This looks kinda promising to me. What do you folks think?

I'd have to see the final product first, but there are warning signs in the advertising blurb.

They are in the Sirius Galaxy, but there are only 18 star systems? Not even a galaxy, really.

Customized Operation Gear looks like it could easily become a trap during play in how it is handled. All too often soft science fiction equates nanotech to magic and it just isn't the case. Nanotech is great and has a lot of advantages, but it isn't miraculous and still has to obey the laws of physics.

Void Psychosis Syndrom sounds too much like the trope of "Space Madness" already where people go crazy from just being in space. I fucking hate that trope with a passion.

Then again, I am a long time Traveller grognard who likes some hard science fiction, so my opinions are probably tainted.

I'm curious to find out more about alien fauna. So far in the RPGnet thread on the subject, the author has just said that there are two alien races, but it's not yet clear if alien animals are out there as well.

I'm interested, thematically, in a cold, dark sci-fi game, but I have to say the illustrations evoked neither for me - more like blustery action. I think they would have been better served by art that only hinted at the appearance of the main alien race.

The woman on the cover looks like a drow - which I suppose might translate to 'dark' for some people, but all I think of is a female Drizzt.

They've been rather silent on mechanics, too - something that makes or breaks a game for a lot of people (though not for me, particularly).

I get the sniffage of a wannabe video game in TTRPG form... it sounds mostly to be about equipment and powerz and cool alien monsters to kill in dark and stormy hallways. Kinda like a higher tech version of Doom.

I thought of the movie Pandorum when I read of VPS, but not much of anything else.

Bah.. evil space corporations...

RPGPundit

Quote from: Dan Davenport;522271I'm curious to find out more about alien fauna. So far in the RPGnet thread on the subject, the author has just said that there are two alien races, but it's not yet clear if alien animals are out there as well.

Well, I have my answer. There are the rippers (Alien xenomorph types) and the gerions (enigmatic but apparently friendly aliens), and that's it. No other life of any kind has been discovered, unless you count a possible xenodisease and the ruins of ancient alien civilizations. I'm not sure how much room that leaves for "sci-fi horror".

I'm personally inspired by how many new posters have popped up on rpg.net to praise it. Several seem to have either never posted before or only very miniimally.

Eh, it looks like it should be an adventure for BRP or Traveller rather than a full game. I'm not seeing much I haven't before.

That said, I wish them every success. Why shouldn't I? I'd be as pleased as anyone if they proved me wrong.

Maybe it's just another step in my inevitable grognardmorphosis, but all I see is a flashy blurb with very little susbtance. It tells me nothing about what who the PCs are and what it is that they actually do, other than pack cool gear, stick it to the space megacorp Man, and go crazy in space (all which can be nice elements of a good adventure, but none of which sounds like adventure-launching material by itself). And absolutely nothing about the system, of course.

But I'm willing to change my mind if more information is forthcoming. Who knows, if the setting's good, it might be worth picking up for use with Traveller, or SWN, or your hard SF poison of choice.

If it was just a setting instead of a new system I might care. Overall it doesn't seem to tread new ground, but I don't need every product to be completely unique. I'd prefer at least solid with maps, NPCs, events, and setting stuff to mine.

Reminds me a little of the "I'm special, too" vibe that's plaguing video game PR. That whole "over 40, no 80, no over 160 hours of gameplay," "new classes and weapons never before seen, and you can combine them to make even more!" "ground-breaking dynamism to put YOU in control," "will you master the universe, or will it master you?" I'm getting old and jaded so that sale style just sounds tired and silly, even in the tiniest amounts.

Still, wish 'em the best. Maybe it is an awesome game, despite my first impressions to the PR blurb and art. The 18 solar systems definitely pique my interest at least for cannibalizing.

Looking at the character sheet, I am getting a dice pool / Shadowrun / WW feel for the system. I wonder what the author did differently.
http://media.wicked-world.se/downloads/2012/03/betainterface.pdf

I would happily play in a demo event of Cold & Dark. Not a great title though.

To be fair, it just says it has information on 18 star systems.  Not that there are 18 star systems in the game.

Also, the name is Cold & Dark.  It stands to reason that their depiction of space would be eponymous.

Derp.

That said, I could give a shit.  Not that it looks bad or anything, I just don't have the time to care, what with 5e looming so close...   :boohoo:

Quote from: Dan Davenport;522336Well, I have my answer. There are the rippers (Alien xenomorph types) and the gerions (enigmatic but apparently friendly aliens), and that's it. No other life of any kind has been discovered, unless you count a possible xenodisease and the ruins of ancient alien civilizations. I'm not sure how much room that leaves for "sci-fi horror".

Update: The author has explained that there's a bunch of alien freakishness going on of which humanity is as yet unaware beyond the rippers and the gerions. I'm back on board now.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;522564Update: The author has explained that there's a bunch of alien freakishness going on of which humanity is as yet unaware beyond the rippers and the gerions. I'm back on board now.

With the potential expansiveness potential of the setting, there should be a "xenomorph" creation system so you can come up with your own. I want tribble-like happy space hamsters whose exhalations cause dementia and a slow gradual acidic increase in the atmosphere. Just picturing insane rotting space mutants happily petting little fury things amuses me to no end in a delightfully horrifying manner.  

If not, you can borrow from others.

• Stars without number has a nifty creature creation system.
• Traveller has a decent one.
• Precis Intermedia carries my perennial favorite Atomik Generic plug-ins, one being an Alien creation system (detailed AND usable).