Post originally by Lxndr at 2004-12-28 01:02:52
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First, thanks for the review, especially a positive review! I love my little game that could, and I'm happy to see it finally getting some attention. I'd call Fastlane "universal but not generic" for much the reasons you listed about genericity - it's got a definite feel/flavor that keeps it from being "generic", but it's flexible enough to be "universal".

I'm a little sad that the style rating is so low - it was a conscious decision to include zero art within the project (I didn't want to bias the game towards any particular setting or genre, which meant either zero art, or a LOT of different and varied art). I hired someone who said they'd be able to make a rockin', stylin' layout without any art, and I really think they succeeded. Maybe I just don't know what "style" means in the context of rpg.net, 'cause your rating of it seems to be entirely focused on the artwork. I'd have rated it as a 4, but that's just me, and I'm biased (obviously). C'est la vie, no?

Anyway, back to the positive stuff. I'm glad I was able to communicate the whole attitude I was imagining so well in the text, as well as my excitement for it. Other movies that I imagined it working well for while I was writing for it: Plunkett and MacLeane, Maverick, The Fifth Element, Moulin Rouge, Bandits, Chicago, Romancing the Stone, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, and more.

I do want to point out, since it seems you glossed over it, that in addition to humbling, there's also burning, which is when a player chooses to lose points from their characters themselves to try to win the right to narrate, instead of leaving themselves at the mercy of the winner to humble them as they might choose.

Also, you're slightly off the mark with Life - those scores don't give extra chips when they're put on the line; rather, they increase your effective Facet, which give you the potential to bid more chips out of your bank - they don't actually give any additonal chips (I tried that, and it was unbalancing). You also didn't mention that when a Life is threatened, it reduces your effective Facet, thus limiting the amount of chips you can bid.

Ok, now for your comments at the bottom:

* Addictions, generally, manifest best as NPCs that are owed favors - sometimes also existing as a Life. Thus, they can be struggled with.

* A slow-acting poison fits best under the speculation rules.

* Environmental obstacles are either simple obstacles if they're mostly instanced (oh my, a wall!), or can be NPCs if they're more extended problems (oh my, a blizzard!). In fact, making an environmental obstacle as an NPC is a great way to personify a "man vs nature" kind of extended conflict.

I'm hoping to hear more when you actually play the game! Thanks again.