A Review of My Organ Thieves
A while back (feels like a really long time ago), I wrote this thing about organ thieves for a World of Darkness book called Urban Legends
To date, though, I’ve seen only one review of the book that mentions the chapter, so maybe it sucks. What do I know? Here’s that review, translated from the original Japanese by a computer:
Like movie vivid opening. Being serious, being modern, you step on in the internal trouble of PC and it is with go densely, the kingcraft of WoD the story which goes. Because the framework of scenario becomes firm, choosing the part which then is prepared, just it inserts. The part which is influenced by the setting of PC to be many, after having making the character first, it seems that is written with the prerequisite which adjusts scenario.You do not expect to the inference and performance of the prayer, too much hold down basic rule securely and you take the technique which keeps producing drama from the game system. Regardless when the person who burns the hand in the roll play super person whom it overcomes with oral eight, it becomes conversely puzzle solving scenario in the person where the prayer says nothing ideal scenario. ST, some decision has been recorded somewhere of the basic rule books, has the necessity to grasp.
Because here method of the scenario making which prevents the fact that it reaches the limits with data gathering is explained, when other scenario is read even the occasion where you play, it probably will be useful.
Music: Nine Inch Nails, “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)”
That’s one thing I find challenging about writing RPGs. The only critiques I’d hear about my 7th Sea stuff was “Oh, I hate those books. They had d20 in them.”
It’s a fatal error of mine that I put too much stock in other people’s opinions. When those opinions are unsupported or vague, it’s especially maddening. Yet, I appreciate a review even if I can barely understand it. And this one seems favorable, so that’s good.
So much game writing goes out into the world with little or no telemetry back to let us know if it ever made it to its destination. Quacking into the void, as they say.
Thank you for reading my review. Maybe I should have written in English. In short, I love the “Organ Thieves” article and am planning to run a short chronicle based on it.
Nowadays (at least in Japan) many RPG gamers don’t like to express their opinions on the web, because there are a lot of trolls and flamers. We play for fun, not for struggle against them.
As far as I hear on IRC, people think that Urban Legends is alluring, but want to know about its contents before buy it. So I wrote that review for hesitating gamers.
Hello again,
Computer-translated version is a bit confusing, so I’ve just rewrited the part of my review for English readers. I hope it helps.
“Vividly shocking opening, like a good suspense movie. The mood is modern and serious. Characters will experience inner conflicts and make the final bitter decisions. This scenario is very well modularized, so all you have to do is picking up your favorite materials and putting into the plot frame. Most details, however, depends on characters’ background. Maybe the best way is making players characters first, then adjust the scenario materials with them.
This chapter not depends on heavy-rollplaying nor rigid gamesystems. It can be a countermeasure for players who abuse their eloquence and trample the rule. Players who aren’t familiar with investigation on RPG also gain some benefits. Storytellers, be sure to have adequate understanding of WoD basic rules.
Chapter one is useful even when you’re playing to other scenarios. It’ll prevent your players from stacking in some investigation scene.”
Thanks for that new translation, Professor! I’m flattered. Admittedly, puzzling out the computer’s translation was part of the fun, but it’s even better to read praise straight from a reader. Thanks again.
I actually wrote a review of Urban Legends on RPG.Net, so there’s at least one more review of it.
Here, I’ll even give you the link. That’s what a nice guy I am.
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13310.phtml
Thanks for that link, Matt. It’s fascinating to see your perspective on one of the few WoD “blue books” you haven’t had a hand in.
Since you brought it up, the two generalized stats were in there just to add a bit of mileage to all the previous characters — a brutish version and an insidious version of each, sort of. Also, I was concerned about providing actual stats for the characters because I feel like those numbers would do too much to influence when in the story they must appear. That is, the character with the highest dice pools sort of *has* to be the last guy you encounter. Plus, and this is always an issue with WoD stories, it’s sort of impossible to know what a high dice pool is since I have no baseline for the protagonists. A mortal’s nemesis can be a Changeling’s pushover, as you well know.
Bottom line, though: I just didn’t have the room to offer the flexibility I wish I’d had in stats. Writing the organ-thieves story was a great experiment on my way to figuring out how the Storytelling Adventure System should work.