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Review: Team Steel on Trial

PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:03 pm
by Joshua BishopRoby
The title of this game does exactly what it should do: it tells you exactly what the game is about. This is a group of superheroes on trial for their actions. The specifics of the crime, the superheroes, and the city that hosts them are all made up in-game.

REVIEWER NAME: Joshua BishopRoby

1) CREATIVE AND EFFECTIVE INCORPORATION OF RULES (1-10): 9
Feedback: All three ingredients were used in solid, straightforward ways, and the time constraint (while optimistic in my mind) is used in a similarly solid and straightforward way. "Steel" is perhaps the least firmly attached, as it's the name of the Team and the city they're in, and is pretty arbitrary. This could be X-Men on Trial in New York and it would play pretty much the same. All the same, this is a really strong (though obvious) use of ingredients.

2) CLARITY (1-10): 8
Feedback: The author's technical writing could be a little firmer, but he writes with an enthusiasm that is infectious. I could go for a little more formal structure and diction, but that really is a personal preference more than anything else. There is a lot of "figure it out yourself" where more specific guidelines could have been given, but I suspect that this is more a function of how the author expects the game to be played than any laziness on his part.

3) COMPLETENESS (1-10): 8
Feedback: The game is mostly complete and anybody with half a brain could pick this up and play it. However, it does gloss over some procedural details and could give more detail and guidance in a number of places. I would like more guidance and suggestions on making prosecutors, for instance. Additionally, examples of play would go a long, long way to displaying the rules in action.

4) ESTIMATED EFFECTIVENESS IN PLAY (1-10): 10
Feedback: As the scoring guideline says, I want to play this game RIGHT NOW. Specifically, I want to convene the Game Chef Convention, get a roomful of people, and play it. I suspect that this game works best with about eight to twelve players, and contrary to suggestions in the text, I think this would be much more fun played "LARP-style" with tables, chairs, witness stand, bench, et cetera.

TOTAL TANGENT: This needs to be played at Con. You need to show up with masks and bits of costume that Team Steel can don for their parts, and maybe ties for the Prosecutors and a wig for the Judge. Assign roles, let them strategize for a half hour, and then play out the rest over the rest of the time block allotted. That would rawk.

5) SWING VOTE (1-10): 9
Final Feedback: I would have given this category a 10, but this is supposed to be my subjective playspace of the review, and the one drawback I find in this game is its lack of crunchiness and its reliance on GM/Judge fiat and guidance. Additionally, the jury sitting there or maybe being witnesses and such, and then after a couple hours voting one way or the other leaves me cold. This game would go from veryvery cool to superfucking cool if there was a simple die mechanic or even an in-the-moment scoring mechanism for every point the Prosecution and Defense tries to make, with results accruing to determine the final verdict or something. That said, I'd play this game as-is, with the understanding that it's "just that sort of game."

TOTAL SCORE (add items 1 through 5, above): 44

PostPosted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:57 pm
by dantai

PostPosted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:02 pm
by spaceanddeath
You might want to talk to Kat Miller about the LARP, for the Indy Game Explosion:




Cheers,

~Mo

PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:03 am
by redivider

PostPosted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:24 am
by dantai
Thanks Mark

I should point out I was using Law not Actor, y'know the trial thing. A rpg for actors is just a throwaway line on the front cover. Still, that'll teach me for trying to be clever!

There's also a little know super-hero who's called the man of steel. You do have to be a total fanboy to have heard of him though. :wink:
Steel city is obviously a reference to Sheffield where super-hero Sean Bean comes from. So not tenuous at all oh no. Nope. Well...

I've left out a specific setting because setting conflicts with immersion in my experience, people get all hett up about what Steel city's 'really like' despite it not exisiting. Winging it works better.

*The prosecution can cross examine the defendants, sorry I didn't mention this explicity.

*Individual grievances is a nice idea, makes things a bit more complex but I'd like to explore this option.

Cheers for the feedback Mark, I appreciate the time that's gone into your review.

Joe

PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:33 am
by Willow

PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:34 am
by dantai
Well that's a pretty diverse bunch of reviews.

Proves the old adage - you can't please everyone!

This game's all about the immersion - you'll either love it or hate it.

I'm guessing players into freeform or LARPs will be more keen on the game than your dice-oriented crowd.

I do think it has a good potential for mainstream cross over - at least for theatrical types...

PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:34 pm
by Willow
I want to stress this: if you haven't already, get your hands on some Mock Trial stuff.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:27 pm
by Destriarch

PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:27 pm
by Willow
Here's some links to what I'm talking about. There's alot of stuff, but anyone interested in a courtroom RPG/LARP should take a look.