Customer Reviews

Fading Suns Second Edition

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I considered buying this book for quite some time and finally decided to give it a chance. Now I'm glad I picked it up.

The concept behind the game is great and the designers give you enough background information to get started on a campaign of your own. While I haven't had a chance to run a game yet, the mechanics seem decent enough, they even have multiple methods of character generation. With such a wide open universe of over 40 worlds, it is unlikely that you'll fall short of adventure Ideas.

The book has a good format, easy reading and pretty nifty art too. However, the creators of the game are also the original developers of White Wolf's Vampire and Werewolf games, so prepare yourself for a healthy dose of angst ridden melodrama. Whatever your playing style, whether it be the afore-mentioned melodrama or an intense high action thrill game, Fading Suns offers a lil' something for everyone. Well worth the price.

After buying and playing through the d20 version of the game, I decided to take a look at Hollistic's own Victory Point System. While a few of the rules are a bit muddled, over all it's easy to learn, and much like its author's "older children," the custom character building is fun and more personalized than the d20 system. I'll give the story/setting 5 stars for being a beautiful synthesis of Dune, the Phoenix Guard, and many many of my favorite books and movies, but 4 stars for the system which, much like with the author's previous works, is unclear at times, though ultimately great once you've learned it.

This is the best setting for role players ever. So what if the rules are clunky and cumbersome? I have been writing and drawing in this gothic sci fi universe for the past 13 years and am getting excited for the next edition. Like all role playing games, it is what you make it. It has everything one can imagine-knights, priests, royals, monsters, magic, spaceships and a universe filled with planets in ruins to explore. Its somewhat of a nightmare and very fun to imagine.

The most amazing thing about this future history is that it seems plausible. Its as if the authors peered into a crystal ball and forsaw mankinds destiny among the stars. We are just as flawed then as we are now. This has a cult following around the world. It has so many supplements just waiting for a more playable edition. I have all of them. Honestly, I am just looking forward to new material to visualize. I cannot wait until we find the jumpgate beyong Pluto's orbit...