Awesome game...such a shame

[shr3ds]

I've owned the core rules and a number of the supplements (maybe 10) that I'd bought in the mid 90's. In fact, I've run a number of games back in that timeframe as well and absolutely loved this system. The number crunching and logarithmic curve chart thingy got a little crazy for some of my players after a few beers(never could quite understand that), but by and large everyone loved this game.

I've been running a Warhammer Fantasy RP v2 campaign for 2 years now (weekly gaming I might add) and I was thinking of introducing them to a different genre game. The 2 choices that I found myself most intrigued about running again were Shatterzone or Rifts. So, long story short I jump online to investigate the online resources of these games even though I already have tons of books to begin with and discover that Shatterzone now appears to be completely dead.

How sad....almost makes me want to run it out of pure spite.

Honestly though, this means I will probably have to run the Rifts campaign instead and relegate all my Shatterzone stuff to the top shelf of my gaming closet with other greats such as Shadowrun and Twilight 2000. The stuff will stay safe enough up there just gathering dust even though I keep telling myself that one day it will all come back out again and we'll play another 'fun game'. Who knows...might just have to resurrect it.

I've got a small list of fansites for SZ in my favorites folder, but thats not many....anybody have a list?

[pathfinderap]

"Rifts campaign" !!??:eek:

Calm down, Calm down, theres no need for such crazy talk, I'm sure we can sort this out without anybody getting hurt...

If you are looking for more Shatterzone books I may be able too help you,
If you want to run a Shatterzone game consider running it here..

[shr3ds]

Hehehe...I love Rifts and in fact the whole idea behind the Multiverse and the Palladium system in general. Honestly, I'd love to run 3 or 4 games since this current gaming group is the most consistant I've ever had, but there is no possibility of that. I'm gonna have to stick to one other game besides WFRPv2 for the time being and it certainly looks like it will have to be Rifts. Not because I don't already have a decent bit of info for SZ, but because with all the information made available just online I'll have a much easier time putting games together than spending a lot of time making new material to run with. Between taking care of the family, home and work, I don't have lots of free time to make original material anymore.

This next Tuesday (our gaming night) I will probably let the group vote on which game they wish to play. Really, I've already got about the same amount of info for both games, but the wealth of online info and general community 'buzz' for Rifts just slays SZ. Who knows, my group always surprises me in how they end up doing things, so really its a toss-up.

Irregardless, I would be interested in extra material for SZ since I know it will get played again sometime. Ebay is raping people for the old SZ books, and if the deal was good enough I would certainly purchase some of the books that I don't already have.

Here's what I've already got:

21002-21004 Core Rules
21006 Arsenal
21007 Grimsyn Sector
21008 Fringers Guide
21009 Tech Book: Ships
21013 Stock Ships
21011 Contact
21014 Hardware/Software
21020 Brain Burn
21022 Zeenarchs
21023 Through the Cracks

Of course I also have the card deck and gamemasters shield around here somewhere as well.

As said, I will purchase books or other material I don't have as long as the prices aren't silly.

Also, any fansites you can point me toward?

Thanks

[pathfinderap]

You don't have "Crosshairs"

http://www.nobleknight.com/ViewProducts.asp_Q_ProductLineID_E_139_A_Manufactu rerID_E_17_A_CategoryID_E_12_A_GenreID_E_


or "Fleet: A Survivor's Guide", or "Shadow of a Black Sun"

http://www.waynesbooks.net/?keyword=SHATTERZONE&searchby=title&page=shop/browse

[shr3ds]

Thanks for the links. I'd actually been eyeing the Crosshairs on Noble Knight not too long ago, though I did not know about Waynes Books.

Between them and ebay I'm sure I can find all the ones I'm missing. Am I assuming correctly that all the book numbers between those I have listed are also books that I would be looking for? I guess what I'm asking is if there is a list anywhere of all the SZ material that was made?

I actually just found the custom 'Burst/Full Auto Usage and Bonus List' that I had created back when my old group used to play some. As I recall there was a problem with some of the weapons in the rulebook not stating how many shots comprimised a burst and full auto and so forth. I'll probably just post them here sometime later this week even though I doubt anyone else is still thinking about playing this game but me lol.

[The Game Guy]

I will admit I only have the main box set but the main game sure provides a lot of good information.

It's great because it reminds me of the old days when you could buy a box set and really have alot to get started with.

I miss box set games.

[shr3ds]

Interestingly enough, when I did run the SZ games back in the day, that was before I had acquired all the extra books. They were run entirely just on the info presented in the core books. I always though SZ was an awesome game and the card system really was a great way to get subplots going as well as promoting the PC's to do something aside from just blasting away at stuff.

Box games are nice...I really used to love the Twilight 2000 boxed set (original system) as well as Traveller 2300. Both of those I still have actually, though the boxes are all but destroyed now.

[The Game Guy]

Interestingly enough, when I did run the SZ games back in the day, that was before I had acquired all the extra books. They were run entirely just on the info presented in the core books. I always though SZ was an awesome game and the card system really was a great way to get subplots going as well as promoting the PC's to do something aside from just blasting away at stuff.

Yep box sets used to have everything you need to get going and helped get things moving fast.

Now games are big and bloated and take too long to get going with.

[skeloric]

Not everything...

AFMBE seems to hearken back to the simple era of Box Sets quite nicely despite being a book.
I'm certain there are others that could be considered the "heirs" of the Box Set Era of RPGs.

[pathfinderap]

I miss box set games.

Then you will know doubt like the new Doctor Who game when its released in April next year

[The Game Guy]

Not everything...

AFMBE seems to hearken back to the simple era of Box Sets quite nicely despite being a book.
I'm certain there are others that could be considered the "heirs" of the Box Set Era of RPGs.

Of course there are exceptions to the rules. But most games give you only a little to work with in the main book and you need to buy supplements to go further.

[The Game Guy]

Then you will know doubt like the new Doctor Who game when its released in April next year

What game mechanics is the Dr. Who game using?

[pathfinderap]

What game mechanics is the Dr. Who game using?

Its own system built for the game, if you like unisystem you should like some of this

[The Game Guy]

Its own system built for the game, if you like unisystem you should like some of this

Very cool. I am a big Unisystem fan. I love the ease to learn and how the mechanics do not get in the way.

I will have to check out the book when it is finally released

[pathfinderap]

Very cool. I am a big Unisystem fan. I love the ease to learn and how the mechanics do not get in the way.

I will have to check out the book when it is finally released

Cubical 7 could not get the rights to release this as a stand alone hardback book, this is going to be a box set,

[The Game Guy]

Cubical 7 could not get the rights to release this as a stand alone hardback book, this is going to be a box set,

Which means that it most likely will be shrink wrapped. So I guess I am going to have to depend on reviews to find out if it is good or not.

We will see

[Whill]

Which means that it most likely will be shrink wrapped. So I guess I am going to have to depend on reviews to find out if it is good or not.

We will see

I thought you didn't approve of looking through a product before buying it. Did I misunderstand?

[skeloric]

I thought you didn't approve of looking through a product before buying it. Did I misunderstand?
???
Being able to pick up a game book and open it up to see what the game looks like has been one of the greatest advancements of the RPG industry.
its also probably why people buy less, they get a good look and realize they could make a better game with their old 1996 "D6 System" book.

[Whill]

From the Hey Hellsreach! (D6 Books) thread:


I have just found a bunch of online game stores to buy my game material and I never have to step foot into a FLGS ever again. I have two that are perfectly good but I just don't need them and I can get games at great discounts.

But no, I will not use either of my FLGS's as a place to check out games ahead of time and then buy them online. Doing that I disagree with.


From this thread:


Which means that it most likely will be shrink wrapped. So I guess I am going to have to depend on reviews to find out if it is good or not.

We will see


I'm confused by these two posts. I personally don't have any problem whatsoever with looking at products before buying them, as I posted in the other thread. The item being shrinked wrapped has prevented me from buying many things. In fact in the other thread I even posted that I got lucky and had a chance to review a product that is normally shrinked-wrapped, because the wrap had come off but the FLGS was still selling it anyway. Me being able to review the product first is the only way I came to the decision to buy it.

My previous post in this thread was because I thought maybe I misunderstood one of these two statements Game Guy said. An item being shrinked-wrapped prevents you from reviewing it before buying it, but thought you didn't do that anyway GG. :cool:

[skeloric]

What he is opposing is treating the game shop as some sort of "first look" shop only to thereafter not purchase from them.
The image of the guy who walks into a shop to look around at the product and upon someone coming over to help him he explains that he is only preparing a list of products to buy from their competitor.
Its just pretty damn rude.

[shr3ds]

Well, not that it matters much, but my gaming group voted overwhemingly Rifts.

So, tonight begins the Federation of Magic campaign, where the PC's find themselves(and near 100 others) chained to/pulling massive wagons of loot for their slaver captors across the wilds of Kentucky.

This one should be interesting...the players get to start the game with absolutely no possessions aside from the tattered rags that remain from the clothes they were captured in weeks ago and they are all in unfamiliar territory. The group has proven very resourceful in the WFRPv2 campaign and I have no doubts they'll do as well here, even though the game starts with the deck stacked against them.

I'll revive SZ eventually....hell, I've discovered I've got nearly all the books made for it so its only a matter of time.... :) In fact, everyone loves the cardplay so much that I might try to incorporate it into the Rifts campaign for a game or 2 and see how it works.

[Whill]

What he is opposing is treating the game shop as some sort of "first look" shop only to thereafter not purchase from them.
The image of the guy who walks into a shop to look around at the product and upon someone coming over to help him he explains that he is only preparing a list of products to buy from their competitor.
Its just pretty damn rude.

Thanks for the clarification. I do understand. I guess you could call me rude but at least I haven't done that in the FLGS (since I purchased the D6 GM screen I looked at from the FLGS directly). I do have to admit, rude as it may seem, that I have no qualms with going into a big box store like borders, reviewing WotC products, and then going home and ordering them online.

So I have not reviewed products at FLGSs and then gone home to buy them, and I have only done that at Borders for WotC products. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. :cool:

[skeloric]

So I have not reviewed products at FLGSs and then gone home to buy them, and I have only done that at Borders for WotC products. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. :cool:
Correct me if I'm wrong -- but Borders and Barney Ignoramus both have a much large RPG sales presence online anyway by what I understand.
(They would have to -- the in store presence is quite pitiful at the ones I've visited. Upon remarking on this, I have always then been directed towards the "online sales" branch of the store.)
Thus they aren't trying to survive exclusively off of what they have on their local store shelves like a FLGS does.

[pathfinderap]

Very cool. I am a big Unisystem fan. I love the ease to learn and how the mechanics do not get in the way.

I will have to check out the book when it is finally released



Read this,

http://www.renegadetimelord.com/?p=118

[The Game Guy]

What he is opposing is treating the game shop as some sort of "first look" shop only to thereafter not purchase from them.
The image of the guy who walks into a shop to look around at the product and upon someone coming over to help him he explains that he is only preparing a list of products to buy from their competitor.

Its just pretty damn rude.

Yes Skeloric, you are correct about how I feel.

[Whill]

Correct me if I'm wrong -- but Borders and Barney Ignoramus both have a much large RPG sales presence online anyway by what I understand.
(They would have to -- the in store presence is quite pitiful at the ones I've visited. Upon remarking on this, I have always then been directed towards the "online sales" branch of the store.)
Thus they aren't trying to survive exclusively off of what they have on their local store shelves like a FLGS does.

Good point. But my local Borders is only "pitiful" in the selection of all non-WotC products. In fact there are usually no other products but WotC in the store. But in-store, the have a large selection of WotC products. And I mean multiple copies of some of the books, especially the D&D Players Handbook and the Star Wars Saga Edition core rule book.

I hate supporting WotC or buying any d20 products, but some of the stuff is good text for use in my Star Wars D6 game.

[skeloric]

Good point. But my local Borders is only "pitiful" in the selection of all non-WotC products. In fact there are usually no other products but WotC in the store. But in-store, the have a large selection of WotC products. And I mean multiple copies of some of the books, especially the D&D Players Handbook and the Star Wars Saga Edition core rule book.

I hate supporting WotC or buying any d20 products, but some of the stuff is good text for use in my Star Wars D6 game.
Having only D20 product qualifies as an example of "pitiful" shelf stock.
Heck, after enjoying playing Magic the Gathering for years I quit playing it too because money spent on MtG helped D&D.

[The Game Guy]

Having only D20 product qualifies as an example of "pitiful" shelf stock.
Heck, after enjoying playing Magic the Gathering for years I quit playing it too because money spent on MtG helped D&D.

Have you considered asking the place you buy rpgs to perhaps stock other games and make suggestions? Maybe they have someone who isnt as in the know as you are doing the ordering and perhaps if you help them they can help make things better.

[skeloric]

Have you considered asking the place you buy rpgs to perhaps stock other games and make suggestions? Maybe they have someone who isnt as in the know as you are doing the ordering and perhaps if you help them they can help make things better.
Heh, Jimmy Jams' (now defunct in Rochester) policy was, "if they don't want D&D they must not want any RPGs."

Similarly, Barnes and Nobel will order anything you want but all that will ever reach the shelf is D&D -- which guarantees that 99% of the customer base will never take the time to discover that anything else exists.

[The Game Guy]

Heh, Jimmy Jams' (now defunct in Rochester) policy was, "if they don't want D&D they must not want any RPGs."

Similarly, Barnes and Nobel will order anything you want but all that will ever reach the shelf is D&D -- which guarantees that 99% of the customer base will never take the time to discover that anything else exists.

Well that sucks and that is very stupid. Have you tried talking to the manager about that?