Runo Knows...The Red Star (TPBs and RPG sourcebook)
I think this is the first time anyone who had to do with something I'm reviewing my actually read this...(looks around shifty eyed, says hi to
righteousfist.)
But it's okay, because I think the three books I'm going to review here are, simply put, fucking great. In fact, I'll go ahead and say right now that you should go out and buy them...but I should probably say what "they" are.
The Red Star, as a setting, comes from a comic book by the same name. When issue one came out, I was actually buying comics, and someone - I'm leaning towards
dan_oz, though it may have been the manager of the comics section) pointed it out to me, knowing my preferences.
I'm a huge fan of Russian history and culture. It completely fascinates me. I took Russian in college for a bit. I passed 101, but got sick halfway through 102, and despite a lot of tutoring, had to drop it because I couldn't catch up. It really doesn't help either when fluent speakers use 101/102 classes as gut courses.
I was immediately sucked into the comics. They're done completely by computers, and despite the often-sterile look that some comics have when done by that process, these look great - and the feel of the look fits right in.
The story is set in an alternate world with high technology and lots of sorcery. The URRS and its might skyfurnaces, using weapons of living sorceresses, are fighting in a poor country, an analogue of Afghanistan, when their fleet is decimated. In shambles, it returns to the URRS, and soon the URRS breaks up into the Commonwealth.
Much like real life, in fact, but with, well, magic.
I got out of comics nearly completely after a while, after stuck with trade paperbacks.
At Origins, I believe it was, one year I saw an advertisement that Green Ronin was doing a D20 version of Red Star, and I got very, very excited. I ran to Amazon and immediately bought the first two trade paperbacks for it, The Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate and Nokgorka.
In the TPBs, the size of the comics is greatly expanded, and they look even more amazing. Just...wow. The story moves along, following how Maya Antares mourns for her husband, who seemingly fell in the Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate. She's later deployed to Nokgorka where she meets Makita, and soon they find out the horrible truth of what actually happens "behind the scenes" as it were of the URRS.
The RPG book takes the comics and expands on it quite a bit, including getting more into the rest of the world - such as Western Transnationalist Alliance, The Land of 10000 Gods, the Isle of Lions, and what happened in the Great Patriotic War. It gives the stats on weapons such as the Red Army's signature "hook" all the way to the Skyfurnaces. It covers various character types, the Spiritrealm, and just about everything you need for a Red Star campaign.
I found it kind of funny. When I did finally buy it, I brought it back to the booth I was working at (for Second Rat Games) and immediately started reading it. I mentioned that I really dug the graphic design of the book, and
walsfeo, who does that kind of a thing for a living, I guess, asked me what it was about it that I liked.
Uhhh...it's hard for me to explain. I'm not a huge visual kind of guy. I see something, I know I like it, but it's hard to say. The fonts, the chapter design, the integration of the artwork - it just worked for me. There has been only really one other RPG book that I really recall digging the font in was GDW's old Dark Conspiracy. And many books I think just have random art thrown around, but the art works well in the book and doesn't feel like it's just padding out the pages.
I only have a few nits to pick with the book itself. The binding has fallen apart pretty quickly - but that's been a problem in a number of RPG books I've bought recently. I would've also liked a bit more information on how the Red Army actually fights; for instance, especially with the hook, how do they approach battle? I can't comment much on the D20 mechanics because, honestly, I just ain't that good with them.
But it's a great book even as just source materials for the comics. And I've been dying to play in or run a game of it, just need to see if we can ever get a group together. (maybe after football season...)
(11/8/2006 - fixed link for Dan Oz. Who knew it had a hyphen? I honestly never noticed! I am teh stupid. :-) )
righteousfist.)
But it's okay, because I think the three books I'm going to review here are, simply put, fucking great. In fact, I'll go ahead and say right now that you should go out and buy them...but I should probably say what "they" are.
The Red Star, as a setting, comes from a comic book by the same name. When issue one came out, I was actually buying comics, and someone - I'm leaning towards
dan_oz, though it may have been the manager of the comics section) pointed it out to me, knowing my preferences.
I'm a huge fan of Russian history and culture. It completely fascinates me. I took Russian in college for a bit. I passed 101, but got sick halfway through 102, and despite a lot of tutoring, had to drop it because I couldn't catch up. It really doesn't help either when fluent speakers use 101/102 classes as gut courses.
I was immediately sucked into the comics. They're done completely by computers, and despite the often-sterile look that some comics have when done by that process, these look great - and the feel of the look fits right in.
The story is set in an alternate world with high technology and lots of sorcery. The URRS and its might skyfurnaces, using weapons of living sorceresses, are fighting in a poor country, an analogue of Afghanistan, when their fleet is decimated. In shambles, it returns to the URRS, and soon the URRS breaks up into the Commonwealth.
Much like real life, in fact, but with, well, magic.
I got out of comics nearly completely after a while, after stuck with trade paperbacks.
At Origins, I believe it was, one year I saw an advertisement that Green Ronin was doing a D20 version of Red Star, and I got very, very excited. I ran to Amazon and immediately bought the first two trade paperbacks for it, The Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate and Nokgorka.
In the TPBs, the size of the comics is greatly expanded, and they look even more amazing. Just...wow. The story moves along, following how Maya Antares mourns for her husband, who seemingly fell in the Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate. She's later deployed to Nokgorka where she meets Makita, and soon they find out the horrible truth of what actually happens "behind the scenes" as it were of the URRS.
The RPG book takes the comics and expands on it quite a bit, including getting more into the rest of the world - such as Western Transnationalist Alliance, The Land of 10000 Gods, the Isle of Lions, and what happened in the Great Patriotic War. It gives the stats on weapons such as the Red Army's signature "hook" all the way to the Skyfurnaces. It covers various character types, the Spiritrealm, and just about everything you need for a Red Star campaign.
I found it kind of funny. When I did finally buy it, I brought it back to the booth I was working at (for Second Rat Games) and immediately started reading it. I mentioned that I really dug the graphic design of the book, and
walsfeo, who does that kind of a thing for a living, I guess, asked me what it was about it that I liked.
Uhhh...it's hard for me to explain. I'm not a huge visual kind of guy. I see something, I know I like it, but it's hard to say. The fonts, the chapter design, the integration of the artwork - it just worked for me. There has been only really one other RPG book that I really recall digging the font in was GDW's old Dark Conspiracy. And many books I think just have random art thrown around, but the art works well in the book and doesn't feel like it's just padding out the pages.
I only have a few nits to pick with the book itself. The binding has fallen apart pretty quickly - but that's been a problem in a number of RPG books I've bought recently. I would've also liked a bit more information on how the Red Army actually fights; for instance, especially with the hook, how do they approach battle? I can't comment much on the D20 mechanics because, honestly, I just ain't that good with them.
But it's a great book even as just source materials for the comics. And I've been dying to play in or run a game of it, just need to see if we can ever get a group together. (maybe after football season...)
(11/8/2006 - fixed link for Dan Oz. Who knew it had a hyphen? I honestly never noticed! I am teh stupid. :-) )