RIFTS: Ultimate Edition Review!

[Baron mugwort]

Here is my RIFTS: Ultimate Edition review! I warn you some parts may be controversial lol.

http://www.ding-irl.com/RIFTS-Ultimate- ... eview.html

Let me know what you think

As always thanks for looking.

Baron Mugwort

[Giant2005]

I don't like it as much as I did your Rifts review. My main issue comes with your critique of H2H: Commando. I can agree with what you said that but criticism has nothing to do with the RUE, that skill existed before the RUE and has no place being in a RUE specific review.

[Nightmask]

I don't like it as much as I did your Rifts review. My main issue comes with your critique of H2H: Commando. I can agree with what you said that but criticism has nothing to do with the RUE, that skill existed before the RUE and has no place being in a RUE specific review.

If the skill is in there then it's a valid skill to critique, whether he knew the skill existed prior to the publication of the Ultimate Edition or not.

[Eashamahel]

Indeed, if something is included in the book, it can and in fact should be reviewed if you are reviewing the book.

[Baron mugwort]

I included H2H Commando because it is now part of RIFTS where as it wasn't available when the first book was released. My review focuses on what has changed and an extra H2H style is one of those things. I know it existed before UE but like I say this review is here to highlight the differences in edition.

I thanks you all so much for your comments and for taking the time to read my review.

At the time of writing this it looks like the review is good to average with one person wanting me to be beaten with a stick lol. Guess I still have a lot to learn to improve my reviews.

Anyone have any suggestions for another book I should review? Or is the suggestion that I stop reviewing books the path I should follow lol

[Eashamahel]

Well, you probably shouldn't just review RIFTS books from start to finish, unless you really have the urge to put a great amount of work into reviewing a 'vintage' series, but building off what you have done, maybe you could continue reviewing the change to the Ultimate Edition? Since Palladium is slowly moving it's older library into the new edition, you could do a short review of Sourcebook:1 and then a more in-depth one of Sourcebook 1: Revised, and again, the same with Vampire Kingdoms. It wouldn't be the overwhelming endeavor of trying to review all the originals, seeing as how the re-launch/updating of the RIFTS line has managed to get out two books in a half decade or so...

[Baron mugwort]

Hey Eashamahel those are some pretty good ideas and I will certainly put them to the other guys at Ding-IRL. Thanks for the advice

We will be reviewing GodMachine soon (prob next week) so we have our work cut out doing some WOD stuff for the next few weeks, Demon: The Descent looks like it will be pretty good. After theat I reckon it would be a great idea to look at Sourcebook 1 and the Vampire Kingdoms

Thanks to all of you for your time.

[Daeglan]

One thing this review did not cover is the fact that the organization in this edition is.....well i don't have a word to describe how bad the organization is. Some things are better. But my god trying to find what you need when you need it... well that is kind of a lost ause.

[Baron mugwort]

Daeglan I know what you mean. The organisation is all over the place lol.

Thanks for taking the time to read the review

[Tor]

My main issue comes with your critique of H2H: Commando. I can agree with what you said that but criticism has nothing to do with the RUE, that skill existed before the RUE and has no place being in a RUE specific review.

The RUE version of Commando is actually different from the version in CWC, much like they differ from the N&SS version of it.

The one only available to the CS Special Forces and CS Commando OCCs eventually teaches an automatic body flip at higher levels, a rare skill only available to ancient masters and physical training in HU, and only a few arts like Aikido in N&SS.

The version in RUE lacks this ability. It is a different skill that is available to OCCs like the Crazy and the Techno-Warrior. The CWC version of the skill is not.

Palladium is slowly moving it's older library into the new edition, you could do a short review of Sourcebook:1 and then a more in-depth one of Sourcebook 1: Revised, and again, the same with Vampire Kingdoms.

I really hope they end it there and stop releasing new versions of books. I love sequels to previous world books that add new content, like Splynn Dimensional Market, South America 2, China 2, etc. I'd rather see that than mostly reprinted stuff with minor changes. Especially when it involves splitting it into multiple books. "Rifts: Vampires" would've been awesome had it simply been a sourcebook that built upon the original world book instead of changing or duplicating things. Too much duplication already.

It's great that stuff like Lemuria finally got released but I could've sworn there was other stuff promised like Australia sequels. A "Rifts: Central America" or "Rifts: Mexico" could've been an alternative or addition to Rifts: Vampires too if NA is to be continued focus.

Heck, "Rifts: Great Lakes" would've been cool too since it's half Canada and half US.

[Baron mugwort]

I have to agree with you Tor, what we need is new World Books not re-hashes of old ones. Though I have to admit I really didn't like RIFTS: England and wish they would start that one again!

Yes I am English there is a lot more history and legend to this country than King Arthur (who was probably Welsh anyway lol). To top it off Manchester never really got a look in

[kaid]

My main issue comes with your critique of H2H: Commando. I can agree with what you said that but criticism has nothing to do with the RUE, that skill existed before the RUE and has no place being in a RUE specific review.

The RUE version of Commando is actually different from the version in CWC, much like they differ from the N&SS version of it.

The one only available to the CS Special Forces and CS Commando OCCs eventually teaches an automatic body flip at higher levels, a rare skill only available to ancient masters and physical training in HU, and only a few arts like Aikido in N&SS.

The version in RUE lacks this ability. It is a different skill that is available to OCCs like the Crazy and the Techno-Warrior. The CWC version of the skill is not.

Palladium is slowly moving it's older library into the new edition, you could do a short review of Sourcebook:1 and then a more in-depth one of Sourcebook 1: Revised, and again, the same with Vampire Kingdoms.

I really hope they end it there and stop releasing new versions of books. I love sequels to previous world books that add new content, like Splynn Dimensional Market, South America 2, China 2, etc. I'd rather see that than mostly reprinted stuff with minor changes. Especially when it involves splitting it into multiple books. "Rifts: Vampires" would've been awesome had it simply been a sourcebook that built upon the original world book instead of changing or duplicating things. Too much duplication already.

It's great that stuff like Lemuria finally got released but I could've sworn there was other stuff promised like Australia sequels. A "Rifts: Central America" or "Rifts: Mexico" could've been an alternative or addition to Rifts: Vampires too if NA is to be continued focus.

Heck, "Rifts: Great Lakes" would've been cool too since it's half Canada and half US.

They have in round about ways gotten back to some stuff that got left to the side in the past. Like lemuria I am not sure how similiar to the original concepts for it what we got was but it is a good book and very enjoyable.

For central america between south america 1 and the new vampire source book with and combine in lone star/arzno/new west and you have the american southwest/mexico/central america more directly detailed than nearly any other spot on rifts earth. Heck I guess you could throw black market in there too for more details about vegas and nevada.

The great lakes with the coming of NG1 is reasonably well fleshed out. You have rifts canada/free quebec/NG1 and probably ng2/cs navy pretty well cover the great lakes and all the major players in and around them. NG1 fleshes out lake superior and the upper part of lake michigan/bay of green bay pretty well well at least it is in the prototype and I don't expect that part of the book to change much from the prototype to the final version.

[Daeglan]

What I would really like to see them do is an actual clean up of the Main book. Straighten out the rules. Clean up the lay out. Fix the organization. Make the rules consistent. then I would like to see them bring all the books up to date and make them consistent as well. They all need to have perception bonuses stated. A lot of them can have things added that were created in later books that would make sense to be in earlier books as well. The books are very piecemeal and it would be nice to get a more uniform theme and world going.

[Vrykolas2k]

Palladium Books just needs authors and editors familiar with how writing in english works. I have no idea how many partial sentences I've run across in every book.
Not to mention the cut and paste method leaves much to be desired. For instance, the description for HtH Commando is the same as HtH Expert...

[Daeglan]

Palladium Books just needs authors and editors familiar with how writing in english works. I have no idea how many partial sentences I've run across in every book.
Not to mention the cut and paste method leaves much to be desired. For instance, the description for HtH Commando is the same as HtH Expert...

There is no reason Rifts can't be a complete and awesome system. Just needs a lot of clean up by someone who cares...Sadly I get the impression that Kevin fights this.