 Goto [ Index ] |
APPERANCE: A/State is a hard cover rule book which unusually and I found eye catching is mostly white, with a bald tattooed gents face half seen on the cover. This is done using computer graphics and dose not look to bad at all. (It certainly does stand out on the shelf) The book runs to 251 pages and seems to be well bound. All art in the book is in B&W and all computer generated.
ART: The art for the most part in the book is well done and fairly atmospheric in showing what The City is like. The only complaint here is that everything including the people seem very clean. Which is at odds with the setting.
EDITING: Well it's not too bad, I have seen better but have seen a hell of a lot worse. The main errors are minor typos (of instead of off, nothing the blurs the meaning of the text. So all in all not a major or really even minor issue (Probably less all up than in this review)
RULES: Nice quick, dirty and lethal. A/State uses a basic % system with % mods for any actions. Stats are % and add 1 tenth of their amount to relevant skill rolls. Hand to hand is opposed in that both the attacker and the victim both roll the relevant skill and the one that succeeds by the most (or Fails by the least) succeeds. Be that attack or defence. H-T-H has a slightly unusual quirk (Or so I think) in that you must declare what body part you are aiming for. I like this as it makes close combat more descriptive. Ranged combat is basically a skill check taking into account range, movement and other modifiers. This seems to flow quickly and be easy to run on the fly. Ranged combat does not have to be aimed, so you can just shoot and see where the bullet hits on a random hit location table Initiative is a set number using a combination of stats and a reaction modifier for the weapon you are using. This is my only worry as it means fast people will always go first and there is no chance of an upset.
Damage seems to be quite lethal as every weapon does set amount damage so a sparklock pistol will always do a X amount of damage, only modified by armour. Once again in the context of the rules and game setting this seems to work well. Damage taken is compared to the character RESilence score and depending on where it hit the person a number of shock points are given. Once a character is 1.5 times his RES in shock points there is a chance of death. (The average persons RES would be 4-5, so this is a dangerous game)
CHARACTER GEN: Character gen is a points system where the player allocates what to spend his points on. It also encompasses an Origin and upbringing section, which give you some skills and usually affect a stat. This is well done as even players who do not like to make up backgrounds or histories for their players now have a background that the GM can use. Advantages and disadvantages are also in the book, these spend or give character creation points and all seem to be well rounded.
SETTING: This is where the game really comes into it's own. If you've seen Dark City you'll be part way there. The City as it's known is an overpopulated metropolis, surrounded by deadly wastelands that only machines can enter. For nearly a thousand years The City has sat in the middle of these wastelands, two events conspired to set up the current situation The Shift where things changed to what they are now and the bombardment that destroyed history and knowledge. Corruption runs rife. People are just another resource to use and abused by the 8 Macrocrops. The main diet consists of polluted fish breed or caught in the foetid canals that run through the city. Dog is another popular dish. Both of these are used to their full. There is fish bone glue, fish oil lamps. Dog skin coats. Other than that not much lives in the city, just some horrible and nasty types of vermin.
I can't do the setting justice here, I would suggest going to the website www.contestedground.co.uk. There is a wealth of ideas and campaign types for any groups to run. From soldiers fighting in the contested grounds to lostfinders, trying to help alleviate the misery of the majority of the population, by searching for lost loved ones or much needed items. To even knife fighters and drug dealers. The technology in the setting is divided between the haves and have-nots. People on the street are lucky to have a shiv and perhaps a sparklock pistol (Think flintlocks and you are close) whilst the richer have revolvers or magnetic repeaters. Things called Dingins, which are like clockwork computers, and immune to computer viri run many items. The rich can afford biosci and modify themselves for a better chance a survival. Once again I stress check out the website and get a far better idea of what the setting is really like.
GRIM: I've heard around the traps that folk think this setting is all doom and gloom and way to grim. Well it is grim very dark and Dickensian. But there is hope the PC's can bring a small amount of hope to the lives that surround them, there is even a reward system for the PC's if they do so. Sure the characters will not be able to change the world, but they may be able to offer hope to a small starving family, or even help out a street. The game despite all its gloom is about hope, just not on the grand scale that we are used to seeing. It's about the small things
SUPPORT: The game seems to be well supported on the web by the publishers and authors. An irregular e-zine for the setting is realised (5 issues so far) and usually contain, adventures or adventure nuggets. Places and setting details plus RL updates on the game. The forums also seem to be a friendly place with the writer chiming in on a regular basis. I feel that more RPG companies should show this level of friendly support.
OVERALL: Overall I feel that this would be a worth addition to most gamers library and is a very playable game and setting. Though it could get a bit dark and gritty for some. Apart from some minor editing issues it is a very well put together product with some good net support. Not having the chance to run it yet all I can say about the rules is that they look quick and easy and pretty complete (Even vehicle combat) though of course the acid test for rules of course is an actual game. As the cover says You will never forget the City but the city will forget you.
Help support RPGnet by purchasing this item through DriveThruRPG.
