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ValentineTF

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A member registered Feb 15, 2023 · View creator page →

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I'm not really one for solo-journaling, but the aesthetic choices in the module caught my eye.  The blue and neon pink really gives a calming and chill vibe to the module that matches with it well, reminding me of Synthwave music.  Its a nice touch that makes things stand out a bit, and sort of informed my personal interpretation of the game.

The rules are laid out in a simple and straightforward manner to use, and the prompts seem like they would lead to some interesting and unique results.

I would have liked a little more robust descriptions of Moonila (points for great pun), but I can see why they were left out as an intentional choice.  All in all, a beautiful little game.  Anyone who is interested in solo journaling should check it out!

This is a very strong entry for me.   The Wrath of Zagan draws from a strong source for its inspiration, the "Barbarian Adventure" genre of the likes of Conan the Cimmerian, Red Sonja and dozens of others, often battling serpentine foes in forgotten temples.  This is a great spin on the concept, and is clearly made with a love for the inspirational material.

WoZ establishes a strong conceptual challenge, building a coherent narrative with a beginning, middle and end, but also creating a world that fits perfectly with the genre it is from.  The details of the region's past and the backgrounds of some of the characters, while subtle as a nice touch.

The formatting and design is functional and flows easily, largely following those found in the official To Change manual, allowing for easy reference for those familiar with the system.  It is readable, intuitive and clean, setting up different points of the action, and providing a simple way to randomly generate encounters befitting the narrative.  These encounters, and the ending, really feel like they would fit nicely into a Hyborean Age Pulp magazine.

The biggest issue I have with this module is the Moves.  I feel that The Slithering Chaos seems a little vague.  Thematically, I see how it works, but it seems like mechanically, it has the potential pitfall of coming across as arbitrary.

Fantastic work!

Getting it out of the way first: This game is Starcraft with the numbers filed off.  How you respond to that sentence pretty much sums up if the game is for you or not.   If you are in the "want to play a Starcraft RPG with a unique perspective", than this game is for you, recreating an iconic bit of Starcraft lore.  Its fairly grimdark, as expected, but it is very up front and honest about what it is.  

The module is solid, well-written with clear rules, narrative escalation, useful characters and atmosphere.  Again, if you are a Starcraft fan, this is a worthy adaptation of the concept.  As a straight adaptation from a ground level perspective, it seems like its a great entry, a labour of love that really seeks to bring the story and setting to life.

Minor spoilers for the game follow:

I think one big issue with the game is that, though it has the numbers filed off, it never quite runs with the concept that it could.  Players feel like they are part of that setting's lore, not their own stories, a PoV of a key event, but only barely a determinator of how it might diverge from Starcraft.  The most obvious example of this is the fate of Lt. Horrigan.  As with her inspiration, her fate is basically sealed.  She'll either be killed (the only real bit of story agency beyond personal survival the players have) or become part of the Horde, the champion that she is in the original game.  There is no "third way" of saving Horrigan, or even "poisoning" her entry into the horde in some manner leading to a new outcome.  Player agency seems limited by an adherence to canon, rather than opening up an iconic moment in gaming into new horizons driven by the player's presence in the game.  

Spoilers conclude.

All in all, a solid game with a lot of care behind it, and potentially a good entry point even for those unfamiliar with the inspiration.  The "followup" section beyond the endings really opens up the setting for future play, and provides some interesting hooks.  

I'll admit, I was not expecting much from this game going in.  The gaming world is full of properties that find a clever, absurdist title that could grab attention for long enough to merit a second glance, then break for lunch.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that "Everything is Going to Crab" is not that. Instead, it takes its concept and runs with it, going all in on the ridiculousness with gusto.

The Town of Dang d'eau is packed to the brim with locations and more characters than one can fit on a run down bus on the outside of town, with a ton of opportunity for quirky roleplaying for both players and GMs.  A good many of them got a chuckle from me, and they all have just enough for a GM to work with, but not too much so that they become inflexlible. These personalities, local landmarks and happenings fill the town with life and the game with opportunity.  There is a goldmine of story potential here.

The biggest drawback, it seems, is scale.  The goal of the game is to convince as many NPCs to join your cause as possible, or at least get them out of town, while enemy infiltrators and random events throw up hurdles.  Its solid enough to provide escalating ridiculousness and hold a story, but the sheer volume of NPCs at the core of this central premise seems quite daunting, with a danger of repetition for both players and GMs.  At present, the game is a sandbox, with some goals, lots of toys, but no clear rules on how a GM might string those together.  A little more structure to the game might help bring some order to the sandbox and prevent burnout from the repetition of such RP heavy interaction required for so many characters.

Design-wise, the game is well presented, with popping graphics and clear formatting that make it easily readable and referenced, and the writing itself is amusing enough to pull the reader along.  Mechanically, the system is simple, but seems like it is robust enough to get the job done.  This is actually a pretty good looking game.

All in all, a ridiculous game that embraces its absurdist angle with pride and manic energy.  Even if you don't end up playing it yourself, its one of those games where the manual alone is a lot of fun just to read.  

Changing Tides is a very thorough, mechanically well constructed game, featuring a transformative adventure beneath the waves.  The system seems simple but effective at providing both challenges and the tools to handle them, through the use of an impressive amount of tables and charts, presenting a GM with a wide array of escalating biomes and specific hurdles for the players to interact with, all of which are set up for memorable and unique encounters, providing a robust framework for the GM to hit the ground running without a lot of time for "crunch".  These are all laid out in a simple format, easy to read and reference system.

I believe that the game could be significantly more interesting on a narrative level, and here is where it stumbles somewhat.  The game shines in its mechanical features, but at is bogged down by the same.  Much of the focus is taken up by determining what a specific die roll does, when it is made and how many static numbers to add to it, but there is little in regard for a larger narrative framework.  No information is provided to ground the setting or characters or provide an imaginative hook.  Even the artifact, the center of the story, is never really touched upon, merely remaining as a vague macguffin.  This absence of setting, character or plot does the well thought-out mechanics a disservice, making the affair read like a collection of dry charts and basic math.  A solid two pages are dedicated to meticulously stating out the mechanics of individual creatures, but it is never tied together with anything more compelling than rote application.  The changes, the core of the game, seem arbitrary, reduced to pure mechanical attributes.

Changing Tides clearly has some thought and effort behind it, providing a solid mechanical side.  The foray into narrative context that it does make, in the form of the individual hurdles, shows that with a little bit more of a focus, this game could really provide a solid experience along the lines of Subnautica, exploring the depths of a mysterious sea deeper and deeper.  I really like the competitive nature that seems present here, and think that race to the single prize as individuals, rather than a party, provides some very interesting opportunities.  In conclusion, Changing Tides seems like the reference table on a GM screen, crucial to a game, but lacking the spark to tie it together.  It is a good game, but with just a little push, it could be a great one.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my module and provide feedback!  I really appreciate it and am always looking to improve my modules that are already out and new ones going forwards!

I will be sure to add that setting information and see about updating the text concerning the map!  Thank you again for your valuable feedback!