[RPG]: Cadwallon: The Free City Player's Handbook, reviewed by Michael Erb (4/3)

[RPGnet Reviews]

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13042.phtml

Michael Erb's Summary:

A \"tactical roleplaying game\" that relies heavily on miniatures in a dark-fantasy city setting. A beautiful and brutal setting with lots of compelling bits that sometimes suffers from wordy translations.

Go to the full review (http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13042.phtml) for more information.

[satbunny]

Thanks for the review. I was left a little unsatisfied. I'd have liked a little more structure, a breakdown of the system and setting, or an explanation of how they intertwine.

On the other hand it piqued my interest in what I had asssumed up until now was a wargames book.

[merb101]

Thanks for the comments. My reviews are written for publication in a weekly newspaper gaming column. My audience there is rather general, so I have to stay fairly general in my descriptions. I also have a limited amount of space, so the reviews are written as much to get people interested in learning more as they are to inform on all of the nuances in the game.

Plus, Cadwallon is a rather heavy (content) book. I definately would recommend checking out other reviews or even Rackham discussion boards before purchasing the game.

ME

[Balac]

Sorry but this tells me about as much as reading the back cover. What is the system like? How is the crunch vs. fluff ratio? What makes this stand out from every other fantasy setting out there? And...the big one...what makes this not another Fantasy Heartbreaker?
You have a fine start there with a basic overview. Now let's have some depth.

[Xenon_Wulf]

I do believe there's another review on RPG.net, and you can always start a topic on the forums to get some more discussion and info on the game... I know you'd get answers on the more crunchy bits if you did...

As for the review itself, I thought it was good: not too much crunch, it does describe the setting with a good overview (not too much details, not too little).

[Kyle]

How much setting info you get in the book compared to rules ?

About half or more than that ?

[merb101]

Sorry but this tells me about as much as reading the back cover. What is the system like? How is the crunch vs. fluff ratio? What makes this stand out from every other fantasy setting out there? And...the big one...what makes this not another Fantasy Heartbreaker?
You have a fine start there with a basic overview. Now let's have some depth.

No offense taken. I would point you to my earlier post in response to satbunny. I do a general game review column for a newspaper, so you are right, there isn't a lot of depth when it comes to game mechanics. I mentioned a couple of things I felt stood out and made the game interesting. You are wanting more of a cliff notes version of the game itself, and my reviews aren't a good place to look for that. I would check out some other reviews on this site and some Rackham sites for more detail on the game mechanics.

ME

[merb101]

[QUOTE=As for the review itself, I thought it was good: not too much crunch, it does describe the setting with a good overview (not too much details, not too little).[/QUOTE]

Appreciate the kind words. With only 20-or-so print-inches to work with and a game of this size and depth, it can be challenging to write a review that will get people interested.

ME

[merb101]

How much setting info you get in the book compared to rules ?

About half or more than that ?

I would say about 2/3 of the book is setting. It reminds me of Planescape, and I was a huge Planescape fan.

ME