Not sure what forum this is most applicable to, but since I'm sorta asking for a review I guess here is as good a place as any.
I currently have Story Engine (the small paperback version) but now see there is a new revised version out...which apparently is hefty enough to warrant slapping a hard cover on it.
I could not find on Hubris's site a summary of what's new and better about the "Revised" rules.
Anybody here familiar with the revision enough to know whether its worth "upgrading to"? What exactly got revised?
I haven't seen a point-by-point on the revisions, but my impression is that there will be both a hardcover and softcover of the revised Story Engine. The difference between the two, as far as I know, is that the hardcover will have six pages of bonus material. Christian wrote this description of the bonus material to the Hubris Games listserv back in March:
Hardcover details: The hardcover version has 6 pages of "bonus material" at the end, making it a total of 148 pages long (3 pages of which are blank). You can also get the bonus material off the give-aways page of the company site:
http://www.hubrisgames.com/pdf/sebonus.pdf
I have the Revised softcover, so I know it's real. When I get home and have the time (warning - that may be Monday night), I'll write up the contents.
Gordon C. Landis
BTW, it is very cool. Don't know about in comparison to the old vers, but this is a pretty well put together book - not perfect (the organization/presentation of info could be better, IMO), but a worthy "professional" product.
OK, here it is - a quick contents list of my Story Engine Universal Rules Revised Edition softcover:
--A Preface and Introduction
--10 pages of Story Bones (the cut-down version - really not sure why it's in here)
--34 pages of the main Story Engine rules, major sections Characters, Scenes, Props & Sets, and Character Examples
--12 pages on "Running Games", where we learn the 3 sides of Narrating (Management, Adjudication and Storytelling), the 3 kinds of player (Story-oriented, Strategy-oriented, and Mechanics-oriented), explore "Fair vs. Fun", and generally get advice (pretty good, IMO) for the GM . . .er, Narrator.
--17 pages of The Maelstrom plug-in
--5 pages of the "Six guns & Whiskey" plug-in
--13 pages of fiction (didn't do anything for me, except maybe the Maelstrom story revealed some Premise opportunities in the setting - YMMV)
--10 pages of "The Airship Murders", a murder-mystery scenario that reads well.
--9 pages of "Dublin's Tomb", a Story Engine dungeon crawl, that also reads well.
--And, of course, a character sheet for copying, but since this is a small format book, I'd prefer to download the 8 1/2 x 11 version from the website.
That's it. Can't really review it until I play it, but I like what I see.
Gordon C. Landis
Thanks Gordon.
Did you get it in store or mailed ? Another game I can't find here :sad:
I have the first edition, not without mistakes, but good book. I contacted Christian once for some clarifications.
He seems very busy, but still managed to email a nice reply answering my questions.
I'm getting the hardcover as soon as I can find it. Hopefully in store :sad: