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Worst part about Eclipse Phase

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Sat, 2011-10-22 11:30

vordrax

Worst part about Eclipse Phase

Waiting on the hardcover to be printed and shipped from Amazon! Blargh, ordered it earlier this week and expected delivery is November 18th to December 6th! But seriously though, the PDF and the general mindset of the makers of this game have definitely sold it to me. Honestly I don't terribly care if my friends never want to play it, the book alone provides so much entertainment. Amazing artwork, great writing, so many possibilities. How is Panopticon by the way? I have eyeballed it with much interest.

Sat, 2011-10-22 11:39

Tyrnis

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

I've pretty well moved away from hardcopies when it comes to my game books. There just really aren't any times that I'd be gaming that I _wouldn't_ have my laptop with me, and I love the fact that errata gets incorporated into the PDFs relatively quickly, so I've always got the most up to date rules. That said, I hope the PoD deal with Drivethru goes well, so that you don't have to worry about having to wait on Amazon or other retailers to get copies of the books in the future! As for Panopticon, I've still only read parts of it (primarily the uplift-related chapter) and have quite enjoyed it. I've also read over the new morphs and like them. I've been very happy with the quality of the line as a whole. I'm just hoping that we get a well thought out Jovian Republic in Rimward rather than the caricature it often seems to get portrayed as...but I'm cautiously optimistic, even there.

Sat, 2011-10-22 11:54

vordrax

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

Tyrnis wrote:
I've pretty well moved away from hardcopies when it comes to my game books. There just really aren't any times that I'd be gaming that I _wouldn't_ have my laptop with me, and I love the fact that errata gets incorporated into the PDFs relatively quickly, so I've always got the most up to date rules.

Therein lies the rub. I don't have a laptop or a tablet of any kind. I'm sure if I did, my perspective would certainly change on the matter. Perhaps I would save money by investing in a good tablet. Hmm.

Quote:
As for Panopticon, I've still only read parts of it (primarily the uplift-related chapter) and have quite enjoyed it. I've also read over the new morphs and like them. I've been very happy with the quality of the line as a whole. I'm just hoping that we get a well thought out Jovian Republic in Rimward rather than the caricature it often seems to get portrayed as...but I'm cautiously optimistic, even there.

I'll have to check it out, thanks. I too am interested in a good look at the Jovian Republic. I quite enjoy the philosophies in EP almost as much as the setting itself (though I suppose the setting is in itself a philosophy.)

Sat, 2011-10-22 12:14

Smokeskin

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

Tyrnis wrote:
I'm just hoping that we get a well thought out Jovian Republic in Rimward rather than the caricature it often seems to get portrayed as...but I'm cautiously optimistic, even there.

I play this game in a contempary setting. The GM has people acting like total caricatures. A third of the American population doesn't believe in evolution (many even think Earth is only 6000 years old), believe cells from fertility treatment should be burned rather than used for research that could save millions, think gays are mentally ill and will go to hell. Several European countries have a major religion that thinks condoms are evil. A major health industry is selling plain water that once contained an active ingredient but has had it completely diluted away. Let us not even begin on child sacrifices in Africa and fathers killing their daughters because they got raped in the Middle East. And that's just a few examples, his world is filled with ridiculous NPCs. I have a real hard time taking it seriously.

Sat, 2011-10-22 14:37

Tyrnis

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

Smokeskin wrote:
I play this game in a contempary setting. The GM has people acting like total caricatures. A third of the American population doesn't believe in evolution (many even think Earth is only 6000 years old), believe cells from fertility treatment should be burned rather than used for research that could save millions, think gays are mentally ill and will go to hell. Several European countries have a major religion that thinks condoms are evil. A major health industry is selling plain water that once contained an active ingredient but has had it completely diluted away. Let us not even begin on child sacrifices in Africa and fathers killing their daughters because they got raped in the Middle East. And that's just a few examples, his world is filled with ridiculous NPCs. I have a real hard time taking it seriously.

It's one thing if it's done deliberately for in-game reasons (ie, you're playing hypercorp loyalists on Mars who are seeing the Barsoomians through PC-tinted glasses.) Even with a reasonably good plot otherwise, I'm not sure I'd be able to have fun with a game where the GM did that so broadly unless you _also_ saw the other side of things. EDIT: And yeah, I initially missed the sarcasm here. Fail on my part.

Sat, 2011-10-22 13:43

Kyorou

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

vordrax wrote:
Blargh, ordered it earlier this week and expected delivery is November 18th to December 6th!

Well, I ordered the MRB from Amazon early august and two returns later I'm still trying to get a copy. If anyone knows a bookstore in Europe with decent shipping rates, that would be helpful.

Sat, 2011-10-22 14:03

CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

Smokeskin wrote:
I play this game in a contempary setting. The GM has people acting like total caricatures. A third of the American population doesn't believe in evolution (many even think Earth is only 6000 years old), believe cells from fertility treatment should be burned rather than used for research that could save millions, think gays are mentally ill and will go to hell. Several European countries have a major religion that thinks condoms are evil. A major health industry is selling plain water that once contained an active ingredient but has had it completely diluted away. Let us not even begin on child sacrifices in Africa and fathers killing their daughters because they got raped in the Middle East. And that's just a few examples, his world is filled with ridiculous NPCs. I have a real hard time taking it seriously.

What’s this? Someone who agrees with me that the Jovians aren't that far-fetched as written? Truly, you seem to be a rare breed around these parts. Or I have misread your post as serious, in which case, never mind me.

—

Sat, 2011-10-22 15:18

blarney

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

I just wanted to add yet another comment of approval on the awesome post reviewing caricatures.

Sat, 2011-10-22 16:45

Smokeskin

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

Tyrnis wrote:
EDIT: And yeah, I initially missed the sarcasm here. Fail on my part.

No worries. Most of us lead sheltered lives, away from the crazy. But there's a lot of crazy out there, and we're not just talking some random cults or psychos. We're talking major movements with a lot of political clout if not at the very top of the power pyramid, in the most developed countries in the world, who are absolutely bonkers.

Mon, 2011-10-24 08:16

#10

Xagroth

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

vordrax wrote:
Therein lies the rub. I don't have a laptop or a tablet of any kind. I'm sure if I did, my perspective would certainly change on the matter. Perhaps I would save money by investing in a good tablet. Hmm.

Go for the computer. While a notebook could usually suffice, I'd advice to get a real, big laptop unless your primary concern is autonomy. In my experience, you can get a notebook for little more money than a mid-range tablet and get a much better performance and more options. However, OCR pdf files like the ones of Eclipse Phase might have problems running smoothly in a notebook, that's why I advice going for a laptop in the mid range. Also, the bigger screen is always a plus ^^

Wed, 2011-10-26 10:58

#11

AdamJury

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

Tyrnis wrote:
I've pretty well moved away from hardcopies when it comes to my game books. There just really aren't any times that I'd be gaming that I _wouldn't_ have my laptop with me, and I love the fact that errata gets incorporated into the PDFs relatively quickly, so I've always got the most up to date rules. That said, I hope the PoD deal with Drivethru goes well, so that you don't have to worry about having to wait on Amazon or other retailers to get copies of the books in the future!

Before crazy rumours start: we aren't moving to POD for titles like the core book or Panopticon; those titles are ones that we expect to sell in such quantity that a full print run and availability in stores is feasible and profitable. POD will be used to make more niche titles available in print, for experiments, etc. In 99% of cases, Amazon sending you a book is going to be faster than ordering a POD title. And for books like the EP core book and Panopticon, much more inexpensive. The cost -- just to print, not including shipping, or ANY profit margin at all for us -- a core Eclipse Phase book (Hardcover, color, 400 pages) via POD is nearly $50 by itself!

Thu, 2011-10-27 10:51

#12

nezumi.hebereke nezumi.hebereke's picture

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

My only complaint about Panopticon is its length. I want to know WAY MORE about operating a ship or a habitat than is offered :) (Overall very good, and I've yoinked large parts for work elsewhere. I hope to see a 'spaceship design' section somewhere as well done as the rest of this work.)

Thu, 2011-10-27 13:42

#13

urdith

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

nezumi.hebereke wrote:
My only complaint about Panopticon is its length. I want to know WAY MORE about operating a ship or a habitat than is offered :) (Overall very good, and I've yoinked large parts for work elsewhere. I hope to see a 'spaceship design' section somewhere as well done as the rest of this work.)

Alert! Orange Alert! Spacecraft has been mentioned in a thread! Queue resurrection of Space Combat thread. This is an orange alert.

—

"The ruins of the unsustainable are the 21st century’s frontier."
— Bruce Sterling

Thu, 2011-10-27 18:38

#14

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

urdith wrote:
Alert! Orange Alert! Spacecraft has been mentioned in a thread! Queue resurrection of Space Combat thread. This is an orange alert.

Complex mathematical formulas armed and ready, sir!

—

Sat, 2011-10-29 09:40

#15

Xagroth

Re: Worst part about Eclipse Phase

I want to think he asked for some rules about designing spaceships as part of the plot/background, not something that will have rolls of dice, kill people in streaks of luck, etc..., so I'll talk with that assumption... What do we need to know about spacecraft in EP? Faction, function, quality, quantity, size... Personally, I'd buy it in modules: ship has a desired size of X, so it wil have that, that and that parts taking Y number of modules space, now you have Z to put in whatever you want. Modules? Cargo, passengers, expansion of "core" module (engines, sensors, fuel capacity, processing power...), cargo bay..., yeah, I'd include weapons ("the military frigate seems to have two torpedo launchers and several mass drivers pointing at the smuggling ship, whose only hope is to surrender or die"). Essentially, some way to integrate spaceships into EP as plot hooks and background, since the few I saw here and there seem more "artesanal" products than mass produced in Cornucopia Machines of really big sizes. For example, let's say ComEx transport barges are really big, with appropiate (for maximun cargo) engines and fuel capacity, few sensor systems, good plating and appropiate comms, and they use a sturdy design, easy to patch up if something goes wrong. The core design is a central tube, with the control area in the front and the engines' exaust at the aft, using all space around to attach cargo modules. The least common model is called the "Dromedary" because it can keep accelerating (and then decelerating) all the way between Mercury and the Asteroid belt, and still have enough fuel to reach Saturn without refueling (but it will need to go ballistic half the time of that second part of the journey).