As there has already been a post about the system, I won't add anymore upon it, except to say that the extra rules for things like weapons and armour are about as useful as a fifth wheel - the system runs seemlessly without them. Also missile combat is extremely uncertain, and I hope that some work goes into developing it before the final system comes out.
The linear playtest adventure worked well to teach the basics of the system. The downside being it was very linear, and breaking away from the plot was not advised, not the sort of adventure I like to run, but it was neccessary to quickly teach the system and how it works. Having played in a game by Robin, and having run it myself, I think the system is excellent, even as it stands at the moment - it's resolution of events, based on a single die roll that can be interpreted by the GM whatever way they desire reminds me of Storyteller and YAHQS, so I appreciate what Robin was done to the system. Certainly it cuts down on statistics, no longer will a hunting dog take up two sides of A4, instead it can be summoned up by a handful of numbers. Having designed a tower of high level vampires for RQ and being left with a tower of paper describing their stats, and an equally complex description of combat tactics, I could see how condensing this down to just a few sheets of paper will be very helpful.
The simplicity and flexibility will be the systems strong points IMHO, and having heard the business scheme, which seems quite cunning in places (even the sizes of the books has been reduced for maximum sales potential) I think that this could rival the two big fantasy systems, Earthdawn and AD&D. Some people expressed concern that this new system will not appeal to younger players, but if you take a starry eyed kid, whose only reason for playing RPG's is power fufilment, I can't see them going wrong with this sytem. Simply give them the Big Sword and Hit Hard skills and they'll happily run about cutting things to shreds. Equally, it should appeal to those who wish to break away from hack'n'slash roleplaying.
I, for one, wait with bated breath for the new system, and will run it when it comes out. However, it isn't RuneQuest. In my playtest this became noticeable. Why didn't the Ernaldan priestess have heal? When a sylph was summoned why was it treated as an extension of the character rather than as a seperate entity (this being my own interpretation of the skeleton rules system I was handed)? Simple things like that. It doesn't have the same feel as RQ, but then I never expected it to, and would've been upset if it had. It won't replace my RuneQuest campaign, but certainly run alongside it. Kudos to Robin Laws. Even if it was a bit suspicious that there was a "Feng Shui" round in the pub quiz....
Nikk E.
"If absolute power corrupts absolutely where does that leave god?" --George Daacon
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