I do like a bit of "Pulp Era" gaming and was VERY excited when I saw that Osprey would be releasing a new ruleset in their little "blue book" range, so happily pre-ordered...
I don't know if anyone else has this too now, but I have to admit being a little underwhelmed... okay, there's a few unique little twists in the mix, and as usual the book is beautifully presented, but it's left me feeling I wanted a little... more...
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a neat little ruleset, and at the price I'm not complaining, but other than Bob Murch's excellent rules I'm interested to find out what is everyone else using for this "era"?
@Bill Thomas mine are iin the mail, so can't help you yet, but I am following this thread to see if someone else can.
I have read a lot of folks giving disappointed reviews of this. Most folks I have read seem to think Pulp Alley still has the crown.
My Pulp gaming has all been RPGs.
GEG's The Chicago Way would be suitable for some scenarios, I'd have thought.
Shame if the rules are bland or lacking in period substance. Pulp gaming should be wild and energetic, like the name suggests, with over the top heroes and villains and goons aplenty. I was interested in trying out these rules but I am divided in my thoughts now. May have to stick with my old standby - Space Weirdos! Simple rules that are endlessly adaptable.
Please don't take this as a "I'll just knock something new" post as there are elements of the rules that I like, but @Paul Mitting, nail on head... I want exuberance and character in my PULP adventures and this is what seems to be lacking in this new ruleset, but I hope that someone will prove me wrong and that I've somehow missed something... I know we should all be able to use our (wildly overactive!) imaginations to populate our games, but this lacks "the wow" for me :(
Lack of solid solo/co-op rules despite the advertising is a big drawback for me.
A discussion about this game over on the Lead Adventure Forum for the curious...
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=138596.0
@Bill Thomas Bill I couldn`t agree with you more "Pulp" as always been "OTT" even giving rise to exellent Night clubs and Cassinos models, just for the fun of bar fights. I agree with GG Pulp Alley as the crown, even my Wierd War Nam, would give you a scence of pulp. Its hard when something doesn`t gell. I`m at that point with Xeno Rampant, can`t find enough info at a positive level to decide, there`s far more negative. This was my Ooh- Rah rules idea of the day, but its described as a watered down, unthought out. Lion Rampart. With added Ranged weapons, and pretend (Horse / Vehicles)rules, well that doesn`t give confidence?.
@Geoff Maybury wow! I was thinking of picking that up too so perhaps I might rethink as it's not a cheap book... that said I love rulesets and there's always something to be picked out that's done slightly differently... I keep re-reading PULP! and I'm picking out some small things that I like, and as I said, it is beautifully presented although the rules themselves are somewhat "muddeld" in how they're laid out... as an Editor myself IRL this always makes me sad to see 🙄
@Bill Thomas Trouble is Bill at our ages (I know you're younger) we like ours "Printed ", in our hands. Books the smell, the covenience, and just the overall contents. We try not to be critisizing, but want at times that little bit more. There's a lot of thrown together items now and thats a shame, sometimes a little time spent on the finished presentation wins hands down.
@Geoff Maybury couldn't agree more, shabby design, lack of content management, and poor editing will kill off paper even quicker 😒
Sad thing is I work almost exclusively in digital publishing these days, and largely from my own office at home... I miss the buzz of a deadline day in an office full of writers more than anything...
@Bill ThomasDo you think that in main stream print will go leaving only degital. I`m reading the Primordial Earth books at the moment now on book 2, gone for kindle, sadly due to the price of Nine books in print,They are not a bad series but gone are the days when I`d buy nine paper backs. Kindles not bad, but I really wish I`d got the chance to buy print .This series is very Primevil or Terra Nova on steroids. nice to see a world of Humans droped into dinnos.
I enjoyed Terra Nova and was disappointed when it was cancelled.
Osprey has released a free digital solo/ cooperative part for Pulp. I haven't received the rules yet, but at least that part is covered.
@Vitor Soares thanks, will check that out!
@Geoff Maybury honestly I think that more and more will go to digital... hells, I run a little independant publication in a very niche market, and since we went digi-only our global readership has soared... however, will there be a place for "mainstream print"? I believe there always will be, especially for well-produced and properly edited works that are image/table heavy like wargmes rulesets 😋
I find that when I'm gaming on the tabletop the last thing that I want to do is have a screen/device going... I want to immerse myself in the "universe" and narrative and for a short while be without modern-day distractions! If I have even my phone on then messages and emails will be pinging away (such are the perils of one day becoming "the boss"!), so for a couple of hours I guess I have a little jealously-guarded "me time", and having a nice rulebook to go alongside my little armies and heroes just adds to that enjoyment 😍
When it comes to fiction, especially series, then I believe that digital does work well as it lets you dip into new genres and authors without huge financial commitment. I'm a sucker for a good series, but only shell out for hardcopy if I really love them... the only ones I've bought in a while are DJ Molles' "Harden" series and Nick Sansbury Smith's "Hell Divers" 😘
I keep reading these rules and picking out choice morsels; obviously with a new movie on the way (yay!) I thought it time to create this wee chap... Resistance body and head, "whip" cut down from the Cannon Fodder 2 grapple, and bread bag from the Panzer Lehr... the only thing not WGA is the pistol arm which came from the GEG "Gunfighters 2" set 😁 Now, does anyone have a spare Resistance sprue that needs a home...
