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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Merova" data-source="post: 2010767" data-attributes="member: 2505">Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus RexThis genre-bending d20 game is set in an alternate timeline, where the Confederacy and the Union struggle in a conflict between agrarian individualism and industrialist oppression. The year is 2202 and the conflict has extended to the most distant parts of space, including the strange world of Cretasus, the dinosaur planet.This bizarre Jupiter-sized planet is a vast source of precious resources that both the Confederacy and the Union covet. However, the main feature of Cretasus is the presence of dinosaurs. Unlike the ancient dinosaurs of Earth, these creatures are not dim-witted brutes. Raptors, T-rex, and protoceratops form individual communities, have developed languages, and are capable of making deals with human settlers.Obviously, this isn't hard SF.Nevertheless, it's an interesting mix of western, space opera, and "lost world" elements. It sounds goofy, but, in actual play, the setting has a unique richness and flavor. From "techno thriller" adventures in Union controlled space stations to "Heart of Darkness" style journeys into the untamed, primordial jungles, this setting contains a wealth of story options for the players to explore.PremiseThis game focuses on the exploration of setting. There is a great deal to explore in this world, from the political factions of the settlers to the cultural nuances of raptor society. Cretasus is a new frontier; the PCs will determine its fate through their choices of exploration. As the book says:"The world of Broncosaurus Rex is in your hands!" (p.4)This leads to another premise intrinsic to the game, individualism and its role in society. The quest for independence tangles up with the obligation to one's family and society. When does a Union soldier stand up to oppose the rapacious industrialist agenda that threatens to despoil the beauty of Cretasus? Why does a Dino hunter risk life and limb for the thrill of the hunt? Are the consequences of "going native" ultimately a desirable state for the "Dinozonian" wild ones, women who have abandoned human society to live without restraint among the dinosaurs?Both in the exploration of setting and theme, this is a superb game! So, how do the mechanics and techniques of implementation help the players achieve the premise?MechanicsMechanically, this game isn't very good. There are plenty of good ideas, but the treatment isn't deep enough and sometimes breaks down in actual play. Moreover, many helpful mechanical elements are lacking. The pertinent areas that I'll be reviewing are character generation, setting simulative mechanics, and dinosaurs.Character generation is where the exploration of setting and theme begins. There are four key stages to this process: choosing place of origin (ie: race,) class selection, skills and feats. The choices made here define a character's narrative focus, the challenges in which they receive the "spotlight." Coherent and balanced mechanics are essential. Unfortunately, the process is rife with oversights.Places of origin replaces D&D's "race" in mechanical delineation; racially, all players are human, although sentient aliens do exist. The four places from which the players may choose are the Confederacy, the Union, the Free Fleet, or Offworlders. Thematically, some problems immediately pop up. For instance, everybody hates the Union because of its voracious greed and disregard towards life and liberty. Playing a PC from the Union is going to thematically weigh upon that character, especially in interactions with Confederates or the space-wandering traders from the Free Fleet. Another instance of disruptive thematic conflict is in regards to the Offworlders."They typically hail from the area known as the outer reaches - the distant corners, uncivilized planets and unexplored moons of the very edges of known space. In many cases, offworlders are independent pioneers with no particular loyalty to any greater politics. . . They are rugged, independent people who live hard, lonely lives - and like it that way." (p.17)Many times, I've experienced disruptive game play from players who seem to be ignorant of the fact that rpgs are group efforts. They sit back and say, "It's not in character for my guy to be interested in this. So, he's not going." Well, the Offworlder makes this disruptive character style an "official" option. It's not a good decision.Regardless of thematic issues, the mechanics aren't very well balanced either. Given the standard challenges to be found on Cretasus, the Confederates stand out as the clear superior choice, in terms of game influence. An extra feat, dino related skill bonuses, and a free masterwork weapon, they've got the sweet deal. Characters from the Union and Free Fleet look like equals due to racial bonuses to stats and access to higher tech gear as starting equipment, however, the bonus is but a measly +1 and most useful high tech gear exceeds starting wealth. There are other little quibbles that I could list, but, overall, this section could have been decidedly better.There are six classes: the bronco rider, machinist, soldier, spy, two-fister, and wild one. Again, the mechanics are buggy. There are two significant complaints. First, they seem to be geared with an expectation of only lower level play. Second, because of this mechanical predilection, the classes become wildly unbalanced fairly early, either overpowered or underpowered. Here are a few examples:The Bronco Rider is a weak class, with a poor BAB, only Reflex as a good save, and moderate skill points. However, the game assumes that a low level character will have access to their patron's mounts. Therefore, at lower levels, the rider may be a total nancy, but that triceratops that he's riding sure isn't! Unfortunately, as the challenge level gets higher, that triceratops isn't looking too tough anymore, and the rider hasn't gotten any nifties to make up for this disparity. In fact, they stop getting any special class abilities at 8th level. The character's "power" is derived almost exclusively from their mount, which needs to be constantly upgraded to tougher dinosaur types, of which the toughest is the Brachiosaurus (CR 11.) So, at level twelve, the Bronco Rider no longer gains significant potency.On the other hand, the Machinist gets an ever-increasing bonus to two special abilities, the ability to customize their weapons and the ability to custom build devices. At lower levels, this isn't a problem. For instance, at 3rd level, a +3 attack bonus to a rifle and the ability to create a flashlight isn't going to unbalance anybody's campaign. However, at 9th level, the ability to create the gruesomely deadly Cryon Ray, with a +9 attack bonus, is way over the top!The Wild One class deserves special attention. It's an excellent idea in terms of setting simulation. These are people who have eschewed life among humanity for the freedom of life among the dinosaurs. As they slide into wildness, the Wild Ones gain friends and companions among the dinosaurs, but at the cost of their humanity. This is extremely interesting, full of "Heart of Darkness" potential.However, there are two problems. The first is an issue of actual play; like the offworlder place of origin, this class encourages a style of play that disrupts group cohesiveness. This is mechanically emulated by a reduction in charisma as the character gains levels.The second problem is one of balance. As the wild one increases in level, they gain dinosaur allies. These allies can offer various forms of assistance to the wild one, including offering a companion as a guard or assistant. Obviously, this can be a powerful ability, but where are the mechanics to facilitate its implementation? They aren't there. So, without any mechanical guidelines, in actual play this ability has a tendency to become either overpowered or underpowered at the whim of the GM. Since this is the principal ability of the wild one, this is an unfortunate mechanical lapse.There's another point to be made regarding dinosaur companions, of which both the Bronco Rider and Wild One rely upon as expressions of character power. Let's look outside of the d20 system here, at "Rascals, Varmints & Critters" for Deadlands. In the section on animal companions, the text gives a bit of advice:"Keep in mind that these are companions for the hero, not heroes themselves. They should enhance the hero, not supplant him. If your hero's horse is outclassing him in fights, it might just be time for the hero (or the horse) to retire." (Rascals, Varmints & Critters, p.10)This is definitely a danger with the design choices made in this game. Your Wild One ought to be the focus of the spotlight, not her "wonder raptor."There are other mechanical mishaps and omissions in the class section, but these are the most illustrative examples of flimsy design.Continuing the trend, the skills and feats sections contain a wealth of good ideas, but spotty mechanical modeling creates difficulties in implementation. The skills that deal with high tech contain much wonkiness in play. For instance, when "losing control" of a vehicle, what happens? How long do you have before you crash? There is no answer. Another example, Disable Device when applied to tech is way too easy. Let's compare; the party comes across a Dinozonian pit trap, which, according to the DMG, requires a DC 20 to disable. Later, while exploring some mad machinist's secret headquarters, they come across a net trap of monofilament blades (Tech level 11,) but that's only DC 16. Wow! Those Dinozonians sure do make good traps.On the other hand, the dinosaur related skills are well designed. There are solid rules for animal empathy, handle animal, and ride. Hey! Those are the same skills to which Confederates get racial bonuses. I'm starting to see a trend emerge here.Feats also have shaky mechanics. There are problems involving vagueness (ex: combat placement), overpowered ability (ex: Turncoat), or underpowered ability (ex: trick shot.) Moreover, three out of the eighteen feats offered are for Confederates only. No other "racial" type has special, exclusive feats available.In any case, I found the mechanics of character generation to be disappointing.Setting simulative mechanics are of huge importance in creating an immersive roleplaying experience. They help define the particulars of "being there." Cretasus is a rich world, ripe for adventuring of all sorts. Unfortunately, very few mechanics are offered to help the GM depict this setting in a simulationist model.For instance, what's the weather like on Cretasus? It is like a warm spring in Georgia or is it a steamy, primeval world? What type of "survivalist" challenges can be thrown at the players? There's no advice offered. Since two of the classes specialize in "survivalist" adventuring, this is a gross oversight. If we're going to explore this world, we need guidelines by which we may construct appropriate challenges.But it gets worse. There is an amazing degree of negligence in offered support for smoothly integrating tech into the game. First, there are many things missing, such as vehicles, medical supplies, and computers. Second, the stuff that is offered is generally unbalanced, especially in the weapon sections. Things like the Cryon ray, the Screamer rifle, or the Dust gun are woefully unbalanced, especially if compounded with the customization abilities of the machinist. When players are saying things like "Hurry and change the energy pack! I want to disintegrate that T-rex before he gets away!" you know there's a problem with balance.Furthermore, although trade is an important element in the game, as indicated by the elaborate listings of relative rareness for tech items or the emphasis on sellable dinosaur byproducts, there are no mechanics to actually get involved in the process of buying and selling. Got an intact T-rex egg to sell? Want to buy an item of "planet" level rarity? Well, it's totally up to GM whim as to your success in achieving your desired goal. This is absurd, especially considering that the Free Fleet background places a great emphasis on trade.Again, it seems that if you plan on playing a game in which you're using Confederate level technology, everything works out effortlessly. Moreover, if your play style involves attacking Union strongholds, dealing with dinosaurs, or politicking around New Savannah, the rules should be more than adequate.Dinosaurs are the big draw of this game. There is substantial discussion about many elements of implementing dinosaurs into play. From intelligence, languages and age categories to byproducts and treasure, this book has some quality advice. Especially worth noting is the helpful listing of DCs required to train them as mounts. Dinosaurs are also given a section regarding their society within each individual creature entry, aiding the GM in portraying each type as unique.Unfortunately, as wonderful as this section is, it still contains some problems. What are dinosaurs in d20 creature terms, animals or beasts? This game says they're animals. I'm fine with that decision, but then the stat blocks don't conform consistently to this decision. For instance, d10 for hit die is commonplace, rather than d8s. Skill point allocation is all over the place, rarely falling into the 10-15 points that are appropriate for animals. Then there are the standard errors, incorrect BABs, saves, face/reach, and damage.Furthermore, the design choice towards facilitating only lower level adventures makes an appearance here as well. The text reads:"Because characters on Cretasus will encounter dinosaurs as first level characters, we have decided to focus these statistics on dinosaurs of the lower challenge ratings." (p.62)Combined with the haphazard stat design and incoherency, this is a regrettable decision. Topping out at CR 11 is not conducive to extended campaign play. Moreover, there aren't even worthwhile guidelines for the GM to design her own dinosaurs.All in all, good ideas are at the root of this game, but the mechanics falter in the execution.TechniqueIn gamer speak, there is a distinction between "crunch" (ie: game stats) and "fluff" (ie: not game stats.) This game is definitely heavy on the crunch. However, there are a few points where technique of implementation makes a strong appearance, setting and advice.The setting is quickly detailed in nine pages worth of text. However, additional setting information is smoothly mixed in alongside the game mechanics. It's all very well written and accessible. Nevertheless, smooth implementation of this setting requires more information. For instance, a map of the "Main Valley" of Cretasus would have been immensely handy. Details on New Savannah, a sample Union fort and mine, a typical dino ranch, or an example raptor tribe could be immediately useful in designing adventures. This is a great setting, but it's lacking in vital information. The GM has to "do-it-yourself."Advice is offered in the form of one hundred adventure ideas. Although I'd have preferred fewer ideas with deeper development, this list gives a good idea as to the styles of games that the designer envisions for this setting. The examples are unadorned, but functional. In sum, I found that the technique offered was enough to get the imagination fired up, but not enough to carry these ideas to fruition. This is a "build it yourself" type of setting. I think that the effort spent on filling out the detail of this world is worthwhile. However, I do feel that this reduces the value of the game considerably; there's too much work required to give it a proper treatment.QuibblesThere are a few things that I found annoying about this game, beyond the mechanical and technical concerns and failings mentioned above. These quibbles are not factored into the score, since they totally reflect my personal preferences. I only mention them for the sake of thoroughness.First, this game is wildly biased in favor of the Confederacy. They receive the most useful "racial" advantages, the mechanics for tech breaks down higher than the Confederate standard, and the rules for things that Confederates do are well designed. In contrast, there are shoddy tech and vehicle rules for the Union, nonexistent trade and alien rules for the Free Fleet, and nonexistent survivalist rules for the offworlders. Moreover, the setting depicts the Union as a totally corrupt and degenerate entity, with only the Confederacy as a viable opponent to Union dominance. I'm prone to having romantic, Southern antebellum fantasies, but this constant favoritism gets a bit much for me.Second, this game is visually annoying in its portrayal of women. Do we get to see "Scarlet in space" or a cowgirl on an allosaurus? No. Instead, our only female images are the Dinozonians, nearly naked barbarian babes. Wow! You know, the first thing I'd do when running into the wilds to live free from human restraint is not to start wearing high heeled boots and dinosaur scale thongs. I have no problem with cheesecake in rpgs, but it's incongruous with the rest of the visual themes of this game. For instance, we see plenty of Confederate soldiers, gentlemen, and cowboys. Why can't we see any women in a similar style? Grrrr.AppraisalThis is a good game. The setting is fresh and rich in story potential. The themes are compelling and deep. It has wonderful potential for many different styles of play, from goofy humor to savage horror to gun-blazing action adventure. This game is a cornucopia of diverse and novel gaming opportunities.However, it's seriously lacking in mechanical and technical eloquence. It fumbles, stammers, and stutters through implementation. An enterprising GM can put some effort into making it work, but it is not a game that's "ready to go."Nevertheless, I like it. In spite of all its warts and blotches, the heart of this game is exciting in its novelty and vision. If you're willing to make an investment in time and effort to bring this setting to life, I think this game offers substantial returns.I can't give it high praise, but I can give it a mild recommendation.---OMW</blockquote>

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