[RPG]: Truth & Justice, reviewed by Fred (4/5)

[Tim Kirk]

Good review. You highlighted many of the games strengths quite well as what somemay see as weakness (high-trust!) good job!

[Denys]

Very nicely done playtest review. Keep up the excellent work.

- Ian

[Tim Gray]

Yeah, great review - though it could have done with a bit more proofing!

One thing I spotted - you seem to equate Failure ranks with mental damage, which is misleading. I think Failure ranks are just "temporary bad stuff". Damage in T&J isn't simulating real-world trauma - it's counting down until the story scene ends. As in comics, supers pound on each other and throw each other off buildings until, for reasons that aren't always clear, someone wins. So Failure is just being tripped up, embarassed, whatever, and disappears at the end of the scene.

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11609.phtml

Fred Furtado's Summary:

A Master [+6] emulation of superhero comics, an Expert [+4] pick up-and-play quality and a Good [+2] flexible system, but suffers from Poor [-2] clarity in a few cases.

Go to the full review for more information.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Tim Kirk

Good review. You highlighted many of the games strengths quite well as what somemay see as weakness (high-trust!) good job!

Originally Posted by Ian Noble

Very nicely done playtest review. Keep up the excellent work.

Thanks, guys! I was afraid it was a bit long, but I thought it should be as complete as I could make it.

Tchau!

[Dan Davenport]

Originally Posted by Fred

Thanks, guys! I was afraid it was a bit long, but I thought it should be as complete as I could make it.

Tchau!

I don't think it was too long at all, and I really dug the formatting.

Seriously, great review. Highly informative and entertaining.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Tim Gray

Yeah, great review - though it could have done with a bit more proofing!

Really? I did go through it with a spellchecker and gave it one last pass through before submitting. Damn! I hope it hasn't mad eit too hard to read.

One thing I spotted - you seem to equate Failure ranks with mental damage, which is misleading. I think Failure ranks are just "temporary bad stuff". Damage in T&J isn't simulating real-world trauma - it's counting down until the story scene ends. As in comics, supers pound on each other and throw each other off buildings until, for reasons that aren't always clear, someone wins. So Failure is just being tripped up, embarassed, whatever, and disappears at the end of the scene.

Yeah, in retrospect, I could have made that clearer. But I did explain it a bit in a correction I submitted to Shannon. You see, I noticed a glaring omission in my review and tried to correct it. I guess it didn't work. But here is the revised text, it should have replaced the last paragraph and playtest entry under the Chapter 2 section:

Originally Posted by Revised review text

This system allows, as stated before, heroes of 'different' power levels to coexist in the same adventure without the lesser powered ones being rendered ineffectives. Although the system preserves part of the power curve -- if Batman tries to goes [i]mano a mano[i] with Superman, he's going to lose --, it also allows said heroes to affect the outcome of a battle in other ways. Btaman could try to trick Superman or make him doubt himself. Mechanically, this would be represented by regular rolls, but if Supes loses, he takes Failure Ranks. If the last son of Krypton accumulates enough Ranks to zero out, Wayne wins. Virtually any action a character performs can have an effect over a conflict. A ginat robot is rampaging through town? A well-placed bomerang will inactivate one of his arms. Big Bruiser has had a building dropped on him, but he is invulnerable? No problem, if he zeroed out, he is staying under. THis is a good emulation of Silver Age comic book reality.

Having said that, I still don't see how Spider-man could have beaten up Firelord, even if he was in a T&J game.

Playtest: Explaining the rules took less than five minutes. My players liked the idea of Qualities. They thought it avoided a problem that sometimes happen in systems with discrete skills, in that a player might forget to buy skills that are appropriate for the character's concept. The damage system, on the other hand, was considered a bit odd. However, it worked well during the game. The characters created for the playtest (you will see them belo) had their own schtick and were equally effective. They all had their share of screen time and I don't think any of the players felt shorthanded by power selection or underpoered compared to the others.

[chadu]

Originally Posted by RPGnet Reviews

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11609.phtml

Fred Furtado's Summary:

A Master [+6] emulation of superhero comics, an Expert [+4] pick up-and-play quality and a Good [+2] flexible system, but suffers from Poor [-2] clarity in a few cases.

Go to the full review for more information.

Excellent review, Fred. Thank you!

(Be sure to mention it on the mailling list and the LJ community!)

CU

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Dan Davenport

I don't think it was too long at all, and I really dug the formatting.

Seriously, great review. Highly informative and entertaining.

Serious praise coming from Dan "My name is Davenport. I review games". Thanks. I have a new appreciation for all the work you do on your reviews. My former review, the TINS one, was shorter because the product was also shorter. I can only imagine what's like reviewing some of the more lengthy books.

As for the formatting, I think you came up with a nice structure. I especially like the italics to identify playtest-related comments. And, as you know, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Tchau!

[Fred]

Originally Posted by chadu

Excellent review, Fred. Thank you!

(Be sure to mention it on the mailling list and the LJ community!)

CU

Thank you. I already sent an e-mail to the list, but I don't hang out at the LJ, so you might want flag it over there.

Tchau!