Review Roundup

[Emily Care]

Hi there!

Between the , the and the threads 29 Iron Game Chef 2005 games have gotten feedback so far. Absolutely highest praises to Doug, Tobias and all who took the time to write up an Irongame or three! As well as to Evan for the . And of course to the judges who are even now laboring away to get the final results back to us.

Due to all these efforts, only 9 are left unreviewed. Here's list of the games remaining:

Myrmidion
The Last Supper
Sedition!
Jackals & Hounds
Malleus Malleficarum
Sand
Revolution
Doomed Assault
The Shab Al-Hiri Roach

Please correct this list if any are missing/on it mistakenly.

I'm going to add my review of Sand in a post to this thread, and I invite anyone who may be inspired to do the same for one of the others, here or elsewhere. Especially if you haven't done one already. I am most grateful to Matt Cowens for his review of my game, city of the moon, and hope that everyone can get personal feedback.

Let's see if we can cover everyone before the final results come out!

yrs,
Emily Care

[Emily Care]

Sand by Simon Washbourne

Historical setting: Inspired by Faulkland Islands conflict in 80's, also Frank Herbert's Dune series and Starship Troopers.

Ingredients: Invincible (Space Cruiser), Wine (addictive & valuable "Spice"like substance), Entomology ("bugs", aliens species)

Rules Restriction: Color in resolutions system and three outcomes from single die roll (3 colored dice in resolution mechanic)

********************************

Sand is is set in the far distant future of our world, 2982, when Rule Britannia has reached out into space. The history of the Faulkland Islands conflict repeats itself with the addition of high-powered space marines and psykers lending their strength to what has become an interplanetary dispute. Her Majesty Queen Elspeth II's space cruiser Invincible has been sent to protect the planet Sand, source of the addictive and valuable nectar called Wine, from interference by the Church and aggressive Noble houses that have formed an alliance, the Junta, to take over Sand. Meanwhile, beneath the planet's surface, the great Queen of the Xixuthrus, the indigenous species of Sand affectionately known as "bugs", may soon enter the end of a Hundred Year Cycle when her hive will bring her great quantities of Wine and the whole planet will become seeded with bug eggs. Countless new Queens will emerge which may tip the already unsteady balance among the many factions vying for Wine...

Resolution Mechanics and Stats:
Characters have three attributes: Mind, Action and Body. Base level is three, with bonuses given based on the Position chosen for the character: Marine, Psyker or Specialist. Each position is associated with different abilities (combat and toughness abilities for Marines, Void (psychic) powers for Psykers and combat and agility bonuses for Specialists).

When an action is performed in play by a character that is deemed difficult by the GM, the player must roll two or three ten-sided dice of different colors to determine if the action was successful. The dice are colored red, white and blue, the colors of the Empire. The red die symbolizes the Wine, and is only rolled by characters that are addicted and "boosted" by Wine. Characters that do so gain bonuses to their abilities (the more dice that are rolled beneath the attribute level, the greater the level of success), but the level of Wine goes down as it is used and a character with no Wine goes into withdrawal, suffering mechanical and narrative disadvantages. For example, a character at level 1 of Withdrawal should be narrated to exhibit Stress and has a -1 to their Mind attribute until more Wine is taken. Each time an action is taken without new Wine, the Withdrawal level increases for the character. Some Psykers have abilities that allow them to help other characters allay the effects of Withdrawal.

There are special rules for combat, weapons and armor, appropriate since the setting is rife with military conflict. An example of combat is given, and templates for Junta Troops, Merchant house Mercenaries and various alien types are given. The game has a simple and seemingly complete character sheet for player characters.

Comments:
Sand is well-written and has a lovely graphical layout. The use of historical setting is good, though it is equal parts Dune & Starship troopers, so the specific 1982-ness of it gets a bit watered down by the futuristic elements. However, though this may weigh against it in the judging for IGC, it probably was a good decision for the game itself, since the marine combat types and aliens make for more spice (so to speak) in the game. The other science fiction story I was reminded of was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, due to the Xixuthrus Queen. The many references to period and books in the game ("Margery Hatchet" and "Dr. Herbert Frank") serve to transform blatant borrowing to an homage to these sources that work quite well together. Nice bricoling! : )

The game's setting is a real bonus, in my book. There are so many ready made conflicts that it is easy to think of many ways to begin play and create engaging situations. Due to the character classes (forgive me , play is focused on combat, which is clearly the intent of the game. If there was interest in broadening the scope of play, other character types might be included: Wine technicians, diplomats etc. Abilities like these are included in the attribute Mind. But more likely, the final version might include rules for use of larger scale units of troops or space combat (ie fighters etc.).

Sand is a GM'd game, so scene framing and conflict introduction are handled under the standard understanding of what GMing entails, but some discussion of this might be of use. And the final game would probably include scenarios, write ups of important figures and so on. All in all, though, this is a great start and seems playable as it is. I look forward to seeing what you do with it. Great job, Simon!

[Rossum]

[Simon W]

[Tobias]

[PlotDevice]

[Emily Care]

[Emily Care]

The Last Supper, by Eric Finley, Hellequin Games

Historical Period: Biblical Rome, the betrayal of Christ

Ingredients: Wine (part of live action meal and used to trigger special scene types), Companion (apostles of Christ, implicit), Accusor (betrayer character, determined at the end of play).

Rules Limitations: no character sheets (except for apostle names listed on board), custom cards (indicating doctrines and mission types for apostles), color (cards are different colors), gestures (kiss of betrayal and drinking wine), set characters (the apostles and Christ).

*******************************************************

The Last Supper very much lives up to its name. It takes the form of a live action agape feast, much like what the Christ and his apostles would have been historically expected to do at such an event. The players provide food and are encouraged to be involved in its preparation and to arrange their seating as was appropriate for period (low to the ground, no central table). This both integrates the period deeply into the game as well as gives the players simple and tangible connections with the characters. This is extremely useful since the preset characters are the more-than-well-known 12 Apostles. Preparing for the meal as they did gives one an opportunity to see them as human beings, rather than as the larger than life characters they are popularly known as. The GM plays Christ and is responsible for bringing the beverage, which solely consists of wine (and water if non-alcoholic drinks are required). The wine is all drunk from a single cup, chosen with care as it is signifies the grail.

This sets an excellent tone for the game, since the in it the players are asked to discuss weighty issues from the perspective of their chosen apostle as they consume their feast. The Last Supper is the last meal the apostles have together before the betrayal of the Christ. In this meal an apostle makes the fatal choice to betray him, and by the next day the fellowship is shattered and Christ has been taken into custody, in preparation for his trial and crucifixion. Leading up to this day, Christ has been rabble rousing and throwing down the money lenders in the temple. These pressing events bear down on the characters, and the discussion of issues should be of questions that his followers would want to get hard and fast answers to--questions of death, the afterlife, the reason for evil, etc. And the rest of the game arises out of players being awarded Doctrine cards for compelling points and arguments. All the apostles are treated as present, and players are encouraged to debate those not being played, making points in such a way that the others may get the idea of how the missing apostle is responding. There is no expectation that the doctrines will align with historical positions of the apostles. The GM, playing Christ, has different goals than the other players. Rather than trying to make clear and compelling arguments, the Christ's goal is to give as ambiguous answers as possible to the questions, and on th issues. The more ways the answer may be interpreted the better. The GM may be rewarded with cards as well, for their ambiguity and obscurity of response.

The cards then are used to frame a series of scene types that first give insight into how the doctrinal choices of the characters reverberate through history, then how the choices made by the group of apostles--Christ is not positioned on the board with cards, he is represented through the choices of his apostles--create different outcomes in the history of the church as a whole throughout various ages of history. These scenes are indicated by drinking wine and are named for it. The individual flash-forward scenes based on individual apostle's doctrinal choices are called Ripples in the Wine, and are indicated by a player taking a drink of wine. They are always tragic in nature and affect the life of one individual in the future. The player then plays one of the doctrinal cards on the board. The doctrinal cards give approaches to five large philosophical questions (eg what is the nature of christ, how can christians believe..) listed on the board. There is space for one card to be played for each apostle for each of the questions. During a Ripple, the player places on card face down on one space, for their own character or for one of the unplayed apostles. The longer ranging historical narrations are Splashes of Wine, indicated by a toast in which all players drink from the grail in turn. Splashes may be made when all the cards for a given column beneath a question have been placed, and all cards are revealed at once after the toast. The distribution of the types of cards determines whether the historical splash will be a triumphal up turn in the churches fortunes or a tragic or ignominious downturn.

The final phase of the game occurs as all the doctrinal cards for player characters have been played. Any other player may at that point annoint the player of the character with wine, Drowning them in the wine, and give them a mission card. The distribution of cards awarded (either prostelytizing or evangelical) once all have been chosen gives a sense of the character of the church. One player will choose the Accusor card, though it will not necessarily be Judas Iscariot. It may be some randomly chosen apostle in this alternate history of the religion. This is signifed by giving the Christ's player a kiss. At the end of the game, the forgiveness and redemption of the Christ is played out by taking each of the Ripple scenes for the Accusor in turn, each of which is some moment of terror, loss or tragedy in a single person's life, and narrate how this loss was redeemed or turned triumphal through the sacrifice and teachings of the Christ.


Comments:
Eric has done something very special here. The game itself seems complete, has an attractive layout and is well written. The prose is clear and elegant, ranging from the mechanical play of the game to the deeper philosophical questions raised. The play aids are well organized, aesthetic and seem quite useful as aids to play. All of the elements used--period, ingredients and limitations--are integral to play and innovative. The weakest seems to be the use of Companion. It may be in the game text, but I seem to have missed it somehow. It is implied strongly however, and its lack seems a mere oversight to me. Multiple rules restrictions were incorporated but none of them seems contrived. The use of gestures, as drinking the wine and the kiss are incredibly evocative and fit perfectly with the immersive framework of the game. Although it may be that playtesting will find some loopholes or weak spots in the flow of the game, they are not apparent to my eye on reading. This is a rich, full-developed game that seems ready for use as it is. I am plotting already to see if I can get a game group I will visit soon to partake, since there is one player for whom this game is more than tailor made..

However, with all this, Eric has gone one step further. Recently Ben Lehman posted about looking at the kind of choices and approaches to life that role playing games engender in their players. I do not know the stance Eric took on this question, but the Last Supper is a game that I would say rises to this challenge. It goes far beyond the doctrine shuffling seen in the related card game Credo, it involves the players in themselves addressing the issues of philosophical and moral relevance that religion addresses. Playing this game is an opportunity to examine how the choices made by individuals who may be alive at critical junctures can have far reaching effects on other individuals and institutions throughout time. On the first page of the game, Eric puts a caveat to players, warning them that any who would not be able or willing to engage in the discussion of these issues and the religion of Christianity in a serious fashion should not play the game. This is important since it sets the tone of the discourse. He is also careful, however, to state that this is a game intended for Christians and non-Christians alike to step into the footsteps of these figures and approach the impact of Christianity on its own terms. This game may not suit every one. Those intimidated by debate as well as those not interested in religion and specifically Christianity are unlikely to seek it out. But speaking as a non-Christian, I found this game to be very effective as well as very emotionally affecting. This is a game that, if played in the spirit in which it is offered, has the potential to open up deeper awareness and give long-lasting experiences to its players. It would be fascinating, if perhaps impossible, to play games of similar ilk for other movements, religions or philosophies. Ben's Baihua has similarity, so perhaps we may be able to do this kind of philosophical exploration for a wider range of topics. Eric's contribution will certainly be one of the most evocative and thought provoking of this hypothetical bunch, and I am glad that he did not set aside the challenge despite the understandable hesitation I believe he discussed about approaching this topic.

The Last Supper is a contender. Eric should be very proud.

[Harlequin]

Wow. Thank you, Emily. That review was everything I had hoped this game could engender. I look very much forward to hearing about your attempt to play it.

The one thing which I am considering revising is the sheer number of cutscenes required. I worked it out in conversation with Scott Knipe, and realized that the game currently requires precisely ninety-four cutscenes (!) in order to be played to completion, quite apart from the actual in-dinner conversation. Once you get a group together contact me (eric@heresy.ca) and I'll send you the slimmed-down version I'm working on (unless of course you'd rather playtest the entry as-is); the revision should be slightly more playable without compromising the design.

And the idea of releasing a series of philosophically provocative games, such as this and Baihua, under some kind of common label - different publishers but a common thematic thread, unifying back-cover icon, and cross-recommendations, say - is a very intriguing one. Sort of like an indie games version of the Amazon "If you liked this..." pattern.

Thank you again for the review. It's so hard to know whether the design has accomplished what it set out to do...

- Eric

[Ben Lehman]

Hi!

Eric: I think that co-labelling, game collectives, and community building via branding are all great ideas for small-press games. I'd love to have a row of little icons on the backs of books, just letting people know any number of things.

I'd be a little leary about co-branding Baihua with The Last Supper, though, simply because the first is really just a board-game with an interesting philosophical argument bent (a recent appendix gives advice on converting Nietschze and Machiavelli into the game), and the second seems to be a really serious religious exploration game.

I wouldn't want to make the comparison, 'cause I'm afraid that my game, as written, falls terribly short.

yrs--
--Ben