Okay so has anyone played this RPG based on the sf paintings of Simon Stålenhag? (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210617/Tales-from-the-Loop-RPG-Rulebook)
Thoughts? Oh and as groundrule, feel free to criticize to your heart's content but try to actually have actually at least read the damn thing, even better if you actually played it at a table.
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Is that one of the paintings you refer to?
Yep. Probably the best known. It is sf set in 80s suburban Sweden, from what I understand. Pretty sure the setting isn't locked to Sweden though, lol.
I looked at the book in the game store, but couldn't decide if I wanted to buy it. I wasn't familiar with the art until I saw the book. My group isn't that thrilled with having to learn new RPG systems all the time, and this one didn't look like any other I've seen yet.
I did notice, however, that there are two "default" settings -- one in Sweden and one in Nevada USA.
Color me interested too. It reminds me of the Stranger Things series, which my group totally love.
I've played it. It's good fun for an afternoon. Doesn't seem like it would last long term.
I'm not a fan of the skill mechanics (dice pool system looking for sixes), though the highly error-prone skill checks do fit better here than they do in Coriolis.
Yep, the long term aspect of the game are limited due to only basically having eight or so stereotyped kids to choose from to play.
The book looks pretty though and the system is tidy.
Quote from: TrippyHippy;974678Yep, the long term aspect of the game are limited due to only basically having eight or so stereotyped kids to choose from to play.
This actually attracted me to the book; I kind of like the choices given for the stereotypes. I had been thinking about running a modern zombie apocalypse thing and those character generation pages might be very useful for creating a bunch of muggle characters in amongst the zombies...
I may have to give the book another look. I guess it got several nominations for the ENnies.
I grabbed the book at retail the other day (and dice and screen, because ...). Visually, I love the book (and paperstock). I'm definitely in the target demographic as an 80s kid. I really enjoyed the read and the included mysteries. The rules seem tidy and on point, but I'd expect that fit is going to vary depending on particular gamer's preferred styles.
The person running this website is a racist who publicly advocates genocidal practices.
I am deleting my content.
I recommend you do the same.
Justin -- thanks for the fabulous analysis of the game and setting. The biggest fear I have with "mystery" style settings is that I have to be able to construct a decent mystery, and most of my best inspiration is material that my players also read or watch. (I can see a Loop campaign being like Fringe or X-Files, but my players have seen all that stuff.) Sadly, the "mystery sandbox" sounds like it would fit my GM style the best, but it sounds like it's the part with the less development by the designers. Bummer. :(
I'm familiar with the system of Coriolis, which has baked into the game a reroll mechanic for failed tests. That single reroll keeps the system from being failure weighted in Coriolis, even if it is a bit inelegant in play. Am I correct in understanding what people are posting here that Tales of the Loop doesn't use a similar mechanic, but instead is using a similar system, but with a single roll for task resolution?
The person running this website is a racist who publicly advocates genocidal practices.
I am deleting my content.
I recommend you do the same.
Thanks for the explanation.
And, wow... ouch.
Almost sounds like it is built for one shots or short campaigns only.
Can't say I care for the art and the genre doesn't interest me.
Quote from: Justin Alexander;975111--Snip--
Thank you for the review/explanation of the game. I saw this and was very curious about it. As I really enjoy Simon Stålenhag's art. Sounded like it could be pretty cool. I have no interest honestly in playing characters that are kids. But it sounded cool, nonetheless. I have to say I'm a little disappointed. It may yet be cool to steal ideas and stuff form. But it definitely falls down the purchase list.
I haven't looked at the game at all, but I'm familiar with the art (having been hugely popular on social media a couple of years back). I like the art, sure, but somehow when I heard they were making a game out of it I immediately instinctively thought "this is not going to go well".
Quote from: RPGPundit;976334I haven't looked at the game at all, but I'm familiar with the art (having been hugely popular on social media a couple of years back). I like the art, sure, but somehow when I heard they were making a game out of it I immediately instinctively thought "this is not going to go well".
The game is fine, but limited in what you can really do with it. While it may make a bit of a splash in the next year or so, I doubt many will switch to it as a long term game and will switch over to the next big thing as it comes along.
Just started running a mini-campaign of Tales from the Loop using the adventures at the back of the book. Here's my take:
Things I liked
- Setting. A mix of the familiar and the fantastic. The 80s is full of nostalgia for my table, with the exception of 1 player, we all had childhoods during this decade, which made it perfect for playing kids in the same time period, speaking of which
- My players are enjoying playing kids, it feels like a refreshing change. It's also fun GMing the adult characters like parents and using the old classic lines like "I'm not angry, I'm disappointed"
- The system is intuitive and quick to learn.
- Character creation is quick and a part of which ties you to the other characters in the party.
Things I'm not keen on
- The system can be a bit whiffy, quite common for someone skilled in task to fail at it.
- Not much in the way of character development.
Overall then, we're having a lot of fun playing it. I'd recommend it for short-campaigns for groups that want a change of pace, I don't think it's got legs for something longer, but we're having a blast for now.