Post originally by Ralph Mazza at 2003-09-08 13:24:19
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An excellent review Steve, you hit pretty much every point that makes me consider this game to be a work of shear brilliance.
With regards to your comment on the Horror Revealed though, I'll offer the following remarks I made on a Forge thread on the topic (cut and pasted).
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"If the game was a movie this would be a side scene that demonstrates how the overall "evilness" of the master is spilling over into the town by the mere presence of he and his minions. Its sort of like the magical concept of contagion. The more acts of depravity the minions committ, the more depraved the citizens become under the corrupting influence of the master.
"In actual game play, when I've seen it work, its been a pretty powerful tool. A despicable act is described by the player. But the player doesn't have the defense of "I'm just playing in character, so the depravity isn't really me, its my character and I'm just being true to my character" ...because the character isn't involved. It is pure gratuitous depravity narrated by the player simply because the rules called for the player to narrate something.
"But after the fact, when all of the players are sitting there staring at you, and you think "did I just come up with that...on my own?...sick" that's when the true impact of the mechanic is felt."
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Its actually one of my favorite rules in the game.
Post originally by Vitriol at 2003-09-08 17:27:52
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I picked up one of the print copies (limited copies still available at halfmeme.com, go go go!) and loved the game, but was serious daunted by the idea of running it. I don't think I could convince anyone I know to run it, so I'd have to GM, and the idea scares me.
Post originally by Steve D at 2003-09-08 17:55:51
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Totally. It's not that it's that hard to run, it's just a very, very scary game. It's not "I'll swallow your soul, filthy meatbags!", it's "dear, sweetie, I'm going to manipulate you until our dysfunctional bond causes you to go and kill innocent people for me again."
Post originally by Steve D at 2003-09-08 17:58:53
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I see that. I just think it would happen too often, and risk it becoming tiresome. There should be some other way to "escape" from such situations, at least. Can't think of any, though.
Post originally by Paul Czege at 2003-09-08 20:25:59
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Hey Steve,
Geez, how's a designer supposed to respond to a great review like that? "Thanks" seems so lame. But I'm at a serious loss for words.
So, thanks.
And two clarifications:
Your copy actually wasn't a comp. It was paid for by an evil minion of yours who wishes to remain anonymous. Curse him for being a coward, eh? I might suggest correcting this behavior with a few strong blows from an oaken walking stick.
And the print copies I have for sale at the Half Meme Press website are saddle-stitched <em>softcovers</em>.
Post originally by Adrian Forest at 2003-09-08 22:37:06
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<i>It's not that it's that hard to run, it's just a very, very scary game. It's not "I'll swallow your soul, filthy meatbags!", it's "dear, sweetie, I'm going to manipulate you until our dysfunctional bond causes you to go and kill innocent people for me again."</i>
Post originally by Adrian Forest at 2003-09-08 22:42:57
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Steve, I have to take issue with your suggestion that players won't care about the NPCs. Remember that the PCs' Connections will, in all likelihood, be involved in this sort of thing in some way. When the only person who matters to the minion has bad stuff happen to them, they're gonna care.
Post originally by Steve D at 2003-09-08 22:52:39
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Adrian Forest wrote:
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Steve, I have to take issue with your suggestion that players won't care about the NPCs. Remember that the PCs' Connections will, in all likelihood, be involved in this sort of thing in some way. When the only person who matters to the minion has bad stuff happen to them, they're gonna care.
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Ah, see, no: the Horror Reaveled segment can't involve any of the PCs, nor any of their "fettered" Connections. It's just general evilness elsewhere in town.
Of course, it can involve someone from the story. Say you're digging up bodies and the cemetery keeper keeps trying to kill you for it. He's not your Love, but he is a potentially interesting NPC. So when the Horror is Revealed, you develop him into such, by saying that he is so afraid of you stealing his wife who just died, he stuffs her and keeps her in the cellar. And dresses her up pretty every morning. And makes her breakfast. And takes her dancing.
All of which the Minion is responsible for, see. So yes, it's definitely doable...I just can see the dice causing it to happen three times in a row to the same player and him running out of ideas. It becoming "man, who else can I screw over?"
Post originally by Steve D at 2003-09-08 22:55:35
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Glad you liked it.
Yeah, I guess it wasn't a comp copy in that sense, but I got it for free, which to me is the main issue. As soon as something costs money, its conception changes drastically in people's minds. A bad free game is like "meh". A bad game for money - even five bucks - is a money-taking con-swindling total piece of crap.
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