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Universe Flavor: (More or less depending on settings like: Dragonlance, Greyhawk, etc.)
Notes: I don't know anyone who plays Role Playing Games that hasn't played AD&D. Although it's rules can be overly cumbersome, most people just use the rules they are comfortable with so that's okay. Even though there are better game systems out there, AD&D will always have a warm spot in my heart from being the first RPG I ever played.

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Notes: This was the second RPG system I ever played. Although I know some people who didn't like the universe, I didn't mind it. The only beef I have with it is that the old rules (not Zebulon's) didn't support a campaign that well. Once characters got to a certain level they were pretty much unstoppable.

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Notes: A friend of mine (Jeff) got me interested in Battletech. At first, I was reluctant to play, but after a while I began to get into the flavor of the universe and it's been one of my favorites ever since. The game rules for both the RPG and the Wargame are not perfect, but they do pretty well for the game's format.

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Notes: Some of my fond memories are of running my mutant animals through adventures back when I lived in Kent, WA. The setting has it's problems with logic (Humans interacting with mutant animals... I mean, wouldn't YOU freak out?), but that could be suspended for the sake of fun. The rules system is Palladium which is pretty much just a revamped AD&D so nothing remarkable there.

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Notes: A pretty decent Mecha game. The rules are Palladium (see TMNT above). Bad things start to happen when you put mutant weasels in the cockpits of Veritechs, however. (DON'T ASK!)

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Notes: Since Palladium is a Universal-type system, Rifts is a natural extension of that idea and they did a pretty good job providing the realm of Rifts with decent (and extensive) background material. Some things that convert over to Rifts, however, provide for some shakey game balance issues.

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Notes: Although Champions and Marvel are two different systems they get the same rules rating due to opposing weaknesses. Champions is WAY too complex and Marvel is WAY to simplified. In general I'm not wild about Super Hero games, but I had an great time a few years ago when a friend of mine (Russ) ran a series of Marvel campaigns. My Champions experiences were much less enchanting.

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Notes: The Shadowrun system, in my opionion, is okay, until you get into Combat and then it BOGS DOWN severely. Although I'm not wild about dark future type games, the friend of mine who runs Shadowrun for our gaming group does a respectable job.

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Notes: I've only played the game once or twice, but I liked the system and of course most people I know love the universe (as I do).

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Notes: Played this game a long time ago for a few sessions. The universe was pretty good (Standard AD&D), but the game system is just TOO complex and anal with charts and stats.

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Notes: COMPUTER: So Citizen! What do you think of Paranoia? MIKE: I love Paranoia! May I please go back to R&D, I think they're needing me to test that new Tank-Bot they've got. (Yeah, I gave five spots to the rules mostly because they're completely optional!)

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Notes: The universe is one of my all time favorites. I like the rules system, it's flexible, but the only major beef I have with it is the fact that the core rulebook isn't set up in a format for ease of reference and as of the writing of this review they still have yet to write the support materials that this game NEEDS.

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Notes: This is a RPG that I wrote between 1990 to 1995. Transformers have always been a passion of mine. There are still a few bugs in the system I developed, but I hope it accurately reflects the universe.

I resisted getting into the game for a long time, seeing it as the scourge that was eroding away the fabric of Role Playing Game society. However, I finally decided to give it a try after a few friends had purchased some cards. It's a decent game, but about 1/3 of the game is having the right cards, 1/3 is your own skill in designing your deck and 1/3 is just plain dumb luck.

FAVORITE CARD: Orcish Farmer (From Ice Age. Why? Just because.)

- BATTLETECH COMMENTARY -

Excellent game! Wizards of the Coast evidently learned from Magic's strengths and weaknesses and there are very few game mechanic weaknesses in Battletech. For the most part, I love the art and flavor text of the cards too. Finally, you can get a Battletech fix without having to pack around several pounds of gaming stuff!

FAVORITE CARD: Tactical Nuke (From Counterstrike. You don't know the POWER!!)

- STAR WARS COMMENTARY -

I had long anticipated the release of this card game, but when they delayed the release a half a year, I lost interest and diverted the funds I had set aside for more Magic cards instead. About a year later, my friends from Kent started playing the game and my wife bought me a "Introductory Set" for Christmas. The game is fairly good. The only major annoyance, in my opinion is the fact that each new expansion alters the rules significantly. Also, the main character rares in the game are REALLY DAMN RARE, which is discouraging sometimes.

FAVORITE CARD: Yoda (I got this little guy during Pack Wars at a local card shop: The Bat Cave)

- BABYLON 5 COMMENTARY -

Since I'm a big Babylon 5 fan, I simply HAD to get this game. The game mechanics take a little getting used to, but it has the potential to be a really cool game once I've had a few more games under my belt and know more of it's nuances. Next to DUNE, this card game has the second most complex card gaming mechanics that I know of. What makes this game so fun is it's almost a role playing interface with cards and it is EXTREMELY political if you play it with each of the 4 races in play since other people can support or oppose things you try to do to other players.

FAVORITE CARD: Mr. Adams (From Premiere Set. Because he created Dilbert!!!)

The Art of MechWar