The Inside Scoop on Gaming

The primary motivation for this review is a review I read previously here at Rpg.net. This review, precise and to the point, focused only on the changes from version 1 to version 1.1. I felt it was proper to bring a more detailed review of the book.

When discussing the genre, you actually gets very close to the core of the book, from a gamer's view at least. It blends most major genres and places them on a far away planet known as Mort (a perverted version of latin mors, wich means death), this is done rather brilliantly I may add. It is quite possible to play whatever you may want within a surprisingly rigidless frame, although a certain focus on violence is a latent factor. The horror of the book comes easily through in gaming, and with the correct external factors a session may be truly eerie.

The system is dynamic and easily modifiable, with some logiccally extending optional rules. There are clear remnants from GURPS in character creation, although you get a feeling quite close to the one you can experience while creating AD&D-characters. The strange magic/psionics-hybrid, which is called Ebb, is beautifully integrated, and many a setting-feature is influenced by it, a rather delightful change from many a game, where magic and/or psionics might as well not at all exist.

The setting focuses on the planet of Mort, more specifically on the city of Mort Central. It is a bleak and decaying world of horror and orwellish bureaucracy. Playing as operatives opens for many interesting possibilities, and rids the game of "inn-openings". Head of the gigantic firm, SLA industries, is a man called Mr. Slayer, who clearly represents the freudian paternal figure, a man everybody hates for his possesion of the generic wish of the public, attention, money and power, but who nobody can do anything about, because of his godlike status.

A great influence on the book must also be attributed to german philosopher, Friedrich Nietche. Both on his abanding of all values, and his theories of the emotional "meta-human". The "übermänsch"-wish wieghs heavily in the focus of the game. And in a world where no religion, but power, exist, and nothing holds the world more together than the power of media, how can one create sense of worth for oneself. Here, ladies and gentlemen, we might very well be talking about a truly "deep" game, despite it's "dungeon-crawl"-moments.

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

SLA Industries
Author: Dave Allsop Category: game Company/Publisher: Nightfall Games/Hogshead Publishing Line: SLA Industries Page count: 304 ISBN: 1-899749-23-3 SKU: HP500 Capsule Review by Ulf Houe on 12/23/00. Genre tags: Science fiction Horror Space Gothic	The primary motivation for this review is a review I read previously here at Rpg.net. This review, precise and to the point, focused only on the changes from version 1 to version 1.1. I felt it was proper to bring a more detailed review of the book. When discussing the genre, you actually gets very close to the core of the book, from a gamer's view at least. It blends most major genres and places them on a far away planet known as Mort (a perverted version of latin mors, wich means death), this is done rather brilliantly I may add. It is quite possible to play whatever you may want within a surprisingly rigidless frame, although a certain focus on violence is a latent factor. The horror of the book comes easily through in gaming, and with the correct external factors a session may be truly eerie. The system is dynamic and easily modifiable, with some logiccally extending optional rules. There are clear remnants from GURPS in character creation, although you get a feeling quite close to the one you can experience while creating AD&D-characters. The strange magic/psionics-hybrid, which is called Ebb, is beautifully integrated, and many a setting-feature is influenced by it, a rather delightful change from many a game, where magic and/or psionics might as well not at all exist. The setting focuses on the planet of Mort, more specifically on the city of Mort Central. It is a bleak and decaying world of horror and orwellish bureaucracy. Playing as operatives opens for many interesting possibilities, and rids the game of "inn-openings". Head of the gigantic firm, SLA industries, is a man called Mr. Slayer, who clearly represents the freudian paternal figure, a man everybody hates for his possesion of the generic wish of the public, attention, money and power, but who nobody can do anything about, because of his godlike status. A great influence on the book must also be attributed to german philosopher, Friedrich Nietche. Both on his abanding of all values, and his theories of the emotional "meta-human". The "übermänsch"-wish wieghs heavily in the focus of the game. And in a world where no religion, but power, exist, and nothing holds the world more together than the power of media, how can one create sense of worth for oneself. Here, ladies and gentlemen, we might very well be talking about a truly "deep" game, despite it's "dungeon-crawl"-moments. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

SLA Industries