From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Dangerous Journeys (Feedback/Discussions)
Date: 15 Dec 92 04:02:22 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <1gj9rdINNchd@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, cn322@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas G Moser) writes:
> I had recently posted a similar message on the rec.games.frp.misc
> board and was promptly told off.

I don't recall anybody being told off for asking about DJ/M, or any
other game, at least no recently. Are you sure you aren't exaggerating
the excitement raised by your mention of this fairly uninteresting
system?

> Anyway,  I would like to hear some disscussion about the new
> FRP system Dangerous Journeys (by Gary Gygax).  Most of the
> feedback has been negative so far, but I want to hear exactly
> why you like or dislike the thing.  Please be specific where
> possible.

It has two systems, a basic system and an advanced system. The idea is
that you can start your character in the basic system and then move it
to the advanced system. Does that mean you can store some NPCs in the
basic system and other, more complex ones, in the advanced system? No!
Because the basic system (mythus prime) and the advanced system (mythus)
are INCOMPATIBLE.

Because it uses bizarre and purposfully confusing terms for everything.
Player characters become Heroic Personnas (PC=HP). NPCs become Other
Personnas (NPC=OP). Skills are called STEEPs, which stands for Skill
training, education, experience, and practice, or something like that,
instead of Skills. Instead of Luck, you have Joss. Instead of magic
points or mana points you have Heka points. Instead of living on Earth
you live on AErth. Instead of visiting Faerie you visit Phaeree. Instead
of visiting Egypt you visit AEgypt.

Because it has a zillion random tables as central to the game as the HP
Attractiveness, Birth Rank, Special 7th Child, 7th Child Special
Advantages, Handedness, and HP Backgrounds tables. It has a Quirks
Table, a Counter-Quirks Table, a Supplemental Quirks Table, a
Supplemental Counter-Quirks Table, and separate random tables for
Political Beliefs, Religious Attitudes, General Personality, Conformity,
and General Interests.

Because each character has 18 attributes, all generated randomly, but
you won't know what any of them mean. That's because they are, in order,
Mental Mnemonic Capacity, Mental Mnemonic Power, Mental Mnemonic Speed,
Mental Reasoning Capacity, Mental Reasoning Power, Mental Reasoning
Speed, Physical Muscular Capacity, Physical Muscular Power, Physical
Muscular Speed, Physical Neural Capacity, Physical Neural Power,
Physical Neural Speed, Spiritual Metaphysical Capacity, Spiritual
Metaphysical Power, Spiritual Metaphysical Speed, Spiritual Psychic
Capacity, Spiritual Psychic Power, and Spiritual Psychic Speed. Did you
understand any of that?

Because it's full of incomprehensible game-speak gibberish: "Keep in
mind that neither the PMPow nor the PMSpd would have to be as high as
the PMCap. The main use for the PMCap in monstrous thing creation is to
pad the beasties' Physical TRAIT so that the creature can take a lot of
damage before dying. Beware of very high PMPows, however, as a really
high damage bonus could make your OP an invicible foe if it is
applicable to Physical damage inflicted."

Because Mythus is $26 and Mythus Magic is the same, and they don't even
include any monster stats. With Epic of Aerth (another $24) you get some
monster stats but they're written in text instead of in tabular form, so
you have to go hunting through paragraphs like those above to find their
vital statistics. Now you've spent 76 dollars and you have months of
time to go until you start understanding the game, and there's plenty of
room for rules lawyers to find rules that contradict each other.

Oh joy, it's just like the 1st ed DM Guide all over again, only it's
even more insane.

At least EGG and GDW didn't go halfway, they didn't make a mediocre
game, they made a completely unplayable game, even more ridiculously
complex than C&S, Champions, and Rolemaster all combined.

I would relish any additional comments, especially anyone who wants to
defend DJ/M. Anybody?

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy