New Dark Age and Atomic Overmind Press to release Unhallowed Metropolis, Revised Edition.

I have been hearing things about Unhallowed Metropolis for some few years now, good and bad. It looks like something I might have an interest in, but the steampunk elements make me hesitant.

Anyone have experience with this game? Any thoughts?

-Hans

Well, I'd be obviously biased, but one thing is seriously worth noting here: it's not steampunk at all. There's no real steamtech for one thing, nor any particularly "punk" aspect to the game's theme. There is some galvanic (i.e. electricity) Tesla-inspired tech, some classical Frankenstein/Hyde-style chemistry and creations, and some odd weapons, but primarily the game is Gothic Horror (with added zombies). Every character is deeply flawed in some sense, such as in Sherlock Holmes' addiction to cocaine if that gives you an idea of the game's feel and approach, and nearly every character will slowly but surely spiral downwards in accordance with their principle flaw.

Another thing worth bearing in mind is this: it's not the Victorian period. It's a NeoVictorian period, an alternate history wherein the culture chose to emulate the Victorians of the past.

Now, that clears up the two big misconceptions, fire away with any questions.

Colin

I have the original and while it seems pretty cool, the text is DENSE...it was a hard read for some reason. I doubt that changes in the revised edition.

I've heard the system is wonky enough that it's worth it to strip away the rules and apply Your Favorite Rules Set.

It did intrigue me enough that hearing it is coming back in print interests me, though.

Quote from: Colin Chapman;437858Well, I'd be obviously biased, but one thing is seriously worth noting here: it's not steampunk at all. There's no real steamtech for one thing, nor any particularly "punk" aspect to the game's theme. There is some galvanic (i.e. electricity) Tesla-inspired tech, some classical Frankenstein/Hyde-style chemistry and creations, and some odd weapons, but primarily the game is Gothic Horror (with added zombies).
...

Thanks for illuminating that incorrect presumption. Tesla-inspired technology and Gothic Horror sounds right up my fog choked alley. It really puts some cement in my interest.

Most of my other concerns will apparently be addressed in the new edition/revision.

QuoteFeaturing ...new rules, new Callings and a more detailed look at the horrifying age of the neo-Victorians...

-Hans

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;437909I have the original and while it seems pretty cool, the text is DENSE...it was a hard read for some reason. I doubt that changes in the revised edition.

Apparently layout was a bit unnavigable, concepts are repeated, text was overly wordy and the book lacked an index.

I hope some changes are made.

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;437909I've heard the system is wonky enough that it's worth it to strip away the rules and apply Your Favorite Rules Set.
...

I have also heard this,i.g., character creation rules seemed a little underdeveloped.

Seen some interweb chatter about ORE porting well to Unhallowed Metropolis.

-Hans

I generally like the concept. I've had it for a couple of years now, but my players are all die hard traditional fantasy players, so I haven't run it.  

Impressions, however, was that it was mechanically uninspired.  By technical definition, this means that they are generally servicable, but not necessarily robust. I'd be more exacting, but that would mean a short delay (couple of hours) after asking for more detail to re-read the basic mechanics.

The setting is fine, even clever, but overly restricted to 'England'... I'm trying to recall if there is any real impression that the rest of the world exists.

However, the game does repeat a few instances of what I consider a cardinal sin:  Super-special snowflake characters. The 'Mortuari'... er.. the women who watch over corses to make sure they don't rise from the dead get a 'Jedi Lightsaber' power in that their knives are literally the best melee weapons in the game, no one else can figure out how to use them and so on.

They are, by the artwork, essentially just moderately sized kukris.

This, if anything, makes less sense than lightsabers (hard to do, I know...).

Its a knife. It cuts things. It even has a handle where handles should be. How hard is it to pick one up and swing it properly?

By the rules? Impossible, unless you are a girl in black.

This isn't the ONLY instance of this, as far as I recall, but it is objectively the most obnoxiously visible.   My instinct tells me that someone, possibly a writer for the game, or someone close to the game designer, really wanted to be extra cool and so this sort of logic breaking/immersion breaking nonsense was put in the game so someone could get laid.

At least the Jedi have magic powerz to explain away the lulz...

Quote from: hanszurcher;438062Apparently layout was a bit unnavigable, concepts are repeated, text was overly wordy and the book lacked an index.

I hope some changes are made.

I have also heard this,i.g., character creation rules seemed a little underdeveloped.

Seen some interweb chatter about ORE porting well to Unhallowed Metropolis.

-Hans

Eesh...I haven't been able to make myself try ORE yet...which is sad, because Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor looks awesome...but that system just reads like it would be a pain in the ass.

The text was really wordy, but - for better or for worse - they were trying to evoke that "Victorian author feel"...although, in this case, I think it detracted from the game.

I might would give it a go in Savage Worlds or something...(who am I kidding? I don't have an "or something", so it would be Savage Worlds).

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;438101I might would give it a go in Savage Worlds or something...(who am I kidding? I don't have an "or something", so it would be Savage Worlds).

Actually...that's not true.

I might be perfectly happy to rejigger it for genreDiversion.

how completely different is UA from Etherscope in terms of setting? Could the two settings complement each other or are their concepts too far removed?
I like Etherscope and have dabbled in it using BRP, but I'm guessing UA is darker and more limited in scope... less wacky.

Quote from: Simlasa;438125how completely different is UA from Etherscope in terms of setting? Could the two settings complement each other or are their concepts too far removed?
...

I am probably not the best person to answer this, I will give it a shot anyway.

Etherscope is more alt-history steam-driven occult cyberpunk Victoriana, while Unhallowed Metropolis is post-apocalyptic Neo-Victorian Dying Earth with zombie hordes at the gate.

Keep in mind that my knowledge of both settings comes from indirect sources.

-Hans

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;438101Eesh...I haven't been able to make myself try ORE yet...which is sad, because Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor looks awesome...but that system just reads like it would be a pain in the ass.

My experience with ORE has been with Nemesis(PDF), the free version rules for Delta Green/Call of Cthulhu. Love the Unknown Armies derived Madness Meter. I thought it purred nicely.

The rules (called Monsters and Other Childish Things) for Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor are a stripped down version of ORE. Check out the Quick-Play Guide(PDF). It does look very cool.

-Hans

Quote from: hanszurcher;438387My experience with ORE has been with Nemesis(PDF), the free version rules for Delta Green/Call of Cthulhu. Love the Unknown Armies derived Madness Meter. I thought it purred nicely.

The rules (called Monsters and Other Childish Things) for Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor are a stripped down version of ORE. Check out the Quick-Play Guide(PDF). It does look very cool.

-Hans

I own Monsters and Dreadful Secrets, as well as their "big brother" Wild Talents...=)

Arc Dream puts out some GREAT stuff in my opinion (for Monsters and Wild Talents)...I just can't quite get into ORE.

Hanszurcher's breakdown of the differences in the games is pretty accurate. The cyberpunk Victoriana themes of Etherscope were the big forces behind its design. Like Colin with Unhallowed Metropolis we've never viewed Etherscope as Steampunk in the traditional sense.

Quote from: Malladin;438642Hanszurcher's breakdown of the differences in the games is pretty accurate. The cyberpunk Victoriana themes of Etherscope were the big forces behind its design. Like Colin with Unhallowed Metropolis we've never viewed Etherscope as Steampunk in the traditional sense.

I was not aware that there was some dirty stigma attached to the Steampunk Genre that was to be avoided.

I'm no expert, exactly, but my understanding of 'Steampunk' as a Genre pretty much goes:

Quote from: hanzurcheralt-history steam-driven occult cyberpunk Victoriana

to the tee.


Of course, I don't have Etherscope, but you did say his description of it was "pretty accurate"...

No stigma to steampunk games, I like them a lot and of course there are steampunk influences to Etherscope. However, to me steampunk revolves around steamtech as super science, which it isn't in Etherscope, rather it's normal everyday technology. How the 'punk' themes and the modern elements of social structure are handled in Etherscope in relation to Victorian social structures I also feel is different from the standard steampunk tropes. And as you say yourself, you don't have the game so not really a great judgment as it's based on one sentence that for me isn't even how I'd define steampunk