Wed 17 May 2023, 01:54
I just finished reading cover to cover and one disappointment kept rearing its head every time.
More...
There needs to be more. The foundation is rock solid. I like the character creation, I like the combat, I like Walkers and Walker combat, I like whats on offer here. But it needs more, much more. I feel like I was given a toolbox and only half the tools are there or I was given poor quality tools. The worst part is these tools already exist in other Year Zero games. Just put them in this book. Let me be more specific.
160 pages is too little content. What is here is pretty good but it barely scratches the surface. One main section needs a overhaul and that's the Haven. Its too abstract. We don't need to get into the weeds with details but I need a clear list of projects with clear mechanical benefits for completing them. Look at Forbidden Lands' Stronghold system. More Projects should be listed in the book. The Example section is too small (8!) and they shouldn't be examples. A full clean useful list should be added with the option of making your own projects that may not already be included. You can rate projects between short term and long term benefits but this needs to be meatier. To use a Video Game example, look at State of Decay. The base system is exactly what should be inspiration for what should be here. This is one example where there is too much onus on the GM making up projects on the fly with not enough support from the book. I'm paying for the book, give me more things I can just pluck from the pages and drop in my game.
Another major criticism is the lack of a scenario in THIS book. Don't point to the Starter Set, Heck don't point to the Atlanta Setting. Alien RPG had Hope's Last Day in the book, and Chariots of the Gods in the Starter Set, Tales from the Loop had 4(!) Scenarios in the Corebook and 1 in the Starter Set, and Vaesen had The Dance of Dreams with no Starter Set. One can be in this book and another in the Stater Set. Not having something I can see as an example in the book is not something I can accept as a consumer and neither should anyone here.
And Let's not forget about the Factions. We get 2 examples and then a bunch of meager tables for making our own. These can be GREATLY expanded, providing many more options. There should be a D66 table for each option, not just a d6. And the examples, Why not add more, Why not flesh them out more? A little over Half a Page each is not enough. You should have at least 8 fully detailed Factions that take up 2 pages each. The tables are for coming up for something on the fly, I wouldn't expect them to be grand from the tables alone but the Publisher created factions? I should be able to run campaigns with them, without too much work. Again something I should be able to Pluck out and build off of, right out of the book.
A pair of minor Criticisms (that relate to lack of content) is that 1. Talents are a little light and the prerequisites seem a bit silly (Fighting Dirty needs me to kill someone with my bare hands? What?) and 2. The random tables in the game are sparse. I would rather have a more fleshed out Table system that gives me much more choices for inspiration and that are a little more specific and split between more tables. Lethal Injuries needs to be separated by Blunt and Sharp weapons because some of those make no sense depending on context. These tables basically already exist in Forbidden lands (just clean them up for a modern setting) so just put them in the book. Staying on the tables. I'd like to see more specific loot based on type of building vs that big scavenging table in the book. Examples are, Homes (Single and Multi Floor), Offices, Schools, Police Stations, Fire Stations, Hospitals, Supermarkets, Malls, etc. A d66 on each location is more useful and more immersive vs a giant generic scavenging table.
I'm also critical of the Mess Up system. Ideas for mess ups are slim pickings and can easily remedied by making a number of Mishap Tables to help with greasing the wheels. Again this is something that feels too expected of the GM to come up with, when having much more tables in the book would fix.
A major criticism is also the traveling rules. These can be expanded so much more with so many more random events based on the terrain being traveled thru. Tables specific to things like, Cities, Suburbs, Towns, Woods, Hills, Mountains, Swamps etc. A lot of these things already exist in Twilight 2000 so why can't they be transplanted here?
I know that most people are going to say that The Walking Dead is more Narrative First, etc, etc but the point of all of the above is to provide a TOOLBOX to build on to make more drama in the character's story. I need more tools, in this book. I shouldn't HAVE to take all of these things from Free Leagues other games. They should be right here, in the corebook, ready for me to pluck out and use in my game. 160 is too small and I expect more from Free League. More MEAT does not mean more Crunch. They are options. Options to either roll for or pick from a list. I know not everyone agrees with me but this comes from someone who owns almost everything Free League has put out. You guys are better then this.