But, as you get older, real life has a habit of taking over and I haven't really done any proper roleplaying in years.
As we're all stuck inside with lockdown and are likely to be so for the foreseeable future - especially with this stupid christmas relaxation of lockdown - then I am gonna post some more on here. I'm working from home, so nothing is really keeping me away from this site anymore.
Watch this space!
Wednesday 2 December 2020
Thursday 9 April 2020
OMGSpider: Looking for a new timesink?
One website that I return to time and again is OMGSpider. It ranks a number of browser rpg and strategy games and provides links to them. I often browse its pages looking for something to keep me distracted for an afternoon.
The type and quality of games varies wildly within the list, but the site's usefulness is even more pronounced in these days of isolation, quarantine and COVID-19. Self isolating? Get some snacks and drink from the kitchen and pass a fun afternoon (and maybve evening, few days or even longer) with a new browser rpg!
Friday 6 March 2020
What's to come...?
Apart from global apocalypse and an end to civilisation as we know it?
Well, on this here blog, I'll be posting more RPG reviews (tabletop and online) as well as complaining about stuff that annoys me.
Additionally, I'll be posting the character sheet for my Palladium Fantasy character that I've been dying to play for years. Unfortunately, no longer having the friends or time to play tabletop means I rely on some kind of internet based game - and there ain't no-one playing Palladium Fantasy online. I know. I've looked (a lot!).
Saturday 25 February 2017
Palladium Books Store: Palladium Fantasy RPG®
Palladium Books Store: Palladium Fantasy RPG®
I have a massive collection of PFRPG books - but not enough! Need to place an order here soon...
I have a massive collection of PFRPG books - but not enough! Need to place an order here soon...
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Palladium Books
Palladium Books is the website of the various games within the Palladium roleplaying system, such as Rifts, Ninjas and Superspies & Palladium Fantasy.
Palladium Fantasy (second edition) is the game that I own and with which I am most experienced. I love the world and put up with the system. Criticisms are well founded that the game system is lacking in a few, key areas. However, support for the world, its setting and the depth and scope of the source material are where the game really excels. Any half-decent GM can houserule together a playable system out of the rules that are given in the main GM guide.
The hundreds of races and character classes provide something for everyone where character creation is concerned. Equipment, magic items and other sundry bonuses for players are statted and described in intricate detail across the sourcebooks. Along with a huge, detailed history of the Palladium world.
All this makes for a great, general fantasy world to game within. For a capable GM who can plaster up the holes, many glorious campains can be held for your players.
Palladium Fantasy (second edition) is the game that I own and with which I am most experienced. I love the world and put up with the system. Criticisms are well founded that the game system is lacking in a few, key areas. However, support for the world, its setting and the depth and scope of the source material are where the game really excels. Any half-decent GM can houserule together a playable system out of the rules that are given in the main GM guide.
The hundreds of races and character classes provide something for everyone where character creation is concerned. Equipment, magic items and other sundry bonuses for players are statted and described in intricate detail across the sourcebooks. Along with a huge, detailed history of the Palladium world.
All this makes for a great, general fantasy world to game within. For a capable GM who can plaster up the holes, many glorious campains can be held for your players.
Saturday 30 April 2016
Star Wars Combine: Web RPG review
With the success of The Force Awakens and yet more new movies in the offing for the popular space opera franchise, this website should be just about due for something of a renaissance.
Creating a character is a fairly easy process, with a short wait for approval required. Once inside the game proper, though, things become a little more involved. The game community is frankly excellent, but the main criticism of this game relates to its accessibility. It is very difficult for a newbie to get started in the galaxy.
Remedying this a little is the fact that many factions will actively petition the player to join them, offering incentives to do so such as credits, ships, training. This helps a great deal as advice is offered in abudance, it can all be very overwhelming.
The thing to bear in mind is that the factions need new players more than players need new factions. Even players who idle for months on end will rarely be kicked. Factions need members and so kicking new players from their rosters only hurts the faction itself in the long run.
This can mean that some factions will simply recruit and leave the new player to their own devices. This, of course, has its good and bad points. Others will take a more active interest in their new members.
While it is not necessary to be online for hours each day, or even to log in every day, the game as a whole will work better (and factions will be more receptive) to those who can log in regularly and are active. Go idle for too long and you might find your character lost without much in the way of resources. The perils of relying on those early new players handouts from factions.
There are three main aspects to the game. It is possible to wander around the galaxy or individual worlds, interacting with the game and earning credits, xp and equipment. Anohter option is to roleplay on the games forums and earn rewards that way. Finally, a large community has grown around the game, which includes roles for artists, graphics designers, etc. In addition to this latter option are a number of jobs which the game designers contract out to players for appropriate rewards.
All in all this makes for a very interesting game, but it is harmed a little by the aforementioned accessibility issues. This is the root cause of a high attrition rate amongst new players. In turn, this high attrition rate fosters a high percentage of long term players who view 'noobs' with disdain.
As most of the new characters are old players, they already have a network of contacts and cliques with whom to interact. This makes finding roleplaying opportunities harder still for genuinely new players.
All in all an excellent game with incredible depth. This is, however, a game that will demand a great deal of new players. Having said that, a proactive attitude and a willingness to work hard to carve a niche for a new character can go a long way to fixing any issues.
Weblink: www.swcombine.com Rating: 4/5
Creating a character is a fairly easy process, with a short wait for approval required. Once inside the game proper, though, things become a little more involved. The game community is frankly excellent, but the main criticism of this game relates to its accessibility. It is very difficult for a newbie to get started in the galaxy.
Remedying this a little is the fact that many factions will actively petition the player to join them, offering incentives to do so such as credits, ships, training. This helps a great deal as advice is offered in abudance, it can all be very overwhelming.
The thing to bear in mind is that the factions need new players more than players need new factions. Even players who idle for months on end will rarely be kicked. Factions need members and so kicking new players from their rosters only hurts the faction itself in the long run.
This can mean that some factions will simply recruit and leave the new player to their own devices. This, of course, has its good and bad points. Others will take a more active interest in their new members.
While it is not necessary to be online for hours each day, or even to log in every day, the game as a whole will work better (and factions will be more receptive) to those who can log in regularly and are active. Go idle for too long and you might find your character lost without much in the way of resources. The perils of relying on those early new players handouts from factions.
There are three main aspects to the game. It is possible to wander around the galaxy or individual worlds, interacting with the game and earning credits, xp and equipment. Anohter option is to roleplay on the games forums and earn rewards that way. Finally, a large community has grown around the game, which includes roles for artists, graphics designers, etc. In addition to this latter option are a number of jobs which the game designers contract out to players for appropriate rewards.
All in all this makes for a very interesting game, but it is harmed a little by the aforementioned accessibility issues. This is the root cause of a high attrition rate amongst new players. In turn, this high attrition rate fosters a high percentage of long term players who view 'noobs' with disdain.
As most of the new characters are old players, they already have a network of contacts and cliques with whom to interact. This makes finding roleplaying opportunities harder still for genuinely new players.
All in all an excellent game with incredible depth. This is, however, a game that will demand a great deal of new players. Having said that, a proactive attitude and a willingness to work hard to carve a niche for a new character can go a long way to fixing any issues.
Weblink: www.swcombine.com Rating: 4/5
Tuesday 19 April 2016
RPG review: Trisphere
Type: Web RPG
URL: http://trisphere.net
Trisphere is a browser based web role playing game. Essentially, the player creates a character and hunts monsters or engaging in gathering and crafting activities.
Fairly standard fayre for web based role playing games. What is not so standard is the excellent character creation and development system.
Players create a character by selecting two classes to combine together. Selecting Rogue and Wizard, for example, creates a 'Shadow Mage'. A Mage and Knight creates a 'Spellblade'. Each of these combinations has its own skill tree which can then allow the player to improve their character as they gain skill points upon levelling.
This is a simple, yet deep and powerful system, allowing players to tinker with their characters as they wish. Being able to spend gold to reset the skill tree encourages experimentation.
If there is a criticism of this game, it is twofold. Levelling is a grind as players are required to kill monsters repetitively in the same areas to level up. And second there is very little opportunity to interact in any meaningful way with other players - other than an item market and chat bar.
With a larger player base that might encourage further development from the creator, this could become one of the best web rpgs out there. At present, though, the developer appears to have abandoned this game in favour of other projects. Some die hard players remain, still taking great joy from the well programmed engine.
Verdict: 7/10
Trisphere is a browser based web role playing game. Essentially, the player creates a character and hunts monsters or engaging in gathering and crafting activities.
Fairly standard fayre for web based role playing games. What is not so standard is the excellent character creation and development system.
Players create a character by selecting two classes to combine together. Selecting Rogue and Wizard, for example, creates a 'Shadow Mage'. A Mage and Knight creates a 'Spellblade'. Each of these combinations has its own skill tree which can then allow the player to improve their character as they gain skill points upon levelling.
This is a simple, yet deep and powerful system, allowing players to tinker with their characters as they wish. Being able to spend gold to reset the skill tree encourages experimentation.
If there is a criticism of this game, it is twofold. Levelling is a grind as players are required to kill monsters repetitively in the same areas to level up. And second there is very little opportunity to interact in any meaningful way with other players - other than an item market and chat bar.
With a larger player base that might encourage further development from the creator, this could become one of the best web rpgs out there. At present, though, the developer appears to have abandoned this game in favour of other projects. Some die hard players remain, still taking great joy from the well programmed engine.
Verdict: 7/10
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