I guess I should say that I have been playing RPGs for about 12 years now, mostly AD&D, but other ones as well that were not of the "sword and spell" genre. I then moved away from my group of RPG buddies, and gave it up for a while. We then discovered play-by-email from Demon's Lair. I was skeptical at first, but the guys at Demon's Lair/Lasalion games have done everything right.
The theme of Demon's lair is sword and spells, and it delivers what I want from a fantasy theme. Fast paced melee action during the fighting sequences and well-crafted characters to meet when you are not. I think that this is the strength of Demon's Lair. The creators have populated their world with interesting/quirky/bizarre non-player characters which means it isn't the monsters that you meet in Demon's lair that give you the real challenge. Although there are beasties aplenty, it is trying to get your way with the NPCs that make the story of your adventure rich. Also since much of this information is on their website, you can often know a bit of that character's history before you go, although that might not make negotiation any easier. This is the real charge for me in RPGs, finding a good story, and inserting my character into the fabric of that story, and Demon's Lair delivers on giving you an interesting, non-predictable story that keeps your character on their toes. The game is technically good, and while the game system in itself is not shockingly new, it is user friendly and no-bullshit, especially in melee combat. Battles that would have taken many turns in AD&D take one or two in Demon's Lair, and are fairly executed. I have purchased the "Tome of Rules" and found it to be a well written player's book, and stands alone for character creation, and navigating your character through an adventure.
I also recommend their play-by-email scenarios very highly. When you get into one of these, you are actually hosted by the writers/creators of Demon's Lair, a situation which is very rare. They tell a good story, have a good sense of humour which is critical to gaming fun, and they keep the gaming moving, so think fast.
Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
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