New Edition Of ALIEN RPG Includes Romulus Material--But Kickstarter Delayed To 2025

Jackson's Star by Col Price​

Free League's 2nd Edition of its 2019 Alien roleplaying game is coming to Kickstarter--and with over 10,000 followers waiting for it, it looks to be another blockbuster crowdfunded from the Swedish company.

Included in the new core rulebook will be content based on the recent Alien: Romulus movie, with information about the mining colony Jackson's Star, along with weapons like the F44AA Pulse Rifle and the USCSS Corbelan IV mining hauler.

The Kickstarter has been delayed from this Fall until Spring 2025. Free League says that since Gen Con in August, fans gave offered ideas and feedback, and the publisher wishes to bring those ideas to the table.

ALIEN 2nd Edition Is Coming...

There's a new edition of Free League's ALIEN roleplaying game coming to Kickstarter soon! Free League’s Kickstarter this Fall will debut a new wave of 2e releases, including new core rules, starter set, cinematic scenario set, and miniatures line For five glorious years, Free League Publishing...

www.enworld.org

Alien RPG 2nd Edition Maps Revealed

Free League revealed two of the battlemaps that will be part of the Alien RPG Second Edition coming to Kickstarter this fall. The full-color maps will be 34x22 inches scaled to the RPG miniature set that will also be part of the upcoming Kickstarter. The first map features the mining ship USCSS...

www.enworld.org

F44AA pulse rifle by John Mullaney
​

The Kickstarter will include the new core rulebook, along with a new starter set, a boxed set adventure called Rapture Protocol, and a range of miniatures. Free League's original Alien RPG won multiple ENnies and other awards.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

But will it have content from Alien: Resurrection and AVP: Requiem?

 

[TheAlkaizer]

People seemed surprised when they announced a new edition so soon. I saw quite a few people mentioning that it might be for marketing reasons, to try and profit from Alien: Romulus' release. I hope the new edition was really motivated by a wish to improve the game meaningfully and not just to pull on a marketing beat. The first edition is highly praised.

 

[MGibster]

People seemed surprised when they announced a new edition so soon. I saw quite a few people mentioning that it might be for marketing reasons, to try and profit from Alien: Romulus' release. I hope the new edition was really motivated by a wish to improve the game meaningfully and not just to pull on a marketing beat. The first edition is highly praised.

I was surprised, and initially unhappy, but it's been five years, there are issues with the game that need to be resolved, and I can't hold Free League responsible because I've barely been able to play the game. I do not believe this is a cash grab on the part of FL.

 

[GMMichael]

Alien: Isolation's sequel was just announced. Maybe they'll get on the same page?

 

[timbannock]

Alien: Isolation's sequel was just announced. Maybe they'll get on the same page?

Given the number of air vents they've added to the maps for the upcoming edition, it seems like a no-brainer to work in some much more streamlined-yet-meaty additions to the stealth rules.

 

[MGibster]

The biggest issue my players had with the game was the way Stress worked. When their Stress levels were sufficiently high, they were discouraged from doing anything that would require a roll.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The biggest issue my players had with the game was the way Stress worked. When their Stress levels were sufficiently high, they were discouraged from doing anything that would require a roll.

Being essentially paralyzed with fear in the late stages of a scenario feels like effective modeling of the movies, especially at that point, freezing up is going to get PCs killed by xenos.

 

[longshanks]

People seemed surprised when they announced a new edition so soon. I saw quite a few people mentioning that it might be for marketing reasons, to try and profit from Alien: Romulus' release. I hope the new edition was really motivated by a wish to improve the game meaningfully and not just to pull on a marketing beat. The first edition is highly praised.

Despite my love for Free League and their games, I was originally concerned that the new edition of Alien was a cash grab, but after hearing about many of the changes that they intend to make with the game, the new edition sounds needed and I intend to back the kickstarter.

 

[MGibster]

Being essentially paralyzed with fear in the late stages of a scenario feels like effective modeling of the movies, especially at that point, freezing up is going to get PCs killed by xenos.

There aren't many examples of the protagonist in the first two Alien movies being paralyzed with fear. Brett was paralyzed when he encountered the alien in the rainy room, but that's because he was completely surprised to be confronted by such a large creature because the last time he saw the thing it was the size of a cat. One of the things I like about both Alien & Aliens is the protagonist are always doing something and usually something reasonable. In Alien, Dallas comes up with a plan to get the alien off the ship, when that plan fails Ripley comes up with a different plan, and ultimately decides to scuttle the Nostromo.

I like the idea of Stress as presented in the game but I think it needs to be tweaked. If players are hesitant to take action that makes for a boring game. Stress has some other problems to. When you roll a little alien on your stress die it's an automatic failure and you have to roll on the panic table and you have to roll on the Panic table. Alien does encourage you to avoid having the players roll dice too often, but there are going to be a few low stake situations where dice rolls are necessary, and the panic table really isn't appropriate to the situation.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Stress can be improved upon. I'm also looking forward to better stealth rules.