Lizzybeth said:
As for the resources, I was a bit disappointed with the lack of flow between the different sourcebooks. There wasn't a template for the authors to follow, so each sourcebook was different, and because of this, there were times one book was more useful than another. I feel that there needed to be some consistency. Organize every resource in such a way to be easily read by the GM and allow them to locate any information needed quickly.
Interestingly, that's the exact same beef I had with with the TORG sourcebooks. It seemed like each book was organized and formatted
ad hoc, rather than following a set template. Plus, sometimes it seemed like some basic information was hidden or simply not there - I remember scouring every TORG book I had trying to get a handle on what the stelae for each invading realm looked like. I found a few, but some seemed impossible to find. Sometimes the designers would make passing reference to something like that, or what the bridges between cosms looked like, or where they were located, as though the info appeared
somewhere plain as day. Each invading realm should have a thumbnail sketch written up that is either a single page or less, with basic information like world laws, axioms, stelae, darkness devices, gospog forms, etc. The ones provided in the boxed set simply weren't that great or clear.
Lizzybeth said:
So, if you were to start playing this game, and buying resources for it, what aspects would most interest you? Does having a novel line help? I know I like the forgotten realms novel series' because they help me learn more about the setting and fill in blanks in the world without having to round it out myself. It's a big world for a single GM to keep track of with devoting large chunks of time.
Novel lines rarely, if ever, interest me, and fiction in the actual game books is a big turn-off. The exception, generally, is if/when the creator of a setting (in the case of a licensed property) provides the fiction. In such a case, it helps provide insight into what went into the creation of the setting. Beyond that, it's usually grating.
Lizzybeth said:
How about the sourcebooks. Was there any one that you felt was well written and organized in a way you would like to see more of? And were there any settings you liked more or less? A lot of people apparently liked the Nile Empire and Terra setting, which was the Pulp Heroic setting. To me, the whole game was sort of pulp heroic, but the Nile setting seemed a little overboard, and less realistic in terms of a bad guy invader. It almost reminded me of Cobra from GI Joe.
I think that was the point. Pulp fiction was noteworthy for being larger than life, which is, by definition, unrealistic. I think I remember reading that Terra was perhaps the key to winning the Possibility Wars due to how much the deck seemed to be stacked in favor of heroes. I felt that the Nile Empire cosm had potential, but was never handled very well. The sourcebook was a mess, but that can be said about pretty much all the TORG sourcebooks. Still, it provided some interesting material, particularly the axioms and world laws, that could be adapted for other games.
Lizzybeth said:
I actually liked Cyberpapacy, for organization, and well rounded information. I would have liked to see it developed more.
Yeah, it was one of the better ones, but my interest in cyberpunk in general has never been very substantial. It was an interesting concept, and had a lot of interesting ideas and tropes within it. But it never really piqued my interest much.
Lizzybeth said:
I'm just asking, because I'd like to do some fan writing, and I am hoping to write things that interest others, maybe getting people interested in torg enough to help bring it back a little.
Let me ruminate a bit about the various settings:
Aysle - almost a bog-standard fantasy world. Not bad, and there were some interesting elements to it - the flat nature of the world, for one.
Nippon Tech - I think this one had much more cachet back when TORG first appeared. It has a lot of potential, especially the fact that it has such low magic and spiritual axioms.
Living Land - The weakest of the realms, in my opinion. The sourcebook, besides the usual muddled organization, is dreadfully illustrated. Not very inspiring at all. Plus, it kind of makes no sense in where it is located - why not drop a bridge into the Amazon rain forest, where Baruk Kaah could have consolidated power in an area much more familiar to him, rather than one of the most heavily populated and industrialized areas on the planet? Other invasions seemed to occur where they seemed most appropriate, in large part.
Orrorsh - I liked this one quite a bit. I liked even better the home world of this cosm, Victoria (I think that was the name). It had a really interesting alternate history, well worth exploring. Victorian-era horror really interests me. I think an entire campaign could be played in Victoria. Moody, atmospheric, scary, and there is a genuinely interesting twist to it all.
Core Earth - I think a lot more could have been done with it, but first, they need to shrink the invading realms. A really big chunk of Core Earth was under control of each High Lord, making it seem like Core Earth had already been eaten alive. Balancing it out a bit more would make Core Earth a more believably viable realm.
Space Gods - One of the more unique and interesting realms. Kind of hard to get a handle on if one isn't into the varous theories about UFOs. Could make a good setting for a straightforward scifi game.
Tharkold - One of my favorites. The sourcebook is even more disappointing because it was one of the later ones, and you'd figure they'd have worked out a system by that time. The creature book for this setting provided a glimpse into the Tharkold home world that, as with Orrorsh, would make a really cool setting for a game all by itself. This setting really comes to life with that creature book. I wanted to know more about that alternate Earth, the Race in general, and the history of it all.
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