Feng Shui or HKAT?

[Roland Delacroix]

This sunday I'm missing about half my group and so I plan on running a one shot pick up game. Using this as an excuse to buy a new RPG, i've wanted to get either Feng Shui or Hong Kong Action Theatre for some time. I'm wondering which one is better though. I like variety of classes and abilities in Feng Sgui, which i've looked through, but i've heard good things about HKAT. Anyone played these, or both, and have any opinions?

If its any help an easy to understand system would be best since i'll probably only run to break up regular campaigns. Which would you say is easier to learn quickly?

Any other opinions are advice are welcome, thanks.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

Well I really like the style of HKAT. Another game you might want to look into is BESM (Big Eyes, Small Mouths) it is a fairly simple and flexible game.

 

[tsadkiel]

In addition to being my one true gaming love, Feng Shui has lightning fast character generation. If you're looking for a pick up game, go for Feng Shui.

(You can easily run a long term campaign with Feng Shui as well, but that wasn't the question.)

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

FENG SHUI ROCKS! You probably didn't hear the explosions and stuff from P-Kitty's table, RD, since you were playing CoC. The game is so much fun that I RAN out of the gameroom and into the store during a break to BUY the game.

 

[Corinth]

FS works best for John Woo gunplay gaming. The further you get from this model, the more that the game breaks down. I used the rules for over a year, and my group broke this game every which way possible. We've converted to Exalted-type Storyteller now.

No opinion on HKAT!, either edition.

 

[Dave Blewer]

Feng Shui is an astonishing game!

I have to disagree with Corinth though that it only models John Woo style gameplay. Feng Shui is excellent at modelling any action orientated roleplaying that you care to try.

Buy it. read it. love it.

 

[Dr Midnight]

I also disagree. FS is BEST for gunplay and explosions, but you can easily work any action style (kung fu, Arnie pun warfare, BLUES BROTHERS-caliber car chases) into the mix.

I love the game. I've run it for several dozen people, and though my shoddy GM skills may sometimes call for a split second in game time that calls for a half-hour of real time play, I believe everyone I've ever played with has truly enjoyed theirself.

If there's any doubt, go to ENworld's story hour section and read my Feng Shui writeup. I've turned many people on to the game just from an account of what happened during a one-shot.

*dodges explosion, leaps out of thread*

 

[Nikchick]

Pramas and I have both written for HKAT and Feng Shui. (Pramas's Blood of the Valiant was self-published under license, but is now at home with Atlas Games. I hear it's supposed to reappear in the market eventually.)

I personally greatly prefer Feng Shui to HKAT for game play.

Nicole

[edited for a huge freudian slip!]

 

[ascendance]

If you were to use only one 2d6-based mechanic, I'd recommend Feng Shui. I just don't like the HKAT conceit of having people play actors who take up movie roles. I think that's dumb, dumb, dumb. I don't think the whole RPG within an RPG thing works, whether for HKAT or Dream Park.

That being said, you're better off buying BESM and getting a full set of generic rules, rather than picking up HKAT. If you want to run gun games, get Hot Rods and Gun Bunnies. I have no idea why they released HKAT.

Be forewarned, though. Feng Shui has a fairly deterministic system. It maximizes skill over luck, just as the genre does. Eventually your players are going to figure out that the only good templates are the ones with their main skill in the 13-15 range, preferably in the 14-15 range. Which means you only end up seeing Ex-Spec Forces guys, Martial Artists, Old Masters, Killers, and the occasional Tranimal played by some guy who read somewhere that Tranimal Combo X is disgustingly munchkin.