[HoE] Hell On Earth[Rant/Rave/Review]

["Damon Harper" <nomad74@hotmail.com>]

   Well, like some others, I got my copy... and now your gonna sit 
there- like you made *me* do- and hear me bitch, moan, and gush over it!   
:)

   Pro:
   Hey, it's Hell on Earth!  What more do you want?  :)
   Seriously, I like the setting(well, what I know of it), the 
archetypes(most of them), and the system(natch).  Enough of the Pros, if 
you thought the game sucked, you probably wouldn't be reading this; and 
if I thought it sucked, I *know* I wouldn't be writing this(at least, 
not on this list). <g>
   Con:
    Oooh-kay, here we go.
    First off, I was disappointed that it actually contained less 
*background* stuff than the orginal Deadlands.  I would think that Shane 
would have done just the opposite since HoE, unlike DL, is a environment 
totally foreign to us: The complete brainchild of Shane.  As opposed to 
DL which was the Old West mixed with the brainchild of Shane- if that 
makes sense.  If not, let me make it more simple: I find it amusing to 
read so much about the game of HoE, and find myself wondering how common 
paved roads are.   Sure, it's Post Apoc- but is it "Mad Max" Post-Apoc, 
or "The Stand" Post-Apoc?  
     Secondly, although it's supposed to be a game in it's own right, 
what I read looked like a "future of DL" supplement.  I don't know, 
maybe they shoulda just put the core rules in one book, the put out The 
Weird West stuff, then the Wasted Stuff.  It would have been cheaper to 
get three books(Core Rules, The Wierd West, Wasted West) than to get 4 
(DL, Q&D, HoE, The Wasted West).   But I guess this is just me thinking 
out loud- and monday morning quarterbacking.  Sorry...
      Over all, I was surprised HoE was as good as it was.  When I first 
heard about a DL "future book" I was thinking "Great, if I want to RP in 
the future, I'll go play Shadowrun", but I was pleasantly surprised to 
see that (other than being nothing like Shadowrun) although it was 
sci-fi, it still had many elements that make DL(and the old West) great: 
near lawlessness, man vs. the elements, etc etc.

   I have to also give a couple of opinions on archetypes:
    Cool Archetype Award:  Templars.  I can't pin it to any one thing, 
but the whole concept just kicks ass.  If I am ever a player of HoE(as 
opposed to Marshal- God forbid), Templar it is.  Palladines that are 
pissed. ;)
    Not-so-Cool Archetype Award:  Doomsayers.   At the risk of getting 
flamed- "What the...?"   I guess it's me, but I don't see the appeal of 
playing a cult member.  *Mutant*?  Yes.  Cult member?  No.  Maybe I'm 
missing it- I'd like to hear some Doomsayer-lovers help me out here.
   
    Overall, I think I would enjoy HoE MUCH more if PEG would have a) 
Released The Wasted West at the SAME TIME as HoE- I'm sure I wasn't the 
only DL player whose eyes glazed over seeing the cut and paste job that 
was the rules chapters(I know there were small changes, but none that 
mattered, and none that I'm gonna use); and b) released Fortress o' 
Fear(remember, the DL supplement that was supposed to LEAD UP 
TO(underline, italics) Hell on Earth?) a solid month(if not longer) 
before HoE's release.  I know that's taking this off-topicish, but I 
don't think I'm going to get over it any time soon, and I apologize for 
it.  <g>

At any rate, I think I've throughly vented now(whew).  Opinions?  
Objections?  Fritos?
-Damon Harper
 "I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I still 
  believe that people are really good at heart."
		                        -Anne Frank
________________________________________________________
<nomad74@hotmail.com> <ICQ 4297972>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com