[RPG]: The Chronicles of Ramlar, reviewed by SpikeThe Bummer (3/4)

2nd Level RPGnetter · #1 12-12-2006, 01:00 AM

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12623.phtml

Spike's Summary:

D&D Fourth Ed?

Go to the full review for more information.

Thomas T · #2 12-15-2006, 07:53 AM

Thanks - this has to be by far the most useful review of Ramlar that I've read. Excellent job.

Dan Davenport · #3 12-15-2006, 11:00 AM

Great job, Spike!

And as for the authors: for the love of God, please understand that renaming something does not make it original. It just makes your setting more confusing. You want to be original? Make something that's actually new, and give that a new name.

devlin1 · #4 12-15-2006, 11:51 AM

I played in a one-shot of Ramlar not too long ago, and while I found most of the system to be a little lacking and clunky -- casting even simple spells is a bit of a crap shoot, the hit location method means you're as likely to hit someone in the left foot as you are in the chest, etc. -- the Circles and Momentum are inspired stuff. It's an odd juxtaposition between these two refreshing concepts (one narrativist, one gamist) and some very "old-skool" game mechanics. And I'm with the reviewer et al. on the re-naming. It always comes down to "What are [blank]?" "They're like elves." "Oh, okay."

critical miracle · #5 12-16-2006, 06:00 AM

Great review.

But how IS the system? Is it just a d20 house ruled into obscurity? or is it usable? Sounds like it has a lot of stuff worth stealing for my own game haha

devlin1 · #6 12-16-2006, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by critical miracle

Great review.

But how IS the system? Is it just a d20 house ruled into obscurity? or is it usable? Sounds like it has a lot of stuff worth stealing for my own game haha

It actually reminds me more of Rolemaster than of D20, in that it's a percentile system with a heavy reliance on charts. I thought the gameplay was a little clunky, to be honest, but the Momentum system and the flexibility of the magic system went a long way towards distracting me from the clunk.

jamesh · #7 12-16-2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Davenport

Great job, Spike!

And as for the authors: for the love of God, please understand that renaming something does not make it original. It just makes your setting more confusing. You want to be original? Make something that's actually new, and give that a new name.

I submitted my nine page comprehensive review of CoR today. It should be up sometime next week (it already is up at Flames Rising, but their formatting is kind of funky as it doesn't allow standard HTML). And you're right about naming conventions. . . I cannot tell you how many times that I almost typed "Feats" instead of "Talents" or "Classes" instead of "Paths" when writing said review.

The good news is that, for the large swaths of totally familiar in CoR, there are at least two genuinely original bits in CoR -- the Demeanor/Theme wheels and Momentum (a kind of point buy system that turns successes in one combat round into special manuevers in the next). Demeanor/Theme is particularly cool.

capnzapp · #8 12-17-2006, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas T

Thanks - this has to be by far the most useful review of Ramlar that I've read. Excellent job.

Not that the competition has been exactly fierce... it still is most refreshing to have a Ramlar review that isn't just the fanboy advert...

Thugh I'm still waiting for the review that gives Ramlar the really low score anything that lackluster normally merits. That is, the thing about the setting that interests me the most is how something so derivative can chalk up even an average score...

jamesh · #9 12-17-2006, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnzapp

Thugh I'm still waiting for the review that gives Ramlar the really low score anything that lackluster normally merits. That is, the thing about the setting that interests me the most is how something so derivative can chalk up even an average score...

Well, delivering a stunningly original setting wasn't part of the game's design goal so far as I could tell, threfore (when I wrote my review) I didn't shave off points for it. Giving CoR a "really low score" for not having an original setting would be a bit like giving D&D 3x a "really low score" for making Greyhawk its default home.

New and different settings aren't a good 'make or break' criteria for evaluating game products, because not everybody buys games for "new and diffrent" (in fact, most market trends indicate that the exact opposite is true). You obviously place a lot of value on products that make with new settings. Not everybody shares your priorities

I gave CoR a rating of 3/4, as well -- 3 for Style (due to the pedestrian layout, which offsets the absolutely gorgeous artwork) and 4 for Subtance baed on the fact that the system is entirely function (if a bit cumbersome) and brings at least two unique concepts to the table (Demeanor/Theme and Momentum).

Honestly, thet doesn't rate a "really low rating" -- such ratings usually are (and should be) reserved for games that actually earn them (games with non-functional or barely functional mechanics, extremely poor artwork or layout, etc).

SpikeThe Bummer · #10 12-19-2006, 05:55 PM

Sorry to take so long to get to my own review comments.

I will admit freely my first instinct was to ravage the game horribly for the purely derivative nature, until I figured out it was supposed to be... well... derivative. The setting and the system apparently came from two different people involved in the project, and the system is simpler than it looks at first blush.

Yes, there are charts, but you can reference them once at character creation and be good to go for the rest of the game. I actually think it was quite slickly done and should play reasonably smoothly.

As for the setting:

What, I got nothin'. I already said my peice, I don't want to dwell on it. But then, I'm not a setting sort of guy, so it doesn't burn me as much as it might have.