Having had and played the original version of Metamorphosis Alpha, I have a word of caution to those thinking this is simply an updated version of the old one, warts and all: It isn't. What they have done is clean up the mechanics, keep the Starship Warden setting, and rewind the time to during and just after the "accident" that caused the Starship to go off course. Oh, and they changed the "accident" to be a cloaked asteroid manned(?) by alien invaders in additon to the famous strange radiation. If you are a purist, you might be dissappointed if you expected merely an update to the original game. Though if you give it a go, you might just have just as much fun as before!
As mentioned previously, the setting is on the good 'ol Starship Warden, but rather than being just a colony/science ship, it was designed to be a ship that rescued the other ships that went astray (though they say it was also a science vessel - not really important). On its first mission, after locating the ship to be recued (the Bonnie Brown), it collided with a cloaked asteroid, got exposed to strange radiation and was invaded by bizarre aliens that lived in the asteroid. Apparently they did the same to the Bonnie Bown, though it was not explicitly stated as so. The radiation wiped out the scientists that ran the ship, caused a lot of computers to malfunction and lots and lots of mayhem, leaving the players in 1 of 3 phases, with 1 of 3 types of characters.
Phase 1 is right after the collision where radiation has flooded all or nearly all decks and the PC's are engineering robots trying to clean up the radiation and stop the aliens. Radiation is high, mutants are there but few, alien creatures and fungus abound. Expect to lose a LOT of robot PC's.
Phase 2, the engineering robots, needing help acitivate the android making machines, so the PC's are generally androids. A lot of the radiation is cleaned up, but definately not all, and mutants start becoming numerous, and some androids are made by malfunctioning AI's so many think they are people, better than people, or just plain mean. PC's will be slagged at a regular basis turning into puddles of red goo.
Phase 3, things seem to be getting entranched, and the human commandoes are awakened, some decks are OK, others are alien, some are battelgrounds, and there is a lot of mayhem. Androids have taken over Epsilon City and are running it like a police state, and there are lots of mutants, aliens, etc. all struggling to survive, complete the invasion, and so on. I predict that this phase will be the most popular. Plus, you might survive more than one adventure, though given the lethality, may not last very much longer
Due to the extreme conditions, you will be going through characters faster than clones in the old favorite RPG "Paranoia." This is not too different than the original MA, except there is more excuse for it in this type of setting than the centuries later version in the original.
Some doors are open to exploring the Asteroid, and the derelict, Bonnie Brown, and perhaps a MA-old style setting (Phase 4?). I am sure if this game takes off (it should) these will be fleshed out in future supplements.
The Epsilon City level is mapped out, but the other levels are left to the GM or PC's -- this is unlike the original, but appropriate since the flora and fauna in the ship are changing so quickly inthe 3 phases.
Mechanics are a lot cleaned up from the old M.A. game. Would even say "better" -- though just as lethal. No skills, though Robots, androids and humans will all have abilities and possible mutations as time goes on if they manage to survive. In a setting this simple, skills would be redundant, though, as this would lead itself to a series of 1 nighters.
OK, that being said, let's just say that I really *like* this game. As a standalone it is a good game, as a spiritual successor to the old Metamorphosis Alpha, it is a great game. It is also a way to introduce other to SF RPG's without getting involved in intimidatingly large lists of skills and rules and still have lots of fun.
I would definatley check it out!
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(Due to spamming, old forum discussions are no linked.)