Summary:
Wanted a TTRPG to play with my parents during these indoor-focused times, so picked this up. The book itself is great and the game is really easy to learn and really good fun to play or GM. Currently on session 6 of campaign one, with plans for one-shots and a campaign two in the future.
Quality of the book:
Very nice, love the book. No defects or problems with my copy. The art is absolutely gorgeous, and the information is laid out really cleanly. The inclusion of example scenarios is quite helpful, especially concerning contested rolls.
The game:
Good game for players of all experiences. Only requires a d6 for players and both a d6 and d20 for GMs. The rules are not hard to pick up, and the inclusion of a cheat sheet on the GM's race overview is really handy. The structure of the game overall is great for newer players and GMs, as it provides a base template to work from: story mode taking place in the Hangar, and ramping up to a race.
Story mode is a good way to get newbies used to roleplaying and to throw old hands into some sticky roleplay situations. Creating the necessary ramp in tension to get to race mode takes some practice, but when executed well, it's really satisfying. The races themselves--what this game is all about--are very, very fun for both player and GM. Though the actions one can take are finite and preset, the addition of rivalries, juggling integrity, and the use of mods, mean that every race is different and depending on who players find themselves alongside, things can go very well or very badly. Add onto that the addition goal set by the GM every race, as related to what happened in story mode, and the players have a good challenge on their hands.
There is also a lot of room for homebrewing, if that's your thing. The guide explicitly states that you can throw any part out in service of the game, and it's really nice to have that permission. I've added my own rules around sponsorships, made NPCs with loyalty/rivalry systems, and created tons of space lore. The book's official lore is only about two pages long, and the galaxy's pretty big, so there's a lot of room for creative storytelling, an aspect I really enjoy as GM.
I've personally found the game is somewhat tricky to plot a campaign for, given that the repeating nature of story mode to race mode can constrain plot beats. It's possible to work around and even with this, though. However, I do think the game may be better for one-shot style play, rather than a narrative arc.
Regardless, it's well worth a play. I'm more of a high fantasy gal than sci-fi, but this game has me absolutely hooked. Whether you're into F-ZERO or F1, this game will scratch an itch you didn't know you had.
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