Fantasy Games Unlimited produced Aftermath a post-apoc game. That from what I understand was insanely complicated. I see they have, created a new "2.0". Does anyone have any knowledge about this new product? Does it use the old complex system? Or something new? Any info would be great. It looks interesting. But I'm a little leary of laying cash for product I have very limited knowledge of, and cant check out in person.

Ooh, I'd like info on this, too.  Hadn't even heard they were doing another version.

I have Aftermath and a couple sourcebooks; never played them with a group, but solo'd a couple parts of the system.  Character creation was a bit knotty, but had interesting features.  Combat was complex, but not nearly as complex as the wacky flowchart would have you believe.  But even if you don't like the game itself, the books have tons of inspirational material for various flavors of PA games.

Looking at their rather sloppy website, it appears they've three new products since the original bunch.

Aftermath! Technology! 2.0
Aftermath! Magic!
Aftermath! Survivor's Guide

These are all published and available.

The Technology! 2.0 book was reviewed on rpg.net in June this year.

It doesn't appear that this is actually a new edition, it's just an expansion of the existing stuff.

So they're currently making expansion books for an out-dated, clunky, overly complex game system?  That seems a little....odd to say the least.

  I bought Aftermath many years ago because I thought it would be the greatest game ever at the time.  Then I opened the box and looked at the rules....  You gotta be kidding me right?  Seriously, did other people actually play this game and have fun?

Quote from: Spinal Tarp;266717Seriously, did other people play actually play this game and have fun?

Yes, a friend of mine ran it for years. Mind you, he threw it over for GURPS in the end.

They were written in a time when many roleplayers came from a background of wargaming. That's why they're so thorough and complicated. People just tolerated or even expected that stuff then - haven't you ever heard of Advanced Squad Leader?

Book 1, p.15 of Aftermath! (1981)   ACCESS TO STORED ITEMS
In order to get an item which has been stored in a container, the character must get access to the container, open it and sort the desired item out from the other items in the container. The time taken in doing this can be of serious importance if this is being done in the middle of a desperate situation. The player should state that the character is beginning to get an item and inform the Gamesmaster of where it is kept. The character will then be engaged in the process for a number of Actions. The exact number should be known only to the Gamesmaster. The [sic] will announce to the player that he has found the item at the end of the Action on which it is "found".
No, I don't know why "sometimes PCs have stuff stored and it will take them a bit to get it out, the GM should decide how long and not tell them until they actually get it" was written in 142 words instead of 31, or even written at all. Surely GMs can figure this stuff out for themselves? Except that as I said, when people came from wargaming they were used to it, it just seemed natural.

Setting aside the overly-lengthy prose, there are some good ideas there. There are also some classic bits tucked away in the text.   NUCLEAR WEAPONS
[...] The first major assumption to be made is that no matter how you ended the world in your campaign, there are not a lot of strategic nukes left. If you want the characters to find (or at least seek) a legendary "last big bomb" in a silo somewhere, then fine. But there is really no reason to put them in possession of a city-killer more than once.
I always imagine that read out in a calm but wry voice. There's really no reason to let the PCs have a city-killing nuclear weapon more than once.

Beautiful

Aside from the good ideas and the little gems, the other reason for the nostalgia is that there are relatively few postapocalyptic rpgs out there - compared to how many fantasy, scifi, horror and so on rpgs. And those that are out there are often pretty gonzo. This had some gonzo options but it wasn't the bulk of it.

I'd never heard of it when I started gaming, and it was soon lost in the mass of other rpgs coming out through the 1980s, so I only heard of it in the last few years. So I've never played it. But the complexity isn't a big deal - I played and ran Rolemaster for many years, and have played and run GURPS, too. I've cruised through the Millennium's End combat system with its overlays and charts. So Aftermath! would be a doddle.

It's just a matter of how it fits in with all the other games I'd like to GM or play, and what the people in the group at the time are keen on. With over 2,000 published rpgs, for better or worse we have to miss a few out.

I used to own it, we started campaigns for it twice, both times I was a player, but each time the complexity was just too much.

Also, in one game I remember one PC was a mutant (which wasn't common and was generally deleterious) and as a result was a dwarf (as in human dwarf) with coarse feather-like hair.  However, he also somehow ended up with a high appearance stat.

I remember us all wondering how a character who, through random chargen, sounded suspiciously like Howard the Duck could be such a looker.

Lots of great ideas, but the rules killed it for us.  I still regret though the lack of other non-gonzo PA rpgs.

Quote from: Ronin;266288Fantasy Games Unlimited produced Aftermath a post-apoc game. That from what I understand was insanely complicated.

That was certainly par for the course for FGU games from the time.  Following the repeated abortion of our Chivalry & Sorcery games for being just too damned complex, I recall that someone in our group produced a copy of Aftermath.  It was met with unanimous groans of dismay.

I'd be interested to find out if this is a thorough rewriting of the original game, or merely a minimal update and reprint, but I doubt I'd be interested in buying it.  It seems to me that FGU's persistence in the hobby relies on nostalgia rather than relevancy.

!i!

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;266668Looking at their rather sloppy website, it appears they've three new products since the original bunch.

Aftermath! Technology! 2.0
Aftermath! Magic!
Aftermath! Survivor's Guide

These are all published and available.

The Technology! 2.0 book was reviewed on rpg.net in June this year.

It doesn't appear that this is actually a new edition, it's just an expansion of the existing stuff.

Well thats just it though Kyle. The review refers to it as an expansion on the core rules. The core rules of the new core book. But is that the same as the old or something new?

It seems quite few of you have played it back in the day. Would even the old books be worth having the mine ideas and stuff from?

Quote from: Ronin;266785Would even the old books be worth having the mine ideas and stuff from?

Weeeellll...I did adapt the rules for stripping meat off a carcass for RQ (you get a result in man-days). But then I never used them.

Quote from: Ronin;266785Well thats just it though Kyle. The review refers to it as an expansion on the core rules. The core rules of the new core book.

Which review is that? Because the review I linked to does not talk about any new core rules.
   "If you enjoy the core AFTERMATH! rules and are eager to expand your post-apocalypse setting and beyond, this is the expansion for you."
 Nor does their webpage contain any mention of a new ruleset. It's just splatbooks for their old rules.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;266806Which review is that? Because the review I linked to does not talk about any new core rules.
   "If you enjoy the core AFTERMATH! rules and are eager to expand your post-apocalypse setting and beyond, this is the expansion for you."
 Nor does their webpage contain any mention of a new ruleset. It's just splatbooks for their old rules.

As much as I hate to admit I'm wrong. I'm wrong. It is just a rehash of the old books. Had a friend show me this.