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<blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5714770" data-attributes="member: 27780"><p><strong><u>Dragon Magazine Issue 251: September 1998</u></strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>part 7/8</p><p></p><p></p><p>PC portraits: Wait, what? not one, not two, not three, but four elves with beards? That's not sloppiness, that's wilfull contrariness on the part of Rebecca Guay, who's responsible for the first instalment of this new column. Are they actively trying to provoke a rash of complaints on the letters pages? I'm not sure, but it's interesting, and definitely gives me something to talk about here, where I suspect I may struggle to find something to say if this becomes a regular thing. In the meantime, it's a pretty good way to fill out a single page, and not something they've done before, so it's convenient for their editors; and it's system free, so it's the kind of thing that'll remain useful after the edition change. We already know they're thinking about that, so this kind of thing makes a lot of sense. Now to sit back and see if any flame wars come from it. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Dragonmirth has more knight-eating jokes. Swordplay reprints the strip from issue 249 for no apparent reason. Is this the fault of the cartoonist or the editor? </p><p></p><p>Another contest asks us to design an inn for them. Give us the best possible location for adventurers to start their careers, and then come back too once they've finished an adventure. You have the power! But you don't get to choose the name. Well, I suppose it gets people writing in that wouldn't otherwise. And maybe some of them'll stick around, become regular freelancers. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Roleplaying reviews continues on it's sci-fi special, giving long reviews to a relatively short list of products. This really seems to be to drive in that Sci-fi is a big thing right now, with two active Star Trek series, and other stuff like Babylon 5 and Farscape enjoying both commercial and critical success. At that point it seemed like it would just keep getting bigger. But that's not how fashion works. Things may stick around longer than you expect (reality TV, I'm looking at you) but the public always gets bored eventually, especially as technology does things that make old sci-fi look dated. So let's see how these offerings have held up over a decade later. </p><p></p><p>Fading suns gets a second review. (Rick did this in issue 238) Once again, the fact that this is heavily influenced by classic White Wolf aesthetics is mentioned, probably even more than WW's own Trinity around this time. Ray goes into more detail on the system and less on the setting than Rick, but comes up with the same overall mark. It's a good system, and the game is full of adventure hooks. Plus it's an original setting in a genre dominated by licences, which is also worth supporting. </p><p></p><p>The babylon project, on the other hand is a licence of Babylon 5. It gets a rather ambivalent review, with it's odd licensing restrictions and crunch heavy system. It won't be of much interest to people not already interested in the property, and whether hardcore fans will like it is also uncertain. On balance, it seems like a probably not to most readers. </p><p></p><p>Star*Drive: is Alternity's first setting, and I'm not sure why this is being reviewed the month afterwards rather than with it. It gets a mostly positive review, but also one that points out it's all very generic and kitchen sinky, consciously engineered with the intent of becoming the Forgotten Realms of it's system. Of course, that could well be interpreted as bland. Still, I'm sure it's very playable, should you choose to dig the old game up for a spin. </p><p></p><p></p><p>KotDT face their deadliest foe yet. Squirrels! Lenard Lakofka would be proud.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(un)reason, post: 5714770, member: 27780"] [B][U]Dragon Magazine Issue 251: September 1998[/U][/B] part 7/8 PC portraits: Wait, what? not one, not two, not three, but four elves with beards? That's not sloppiness, that's wilfull contrariness on the part of Rebecca Guay, who's responsible for the first instalment of this new column. Are they actively trying to provoke a rash of complaints on the letters pages? I'm not sure, but it's interesting, and definitely gives me something to talk about here, where I suspect I may struggle to find something to say if this becomes a regular thing. In the meantime, it's a pretty good way to fill out a single page, and not something they've done before, so it's convenient for their editors; and it's system free, so it's the kind of thing that'll remain useful after the edition change. We already know they're thinking about that, so this kind of thing makes a lot of sense. Now to sit back and see if any flame wars come from it. Dragonmirth has more knight-eating jokes. Swordplay reprints the strip from issue 249 for no apparent reason. Is this the fault of the cartoonist or the editor? Another contest asks us to design an inn for them. Give us the best possible location for adventurers to start their careers, and then come back too once they've finished an adventure. You have the power! But you don't get to choose the name. Well, I suppose it gets people writing in that wouldn't otherwise. And maybe some of them'll stick around, become regular freelancers. Roleplaying reviews continues on it's sci-fi special, giving long reviews to a relatively short list of products. This really seems to be to drive in that Sci-fi is a big thing right now, with two active Star Trek series, and other stuff like Babylon 5 and Farscape enjoying both commercial and critical success. At that point it seemed like it would just keep getting bigger. But that's not how fashion works. Things may stick around longer than you expect (reality TV, I'm looking at you) but the public always gets bored eventually, especially as technology does things that make old sci-fi look dated. So let's see how these offerings have held up over a decade later. Fading suns gets a second review. (Rick did this in issue 238) Once again, the fact that this is heavily influenced by classic White Wolf aesthetics is mentioned, probably even more than WW's own Trinity around this time. Ray goes into more detail on the system and less on the setting than Rick, but comes up with the same overall mark. It's a good system, and the game is full of adventure hooks. Plus it's an original setting in a genre dominated by licences, which is also worth supporting. The babylon project, on the other hand is a licence of Babylon 5. It gets a rather ambivalent review, with it's odd licensing restrictions and crunch heavy system. It won't be of much interest to people not already interested in the property, and whether hardcore fans will like it is also uncertain. On balance, it seems like a probably not to most readers. Star*Drive: is Alternity's first setting, and I'm not sure why this is being reviewed the month afterwards rather than with it. It gets a mostly positive review, but also one that points out it's all very generic and kitchen sinky, consciously engineered with the intent of becoming the Forgotten Realms of it's system. Of course, that could well be interpreted as bland. Still, I'm sure it's very playable, should you choose to dig the old game up for a spin. KotDT face their deadliest foe yet. Squirrels! Lenard Lakofka would be proud. [/QUOTE]
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