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<blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5669482" data-attributes="member: 27780"><p><strong><u>Dragon Magazine Issue 244: February 1998</u></strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>part 7/8</p><p></p><p></p><p>The ecology of the sphinx: This is amusing. This story manages to weave together a tale of all four main sphinx types, and a wizard who manipulates their various tendencies to get what he wants. Man, their sex lives are even more <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />ed up than Lamias'. It's a wonder they manage to survive and perpetuate themselves. It's all pretty much as laid out in the monster manual, but of course much more fun to read about when it's happening to specific individuals, rather than some nebulous generic sphinxkind. The footnotes aren't very interesting or useful this time round, making this an entertaining but ultimately inconsequential entry in the series. On we go then. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Dragonmirth may be playing the wrong game. Swordplay once again fail to kill each other. Floyd draws upon some very interesting magic tricks indeed. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Roleplaying reviews loses it's hyphen. In time, everything gets abbreviated. Fire bad. Space good, though. Rick thinks so, anyway, and he's got no shortage of designers who think likewise to review. So once more unto this topic, just to take things a bit further than the sky theme of the rest of the issue. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> Up up and away! </p><p></p><p>Trinity sees white wolf go sci-fi. Well, space opera anyway, as lets face it, it's hard to do psychics in space vs aliens and superheroes turned mutant monstrosities and keep the science particularly hard or avoid thinking of Star Wars. Rick is reasonably positive about it, as the setting and characters are vividly done, and the system streamlined somewhat from the WoD version. But it's still designed very much as the header for a ton of splatbooks, so he's not entirely happy about running a game there yet. Give it a little while, and hope it doesn't die before they get enough books out <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> </p><p></p><p>Heavy Gear on the other hand, gets an overall negative review. It looks good, but the setting is exceedingly sketchy when contrasted with WW's, and the system has a nice core but huge impenetrable tactical combat rules. Plus they're more interested in mechs than the human scale stuff. One for wargamers who want to add a bit of roleplaying & plot to their epic battles. </p><p></p><p>The southern Republic tries to fill in the biggest nation of the setting, but the writing fails to enthuse rick, with it feeling as if the writers were struggling for inspiration. Far too many of the things are pretty direct real world lifts for a setting 4,000 years in the future, and some of them are just goofy. Is this what you want to do when not in your mechas? </p><p></p><p>Jovian Chronicles uses the same system as Heavy Gear, but gets a slightly more positive result because it's setting seems simultaneously closer to home, and with a more interesting setting. Still, that's merely a matter of degree, and it still seems rather tame when compared with Trinity. What was acceptable 10 years ago no longer cuts the mustard. </p><p></p><p>Mechanical catalog really concentrates on the vehicles of the setting, giving lots of example ones and showing you how to build your own. This actually gets the best marks, because it's the area the writers seem to be most enthusiastic about. So really, it's a case where the system has potentail, but they aren't really applying it to it's full capabilities yet. </p><p></p><p>Reign of steel is one of GURPS' most interesting settings yet. Ok, the basic theme is essentially that of the Terminator series future, but it's handled with style, and with a whole bunch of competing overminds, there's plenty of room for regional variation, and weird touches keep it from being a one note setting. Plus you can play as either the humans or the robots, in case you get bored. Who doesn't want to hunt down and slaughter human scum. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Re:Views: The Power seems to be an attempt to meld Mage and Changeling, as PC's are initiated into a secret world by eldrich entities where they can tap the dreamtime to manipulate reality through a deeper understanding of how it works. Just as with last month, this is a case of great flavour, but somewhat lacking mechanics. I guess they really are following in the White Wolf spirit. In any case, it's the kind of world that accommodates all the standard archetypes and adventures while not feeling too generic. It gives you another option if you want to do the dark modern fantasy thing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(un)reason, post: 5669482, member: 27780"] [B][U]Dragon Magazine Issue 244: February 1998[/U][/B] part 7/8 The ecology of the sphinx: This is amusing. This story manages to weave together a tale of all four main sphinx types, and a wizard who manipulates their various tendencies to get what he wants. Man, their sex lives are even more :):):):)ed up than Lamias'. It's a wonder they manage to survive and perpetuate themselves. It's all pretty much as laid out in the monster manual, but of course much more fun to read about when it's happening to specific individuals, rather than some nebulous generic sphinxkind. The footnotes aren't very interesting or useful this time round, making this an entertaining but ultimately inconsequential entry in the series. On we go then. Dragonmirth may be playing the wrong game. Swordplay once again fail to kill each other. Floyd draws upon some very interesting magic tricks indeed. Roleplaying reviews loses it's hyphen. In time, everything gets abbreviated. Fire bad. Space good, though. Rick thinks so, anyway, and he's got no shortage of designers who think likewise to review. So once more unto this topic, just to take things a bit further than the sky theme of the rest of the issue. :p Up up and away! Trinity sees white wolf go sci-fi. Well, space opera anyway, as lets face it, it's hard to do psychics in space vs aliens and superheroes turned mutant monstrosities and keep the science particularly hard or avoid thinking of Star Wars. Rick is reasonably positive about it, as the setting and characters are vividly done, and the system streamlined somewhat from the WoD version. But it's still designed very much as the header for a ton of splatbooks, so he's not entirely happy about running a game there yet. Give it a little while, and hope it doesn't die before they get enough books out :p Heavy Gear on the other hand, gets an overall negative review. It looks good, but the setting is exceedingly sketchy when contrasted with WW's, and the system has a nice core but huge impenetrable tactical combat rules. Plus they're more interested in mechs than the human scale stuff. One for wargamers who want to add a bit of roleplaying & plot to their epic battles. The southern Republic tries to fill in the biggest nation of the setting, but the writing fails to enthuse rick, with it feeling as if the writers were struggling for inspiration. Far too many of the things are pretty direct real world lifts for a setting 4,000 years in the future, and some of them are just goofy. Is this what you want to do when not in your mechas? Jovian Chronicles uses the same system as Heavy Gear, but gets a slightly more positive result because it's setting seems simultaneously closer to home, and with a more interesting setting. Still, that's merely a matter of degree, and it still seems rather tame when compared with Trinity. What was acceptable 10 years ago no longer cuts the mustard. Mechanical catalog really concentrates on the vehicles of the setting, giving lots of example ones and showing you how to build your own. This actually gets the best marks, because it's the area the writers seem to be most enthusiastic about. So really, it's a case where the system has potentail, but they aren't really applying it to it's full capabilities yet. Reign of steel is one of GURPS' most interesting settings yet. Ok, the basic theme is essentially that of the Terminator series future, but it's handled with style, and with a whole bunch of competing overminds, there's plenty of room for regional variation, and weird touches keep it from being a one note setting. Plus you can play as either the humans or the robots, in case you get bored. Who doesn't want to hunt down and slaughter human scum. Re:Views: The Power seems to be an attempt to meld Mage and Changeling, as PC's are initiated into a secret world by eldrich entities where they can tap the dreamtime to manipulate reality through a deeper understanding of how it works. Just as with last month, this is a case of great flavour, but somewhat lacking mechanics. I guess they really are following in the White Wolf spirit. In any case, it's the kind of world that accommodates all the standard archetypes and adventures while not feeling too generic. It gives you another option if you want to do the dark modern fantasy thing. [/QUOTE]
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