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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Willie the Duck" data-source="post: 9691016" data-attributes="member: 6799660">I played a ton in the 90s. I think Umbran's comment about it being "both the best RPG, and also the worst, depending on who was running and playing" is incredibly accurate (for all of White Wolf World of Darkness, but Mage in particular). This is a game that needs everyone on board with trying to make it work -- both mechanically and thematically. Like all of 90s WoD, the mechanics are wildly unbalanced, moreso with the freeform magic. There are useless choices, and abusive choices, and things that you think will work one way but end up working another, etc. Some of the lore and social implications of the game world are... we'll say 'risky' at best. Mage has fewer 'you're playing the racists' moments than Vampire or Werewolf, but an equal number of minor factions that resemble a well-intentioned-but-clueless-sophomore's first time abroad understanding of other cultures. That and the central conceit of doctors and scientists are wrong  (/only right through forcing it on everyone else) but your kookie aunt into curing with crystals and astrology are equally right (to say nothing of the 'the conspiracy theorists were right' implications all the games imply) has not aged well. In all cases, you need a group on the same page about how to react to realizing X is overpowered, Y ends up being useless, and Z ends up being really uncomfortable in the implication.That said, IF you have that trustworthy play group, the game can be a lot of fun. Like all urban fantasy (or other modern games), I will caution: -- a lot of this stuff actually works better if you keep the setting in the 90s. Like tv scripts, there are a lot of issues that ubiquitous cell phones obviate, and others that ubiquitous cameras create.</blockquote>

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