Is this a fun system? Does it work? Is it interesting? Or is it a bit pointless?

It's free.  So...you could like...try it.  Which would probably give you a better idea than asking about a game associated with Nixon on a forum that hates story-games.

I can't try it, that's why I'm asking.

What is TSOY? Please edit your first post so people have a clue what you're talking about?

The Shadow of Yesterday.

QuoteThe Shadow of Yesterday (or TSoY) is a narrativist sword and sorcery (with optional elements of heroic fantasy) indie role-playing game, designed by Clinton R. Nixon and published by CRN Games.

I see "narrativist" and "indie," and I immediately suspect that this is a shitty game.

QuoteThe Shadow of Yesterday takes place on the world of Near, a post-apocalyptic fantasy world where civilization has been destroyed three hundred years ago and is presently undergoing a rebirth. Because of this, the races in TSOY (elves, goblins, and ratkin) are not seen as genetically separate races at all, but rather an evolution/devolution from humans, and each of them can inclusively become "human" if they give up what makes them different.

There are some notable differences between the settings as presented in the various releases. The Finnish version has greatly expanded the setting by adding minor cultures and other details to the existing background material, and also has a slightly different map than the original. The Spanish setting is faithful in regards to the text, but does have a completely different map. The German setting has some additions inspired by online discussions, but not to the extent of the Finnish version. The World of Near for Solar System is a separate 190-page treatment of the setting from the creator of the Finnish version. The Polish version combines original setting with rules modifications taken from The World of Near for Solar System and also incorporates original rules expansions and modifications; it also includes a map from Spanish edition.

The world of Near.  How...desperate to be taken seriously.  Some miscellaneous other quotes:

QuoteNo gods. No monsters. Just people.

Are you ready for truly human weird fantasy?

QuoteThe Shadow of Yesterday is pulpy romantic sword-and-sorcery at the end of one world and the beginning of the next. This game melds the best of standard fantasy role-playing and a hard-charging narrative engine. The revised version of this game, out now, focuses even more on mechanics that make your story zing off the table and into your imagination.

At this point I'm suspicious.

QuoteAs I play with a group of gamers with a good representation of both genders, and a fair amount of gay, lesbian, and transsexual players, it’s nice to actually hold up a game like TSOY whose sex politics are above the watermark for most RPG’s (which are sadly about on par with a viking attack). For all the progress that’s been made in liberalizing the world of RPG’s, most mainstream games are still sadly very white, very Eurocentric, and very heterosexual in their depiction of characters, and indeed the entire world. Your writeup for Oran is yet another example of TSOY’s attempt to address gender/sex politics in a way where “mature” doesn’t simply equal “explicit content,” like it does in a vast majority of the gaming world. Thank you for a game which is as thoughtful as it is exciting.

Welp.

Also, it appears that you get XP for doing things like "being in a scene with another character."  This game is a turd.

Quote from: brettmb;532354What is TSOY? Please edit your first post so people have a clue what you're talking about?

The use of acronym is deliberate: if you aren't familiar with the game then you aren't going to be able to answer it.

Quote from: B.T.;532476This game is a turd.

Insightful.

Quote from: B.T.;532476I see "narrativist" and "indie," and I immediately suspect that this is a shitty game.

We're reviewing games based on the elevator pitch rather than actual play, now?

This will make being an uninformed, loud-mouthed simpleton on the internet easier than ever before! I'd join in but, well, you seem to have cornered the market for it on this site.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;532479The use of acronym is deliberate: if you aren't familiar with the game then you aren't going to be able to answer it.

And so the thread could be closed.

Quote from: brettmb;532490And so the thread could be closed.

To what end? The question is clearly directed at people who know the game.

By all means, chuck your toys out the pram. Behave just like the other site.

WTF? Can't you just edit the freaking post to include the name? You know, the first post in a thread is supposed to include all the details. Are you acting out like a little child?

Quote from: brettmb;532493WTF? Can't you just edit the freaking post to include the name? You know, the first post in a thread is supposed to include all the details. Are you acting out like a little child?

What is fucking wrong with you? I've already answered this question. The thread doesn't need editing. It isn't a thread for people to answer if they don't know the fucking game! How is that not clear to you? You want to troll, go somewhere else and do it.

TSOY has FGT and so many WOFA that it allows the ABNZ in the DLAFW, and with so much TES we can expect more SGOA in PDTU.  It is much different than TCGDW, WDDF or SJGF and other TFCGS. LOL

Pools work. I like them much better than your regular attributes + skills combination. If you have one, why have the other? Pools work differently, so there is a reason to have them.

Refresh is a fun mechanism. Usually there is little point to include downtime. Now there is. It's not required to go over it in detail, but everyone will accept that people mention it, and sometimes you can expand on it.

If you all have gotten some tampons by now...

I have TSoY (bought a printed version, unaware of what I was doing I admit, but well - I liked InSpectres, and I thought hey, maybe those damn indies ain't too bad!)

First thing - the writing is beyond shoddy and terrible. It's uninformative, the informations about the mechanics are spread all over in chaos, and at least one quite core information to inform you how Pools Work, you will need to deduce it yourself (I still had not found it). And the printed version in Poland is the upgraded/errated version already. So...yeah.

The setting provided (at least in the printed version), is utter garbage of some mixed pseudocultural rip - offs. It just does not make much of sense, that setting. You have 5 completely random countries (Which pretty much represent Europe, Africa, China, Japan and I think Africa again/Australia) connected to each other. The greatest piece of irony's author's tutted "No Gods. No Monsters. Just Humans"...and then you have goblins, elves and primitive skavens.

The mechanics are, well - it's a Forge game, what'd you expect other then storygaming. The ability pools work, but they can be easily abused by a powergaming player, because the rules advice you to "provide means of refreshing them as soon as players desire to", which basically means that any form of resource management is thrown out of the window if you play by the rules. The Ability Pools themselves and how they work is not too bad - but you need to toss that "Do not change the rules OR ELSE" out of the window, and apply common sense to the idea of Downtime.

The skills as written are also an interesting take (especially on the idea of skills - by - culture - same that again, the provided setting's pages are only useful as bear stuffing), but it needs some logic and common sense applied, because otherwise, going by the rules themselves, a deadly duelist won't be able to do jack against a common soldier. And you know how Forge games are all about 'em sticking to the rules - le sigh. I doubt I will ever play the game - the mechanics aren't too clunky, but they need some clearing up, and I'd rather use DnD for most basic Sword & Sorcery (You go into towers/crypts, and you gain treasure or die), or BRP for more complicated S&S games.

What's a good idea to be stolen are the Keys, I believe they are called, but it will be a cold night in Hell before I shall call them such - term Personal Objectives is much better here. In TSoY it takes a form that you only gain XP for achieving/doing things important to your character and roleplaying of it (there's also a special bonus for forsaking such a thing, because you know, character - development - in - a - story - mechanic). With a more sane approach, that can be used in any RPG  - just ask each player to write a few objectives for their characters, and reward them more XP/Experience Rolls/etc. etc. when they achieve their objectives.

So, all in all - you can steal some tidbits from TSoY, and if you get through it's bad writing, there may be even a pot at the end of that grey rainbow. The question is though - is it really worth it? If you like storygames with an RPG splat in them, you will like this one. If you don't, TSoY will most definitely not change your opinion about them.