So, recently running a Classic Traveller campaign (second session this coming weekend!). This came about, and it got me thinking over my older games, and I stumbled upon my old copy of BESM 2nd Revised. I haven't read it in years but I did run a Hellblazer/Cyberpunk campaign and a Star Wars campaign with it, maybe 8 or 9 years ago. Wasn't a fan of the games that came after (Tri-stat Dx and the derivatives).
To ask: what was cool and good about it? What bad?
How was BESM 2nd?
No idea, I remember running it once and it flopping hard with my group.
Although I am interested in hearing about the supplements. Particularly the generic fantasy and sci-fi ones.
Quote from: StanTheMan;579340So, recently running a Classic Traveller campaign (second session this coming weekend!). This came about, and it got me thinking over my older games, and I stumbled upon my old copy of BESM 2nd Revised. I haven't read it in years but I did run a Hellblazer/Cyberpunk campaign and a Star Wars campaign with it, maybe 8 or 9 years ago. Wasn't a fan of the games that came after (Tri-stat Dx and the derivatives).
To ask: what was cool and good about it? What bad?
How was BESM 2nd?
BESM 2E was my go to game for everything between the period of 2000 and 2006. Though the game was anime inspired, I found the rules to be perfect for a cinematic over the top feel, and I used it to run not only Star Wars, but Warhammer FRP and at the time a mash up of Chill/CoC. The downside of the game was that it broke down with large things like Star Destroyers and the like. But for action and adventure, I found the rules to be perfect.
Richard
Quote from: RI2;579362BESM 2E was my go to game for everything between the period of 2000 and 2006. Though the game was anime inspired, I found the rules to be perfect for a cinematic over the top feel, and I used it to run not only Star Wars, but Warhammer FRP and at the time a mash up of Chill/CoC. The downside of the game was that it broke down with large things like Star Destroyers and the like. But for action and adventure, I found the rules to be perfect.
Richard
I agree with this. I ran a fun one shot in the vein of "Smokin Aces" with it.
Quote from: Piestrio;579341No idea, I remember running it once and it flopping hard with my group.
Although I am interested in hearing about the supplements. Particularly the generic fantasy and sci-fi ones.
To be honest, I found the Rulebook was all I needed. I did like the book they did
Big Ears, Small Mouse, which I used when I created a Carl Barks inspired mini campaign (mashup of the classics and Ducktales, with Rescue Rangers mixed in). The supplements were good, but for me, the Rulebook was all I needed.
I think most people only thought the game was for anime, and they did not see the potential it had for a more cinematic game. Hell, at one time I was thinking about using it for Colonial Gothic, but after GoO went belly up, I created 12 Degrees as a homage to the system.
I still run that game every so often.
Richard
Quote from: RI2;579362BESM 2E was my go to game for everything between the period of 2000 and 2006. Though the game was anime inspired, I found the rules to be perfect for a cinematic over the top feel, and I used it to run not only Star Wars, but Warhammer FRP and at the time a mash up of Chill/CoC. The downside of the game was that it broke down with large things like Star Destroyers and the like. But for action and adventure, I found the rules to be perfect.
Richard
Pretty much I'd say the same thing here with a few variations. I ran Star Wars, Horror, Sci Fi, Fantasy, and others.
I picked up a few sourcebooks (but mostly because I liked the BESM2E book and liked ideas the books gave me.)
Mostly the only thing I'd have recommended was the Uresia: Grave of Heaven setting, but a 2E/Systemless version of that is coming out, so I'd say skip the original and grab the new one when it drops.
Honestly. I stopped using 2E Besm when I saw the way Tri Stat was going (SAS/DX, etc.)
I wish I still had my book, but I've got OVA now. I'm waiting on a 2E of that. I still recommend BESM if you like that kind of thing.
I think I was one of the first people to write superhero stuff for it--and even pitched a superhero book, but they wanted "Sentai" only at that time. A book we never got, and instead we got the more complicated SAS game for classic supers.
Quote from: Silverlion;579925Pretty much I'd say the same thing here with a few variations. I ran Star Wars, Horror, Sci Fi, Fantasy, and others.
I picked up a few sourcebooks (but mostly because I liked the BESM2E book and liked ideas the books gave me.)
Mostly the only thing I'd have recommended was the Uresia: Grave of Heaven setting, but a 2E/Systemless version of that is coming out, so I'd say skip the original and grab the new one when it drops.
Honestly. I stopped using 2E Besm when I saw the way Tri Stat was going (SAS/DX, etc.)
I wish I still had my book, but I've got OVA now. I'm waiting on a 2E of that. I still recommend BESM if you like that kind of thing.
I think I was one of the first people to write superhero stuff for it--and even pitched a superhero book, but they wanted "Sentai" only at that time. A book we never got, and instead we got the more complicated SAS game for classic supers.
SAS is what killed my love of the game. It became more and more like HERO and less and less like what it was first like. I'll also admit my working relationship with them as a freelancer got a little soured what with how GoO decided to implode.
It is a shame, because 2E was such a great version of the game. It was complex, yet not. There was a lot of potential with it as a good generic ruleset, and if handled right it could have been a nice alternative to GURPS.
Richard
Quote from: RI2;579362BESM 2E was my go to game for everything between the period of 2000 and 2006. Though the game was anime inspired, I found the rules to be perfect for a cinematic over the top feel, and I used it to run not only Star Wars, but Warhammer FRP and at the time a mash up of Chill/CoC. The downside of the game was that it broke down with large things like Star Destroyers and the like. But for action and adventure, I found the rules to be perfect.
Richard
Like you were reading my mind. I've recently been rereading the 2e Revised rulebook, and thinking what a shame it is that Silver Age Sentinels went in such a different direction, and that whole BESM DX thing. I still can't look through through the 2e rulebook without imagining a thousand write-ups for superheroes.
I had BESM 3E and sold it off as it was just way too complex compared to 2E, so I kept my BESM 2E stuff instead and still run a game here and there, its a great rules lite little game. It is too bad they really went off the deep end with BESM 3E and then imploded as a company.
It's another system sat in the "solidly average" group; it's okay, it's playable, and (Especially) for a points-based game, character gen is pretty fast.
I'm not sure what's especially "anime" about it as a system, though. All the anime is in the theming, and easily dropped; in the guts, it's a generic point-based game system. Worth buying? Yeah, sure. Why not.
It's "nice", it's inoffensive, it's the sort of game that you can sit down and you can play and you can have a nice session and you roll some dice and the system just kinda sits there; it's an awkward elephant in the room, you might as well pay attention to it because you bought a rulebook, but the only real rules are "roll some dice, low is good", and do you really need a book for that? It won't get in the way of your game, but it won't really do anything to help you with it, either. A good GM will run a good session, but it won't help a bad GM get better.
No, wait. The "think about how important skills will be for your campaign, and price them accordingly" stuff was genius.
Quote from: RI2;580013SAS is what killed my love of the game. It became more and more like HERO and less and less like what it was first like. I'll also admit my working relationship with them as a freelancer got a little soured what with how GoO decided to implode.
It is a shame, because 2E was such a great version of the game. It was complex, yet not. There was a lot of potential with it as a good generic ruleset, and if handled right it could have been a nice alternative to GURPS.
Richard
Yep, agreed. I feel it went more GURPS-like with 3E/DX but much the same idea that it moved from simple, to complex, and I already had complex+generic in Gurps (which I liked to some degree.)
Any of you familiar with OVA? I found it fills the spot in my heart BESM once did.
Quote from: Ladybird;581368I'm not sure what's especially "anime" about it as a system, though..
Well, no game system can be "anime". Anime is a form of animation that encompasses any number of individual genres with their own unique tropes. All BESM did was provide a system that was "universal enough" (I still don't believe that there is such a thing as a true universal system) to handle several of the various genres that were becoming popular in the U.S. (mecha, magical girl superhero, over-the-top romcom/harem fantasies, etc) and provided a book full of advise on how to create the feelings of those genres using the rulesset. Which is the best any RPG can hope to do for any genre I think.