bluegargantua

Hi,

So in a sudden whirlwind of activity we finished up the Burning Empires game I was running. It was a little unexpected, but I think there was a general consensus that it was time to go balls out and put everything on the line. I think we also decided that Burning Empires has some serious problems.

I'll be happy to point out that it was a first for all of us and BE has a few unique ideas that distinguish it from other RPGs. So it's quite possible that we didn't quite "get" all the rules, but I think that only highlights the fact that maybe the book doesn't clearly communicate what it needed to. We had some procedural/rule-nit things that we didn't do right, but it was larger issue stuff that really bogged it down.

Here's the main deal: The game works on two levels, the overall strategic level where the body-stealing Vaylen invade your planet and the tactical level where you, the PCs do stuff to fight them off. Both sides of the Strategic level essentially have hit points and at the end of each session of play, you make a roll to see if you affect the other side's hit points in any way. Once you take a side to zero, that strategic phase is over and one side wins. There are three phases and the winner of the third phase decides who conquers the planet.

OK, great. It's neat that there are different ways to view the conflict. The problem is that there is absolutely no tie whatsoever between what you do in the tactical level and what you do on the strategic level. So you can be winning, winning, winning on the tactical level, but you can still completely lose out on the stategic level. You can, in fact, lose the whole game. So it was hard to muster up a lot of deep interest in the tactical level when the overall outcome is decided without any input from it. That probably contributed a great deal to some of my initial reluctance to be an active opponent. It was easier to sit back and take just enough small chances and just grind them out at a Strategic level.

The other big problem is that we're pretty sure that the system for running Firefights has an optimal solution. The idea is that both sides pick a series of moves and counter-moves and then dice off to reduce the other side's disposition (i.e. hit points). In Burning Wheel (the fantasy counterpart to Burning Empires) this is a really slick system for one-on-one duels. There's a wide range of moves and every move has an effective counter. In BE, the paper-rock-scissors system that should be present isn't. One maneuver (Flank) is almost always the best option to take in every circumstance and there's no counter maneuver that effectively negates it and forces you to change up your strategy. Since the final stage of the game covers the full-blown Invasion where open warfare and Firefights will be the norm, then we were facing an unending series of fights that would basically look the same.

I wouldn't say the game was a total loss, there were lots of great moments in there, but the strategic/tactical disconnect and the paucity of choice in the combat system means that it's probably not going to get run again any time soon. I will say that Burning Wheel (the fantasy version) is a pretty solid system and I've heard good things from local groups that are playing it, so you might want to check that out.

Also, thanks once again to my brave players. It was a lot of fun and you didn't even have to nuke your own planet.

later
Tom

Hi,

Since people have asked, the short answer is that I don't have a lot of firm details about logistics. A good chunk of it depends on who really wants to play (and yes, those people may be influenced by the when and where).

Here are my preliminary thoughts:

WHEN: Right now, alternate Sundays or Saturdays would be really good. However, I would also consider a weekly game on Wednesday nights. I should mention that a full campaign will probably take about 24-36 sessions to play through. However, each campaign has three distinct phases and it may be that the game could end early if players can see the writing on the wall and aren't interested in playing out to the end.

WHERE: This really is a function of who signs up to play. Right now, most the interested parties are in the Worcester area. If I had more Bostonians I'd suggest a regular session at Pandemonium (assuming the Bostonians didn't have a good play area). Theoretically we could play at my place in Acton, but that would probably be inconvenient for everyone. Far easier for me to come to the game rather than the other way around.

Hopefully that helps people out a bit. And again, if you're interested, speak up.

later
Tom

Hi,

So now that I have a couple of the actual rulebooks in my hand and have played the demo game at GenCon, I can say without reservation that I'm running a Burning Empires game this fall.

The short form: It's the far future. Humanity's once-great empire has withered away to a small core area and even that has fragmented into several squabbling kingdoms. Meanwhile, the Vaylen, hideous worms who can break into your skull and take over your body and mind are chewing away at the edges of Human space. Each game revolves around the Vaylen's attempt to infiltrate, subvert, and then attack a single world. Players will take on the role of various movers and shakers trying to stop the Vaylen from conquering the planet.

The game has a very slick campaign structure. Assuming we play on alternate weekend afternoons, we can reliably expect to play out the entire campaign in about 10-15 sessions (maybe a little more, maybe a little less -- I'll have to double-check the rulebook when I get back home).

If you like Warhammer 40K, Fading Suns, Starship Troopers, Aliens, etc. you'd probably have an interest in this game. There's lots of room for sneaky stealth missions, political maneuvering, and full out high-tech warfare.

I'd be looking for at least 3, preferably 4, max of 5 players for this. Let me know if you're interested and I'll be plugging this again in the near future.

later
Tom

Hey,

I'm off on vacation and I won't be back until Sunday earliest.

This means I may be a bit slow in my homeworld war entry for this round.

On the other hand, I'm leaving a going-away present.

Gaming geekery ahoy!

True, there's not much there right now, but consider it a very firm mention in the "10 mentions and then I run it" rule. Feel free to throw stuff in but don't be a wiki-dink.

later
Tom