Game Geeks #36 Fading Suns by Red Brick Limited

[ITherealMarcomanI]

The background story of this and the pc game Emperor of the Fading Suns reminds me on a Dune and Warhammer 40k mix. Sounds interesting.

[yellowsign13]

Darn it, I love this game.  Ran it for 2 years and had a blast.

[qaesyan]

I'm wondering if it would be possible to play this game setting with another system (i.e. swapping out the clunky system) easily, or if it would be more trouble than it is worth? I'd love to give it a play, but I'm hesitant if the system is as clunky as I hear. If it's easily swapped out for a different system, while maintaining the same great setting, I'll buy it in an instant. Any opinions on this?

[kyxmma]

@qaesyan Yes, you can use a different system. When I run Fading suns I use savage worlds. But I can see GURPS or basic roleplaying working just as well.

[pspboy7]

Interesting setting, I always liked Feudal type settings. This settings sounds kinda like Dune.

[AFnord]

It's a lot like dune meets the byzantine empire meets 18th century meets 40k spiced in with some more high sci-fi, occult, 10-11th century & white wolf. And the odd thing is that it works... really well!

[MhicWombat]

Yep -- fantastic setting, so-so system. But I will always love it for this truly amazing setting!

[angelicmadrigal]

Fading Suns is actually is my first love.

I love how you can do so many different things with it.

I will admit the mechanics are sucktastic (and not much better when converted to d20)

I generally play Amaltheans. :)

I own most of the books at this point. i'm missing maybe 4 or 5.

[NaturalTwentyFilms]

I was a player in a Fading Suns campaign back a few years. It is excellent and I agree with your assessment completely.

[Disekshonal]

Great game.

Specific problem he mentioned about the system: target number is set by your skill, say, 14. You have to roll as close to this without going over. Problem arises with contested rolls: My Sneak of 8 against an NPC's Spot of 14. If I roll 7 and the NPC rolls 6 then I win the contest. I only beat the NPC by 1 on the die, yet the NPC's skill was 6 better than mine. It didn't really matter what our skill levels were. This prob can be tweaked but other similar system probs are present.

[lenowin]

Just picked up a few of the books due to your review and am sitting down with them for the first time atm, your review compelled me to go out to my FLGS and grab em post-haste.

[NodDisciple1]

Can you play Valdroc?

[Smalley123]

I love that game, crazy back story

[NeoSilverThorn]

While the system is a bit clunky if you're not used to it, the setting is fantastic.

And when he says he's just scratching the surface, he's serious. Each sourcebook builds on the setting, giving you new details. The Player's Guide, for instance, lists several minor guilds and a number of other races in the Known Worlds. Defenitely worth picking up.

[swinebread]

sounds like Traveler, Dune, and Gamma World all mixed together

[Usulic]

I've been playing this game since the 1st Ed. from Holistic. He's right folks, it is awesome! Tastes differ, of course, but after 20 years of gaming, this one is the game that doesn't make you feel as if you had heard and seen the things in it before! Great stuff, but labor intensive for the GM to run. Don't know what's wrong about the die-system (and fencing stuff), though, works just great, and thankfully it does not work like the crappy white wolf d10 system, which I hate with a passion!

[TacticusPrime]

the mob and archeology together? weird.

[kaosdevice]

If you don't like the current system of FS the 1st edition was a lot closer to the old World of Darkness system and there is also a straight up D20 version of the game as well.

[ExCrusader]

Interesting review. Sounds like a very cool setting. Keep up the good work.

[CleverName99]

Are you teasing us with the Word of Darkness game I keep seeing under your elbow?????

Thanks, and keep up the good work. While I understand that you found the system clunky and the setting superb, I would have enjoyed hearing a few more specifics about your probs. with the system.

Thanks, again!

[monstermodelreview]

More than one.....Darkness will come.

[AlexWichert]

Fabulous review! Thanks!

[tr0ublecat]

Awesome review.

I got to help playtest this system and it's an immense amount of fun.

[Jeffrywith1e]

I used to love this setting as a DUNE fan

[aikighost]

You magnificent bastard... finally

You and I seem to like all the same games CoC, FS, WEG D6 whats with that?