From: v121mhb5@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (D.O.G. of S.A.R.P.A.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Real Sci-Fi Games
Date: 10 Sep 92 17:01:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <10SEP199210235534@rigel.tamu.edu>, fts5792@rigel.tamu.edu (SRONCE, FRANK T) writes...
>In article <BuCxyJ.3nJ@acsu.buffalo.edu>, v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!) writes...
>>I am not after your 50 bucks, but I am after your opinion.  The term COOLESt
>>races does not impress me so much as do your observations regarding the combat
>>system for Battlelords.  How does it compare, in your opinion, to Living Steel?
>> 
>>Skeksis
> 
>I, on the other hand, having put my Living Steel rules back in their box after
>a couple of fruitless attempts to understand the combat rules, would rather
>hear about these "Cool" alien races and what was so original and interesting
>about them. 
> > 
>SO, combat system aside, how is Battlelords as an Role-playing game? 
> 

	Okay, folks.  Let me introduce myself.  I'm the director of gaming
for the gaming club at the University of Buffalo.  I've known Larry Sims
for awhile, though I'm not a playtester or major supporter of the game.  I
do own a copy of the rules, however, and have read through it enough to
shed some light on the situation.

	As a firearms combat system, d100 based, the system is excellent.
I think the criticals might be a little too gruesome for some, but I think
the designation "realistic" is appropriate.  The armor system, though less
realistic, works well.  The wealth of options for firearms and armor is
quite impressive.  Of course, one can challenge just how realistic any
Omega class Pulse Cannon is, for example, but all in all the rules do work.
The flow of the combats in the game places great importance on tactical
decisions.  This is not "I stand there and shoot the guy" like you have in
Shadowrun.  The system weighs heavily on smart thinking and strategic
advantages.  If you get behind a wall and lay down suppression fire, for
example, you'll do well in a battlelords combat.

	As a roleplaying game, here's the scoop.  Each of the races has its
own very strong sense of characteristics and personalities.  If you're not
an experienced role-player, picking a race whose "personality" matches
your own usually leads to better role-playing than you might normally be
capable of.  Example #1- for the really dishonorable scumbags with no
qualms about shooting their own mother, we have the Phentari, a warrior
race of squid creatures with four tentacled arms.  Ex #2- for the Juvenile
delinquent who tries to break every possible rule, we have the Orion Rogues,
aka the "fuzzy elfs" of the Battlelords system.  In short, odds are good that
you can find a race to suit your personality.  There's the Cizerack, which
are panther-like, the Eridani, who are honorable swordsmen, and the empathic
Chatilians, plus many more, including humans.
	Race descriptions in the rules are excellent, and give you a strong
basis for role-playing.

	If, however, you prefer making your character a little more unique,
you're somewhat on your own.  The tables for "When I was Growing Up" and the
"Fickle Finger of Fate" table are d100 quirk/background generators that leave
something to be desired.  It can take three or four rolls just to find something
appropriate for your character, and many of them can leave you maimed before
the start of play.  I don't care for this section to much. If you like custom-
izing your character's personality, stick to GURPS (where, IMHO, the combat
system bites the big one).

	Lastly, judging by the people who've been posting on behalf of the
game, you might be thinking that it is some sort of ultra-violent munchkin
fest.  The fact is, that when you take really stupid players (as some of
these people are) and put them into ultra-elite paramilitary situations, you
end up with stupid, catastrophic results more often than not.  If you dug
up a bunch of Army Green Berets to play Battlelords, I'm sure they would
find it to be a reffreshing tactical experience.

	BTW, if you're not into role-playing military style campaigns,
BattleLord is still a viable system: skill resolution is pretty good, etc.
However, there is not as yet enough background material in place to run
a convincing espionage campaign, for example.  You'll have to put in some
work on your own.  But if you like hi-tech and big guns, you'll like this
game.

	Hope some of you find this to be a fairly objective appraisal.

						Jim Scannell
						Director of Gaming
						University at Buffalo
						Strategists and Role-Players