Epoch: Fantasy RPG (An "at a glance" Overview)
A Role-Playing Game by ??(*)
To begin with this is a overview of a 39 page PDF file using computer generated graphics, which on the whole mostly look alright for what this file is. Which is a free "Beta" of a "play test" version. Which right away should tell you something. With that in mind what is this Epoch thing like, is it worth clicking the link to download?
EDIT: Oops. Sorry. The link is in the related Thread about the game in this very Forum.Well from the start their are minor problems with the file, beginning with what some might argue is a improperly formatted copyright notification since nowhere is a individual's name or organisation mentioned in a clear and concise way. Sure, to get it you have to go to the web site, but shouldn't this information be
in the PDF regardless?
- Maybe it is just be but at a glance I couldn't tell. So, in future, I'd suggest telling us up front who made the game, let us know who the author is and who the copyright claimant is. In my opinion all this NEEDS to be included in the next release version!
Otherwise the biggest complaint some might have is with the font used. On screen it looks faded, but if you can look beyond that and actually begin to read a bit what you will find is...
Game Overview (Taken at a Glance): Rules explanations are hard to find, but only because their is so much background material presented up front. As is a *glossary* (that earns points from me just for existing) and a actual honest to goodness map that is followed by a section *explanining* said map. Details, it's all in the details!
At this point it is easy to forget you haven't been told much about game mechanics. Until you glance at the text and realize you have just come to the "Races" section. This is very old school, the sort of section you might find in any Palladium, AD&D (TSR), or Chaosium rule book from the mid- to late- 1980s. Nice nostalgic feel to have everything presented in a straightforeward manner.
And what about the rule mechanics?
Characters have five (5) primary core Attributes. On the surface they look like standard fare, until you realize the statistical range is from 3-30 (roll 3d10). Well I can name a few systems which use this range (one of mine included) but none off the top of my head which utilize a 3d10 roll for Character Generation, so right from the get go you have a non-standard statistical distribution. Which makes me wonder what sort of mechanics are going to be applied. So, suddenly intrigued, I read on.
Overall the text is a straightforward read. You have charts which outline modifiers and such but, my one complaint at this point is that, here and there, the author wrote "please see" and referenced a section. I'd remove that and leave just "see" or replace it with "refer to" because it does get annoying after a bit.
As for the mechanics? I'm baffled. At a glance you can't tell much, or find anything pointing you to them since there is no index or contents pages with hyperlinks. Which isn't necessaily a bad thing since if you jump to the last page you discover that a "Creature Catalog" has been included. So this definately is designed as a playtest version, all the elements seem to be there, obviously the serious gamer will have to read this game in full to digest it.
So, for the serious active gamer, or maybe just the curious who want to run a game but don't have it in their budget to get a new game this month, you may want to try this. Just be aware you have reading ahead of you. But so long as you have a working knowledge of the basics of role-playing games this one should be easy to follow.
Fav in-game Quote
My favorite quote from the game so far is "Religion has always been a
very influential aspect of people's lives; wars have been fought of it".
Is it worth clicking the link?
Well I downloaded the PDF file. Not saying much, I know. The file isn't large, there doesn't appear to be any obligation since when you go to the Epoch site you pretty much can just download it straight. So I'd say whether or not you download this one is up to you. Just be aware this is a "fantasy" game milieu.
As always the final judgement call is yours.
Kind Regards,
Kester Pelagius.