Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega (Amazing Engine System) [Paperback]

Slade Henson (Author), James Ward (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: TSR Hobbies; Pap/Map edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560768517
• ISBN-13: 978-1560768517
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,575,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Setting, Lousy Game System, June 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega (Amazing Engine System) (Paperback)

TSR resurrects their first SF RPG, only to saddle it with their Amazing Engine game system. Get this to glean all the great ideas, and for the great photo-schematic of the Starship Warden (in the pictures of the model, check out the flashlights used for the thorium-fusion engines). The art is weak, but the background material is worth the hunt.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great setting; ok rules, May 14, 2005

By 

Wilowisp - See all my reviews

This review is from: Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega (Amazing Engine System) (Paperback)

This IS and amazing setting, and in feel and story very true to original creator Jim Ward's first vision. The problem with this book is not even the rule system per se; the Amazing Engine system is a simple game mechanic and really should appeal to anyone who is "rules lite" in their approach to gaming. Rather, the editing of this book makes it hard to play right "out of the box" as it were. Rules for ancient missile weapons, many staple melee weapons, and hand to hand combat are just missing from the book (there is a skill for HtH; just no game mechanic for what this actually DOES). One can easily extrapolate rules from other AE books- a copy of Magitech nicely patches these holes- but the game is supposed to be able to stand alone. This level of editing incompetence is unconscionable. This most likely shows the level of disarray TSR was in at the time of creation; it's a shame something as good as the Amazing Engine game and its settings should have to die from bad business management.
My suggestion for anybody interested in this game to go ahead and get it if they can, but either follow the former reviewer's advice and adapt the setting to another rules set (it was meant to be for Gamma World 4 anyway) or pick up one of Magitech, "For Fairie, Queen, and Country", or "Bug Hunters" and pull the missing rules from those supplements. If you like a game where character creation is fun, easy and quick however, I wouldn't just write of the AE game.

3.0 out of 5 stars metamorphosis alpha, January 27, 2009

By 

buffalo1a (OR, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega (Amazing Engine System) (Paperback)

I feel that if you like the old metamorphosis alpha, then the info here you will like as well. This version really does capture the flavor of the original and is very well illustrated. I would have rated higher if another rules set was used beside the amazing engine but hey as gm's we can always adjust the info to our pet rules system. bottom line:
"Get it if you can, I did and don't regret it."
hope this helps.
thank you for your time.