Cold City Rpg

[Strom]

I'm really interested in the Cold City RPG and was wondering if anyone had played it at Gen-Con or anywhere. I usually like to read a review or two before purchasing a new RPG but I can't find any reviews on Cold City.

I was wondering if this is a game that really needs a group or could it work with a 1 on 1 format as well?

Any information or links is greatly appreciated.

Game on friends!

 

[andrew_kenrick]

Cold City does look really interesting! I love the concept of monster hunters in post-WW2 Berlin.

I can't find a review, but there have been some good actual play reports over at the Forge lately. Here's one of them!

Jason Morningstar's actual play thread

 

[mcrow]

I haven't played it, but I did pick it up.

It is really nothing all that impressive if you ask me.

It's supposed to be horror, but i got more of a ghostbusters feel out of it. I may be alone on that thought. The system is nothing special and the setting not all that great. I had mention my thoughts about it on other forums, and several others felt the opposite of me.

 

[Malcolm_Craig]

I'm really interested in the Cold City RPG and was wondering if anyone had played it at Gen-Con or anywhere. I usually like to read a review or two before purchasing a new RPG but I can't find any reviews on Cold City.

I was wondering if this is a game that really needs a group or could it work with a 1 on 1 format as well?

Any information or links is greatly appreciated.

Game on friends!

Hi,

Thanks for showing an interest in Cold City. As luck would have it, we've just updated our Cold City web pages with a whole range of links to actual play, downloads about the game and interesting resources. The actual play will probably give you a good idea of what the game is like.

In answer to your other point, the game does work better with a group of 3 or more players. This helps trust and hidden agendas to really come into play as they are intended.

I haven't played it, but I did pick it up.

It is really nothing all that impressive if you ask me.

It's supposed to be horror, but i got more of a ghostbusters feel out of it. I may be alone on that thought. The system is nothing special and the setting not all that great. I had mention my thoughts about it on other forums, and several others felt the opposite of me.

Are there any particular aspects of the game that cause you to feel that it has a 'ghostbusters' feel? One of the things about the game is that while it can deal with some fairly serious issues, it can also be played in a fairly pulpy fashion as well. However, it is intended ot veer more towards a serious style of play, given the themes and subject matter. However, I really would be interested in hearing your further opinions on this.

Cheers
Malcolm

 

[mcrow]

Are there any particular aspects of the game that cause you to feel that it has a 'ghostbusters' feel? One of the things about the game is that while it can deal with some fairly serious issues, it can also be played in a fairly pulpy fashion as well. However, it is intended ot veer more towards a serious style of play, given the themes and subject matter. However, I really would be interested in hearing your further opinions on this.

Cheers
Malcolm

Well, I have to say that I'm a pretty hard sell for "horror" RPGs. I don't think there is a game out there that truely is a "horror" game. Not even CoC. That's not to say that Cold city or CoC are not fun or good games, but to say that getting the horror feel in an RPG is almost impossible IME. I do however see the intent in RPGs to emulate horror and some come closer than others.

Cold City, for me, just didn't have anything that exciting about it. Most games I like will make me want to create characters, design capaigns, and recruit others to play. When I finished Cold City it left thinking "meh!?!? Not bad."

As for the Ghostbusters thing: I was having a hard time with describing the feel of it. So Ghostbusters may be the wrong thing to compare it to. I guess it's more like more Shades of Earth in the cold war era.

As a side note, I picked up Cold City because I liked A/State, so I thought I'd give it a go.

 

[Malcolm_Craig]

Well, I have to say that I'm a pretty hard sell for "horror" RPGs. I don't think there is a game out there that truely is a "horror" game. Not even CoC. That's not to say that Cold city or CoC are not fun or good games, but to say that getting the horror feel in an RPG is almost impossible IME. I do however see the intent in RPGs to emulate horror and some come closer than others.

Cold City, for me, just didn't have anything that exciting about it. Most games I like will make me want to create characters, design capaigns, and recruit others to play. When I finished Cold City it left thinking "meh!?!? Not bad."

That's cool, there are plenty of games out there that don't gel in some way for me either. Different strokes for different folks and all that.

As for the horror aspect, that's always a tricky one. Although it doesn't explicitly set out it's stall as a horror game, aspects of horror are very much implicit in the themes and tone (there's not a lot more horrific in this world than the atrocities perpetuated in the name of the Third Reich). However, capturing an atmosphere of 'horror' is very difficult within the context of a game. Although, I come down oppositie your opinion and think that it cane be done. I've been involved in some games of Cold City that did genuinely provoke feelings of unease and horror, and not simply through anything gratuitous or exploitative. This having been said, what works for one person may not work for another. So it goes.

As for the Ghostbusters thing: I was having a hard time with describing the feel of it. So Ghostbusters may be the wrong thing to compare it to. I guess it's more like more Shades of Earth in the cold war era.

As a side note, I picked up Cold City because I liked A/State, so I thought I'd give it a go.

No worries, I get your point.

But anyway, thanks for picking up Cold City and giving it a go, even if it wasn't your cup of tea. And I'm glad you liked a|state!

Cheers
Malcolm

 

[Strom]

Thanks for the links and the comments everyone. Cool to have the creator respond too!

I'm definitely going to pick this game up. It just feels like a game that can get my creativity flowing for something other than a fantasy rpg.

Currently I am without a group and I will need to read the book but I'm thinking of running it like a covert operation similar to the old Unknown Soldier comics from DC with my one friend. The RPA would be the American group trying to infiltrate and spy on the other countries RPA equivalent organizations. Of course you would have contacts and informants and make necessary arrangements with the other countries as you are all in Berlin. Then of course you would have the monsters that need eliminating. So, although you wouldn't have the group dynamic you would have the tension of what you can say and to who - all the while needing to either rid Berlin of monsters or figure out how they could work for your military. Something like that. Instead of the space race make it a monster race type competition amongst the different countries.

Am I barking up the wrong tree with this style game for Cold City?

 

[Malcolm_Craig]

Thanks for the links and the comments everyone. Cool to have the creator respond too!

I'm definitely going to pick this game up. It just feels like a game that can get my creativity flowing for something other than a fantasy rpg.

Currently I am without a group and I will need to read the book but I'm thinking of running it like a covert operation similar to the old Unknown Soldier comics from DC with my one friend. The RPA would be the American group trying to infiltrate and spy on the other countries RPA equivalent organizations. Of course you would have contacts and informants and make necessary arrangements with the other countries as you are all in Berlin. Then of course you would have the monsters that need eliminating. So, although you wouldn't have the group dynamic you would have the tension of what you can say and to who - all the while needing to either rid Berlin of monsters or figure out how they could work for your military. Something like that. Instead of the space race make it a monster race type competition amongst the different countries.

Am I barking up the wrong tree with this style game for Cold City?

While this isn't the style of game portrayed in the book, I'm certain that you could run a game with this basis. Trust would interesting as it would need to be much more personal at the outset, rather than being based on national prejudices and so forth. It would also be interesting to see the handling of Hidden Agendas such a game. Normally, the national agenda would be mandated by the state/military organisation/government department/etc from the characters homeland. Given that in your potential game, all the characters come from the same nation, this might have to be modified to agendas mandated by, for example, a range of spy agencies, all from the same country, but working against each other. Kind of.

Within the context of the game, the RPA is a multinational, rather than individual, agency. So, in your game, it would be likely that the group would be working outside the confines of the RPA, maybe for another agency. Maybe working against the Berlin RPA, coming into conflict with them at times?

Cheers
Malcolm