JUNK: A Game Of Mechanized Combat In A Not So Intelligent Future
Before I start, a quick preface. Outside of a few CD and movie reviews for a campus newspaper, this is my first written review for a public audience. More specifically, this is my first game review, and first review for RPGnet. Any and all constructrive critism would be greatly appreciated.
Now on to the review.
JUNK (Known to some as "That 'mech game with the rednecks, hillbillies, and beer-powered, jury-rigged war machines.") is the first product published in print for Dark Omen Games. If you're the type of gamer who thinks games with giant walking robots are stupid & unrealistic, stop reading right now, because you'll just be wasting your time. Go read a book, or watch an episode of Frasier. If you're the type of gamer who wants their games to be a realistic simulation of real life events or activities; or think the idea of rednecks going around, driving beer-powered, jury-rigged robots and shootin' each other is just plain stupid, you too should stop reading this. Go start a game of Advanced Squad Leader or something. You'll enjoy your self more.
As you may have figured out, JUNK is somewhat of a 'beer-and-pretzels" game, more in style with GorkaMorka than your traditional tactical wargame. In the far future, rednecks uprise against a tyrannical world government. Their cause may have been just, but power armor and supertanks beat shotguns and pickups any day of the week. The redneck rebels are exiled to a garbage planet, and begin to rebuild a new homeland. As rednecks are wont to do, a series of fights broke out, splintering their society over important social issues (Chevy vs. Ford, Tastes Great vs. Less Filling, World Wide Wrestling vs. High Octane Wrestling, etc). This game attempts to recreate the daily skirmishes that take place on the planet Joisey, where both tempers and engines are fueled by booze, hodge-podge warmachines ('Cans) duel with Bottle Rocket Launchers and Potato Guns, and hillbilles try to lay the smack-down on each other. Think "Battletech with no hexes, dropships, or Driving Under the Influence laws."
WHAT YOU GET: Quite a bit for a low, low cost of $14.95 (I paid $21 Cdn), in my opinion.
*Background
*Basic ('Can fightin') Rules
*Vehicle Rules
*Redneck (infantry) Rules
*4 scenarious
*Campaign Rules (that include Salvage, Character Advancement & 'Can Upgrades)
WHAT YOU DON'T GET:
*A box, terrain, counters, maps, a handout of all the charts used in the game, or extra blank vehicle sheets. (ie. items that would necessitate a boxed set format, rather than a 104 page book)
*Examples of pre-built 'Cans or Vechiles
The core rules are fairly easy to learn and only take up 9 pages and explain what is on the 'Can sheet, the dice mechanic, taking damage, turn sequence, cranking out (generating) energy, powerin' up systems (legs, weapons & nifties), initiative, movin', and shootin'. After a quick read through, anyone should be able to run through a small duel between two 'Cans with only a few references to the rules. In terms of complexity, I would compare it to First Ed. Battletech. A minimal amount of vehicle statistics (speed, ability to absorb damage, power, and weapons to deal damage), keeps the game fast and free of constant rules referencing.
The core dice mechanic is very similar to that used by FASA's Shadowrun. Skill level determines the number of six sided dice rolled, each die that equals or exceeds the target number is counted as a tag (success). Get enough tags and you hit. Roll the weapon's damage rating in d6's, each one that equals or exceeds the target's armor rating is a point of damage. Damage is scored against a central pool of 'hit points' (called Whuppin'), but cause location dependant criticals (ie. if you happen to hit the legs, damage is scored on the 'Cans Whuppin' track, but if you do enough damage that a critical hit occurs, it results in the target being slowed down, not being able to move anymore, etc).
Something somewhat unique to JUNK are the rules used to reflect the jury-rigged nature of these 'Cans. Every time you fire a weapon or move faster than the 'Can can handle, you roll punishment vs. your 'Cans Toughness (same mechanics as the Damage vs. Armor roll when you get hit).
In terms of style, I would definitely say it does NOT read like a text book. I found this game to be an easy, fun, quick and enjoyable read. Having the rules taught to you in character (ie. by a resident of Joisey) gives the game a far different feel than most other games, but some gamers may find the writing style disruptive or just plain annoying. Here's a fine example in the rules section...
"Now, the folks at Really Big Weapons, Inc. say that some games like this have somethin' called simultaneous damage. They told me it means that everbody is supposedly shootin' at the same time, so if somethin' gets blown up, it still gets to shoot back. This didn't make no sense to me. I mean, if somethin's blowed up, it's blowed up, right? I don't know 'bout them other games, but in Junk, if somethin's blowed up before it gets a chance to shoot, that's just too darned bad. It don't get no simultaneous damage, it got blowed up! (I'll bet this simultaneous damage is an idea from them HOWards up North, anyways.)" (p. 16)
Now this IS Dark Omen Games' first published product and in some places it shows. There is a fair bit of white space, and the font is a bit larger than most printed games. To some people, this is a good thing, but I can't help but think that they could have easily trimmed at least a dozen pages without inducing eye strain. The artwork (all black & white pencil and pen drawings) and charts all look a little fuzzy around the edges, almost as if they were originally pasted on to the first draft and photocopied a few times. The ink doesn't smudge too badly if you rub your fingers over the black parts, but it will run a fair bit if the pages get wet. The four scenarios (called "Sicherashuns") included in the book are somewhat drab, having been created more for replayability rather than recreating a unique battle. Also, there is a lack of advice (or examples) of how a battlefield should be layed out. How much terrain should we use? How should it be layed out?
My absolute biggest complaint about this book is because of a serious oversight on Dark Omen Games' part. We are only given two examples of pre-built 'Cans (one in the quick-start core rules, and a second in the 'Can creation rules as an example) and NO examples of other vehicles (hotrods or pickup trucks). Sure, we have a fine set of creation rules, but with so few examples to set a baseline, it makes it real hard for people to get a feel for what 'Cans SHOULD be like. Just imagine what people would have been creating if the original Battletech had not included 14 'mechs to start us off. Word from Dark Omen Games is that they are planning on uploading a number of 'Cans and stuff to their webpage soon.
How I Rate Junk:
Style: 2 (Needs Work) GREAT job for a fledgling company, but the artwork IS a bit rough (and some art is repeated in places). This isn't a slam against a new company who can't rely on mass sales to pay for interior colour, a stable of artists, a team of layout specialists, etc. but a comparison of what is out their in the market. And honestly, this isn't a coffee table book.
Substance: 4 (Meaty) This would have been a five if they would have provided us with dozen 'Cans as examples, and a half dozen other vechiles. Regardless, a LOT is contained in this book. Kuodos for giving us campaign rules right from the get go, rather than making it a seperate product. Oh, and for those of you that keep track of these things, the JUNK has a four page index that appears to be very complete.
Value for Money: 5 (Excellent!) Very few new games give you so much CONTENT for so little cash.
SUMMARY
If you're not one of those groups of people I told to stop reading (Heah, what you doin' still reading this? GET OFF MY LAWN!!), point your browser to http://DarkOmenGames.Bizland.com right away and download their free demo of the core rules (Bits of Junk). It's almost identical to the rules in JUNK, and should give you a good feel for how the game plays (plus, it includes three different 'Cans to use). If you like what you see, and want all the other bits, I urge you to get this game right away.
-Alexander B. Grover
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