbles. I found all the tables very flexible and not the kind of random dribble you may be imagining now. If nothing else, this system is intelligent, inspiring and flexible. Better Games' systems and campaigns continue to amaze me and remain the most interesting and innovative role-playing experiences I have had. FYI, there is a website through which they can be contacted, http://spacegamer.com/spacegamer/ Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)