F.a.t.a.l.

[Prince Atom]

very very veryvery very very ... very very y very very

Ah-ha! A clue! He's attempting to communicate with me through code! I must decipher it at once. Otherwise, the aliens communicating with me through my braces will be cross!

I didn't find it boring so much as gross and disturbing, and "exhaustively researched" turned out to be a lie at every conceivable level, even down to human biology and development.

Just don't ever, ever actually read the dratted thing. The review was bad enough. Given a choice, I'd far rather you play Synnibar -- at least it is immature in a harmless way.

TWK

 

[Aus_Snow]

Aus_Snow and Nomad4life: I have both gone to the website, read the whole FAQ, introduction and went through the rule book which IMO is probably more than any of you did.

Then, speaking on my own behalf at least, you'd be wrong.

It is stated EVERYWHERE that the game is not about orifices sizes. It's all there for sake of completeness. They claim that most rules contained within are useless (more or less). They claim to provide a simulator, which IMO is the blandest thing around. It has a Sin City set in medieval times feel IMO.

That's not the kind of thought that crossed my mind when I have (briefly) tried to imagine: a) what the heck they thought they were hoping to accomplish; and b) WHY they might wish to do such a thing in such a way.

When I first saw that movie, I realised how much D&D was uptight in the sense that the evil guys aren't exactly evil except on paper because most gamers feel that having them do truly evil things is considered poor taste or innappropriate gaming material. IMO that's the whole point behind book of vile darkness (which is a bit sissy in it's evilness IMO). IMO fatal tries to portray evil in the most realistic/barbaric/primal urges-like fashion which is a legitimate gaming genre IMO. It does not interest me but I can see people being dran to it.

There is, has been, and will for a long time be a great deal of the foulest evil in this world. But really, that kind of evil isn't somehow the polar opposite to 'sissy'. It's the polar opposite to 'sane'. IMO, of course. As for people being drawn to it? Of course there will be some. But not because it's "realistic" (which it isn't), "barbaric" or anything to do with "primal urges" - well, not those that haven't been stunted and warped.

I mean what viking invasion in history did not involved rape? I think that's their point. They sacrifice political correctness for the sake of realism which in itself should not be shocking IMO. It's shocking to people who look at the book supperficially and are shocked by the images that suggest that sex encounters are the most proeminent feature of the game. I believe it's not the case the the strong emphasis done to it is probably to scare off people to whom they don't want to sell the game to. It is also of my opinion that these feature are not meant to be used by the protagonists. They are to be victim of it or saving victim of it. Rampaging gnolls, trolls eating childrens, etc like, as they claim "real" mythology.

The BoVD that you referred to previously contains references to rape, incest, torture, and so forth. However, it doesn't glorify any of these things. That is one very significant difference, beyond quality of writing, usability and other practical concerns. There are, of course, others.

I still think it's a tremendous waste of time. Waste of time creating such a game, waste of time to play it. But it is not shocking. Appalling rather is the proper word.

*shrug* Whichever.

 

[Bastoche]

I do not had the feeling that fatal glorified such thing but then, I may not have read enough for a proper judgment. Being actually realistic and trying to be but failing is not so different in designing philosphies IMO. One of them just failed but the goal was the same. I do not predent that these guys did their research proprely. It's just that since the pretend they did, it implies they want to adhere a certain philosophy. The pretend to present the mechanics objectively. Now wheter they succeed or not is not for me judge; I have more important thing to do

But as you conclude, I agree lol

whichever

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I meant well-researched more in terms of mythological creatures.

Though not their sexual habits.

And the fact that the art, the tables, the creature descriptions, the mechanics descriptions, and the intro all talk pretty incessantly about sexual subjects, and not just NORMAL sexual subjects, but specifically rape, torture, and bizzare sexual compulsions (many created whole-cloth, or warped from actual medical conditions into juvenile imaginings) ... I have to believe that it's a big part of the game.

"Thou dost protest too much ..." and all that.

That's like saying D&D really has nothing to do with magic, but that they included a few things dealing with magic for the sake of completeness of the genre. Because paladins really cast spells. Really. And the makers of D&D aren't interested in magic. They swear.

Mmmmmmm ... magic ... It puts the potion on its skin! Or else it gets ... the hose again.

--fje

 

[Nomad4life]

Look at the Anakim trait list starting on 14.

Read the description of females on 39.

Glance at the “randomly determined breast characteristics” on 53.

Try calculating a VDP score on 54. Or perhaps an ADP score on 55.


When you are finished, try to come back here and accuse me of not looking at the book or FAQ again. Try to convince me that acts of abject depravity were merely “included” for “historical accuracy” in this game.

 

[Bastoche]

I'm about 1/6th way of the quote review above. I stick to my "appaling" qualifier. Not that I don't think it actually is the worst game out there.

 

[genshou]

Well then, you might want to glance over this review:

http://atrocities.primaryerror.net/fatal.html

If NOTHING you see shocks you, then I’m not really sure what to say about that.

I want to say that something should happen to the authors of this piece of trash, but I can't think of anything worse than being who they are. I can't.

That line of text was worth all the mind-boggling wading through the review I had to do to find it!

I'm frightened that these kinds of people are out there writing role-playing games. Good thing a person with Int and Wis scores that low is such a rare occurrence in society, and because of the general requirements associated with gaming this is something that almost never occurs in the gaming industry.

 

[Soel]

I hope your not referring to a|State, which is a sublime game and cannot be mentioned in the same sentence--nay, the same thread--as TGTSNBN.

No this does not seem to be the one I was referring to. It seemed the game I was speaking about was strictly on the forums, and I didn't see any products at all, but I just might've missed them. I came across it while searching for info on the game Kult, but its not that game either...

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

FATAL is the worst because of the general offensiveness as well as the fact that it is a complex mess. Say what you want about HOL but it is not all that difficult to understand to play. You would spend a year just trying to figure out FATAL.

 

[Bront]

There is a review out there, that is entertaining in how badly it trashes the game and the writers. While I disagree with it's subject matter, anyone who would go through this length to create such a game must have actualy believed it.

I believe they assaulted RPG.Net to defend it when the subject first came up, to the point that the board became extremely chaotic.

The dice rolling mechanic was different, and while not functional, had merrits in what they were trying to accomplish, which was a generaly more realistic probability curve.