I don't know, I guess I was expecting more from this one. I love the concept of an elite team re-building a post apocalyptic Earth but the existence of vehicles the Mars - 1 just bothers me too much; it just seems out of place in a game which generally tries to be realistic rather than cinematic.

Other than that, it seems an OK game, not too bad but nothing that excited me either. Sorry.

It is a nice, interesting game that can play much faster than the usual role-playing game. Those who have moved beyond hack-and-slash would love it. Illustrations and support material is pretty basic so it requires an enterprising GM to make it work.

Not much has changed since the previous edition.

Just as it promises, an introduction to a small airplane with a few nice images

First of all, this is not a professional product by any stretch. The wording is extremely casual (i.e. "shooting things") and addressed to younger player. Grammar is faulty enough for this foreigner to take notice and there are more than a few typos. Rules are vague enough to be a rule lawyers dream. Last but not least, the illustrations look like photos taken by camp counsellors.

Second, this game looks like it has been designed with the input of 12 years olds. And that's not a bad thing. The influence of video-games are evident in the setting, the structure of the game (big bad guys are called "bosses" and even a character class which looks like Mario Bros.

This game would indeed make the basis for a great event in a holiday camp.

Thirdly, the game setting is based on the particular views of one minority religious group. Of course there's no reason you should keep to their setting, imho, but if you are easily offended by that or concerned, you'd like to stay away from this game.

Had this game been promoted as a fun, friendly game by a few wacky and imaginative kids I would easily have given them 4 stars, but as "professional" product I can't rise it any higher than 2.

(Also in my blog http://minimrpg.com)

It feels like a merry coincidence, Greg has just released EABA Verne, a steampunkish suplement for his generic role-playing game: EABA. I am not going to compare his efforts to mine; he’s in the major league and EABA Verne shows it. Neither, I am going to claim compatibility: the very reason I decided to go ahead and make my own game was that most, if not all, generic role-playing game rules are not adequate to play heroic children.

Not withstanding the rule system you love, EABA Verne offers a great setting and/or ideas that could be inserted in any steampunkish setting; and improve it. For that alone, it is well worth the price.

As you can imagine, EABA Verne takes inspiration in the works of the French writer; but also from other classic Scifi masters and then integrates them into a coherent world. Every effort has been made to creat a millieu that is fun to play, dream-able, and yet solid and reasonable enough to look plausible to a 40 years old, like me. The publisher prides himself in attention to detail, and I can bear witness to it. I was expecting some vague reference to armour in a world dominated by rifles, but the book speaks of such unknown items as Korean cotton armour, and the somehow better known American Civil War experiments.

This might be the hightide of European domination, but the book does not forget minor powers (like Spain), South America, the Asian nations: notably China and Japan, even Africa receives a section worthy of that name. Mars, Venus, an empty core Earth with morlocks and possibly dinosaurs are all there for the gamemaster to include in his games, or not. There are secret societies, conspiracies and spies; some could have been a rival for Sherlock Holmes.

Steampunk, it’s there, with flying machines and interplanetary vessels, and yet they are rare enough to keep a Victorian world, well Victorian. No super-submarine is going to sink the Royal Navy, unless the gamemaster decides to let loose a Nemo; no airship fleet will bomb London, though one or two might challenge the skies. Mars would remain wild and enigmatic for decades.

Greg has nailed it this time. Well done, master.

I played the game, right out of the box, so to speak, and the first thing I did was to tinker with the rules to include a major river; which was as easy as "the river is impassable" except through the bridges, which made for a very interesting little game.

In other words: boy it was fun. It made me remember my own green vs tan battles back in 1981 :)

I also used the optional rules which include objective areas to seize and hold. I suggest you to always use these and just tinker with the rules yourselves.

_ Buckle Up, Baby! You're In For A Wild Ride!

I bought this game after a couple of posts on rpg.net. (I'm lighthouse there). A Mad Max fan and a Twilight 2000 v2 GM for years, there's no question I love post-Apocalypse. However, I find that the genre in games tends to breed too weird game settings for my taste (random mutations, superpowers, freak societies and the worst of the worst, zombies). Atomic Highway is not the "serious" game I'm waiting for, but it's neither freakish.

The interior art is OK, and it should not drain your printer's ink, should you decide to print it.

The game-world is flexible, open to the GM and players, yet at the same time very well thought. You've got your barter-towns, your isolated fortified homesteads and nomad tribes that form the main social landscape. Add a few marauder gangs, then the isolated and rare scientific laboratory (or such other "remnant" facility) and the cave/bunker dwellers, for spice. These groups are described in categories, so the GM can create their own. There's nothing terribly original or new, but it's well presented and thought for gaming. (Oh, and everything is bleak, just like in Mad Max II or III, but not depressing)

Character creation is based on templates, and should be fast enough. You can have mutations if you like them ( I don't ) though these aren't too freakish or unbalancing.

Rules are not something quite unusual, but bear in mind that combat in vehicles is :) very detailed :)

• Vehicles AH provides just templates for a good variety of vehicle types, but then allows you to modify these into your unique conveyance, in the best Mad Max III style.

• Equipment You have a lot of tables detailing everything you can "dig up" or scavenge somewhere, which is nice, though I feel some of these could use some revising. In other words tougher items should be easier to find. (Denim clothes should last a lot longer than t-shirts)

Radioactive Ape Designs offers the GM a great framework with which you can build your own devastated world. If that's what you want, go ahead. If you rather like a ready-to-play setting, you probably have to wait until RAD publishes some adventure

4 Stars out of 5.

(As a Mythic GMA fan, I think it would work great with Mythic)

Also in my blog http://kindlelight.typepad.com/blog/

Just as it says, QUERP is light rules system that catches all the feel of old school gaming but in a much simpler, straight-forward package. I think there are just not enough spells to make the magic-users happy, but that's somehow compensate by the fact that beginning wizards are much more powerful than its classic counterparts.

A recommended product for older gamers who want to introduce their children to the hobby.

The Magical Land of Yeld

This game it is so new it is still in beta. The pdf ebook (which can be read by almost every computer on earth, I presume) costs just $2.00 -two bucks- and it will give you a lot of punch for that money. It is a game that would appeal to younger children and would not scare parents. Nobody can die, when the adventurer party is wiped out, they just appear back in home. It’s incredibly funny, with many subtle references to Japanese anime for kids. In other words, this game speaks your children language. Most of the game world is left to the players. They give you a blank map and tons of ideas to fill it up. And not just combat and persecutions and those boyish jolly stuff, there are holidays and parties too!

And you always have an adventure. That is, you have arrived to the Magical Land of Yeld but you want to return home… which is a wee tricky, you need to collect keys, badges and very cool equipment. Kids would love that.

Rules are super easy to catch and the character sheet is a sweet to understand. And in this game even the GM has to obey the rules, and plays a character too. (GM = the player who “tells” the story for you non-roleplayers )

Beta means it’s rough around the edges. No flashy pics, very simple format (your printer would love that) and there are few typos, but for $2.00 I’m more than willing to forgive those. (Plus you can email the authors and tell them how to improve the game). Seriously, I’m loving this one.

Excerpt from my blog eldietario.com

Barbarians of Lemuria, a review

Barbarians of Lemuria is a fine, rules-light game that would work well to reflect the stories of pulp fantasy. Picture a lone barbarian warrior, chain mail bikinis and dark nefarious sorecerers, fast and deadly combat, cursed treasure in hidden tombs, slave traders and pirates. It's all there.

Core Mechanic Summary: Your Class is your Skills.

Suposse you are -in BOL terms- Barbarian 3, Hunter 1, Slave 0, Sailor 0. In background terms that could mean you are from some Barbarian lands, Hunted for food as a young lad yet you got captured and spent some time as a galley slave.

In game terms, that means every time you have to check for some action, you consider your careers and roll against them. For example you want to lift a rock, I'd say that's pretty Barbarian stuff, so you'd add your Strenght and Barbarian. (Let's say STR is 2, fairly good) That totals 4. Now you roll 2d6. If your final total is 9 or better, then you made it.

Problem: Overlapping career.

In BoL careers are not defined strictly. Who's better at setting up an ambush; a Barbarian or a Soldier? No idea. What if you are Barbarian 2 Fighter 1 and Warrior 1? Who's more sneaky a Slaver or a Hunter? Context can help but I can see an opportunity for arguments over the game table.

Solution: Good roleplayers.

BoL is meant for the player who loves barbarian pulp fiction and yet it is not interested in simulating real combat. Instead, he or she loves the thrill of battle and fast action and yet it is mature enough to trust the Game Master.

That said, I would love to see the careers to be better defined in a next version.

Combat

Combat is quite sketchy, the rules are basically the same than the core mecanic, only that instead of career you use your combat skills. These are Brawl, Melee, Ranged and Defense. There are no dodging rolls, the Defense skill simply makes you harder to hit, which works just great. If you hit you roll for damage points. Armour will absorb some damage, the remainder will eat up you Lifeblood points, if they get negative you are in big trouble.

As a side note, most NPC are considered rabble. These would be dispatched satisfyingly quick enough.

Character Creation.

Boy call it fast. You divide four points among your Attributes STR, AGI, Mind (IQ) and Appeal (sorta Charisma). None can be greater than 3 or lower than -1 You choose four Careers and divide 4 points among them. Again 3 is the maximun, -1 the minimum. You divide 4 points among your combat skills, you choose an origin (place of birth), which come with suggested Boons and Flaws, and you are basically done.

Equipment, you basically get what you want, as long as it is in character. Really, like that, you don't buy, you don't worry about carrying anything, you just get what you want and that's all you need to worry.

I also see a possible problem here. The rules will work well with good players which do not seek to abuse the system but it could potentially lead to arguments.

Magic

Most magicians in BoL are evil, the bad guys, the kind of people you want to defeat, and while you can have magician PC, these are not meant to be the stars of this game.

Magic rules are again sketchy and neboulous. Indeed, the best defined feature is the price you have to pay or the limitations you have to face in order to cast a spell. Think in ritual sacrifices, fasting, specific times and so on. A first magnitude spell could require nothing but a ritual cleansing; however a extremely powerful (and difficult to cast) spell can usually need ritual sacrifice.

Which is perfect for the pulp barbarian setting; yet quite different from the usual "Medieval Fantasy" Games

Potions, Shining Swords, Golems: you can make them!

This kind of magic(?) is unusually developed in this game; perhaps to compensate for the limitations to magic. You'll need to be an alchemist, but then you can easily make a posion, with some skill, you can make a potion of strength and even shape change or achieve immortality.

You could also build flying machines or the ultimate sword; though you better hand it to the barbarian in your group.

Lemuria, the game world.

Sketchy but familiar, you know. Similiar to Conan, it's not developed in any deep, but that's a bonus if you ask me. The last thing I want in pulp fiction is a strict setting.

Bottom line: A good game for what it means to do, a great concept that deserves more development as its fan base expands.

The old Traveller updated, exactly as what you'd expect. A bit overprized for a pdf, though.