RE: [DL] [d20] Deadlands d20 Reviewed

["Jeff Yates" <jyates@primaryfunction.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-deadlands@gamerz.net 
> [mailto:owner-deadlands@gamerz.net] On Behalf Of gathomas4@juno.com
> Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2002 7:43 AM
> To: deadlands@gamerz.net
> Subject: [DL] [d20] Deadlands d20 Reviewed
> 
> 
> 
> www.wizards.com has a new column by Luke Matthews called "Out 
> of the Library" that features his reviews of non-WotC d20 
> products.  His first review is of the Deadlands d20 book.
> 
> It's a bit out of the way and it's a bit of a slam,  but hey, 
> it's getting the word out.
> http://www.wizards.com/D20/article.asp?x=dt20020513a

Is it just me, or is it a poorly written review?  He pretty consistently
mentions that the classes, new rules, etc are balanced, then ends with a
blanket comment about how unbalanced it is.  He states that Deadlands
D20 is a conversion of an existing world, then complains about how the
intro story text is the same as from Deadlands Classic.  He likes the
rules for explosives, because explosives are deadly, but doesn't like
the rules for firearms.  I guess he believes that firearms aren't
deadly?  He does mention a few possibly valid points -- layout feels
"off" to him, errata were a little on the prevalent side.  I haven't
bought or even really seen the book to comment on those.  And to his
complaint that the interior art is reused from the Classic books:  if
you play D20, you very likely haven't seen the artwork in the Classic
books, or at least don't own the Classic books.  (People on this list
excepted of course, since so many of us by everything Deadlands ;-)

It's just a shame that this is pretty much the only forum I'll be making
these comments -- I don't feel like e-mailing directly to the reviewer,
and I don't have the time to look for any forums directly hosted by
wizards.com to make public comments.  But I had to vent somewhere, and
I'm afraid this is the only place left!  I apologize for preaching
directly to the choir ;-)

Jeff Y.