The Force Unleashed...
... preview. Okay, I don't have the game yet. Actually, I'm planning to borrow rather than buy, so I may not be playing it for a couple weeks, anyway.
The reviews seem to imply what I expected/realistically hoped for: great story (said to be easily better than the prequel movies by at least two different reviewers) with gameplay that is reasonably fun but far from perfect. Occasional glitches have been mentioned, with loose targeting being harped on as the greatest problem.
It's funny to think the game started as "this is not a game, just a demo of our physics engine." I wonder how rushed it was when it got to the "okay, we'll make a game" phase.
So, a few rules details for the Star Wars game:
- I do want to use Destinies, so the PCs will start with 1 Destiny Point (and gain one per level), even if some may only acquire their actual destiny later. If you've ideas, talk to me about it.
- I'm changing (one of) the requirement(s) for the Jedi Knight prestige class from +7 Base Attack Bonus to 7 Class Levels. It's one of the most sensible house rules I've seen out there, making it such that you can take the class without being a straight-combat-classed character. The class is combat-oriented, but that's a little much for my tastes.
- I think I'm going to pull a couple things from the Force Unleashed Campaign Guide regarding the dark side to try out and see how they go. These should, of course, only be used when appropriate for the characters:
First: As a free action, any character who has the Force Sensitivity feat can spend a Force Point to add any one Force power that has the [dark side] descriptor to his or her active Force power suite temporarily (until used or the encounter ends). Note that using that power is likely to mean picking up one or more dark side points, normally.
Second: A Force sensitive character can spend a Force Point as a free action to gain the use of any talents from the Dark Side talent tree, the Dark Side Devotee talent tree, or the Sith talent tree for the duration of the encounter. A character has to meet and prerequisites for the talents to use them, and these talents count (for their duration) as prerequisites for others. At the end of the encounter, the character's Dark Side Score increases by one per Force Point spent this way.
Finally: Spending a Force Point to reduce your Dark Side Score involves at least 24 hours of meditation/contemplation/reflection. I always thought a swift action to "atone" in this way was too quick and easy anyway. I'm not going to use the part of the rule that says "characters can spend a Force Point to reduce their Dark Side Score only once per level." Yet. We'll see how that goes.
I don't know if there's anything else that needs addressing. Time will tell, I guess.
I'm rather disappointed with the "Unleashed" mechanics, however. They came up with an Unleashed feat that basically says: you can spend a Destiny Point while doing something to access a heightened form of that something. There's a section on the more mundane applications from charging someone to cleaving or shooting, and what additional effects you get. There's also a section on using it with Force powers.
One example there is Unleashed Battle Meditation. You have the feat, you use the power, you spend a Destiny Point, and your Battle Meditation affects all allies within the star system. This is a perfect reflection of how Bastila could have shaped the Battle of Rakata Prime. Spiffy.
The thing is, if you'd asked me to emulate that before this book came out, I would have said "okay, use Battle Meditation and spend a Destiny Point." So the only thing they've done is add a feat to the equation (begging the question from me of why) and done some quantifying of actual effects (which, I admit, is reasonably useful). Even then, though, they don't list all the Force powers or anything. Unleashed Force Shield? Unleashed Vital Transfer? Nope, such things don't exist by the strict rules. Guess they aren't flashy enough to make the cut.
The reviews seem to imply what I expected/realistically hoped for: great story (said to be easily better than the prequel movies by at least two different reviewers) with gameplay that is reasonably fun but far from perfect. Occasional glitches have been mentioned, with loose targeting being harped on as the greatest problem.
It's funny to think the game started as "this is not a game, just a demo of our physics engine." I wonder how rushed it was when it got to the "okay, we'll make a game" phase.
So, a few rules details for the Star Wars game:
- I do want to use Destinies, so the PCs will start with 1 Destiny Point (and gain one per level), even if some may only acquire their actual destiny later. If you've ideas, talk to me about it.
- I'm changing (one of) the requirement(s) for the Jedi Knight prestige class from +7 Base Attack Bonus to 7 Class Levels. It's one of the most sensible house rules I've seen out there, making it such that you can take the class without being a straight-combat-classed character. The class is combat-oriented, but that's a little much for my tastes.
- I think I'm going to pull a couple things from the Force Unleashed Campaign Guide regarding the dark side to try out and see how they go. These should, of course, only be used when appropriate for the characters:
First: As a free action, any character who has the Force Sensitivity feat can spend a Force Point to add any one Force power that has the [dark side] descriptor to his or her active Force power suite temporarily (until used or the encounter ends). Note that using that power is likely to mean picking up one or more dark side points, normally.
Second: A Force sensitive character can spend a Force Point as a free action to gain the use of any talents from the Dark Side talent tree, the Dark Side Devotee talent tree, or the Sith talent tree for the duration of the encounter. A character has to meet and prerequisites for the talents to use them, and these talents count (for their duration) as prerequisites for others. At the end of the encounter, the character's Dark Side Score increases by one per Force Point spent this way.
Finally: Spending a Force Point to reduce your Dark Side Score involves at least 24 hours of meditation/contemplation/reflection. I always thought a swift action to "atone" in this way was too quick and easy anyway. I'm not going to use the part of the rule that says "characters can spend a Force Point to reduce their Dark Side Score only once per level." Yet. We'll see how that goes.
I don't know if there's anything else that needs addressing. Time will tell, I guess.
I'm rather disappointed with the "Unleashed" mechanics, however. They came up with an Unleashed feat that basically says: you can spend a Destiny Point while doing something to access a heightened form of that something. There's a section on the more mundane applications from charging someone to cleaving or shooting, and what additional effects you get. There's also a section on using it with Force powers.
One example there is Unleashed Battle Meditation. You have the feat, you use the power, you spend a Destiny Point, and your Battle Meditation affects all allies within the star system. This is a perfect reflection of how Bastila could have shaped the Battle of Rakata Prime. Spiffy.
The thing is, if you'd asked me to emulate that before this book came out, I would have said "okay, use Battle Meditation and spend a Destiny Point." So the only thing they've done is add a feat to the equation (begging the question from me of why) and done some quantifying of actual effects (which, I admit, is reasonably useful). Even then, though, they don't list all the Force powers or anything. Unleashed Force Shield? Unleashed Vital Transfer? Nope, such things don't exist by the strict rules. Guess they aren't flashy enough to make the cut.
I played the demo... and granted, my short attention span probably did not give it a fair shot, but the targeting was frustrating, I didn't like the light saber action (at least not as much as Battlefronts), although throwing people 1/2 a mile into the air, or bowling with crates was entertaining.
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