The Inside Scoop on Gaming

What can I say about Alternity: StarCraft that hasn't already been said? Probably not a whole lot, but here goes:

I picked up this bomb for $5 at a second hand bookstore. I was happy to open the box and find that everything was there (including dice) before I plunked down my money.

The rules were in booklet form, but since I owned the alternity boxed edition that was similarly formatted and packaged (and with which I was fairly pleased), I figured everything would be just fine. Unforunately, as anyone who has read the reviews on rpg.net can guess, A:SC leaves a lot to be desired.

The rules are extremely light (as they are in the Alternity boxed game) and seem to focus almost completely on combat. While combat is a fun part of space shoot-em ups, if that was all WOTC wanted, they should have made a board game.

Tie-in between the rules/adventures with the game is sometimes good and sometimes lousy. For example, I liked the character templates that were provided because--like the boxed game--they give players and fledgling GMs something simple to start with.

At the same time, the writers made several serious gaffs as far as the SC universe is concerned and did little for GMs who wanted the product as an actual StarCraft supplement for the full-speed game. One of the more laughable and well-noted of these bloopers is a point when the PCs are expected to try to talk their way past a patrol of zerg nasties; For non-SC fans, zerg are alien bugs with a controlling hive mind that makes conversation with their lesser components like trying to dicker with the rattlesnake from the original redbook D&D adventure.

The thing that galls a lot of SC and Alternity fans is that this product might have been so much more had the rights not been secured so close to the demise of the whole Alternity system. Star Wars RPG dollars probably sounded like a safer bet at the time. As someone else pointed out in their review, the dice are nice. And for $5, I guess I did get a little kindling as a bonus for the dice-set.

If you want to play StarCraft using Alternity, get the Players Handbook and the GM Guide and adapt the computer game stuff for your own group. You'd have to do it that way even with this game and the money you save (up to 20 bucks retail in some places still) can be better invested in pizza.

Alternity: StarCraft
Alternity: StarCraft Capsule Review by Daron "Dan" Patton on 22/06/02 Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money) If you want to play StarCraft using Alternity, get the Players Handbook and the GM Guide and adapt the computer game stuff for your own group. You'd have to do it that way even with this game and the money you save (up to 20 bucks retail in some places still) can be better invested in pizza. Product: Alternity: StarCraft Author: Shawn F. Carnes, David Eckelberry, Bill Slavicsek Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Line: Alternity Cost: $19.95 Page count: Year published: ISBN: SKU: Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Daron "Dan" Patton on 22/06/02 Genre tags: Science Fiction Far Future Space	What can I say about Alternity: StarCraft that hasn't already been said? Probably not a whole lot, but here goes: I picked up this bomb for $5 at a second hand bookstore. I was happy to open the box and find that everything was there (including dice) before I plunked down my money. The rules were in booklet form, but since I owned the alternity boxed edition that was similarly formatted and packaged (and with which I was fairly pleased), I figured everything would be just fine. Unforunately, as anyone who has read the reviews on rpg.net can guess, A:SC leaves a lot to be desired. The rules are extremely light (as they are in the Alternity boxed game) and seem to focus almost completely on combat. While combat is a fun part of space shoot-em ups, if that was all WOTC wanted, they should have made a board game. Tie-in between the rules/adventures with the game is sometimes good and sometimes lousy. For example, I liked the character templates that were provided because--like the boxed game--they give players and fledgling GMs something simple to start with. At the same time, the writers made several serious gaffs as far as the SC universe is concerned and did little for GMs who wanted the product as an actual StarCraft supplement for the full-speed game. One of the more laughable and well-noted of these bloopers is a point when the PCs are expected to try to talk their way past a patrol of zerg nasties; For non-SC fans, zerg are alien bugs with a controlling hive mind that makes conversation with their lesser components like trying to dicker with the rattlesnake from the original redbook D&D adventure. The thing that galls a lot of SC and Alternity fans is that this product might have been so much more had the rights not been secured so close to the demise of the whole Alternity system. Star Wars RPG dollars probably sounded like a safer bet at the time. As someone else pointed out in their review, the dice are nice. And for $5, I guess I did get a little kindling as a bonus for the dice-set. If you want to play StarCraft using Alternity, get the Players Handbook and the GM Guide and adapt the computer game stuff for your own group. You'd have to do it that way even with this game and the money you save (up to 20 bucks retail in some places still) can be better invested in pizza.