Hard8Staff
First Post
MojoGM said:
Great, let us know what you think.
I've been on record since January or something saying this is the nicest RPG product ever made. Curious how many agree/disagree.
Ha! I've got Aces & Eights!
- Thread starter Michael Dean
- Start date
Great, let us know what you think.
I've been on record since January or something saying this is the nicest RPG product ever made. Curious how many agree/disagree.
GrimJesta
First Post
The book is frickin' thorough, detailed, and realistic but smooth and easy to learn. My girlfriend and I had a shootout the other night: after grazing her neck with a round from my revolver, she blew a huge hole in my chest... thus ending me. The shot-clock is an amazing innovation for RPG combat.
-=Grim=-
-=Grim=-
GVDammerung
First Post
I got my copy of Aces and Eights last week and have enjoyed looking it over.
Without question, this is the finest western RPG ever put together. I think from just a pure production standpoint this may be the sharpest looking RPG ever put together.
I have, however, a few quibbles.
While I like the cattle ranch/drive and prospector/mining subsystems (the gambling and trial subsystems strike me meh) I note the absence of a subsystem for running a saloon and for engaging in the fur trade. These would have, to me, seemed naturals. Saloons are obviously a big part of the genre and are ideally suited for female PCs, more so than some of the other professions - I'm thinking Kitty from Gunsmoke. While the time period is a bit late, the fur trade features in a number of memorable westerns, two of which are among my personal favorites - Jeremiah Johnson and The Mountain Men. Finding neither covered was a bit disappointing - maybe in a supplement?
The cavalry and their Native American counterpoints were also substantially missing in action. I recognize the political sensitivity of these topics but they are huge parts of the genre and not more affirmatively addressing them in a game of this scope is a notable absence. Again, maybe in a supplement?
By the same token, running a stage coach line (railroads don't go everywhere), could be an interesting counterpoint to riding the outlaw trail.
And where is the sheep herder subsystem? Sheepmen are often foils for cattlemen but they don't appear. That supplement is getting bigger, I hope.
Also in a supplement, for NPC villains if nothing else, there should be a subsystem for banking and for land claims. The ruthless banker or land speculator is another common feature in any number of westerns.
If it isn't already clear what distinguishes A&8 for me is the subsystems built right into the game and fascilitating it. I think an entire supplement devoted to additional such subsystems would be fantastic.
Great job on the game! Looking forward to the subsystem supplement!
Without question, this is the finest western RPG ever put together. I think from just a pure production standpoint this may be the sharpest looking RPG ever put together.
I have, however, a few quibbles.
While I like the cattle ranch/drive and prospector/mining subsystems (the gambling and trial subsystems strike me meh) I note the absence of a subsystem for running a saloon and for engaging in the fur trade. These would have, to me, seemed naturals. Saloons are obviously a big part of the genre and are ideally suited for female PCs, more so than some of the other professions - I'm thinking Kitty from Gunsmoke. While the time period is a bit late, the fur trade features in a number of memorable westerns, two of which are among my personal favorites - Jeremiah Johnson and The Mountain Men. Finding neither covered was a bit disappointing - maybe in a supplement?
The cavalry and their Native American counterpoints were also substantially missing in action. I recognize the political sensitivity of these topics but they are huge parts of the genre and not more affirmatively addressing them in a game of this scope is a notable absence. Again, maybe in a supplement?
By the same token, running a stage coach line (railroads don't go everywhere), could be an interesting counterpoint to riding the outlaw trail.
And where is the sheep herder subsystem? Sheepmen are often foils for cattlemen but they don't appear. That supplement is getting bigger, I hope.
Also in a supplement, for NPC villains if nothing else, there should be a subsystem for banking and for land claims. The ruthless banker or land speculator is another common feature in any number of westerns.
If it isn't already clear what distinguishes A&8 for me is the subsystems built right into the game and fascilitating it. I think an entire supplement devoted to additional such subsystems would be fantastic.
Great job on the game! Looking forward to the subsystem supplement!
Silver Moon
Adventurer
Damn - I had two FLGS 20% off coupons and have already used them this year - I should have waited (Yeah, I know I can get 20% off with the Dinged and Dented version - but that negates the aura of buying a leather-bound RPG book). Guess I'll just have to pay full retail.
Jolly_Blackburn
First Post
GVDammerung said:I
If it isn't already clear what distinguishes A&8 for me is the subsystems built right into the game and fascilitating it. I think an entire supplement devoted to additional such subsystems would be fantastic.
Great job on the game! Looking forward to the subsystem supplement!
We're on the same sheet of music then GV.
We could only cram so much into the core rule book so we had to make some tough choices as far as what to include and what should be pushed off to supplements.
We have 'plans' for supplemental material that covers everythign you mentioned and more.
As for native americans they weren't left out because of P.C. issues. We just felt they needed their own book. Especially with the Alternative history.
And the fur trade will be an important part of the setting as well.
We have several A&8 products to get out in the coming months. Look for announcments.
Hard8Staff
First Post
Finally!
GV gives us our first "why the hell wasn't it 1200 pages!" post. Sweet!
Like Jolly says, all that stuff's on the 'list' for supplements, some on the front burners, some on the back.
One thing you probably won't see much mention of: the cavalry. Since the US doesn't own all the territories (Mexico, CSA, Texas and Deseret also lay claims), there's no US cavalry running around layin' injuns low. Instead, you have lots of settlers/frontiersmen aiming to claim the land for themselves and/or their own sovereign nation (e.g., CSA) and no organized force keeping the Native Americans "in check". Consequently, you have some really tough indian nations that characters will need to deal with(through negotiation, bribery, force, whatever...and good luck with the latter).
GV gives us our first "why the hell wasn't it 1200 pages!" post. Sweet!
Like Jolly says, all that stuff's on the 'list' for supplements, some on the front burners, some on the back.
One thing you probably won't see much mention of: the cavalry. Since the US doesn't own all the territories (Mexico, CSA, Texas and Deseret also lay claims), there's no US cavalry running around layin' injuns low. Instead, you have lots of settlers/frontiersmen aiming to claim the land for themselves and/or their own sovereign nation (e.g., CSA) and no organized force keeping the Native Americans "in check". Consequently, you have some really tough indian nations that characters will need to deal with(through negotiation, bribery, force, whatever...and good luck with the latter).
Silver Moon
Adventurer
Ah, this disappoints me. From Aug. 2004 to Mar. 2007 I ran a very successful western PBP campaign where all of the playing characters either owned or worked at a saloon (in a mining town - so the prospector information will be helpful). The gaming system we used was a combination of Boot Hil and Dungeons and Dragons (mostly D&D rules but with the TSR Boot Hill module BH3 as the basis for the town and NPC's and the Boot Hill firearms tables). The lack of saloon info. won't keep me from purchasing what sounds like a great product. I hope it does well.GVDammerung said:
It's a very pretty book. I got it yesterday at my renewed FLGS that had free games day. I have only paged through it. I like the basic rules for characters. If the basic combat section is similarly simple, I may try to give it a run sometime. Otherwise, it will probbaly just be nice reading material.
This is the most beautiful role-playing book I've ever owned or seen. The paper is the absolutely highest quality -- thick, glossy, durable. It gives the book a great "heft" to it that tells you this is a quality book.
The binding is sturdy on the inside, handsome on the outside. It would fit right at home next to the nicest set of high quality encyclopedias (e.g., World Book) and still draw the eyes straight to it.
The interior is clean, well laid out, easy to read -- the pages aren't colored in such a way to dull the appearance of the text. The pictures of the weapons: beautiful.
The artwork is pitch perfect in capturing the feel of the old West. Kudos for including some of the pictures that relate to vigilante justice and the like.
The game systems are new, different, and seem perfectly natural for the genre. As opposed to a generic game with "Western" plastered over it, this game is built from the ground up as a Western RPG, and that integration really shines through.
I love the jury/trial mechanic, and the shot clock especially. The chase system is innovative.
I think for the first time there is now a Western game that is so good, it will make you want to play in the setting. This game will make a believer out of you, and may just convince some of those people who might otherwise not be interested in playing in the Old West...
Just my .02.
The binding is sturdy on the inside, handsome on the outside. It would fit right at home next to the nicest set of high quality encyclopedias (e.g., World Book) and still draw the eyes straight to it.
The interior is clean, well laid out, easy to read -- the pages aren't colored in such a way to dull the appearance of the text. The pictures of the weapons: beautiful.
The artwork is pitch perfect in capturing the feel of the old West. Kudos for including some of the pictures that relate to vigilante justice and the like.
The game systems are new, different, and seem perfectly natural for the genre. As opposed to a generic game with "Western" plastered over it, this game is built from the ground up as a Western RPG, and that integration really shines through.
I love the jury/trial mechanic, and the shot clock especially. The chase system is innovative.
I think for the first time there is now a Western game that is so good, it will make you want to play in the setting. This game will make a believer out of you, and may just convince some of those people who might otherwise not be interested in playing in the Old West...
Just my .02.
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