I didn't know anything about this game, never picked it up back in the day, nor have I heard much about it, until PIG re-released it. The scans (are they scans?) are superb. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I can zoom, and the text is readable zoomed in!
I picked up all the PDFs except Bloodshadows (although I'm tempted). The system has some surprising things in it. I have a fellow gamer who waxes poetic all the time about "1990's" or "1970's" game design, in the pejorative. I think it's a bunk philosophy. If the game is good, and people enjoy it, who cares when it was designed? In fact, I would say there are things in here I like over "simpler" "modern" games.
There are some elements I see here that latter games "borrowed" from. Toughness works almost exactly like it does in Action! System. The wounds system is very reminiscent of World of Darkness (though the original Vampire predates Masterbook I think). Action System! seems to have borrowed some of the ideas for Skill Groups from them. Hell, D&D Knowledge, Profession, and Craft skills are very much like Macroskills in Masterbook. EABA has a universal table similar to Masterbook, and this idea makes calculating measurements and relating them directly to game mechanics a breeze. We've seen these concepts in other games, and these ideas seem popular IMO.
It also has some other nifty stuff I appreciated. Optional Critical Failures if you roll a negative amount BELOW your current Skill Level (so the more skilled you are, the harder it is to critically fail). Default static defenses but you can choose to roll an active defense for better defense numbers (with a penalty for multiple actions in a turn). The MasterDeck cards add a level of dynamic play, and in a way that seems fun (reading about such in the book). They give you ones to customize for your game. I really dig the "Special Effects" design system. Just the right amount of crunch yet not too "hand-wavy" to have no purpose. The dice method; 2d10, 10's explode if you have "Skill Ads (read: Ranks)" or spend Life Points (read: FATE points), has an outcome table that keeps the results in a reasonable range. I like some curve in my dice, and this is a nice compromise between 3d6 (awesome curve) and 1d20 (linear blah).
The writing and presentation could use some polish, and some of the terms used can be confusing on the first read. Outside that, It seems like a nifty game to me.
Does anyone here have any experience with it in play?
What are your thoughts on the Masterbook/Shatterzone RPGs?
P.S. There is an Open Supplement license, allowing you to make compatible stuff with the logo, following the rules in the license. What types of settings would potential Masterbook fans be interested in seeing?
I picked up all the PDFs except Bloodshadows (although I'm tempted). The system has some surprising things in it. I have a fellow gamer who waxes poetic all the time about "1990's" or "1970's" game design, in the pejorative. I think it's a bunk philosophy. If the game is good, and people enjoy it, who cares when it was designed? In fact, I would say there are things in here I like over "simpler" "modern" games.
There are some elements I see here that latter games "borrowed" from. Toughness works almost exactly like it does in Action! System. The wounds system is very reminiscent of World of Darkness (though the original Vampire predates Masterbook I think). Action System! seems to have borrowed some of the ideas for Skill Groups from them. Hell, D&D Knowledge, Profession, and Craft skills are very much like Macroskills in Masterbook. EABA has a universal table similar to Masterbook, and this idea makes calculating measurements and relating them directly to game mechanics a breeze. We've seen these concepts in other games, and these ideas seem popular IMO.
It also has some other nifty stuff I appreciated. Optional Critical Failures if you roll a negative amount BELOW your current Skill Level (so the more skilled you are, the harder it is to critically fail). Default static defenses but you can choose to roll an active defense for better defense numbers (with a penalty for multiple actions in a turn). The MasterDeck cards add a level of dynamic play, and in a way that seems fun (reading about such in the book). They give you ones to customize for your game. I really dig the "Special Effects" design system. Just the right amount of crunch yet not too "hand-wavy" to have no purpose. The dice method; 2d10, 10's explode if you have "Skill Ads (read: Ranks)" or spend Life Points (read: FATE points), has an outcome table that keeps the results in a reasonable range. I like some curve in my dice, and this is a nice compromise between 3d6 (awesome curve) and 1d20 (linear blah).
The writing and presentation could use some polish, and some of the terms used can be confusing on the first read. Outside that, It seems like a nifty game to me.
Does anyone here have any experience with it in play?
What are your thoughts on the Masterbook/Shatterzone RPGs?
P.S. There is an Open Supplement license, allowing you to make compatible stuff with the logo, following the rules in the license. What types of settings would potential Masterbook fans be interested in seeing?
