Starcluster 2 is a space opera role-playing game in the finest tradition of Starfrontiers and Traveller. It is a Space Opera RPG with a Hard Science Fiction approach built upon a setting located in the far distant frontiers of space.
Post originally by Marco at 2004-09-12 06:51:36
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The explanation might be complicated--but in reality that's just the initiative system and combat breaks down to a roll to hit (percentile) and a roll for damage (percentile plus a number for the weapon).
Basically, it's a very easy, very smoothly flowing system.
(and the 2nd edition is very, very good looking too--Great job Clash and Company!).
Post originally by Wyvern at 2004-09-13 05:27:17
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...The review that is, not the game. I know little more of concrete substance about this game after reading the review than I did before I read it. The important information I learned can be summed up as follows:
- It has a post-Earth frontier setting with a variety of tech levels.
- All the PC races are evolved humans.
- The rules are "apparently" percentile-based.
- The combat rules are complicated and confusing.
- You can choose random or point-based character creation.
- There are five key attributes (Strength, Coordination, Agility, Endurance, and Charisma) and three others (IQ, Psi and Rank).
- You choose from a selection of 'schools' which represent your background training.
- There are lots and lots of charts.
That's a disappointingly small amount of detail for a review of this length. Considering that this is an obscure system, some explanation of how the rules actually work would be helpful. The setting description is also pretty vague; the background information is fine, but that doesn't tell me much about the actual current state of affairs. The review raised more questions than it answered, and not in a good way (granted, some of these might be better directed at the author than the reviewer).
What makes the setting 'hard' sci-fi?
How is space travel accomplished?
Is combat supposed to be gritty or cinematic? How well does it actually meet this goal?
How are skills handled?
What are some of the 'schools' that characters can choose from? (The review doesnt' give any indication of what kind of characters you can actually play in this game, unless the Ex-Marine, Ex-Smuggler, Ex-Courier are examples -- in which case, why are they in the GM section?)
What effect does homeworld have on character creation?
If humans evolved so much on their way to the stars, why are there basically only three human variants to choose from?
Are there any sentient aliens in the setting?
Why is IQ measured on a different scale from the key attributes? (Incidentally, the fact the 4 of the 5 key attributes are physical does not sit well with me.)
What's the game effect of rank, and why does it merit being a specific attribute (as opposed to wealth, or education, or fame)? Is this a neo-feudal society?
What kinds of psi powers exist?
What kind of technology is available?
Why did you switch names (from C. Demetrius Morgan to Kester) in the middle of the review?
Does this statement: "Alas, after allowing time for those first initial impressions to fade so I could tackle the new PDF afresh, I am sad to say that many of the comments that follow stand much as they were originally written," mean that your initial impressions still hold true, or that you just didn't bother to revise them?
Most importantly, why did you give it 4/4? Especially if the rules are so vague and confusing that you can't even say for sure whether they're percentile-based. Your review is full of criticisms (ironically, even your list of "positives" consists mostly of explanations of why some of the "negatives" aren't so bad), whereas the only specific positive statement I could find was this:
"However, for those who are hardcore fans of the Space Opera genre, Starcluster offers just about all a fan boy could ever wish for. More than that it provides all you need to start playing, out of the box, and then some."
That's nice, but you don't substantiate any of those statements. "For more detail about the system see my review, and corresponding comments, for Sweet Chariot," doesn't cut it. This isn't a revised version of a major game system. I don't like reading a review for a game only to be told at the end, "To find out how the game is actually played, you need to read my review for this other game."
Oh, and do you realize that you mentioned three times (twice in the same paragraph, no less) that there are no bookmarks?
Wyvern
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"
Post originally by flyingmice at 2004-09-13 07:12:43
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I can answer some of these questions - the factual ones at least - as one of the co-author/designers. I recommend you look through the free download - StarCluster Light - which contains all the rules and an abbreviated chargen.
From Wyvern:
...The review that is, not the game. I know little more of concrete substance about this game after reading the review than I did before I read it. The important information I learned can be summed up as follows:
- It has a post-Earth frontier setting with a variety of tech levels.
True
- All the PC races are evolved humans.
Somewhat true in the core book being reviewed. Both Humans and the other races are species separately evolved from Homo Erectus, diverging about a million years ago. Other "races" are available in supplements.
- The rules are "apparently" percentile-based.
Not apparently. All rolls in game are made with percentile dice or occasionally a single d10.
- The combat rules are complicated and confusing.
In Kester's opinion.
- You can choose random or point-based character creation.
True
- There are five key attributes (Strength, Coordination, Agility, Endurance, and Charisma) and three others (IQ, Psi and Rank).
Not quite. There are 8 attributes. Six of them modify skill success. PSI is a point pool, and IQ is a real world IQ. Rank is an indication of initial resources, and depending on the society may be totally unimportant in play.
- You choose from a selection of 'schools' which represent your background training.
True.
- There are lots and lots of charts.
Most of them very small.
-That's a disappointingly small amount of detail for a review of this length. Considering that this is an obscure system, some explanation of how the rules actually work would be helpful. The setting description is also pretty vague; the background information is fine, but that doesn't tell me much about the actual current state of affairs. The review raised more questions than it answered, and not in a good way (granted, some of these might be better directed at the author than the reviewer).
-What makes the setting 'hard' sci-fi?
The setting is space opera which pays a lot of attention to physics behind the scenes. It is not "Hard SF." It is comparable in "Hardness" to Poul Anderson or Larry Niven. Not hard, but certainly not soft.
-How is space travel accomplished?
It depends on the tech level. Interplanatary travel methods range from chemical rockets through fission rockets and fusion torches to
Matter/Anti-matter annihilation drives. Interstellar travel is by psionically moderated jumps.
-Is combat supposed to be gritty or cinematic? How well does it actually meet this goal?
It is supposed to be gritty but not deadly. I can't answer the second question.
-How are skills handled?
All skills have a base chance of success of 45%, with increments of 5% for each time the skill is taken, plus modifications for high governing attributes. There are several methods of non-skill success determination available as GM's choice, depending on circumstances. For skills where degree of success matters, a second %d roll (with modifiers) can be made. THis is how damage is adjudicated, weapons being a modifier on degree of success.
-What are some of the 'schools' that characters can choose from? (The review doesnt' give any indication of what kind of characters you can actually play in this game, unless the Ex-Marine, Ex-Smuggler, Ex-Courier are examples -- in which case, why are they in the GM section?)
Schools taken influence the path the character takes through chargen, but do not determine it. They are choices. Your character does not have to take schooling at all, if you don't want to. There are high schools, technical schools, military schools, art schools, psionics schools, agricultural schools, even no schooling (living on the street) available. Then there are varous colleges - engineering, military, art, agricultural, psionics, computer, acting, seminary, music, liberal arts, and thieving. There are also medical school, law school, and other graduate schools. From there, there are many professions your character may take, switching around as you will.
-What effect does homeworld have on character creation?
It influences the 4 skills you get before age 10 when chargen begins, and the tech level of your homeworld is important for determining some skills you may have access to, and your starting IQ and PSI (due to pervasive genetic engineering.)
-If humans evolved so much on their way to the stars, why are there basically only three human variants to choose from?
There are 4 human variants, and they didn't evolve on their way to the stars. A million years ago aliens captured large chunks of earth biota and seeded several worlds in the Cluster. On three worlds, Home Erectus survived and evolved.
-Are there any sentient aliens in the setting?
Yes, several, but they aren't individually described in the core rules. They are discussed briefly as cultures.
-Why is IQ measured on a different scale from the key attributes? (Incidentally, the fact the 4 of the 5 key attributes are physical does not sit well with me.)
IQ is measured on the standard 100 point norm IQ scale. We figured people would understand it better that way.
-What's the game effect of rank, and why does it merit being a specific attribute (as opposed to wealth, or education, or fame)? Is this a neo-feudal society?
Rank is important in chargen, where it determines the initial resources your family has to finance your education. It is important on some worlds with a less mobile social structure, but isn't used much after chargen otherwise.
-What kinds of psi powers exist?
Psi is rather limited. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, interrogation, dowsing, healing, protection, and stunning. Transfer is a psi skill only used as amplified to make interstellar jumps.
-What kind of technology is available?
Um... lots. Cloth that projects moving images which can be different to different viewers, active plasteel which can hold different programmed shapes depending on what you want it to be, antigravity, mind transfer, and lots more.
Post originally by flyingmice at 2004-09-13 07:45:43
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I missed part of one question:
"-What are some of the 'schools' that characters can choose from? (The review doesnt' give any indication of what kind of characters you can actually play in this game, unless the Ex-Marine, Ex-Smuggler, Ex-Courier are examples -- in which case, why are they in the GM section?)"
The Ex-Marine, etc. are more or less stereotypes intended for the GM to use as quick generic-but-detailed characters. The players can use them if they want as a base to construct quick characters - like for one shots or fill-in games - at the expense of any real originality. There are lots of tools to construct quick NPCs of various types in that particular section.
There is no GM's section as such, as Kester indicated. There are no secrets or things players shouldn't know, either. There are sections that players probably wouldn't care all that much about, but nothing they should be barred from.
Post originally by Wyvern at 2004-09-14 05:21:17
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<i>- The rules are "apparently" percentile-based.
Not apparently. All rolls in game are made with percentile dice or occasionally
a single d10.</i>
Hey, I was just quoting the review.
Thanks for your answers; they were more informative than the review. I don't think I'll be checking out the download (I don't have the time, and percentile systems aren't my cup of tea), but I appreciate knowing more about it nonetheless.
Wyvern
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"
Post originally by flyingmice at 2004-09-14 07:16:29
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Wyvern wrote:
-------------------------------
<i>- The rules are "apparently" percentile-based.
Not apparently. All rolls in game are made with percentile dice or occasionally
a single d10.</i>
Hey, I was just quoting the review.
Thanks for your answers; they were more informative than the review. I don't think I'll be checking out the download (I don't have the time, and percentile systems aren't my cup of tea), but I appreciate knowing more about it nonetheless.
Wyvern
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"
No problemo, Wyvern. I'd rather you not be interested because of something you knew rather than something you didn't know. I personally stop being interested in a game once I hear the words "dice pool," so if your off trigger gets bumped by the words "percentile dice," I understand. Neither position is reasonable, and I'm sure we're both missing great games like this, but matters of taste seldom *are* reasonable.
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