[CaffeineBoy]

Very solid review! I agree on almost every point.

As for the boring combat issue, at the risk of adding to the dogpile, I find SotC/Fate combat to be *much* more dynamic and exciting than D20 (or any of a number of similar highly detailed combat-oriented games). I swapped my Iron Kingdoms campaign over to Fate mechanics precisely because they make combat a lot more vibrant and engaging -- you have to/get to look for leverage in scene aspects, opponent weaknesses and clever non-combat skill applications. The core mechanic is simple, but it's in the application that it really shines. Even in HERO (in which I ran some dazzling 3-5 hour combats back in our Champions days), the system didn't let me tear up the scenery and maneuver things/combatants around like SotC/Fate does.

Also, weapon and critter differentiation in Fate is entirely up to the person making up said weapon or critter. If you want to be the guy with a state-of-the-art sniper rifle, you define it as important to your character's narrative by spending a Stunt or an Aspect on it so it becomes part of their schtick. That way it gets both crunchy differentiation and built-in narrative importance. If on the other hand you're statting up a bunch of mooks with generic carbines, they get Guns at their Quality level and can shoot 4 zones. Done. Likewise with opponents for the GM. It's up to you to stat up that T-rex and make it cool. High Might and Fists (Teeth) skills, some Endurance and Might stunts, a couple of aspects and a small pool of Fate Points and you've got a fight to remember. I agree the game might have benefitted from a pulpy bestiary, but it's really not that hard to extrapolate the awesome from what's presented.