Review of Cowboys vs. Xenomorphs

Goto [ Index ]

Every so often there comes a book that really changes and changes the way that you look at things. While Traveller has often been compared to Firefly or Shotguns in Space, it never quite had the same feel of a Space Western that say Star Trek did. It had a more investigation and good people called to do sometimes bad things mood. But, what it kept coming back to was a sort of Western (genre) sensibility where players do form posses and go after bad guys. Which is as much a product of the Western, as it is out the experience of many servicemen/women returning from the theatre of war – whether it was Vietnam or some of the more recent wars.

This adventure/supplement does take a step back in time, and gives a set of rules and ambience to recreate the “Old West” and as the name implies the antagonists are aliens. Now, there was a horrible movie with Harrison Ford & Daniel Craig – let us be clear the writing and the mood this supplement/adventure creates is 1000x superior – as it nicely blends in elements of the Weird West along with classic motifs of isolation and alienation. And, that means that this adventure/supplement can be ported into any setting but stripping the players down where Colt Rifles replace Fusion guns, horses for speeders.

So, in a mere 48 pages, there are extraordinary simple rules to transform your Traveller Space Opera milieu into an Old West setting, there is an adventure with a number of xenomorphs of varying difficulties liberally lifted from different tropes each with their own set of motivations. Interesting and well fleshed out NPCs – including interestingly enough – prostitutes. Interesting, as I thought the OGL explicitly stated that Traveller will stay away from the racier and salacious aspects 1970s Science Fiction and keep it within the Golden Age. But, because, they have existed in every Traveller adventure that I have run and been a part in their inclusion is done intelligently and with dignity and with respect to any female players. So, kudos, to finally a more mature approach to role playing that has always been present.

There are rules that are missing (presumably, because the Old West is going to get a Traveller setting onto itself) – such as chase scenes with horses – however – any good Gamemaster can improvise upon the missing rules in the meantime. There is also a definite feel of one-shot here – it would have been nice – if by way of a conclusion – that Gamemaster was issued with a small piece of purple prose that could be used to kickstart a campaign. That said, there is plenty of Deadlands, Boot Hill, Aces are Eights adventures kicking around that a Gamemaster can adapt.

I was deeply impressed by the quality of the writing in this adventure/supplement. It perfectly evokes a mood through its description and atmosphere – for a genre that I am not particularly keen on. Thus, it is a credit to the writer – which it actually makes me want to try this scenario based upon the images he has implanted in my head. The artwork is extraordinary and wish that this was the new standard for Mongoose. However, as we have seen too many times, with Mongoose and other publishers – art is something that outside the cover gets very short thrift. Which I think does always explain the popularity of D&D – yes – the rules might be shite (sorry, I refuse to engage in edition wars when describing a Traveller book) but the pictures still compel me to add this my collection. As it seems to be a lost art (pardon the pun), that art is getting less and less, thrift which is ironic – for this day and age – we are far more visually oriented than we have been in any other times outside of the Renaissance. Thus, I think, it incumbent upon RPG publishers to attempt to make a book – beautiful as well as practical – if our hobby is going to be passed down to the next generation. Hasbro gets this. Pelegrane Press gets this. Chaosium has lately gotten this. Why not Traveller/Mongoose? For Traveller rode in the fiery chariot of the Keith brothers who combined artistic sensibility with great rules.

Overall, it takes a fair bit to surprise me – this supplement/adventure did and in a very positive way. Aside from the above, nitpicks – my major criticism is that it is too short but reading the State of the Mongoose – a full setting book seems to be in the works. I only hope they can maintain the quality of the writing and imagination stay consistent.