true scientific realism on every page

March 10, 2009 9:04 AM

Encounter Criticalis the awesomest Fantasy/Sci-Fi RPG to come out of an alternate 1979. Full list of game-related resources here (Yahoo group, reg req'd).
posted by mkultra (17 comments total)

+ This is truly insane and wondrous production, and I have heard word of it before.

- The text adventure has a freeware version and a for-cost version. Someone is charging money for a text adventure in 2009. You have to admire their chutzpah, but then, no.
posted by JHarris at 9:16 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

That second link not only requires a Yahoo! login, but requires you to join the group too.
posted by JaredSeth at 9:30 AM on March 10

I think the conceit that the game is an in-joke that might actually fool others is the most awesome part of the in-joke.
posted by gurple at 9:37 AM on March 10

What's with all the tabletop RPG FPP's lately? I find it puzzling but approve heartily.
posted by edheil at 9:44 AM on March 10

I was originally sent the PDF in an email, and didn't truly buy that it was a joke until I saw the end. Yes, it's ridiculous, but no more ridiculous than anything that came out of my and my friends' Junior HS minds.

I think the conceit that the game is an in-joke that might actually fool others is the most awesome part of the in-joke.

Kidding on the square
posted by mkultra at 9:45 AM on March 10

What's with all the tabletop RPG FPP's lately? I find it puzzling but approve heartily.

If only I could find enough time & decent links to profess my undying love for Traveller all over the front page...
posted by GuyZero at 10:00 AM on March 10 [2 favorites]

Ah, thanks for reminding me of that Frankenism, mkultra. Too bad it isn't a pithier term, because it does describe something that needs a term.

Encounter Critical reminds me very much of ELotH: TES.
posted by gurple at 10:01 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

Encounter Crtitical actually reminds me strongly of the games I used to play back in the late 70s, like Arduin Grimore. It has all the elements: Smith-Corona manual typewriter font, typed tables, "kid brother" style crappy artwork, and cheap photocopy effect.

I'm going to show this to my wife to give her an idea of what we dealt with back in the day. And I'm also going to show it to anyone who complains about production quality of modern games, or that they have too much art. "Is this what you want?"
posted by happyroach at 11:29 AM on March 10

My eternal disappointment when I finally found a copy of the legendary "Chainmail" in a gaming store. Holy crap, it sucked. "Boot Hill" was miles better than Chainmail.

"Is this what you want?"

hell no.
posted by GuyZero at 11:47 AM on March 10

Wooky Space Doxies with edible secretions!

I love me some Encounter Critical.
posted by ktrey at 11:47 AM on March 10

oh my god this gameplay synopsis is a distillation of everything that was awesome about being twelve and playing D&D.

I again rolled on the wandering monster table (wandering monster at night 90%!), and this time got a troupe of bee girls lead by their bee queen.

Spuck was standing guard, and told them to go away. The bee girls became very amorous of the other PCs, who were all sleeping, and begin stroking their bodies. Bee girls got in both Og’s and Seegar’s sleeping bags, as they didn’t wake up, due to missed Happenstance rolls.

I think I need to make my gaming circles take a break from Race for the Galaxy for a few sessions of this. With beer. Lots of beer.
posted by egypturnash at 12:13 PM on March 10

Ah, the fine hand of S John Ross. Stands to reason he'd rescue an RPG from Warehouse 23.
posted by SPrintF at 12:14 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]

SPrintF you are my new favorite lifeform. I could spend days reading Warehouse 23.
posted by abulafa at 1:22 PM on March 10

I've been GMing an Evil Dead campaign, but I think the players are getting burnt out. I wonder if I can sucker them into playing this...
posted by lekvar at 1:38 PM on March 10

like Arduin Grimore.
...
Is this what you want?

Most assuredly, these things have their place. A friend of mine's brother gave me a photocopied binder with the first 3 Arduin Grimoire manuals in 1981, and they were the first 3rd-party D&D supplements I had ever ran across. Being 10 at the time, it goes without saying that I thought they were AWESOME! Years later, after a few brown ales I was cruising Ebay and found some really nice copies of the original Arduin Grimoire printings and snapped them right up. Despite expecting a "Complete Mama's Family Video Library" level of disappointment, I was pleasantly surprised to find them quite charming (if a little on the unplayable side). The critical hits tables & the phraint race description alone were worth it.

I see things like the Arduin Grimoire and old Judge's Guild supplements as folk art. Yeah, most of it is a little rough around the edges, but some of it is truly inspired (and inspiring).

BTW, anyone who finds Encounter Critical intriguing in that old-skool way but is looking for something less jokey would be well-advised to give Labyrinth Lord a try.
posted by irix at 2:17 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]

A couple of quotes from the Arduin Grimoire, as excerpted in The Munchkin's Guide to Power Gaming:

All entrances to this room are actually thin wood (or plaster) coverings over 4" thick steel. All of which will irrevocably close and lock one minute after the room is entered. There is no way out.

and

NOTE: Whenever samage is not indicated, consider the trap fatal.

Ahh, the old school.
posted by Pope Guilty at 3:12 AM on March 11

I see things like the Arduin Grimoire and old Judge's Guild supplements as folk art. Yeah, most of it is a little rough around the edges, but some of it is truly inspired (and inspiring).

The thing I think people tend to overlook about Arduin was, Hargrave was simply energetic and had more resources to put his house rules for D&D in print than most of the other gamers out there. Many other games had equally wild house rules and creations. It's a good glimpse at the riotous diversity of the time before everything got very corporate and the rules went from being vague suggestions to holy writ.
posted by graymouser at 8:08 AM on March 11