The effect of this game on the gaming industry (and on the whole "Vampire subculture") should not be understated.
I know at the time I dismissed this game and I didn't even bother to look at a copy till 2nd edition was out and I still didn't buy it till 2nd Ed revised hit the stores.
It came at a great time. AD&D 2nd Ed was lagging, TSR was all but dead to be honest and games had gotten a little too safe because of the 80's backlash. Still it was not just that V:tM filled a void. It created it's own niche and genre of games that is still felt today.
White Wolf may not be as big as it once was and Mark Rein Hagen is out of the gaming industry all together. But this game remains, and this "new" book take you back to a time when the nights were ruled by such things as Ravnos, Brujah and people spoke of Gehenna.
There will be a print version out sometime. But for those who can't wait, the PDF is up at DriveThruRPG now.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=94815&affiliate_id=10748
Oooh, that's very tempting. Although I know I'll never play it (not really a fan of the whole "let's be the monsters" mindset - monsters are for killing, not emoting with), I still think it's an attractive game with some great ideas and the POD version will look good sitting next to my Cthulhu and Buffy game books ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up - looking forward to a print version - do you know if it will go to mass retail?
ReplyDeleteThe idea of an all-in-one edition of VTM that reverts back to that old WOD feel is going to be too much to pass up.
@Sir Timothy: one of the cool things about original vampire was playing against the grain; reluctant monsters trying to hold on to their humanity. It's a powerful theme that got diluted as the line became more commercial.
Not to be a pedant, but I suspect that you mean that the effect of the game on the industry can not be _over_stated. What you've written implies that it's effect is so insignificant that, try as one might, one could not find a way to understate it's importance.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a Vampire fan, but I suspect you think it was a pretty big deal
:)