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What are you hoping to see in Rifter 53?

After you get Rifter 53,give a review of it.

Can't wait to get it. My very first ever article is going to be in it, and I'm stoked. I plan on reading this rifter cover to cover, and will definitely give feedback on what I find in it.

I may be able to get my own Rifter #53 sometime in early February. I'll have to see if certain factors come into play the right way.

Which article is your work, Sev?

Dawn of a New Era is mine, Z.

Grats on your first article Sev! That's awesome.

it is awesome. and it happened much faster than I thought it would. I mean, I wanted to get feedback quickly, but to have it published without any major revisions in just 6 months? amazing.

Now if someone cangive a Review of it.

Severus Snape wrote:Dawn of a New Era is mine, Z.

For which setting and what's it actually about? Title is not telling me much

I think Serverus Snape,s idea go to H.U.

Cinos wrote:

Severus Snape wrote:Dawn of a New Era is mine, Z.

For which setting and what's it actually about? Title is not telling me much

Heroes Unlimited. So far it is about mutants and aliens being registered by the govt. and the legislation to make that happen, I think. I been playing in his game over on the Storm Watch Forums. It has been pretty cool so far, though I expect we've only just scratched the surface.

Can't wait to see what people think of my contribution, the Ravages of Time. Anyone read it yet?

I'm doing my best to not read it for once. Yes, I have it. I want to know more about DOANE, but I'll be good, for now. I might look at a few other articles tomorrow, and yes, they all looked dope.

I'll post here first...only cause it is too funny. Go read Dawn of a New Era (DOANE). Read it in the Rifter #53, but also here...
http://thedeificnmi.com/maelstrom/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=74
It has been a blast to play so far. Avoid the OOC thread, cause we have gone through a few players. Snape has been doing splendiferously. I'm only suggesting yall read it cause at one point...

...does he live? You'll just have to read it to find out.

It's been shipping since Jan 13th... how long after shipping until people have it in their hands?

Supergyro wrote:It's been shipping since Jan 13th... how long after shipping until people have it in their hands?

Depends on where you live with respect to the PB offices. Also how diligent the mail carriers are in your area, weather factors, and whether or not you sent Wayne any brownies for Christmas this year or not.

There's also the fact that this last Monday was a federal holiday, so that has added another day to the wait. You should be getting it soon if you live inside the continental U.S. I would think.

Those damn Demonstracrats and Rerublicants, scaring us with their terror tactics.

Involved Observer wrote:

Supergyro wrote:It's been shipping since Jan 13th... how long after shipping until people have it in their hands?

Depends on where you live with respect to the PB offices. Also how diligent the mail carriers are in your area, weather factors, and whether or not you sent Wayne any brownies for Christmas this year or not.

There's also the fact that this last Monday was a federal holiday, so that has added another day to the wait. You should be getting it soon if you live inside the continental U.S. I would think.

There has got to a Calvin and Hobbes comic about this sort of thing, there has got to be.

cubefarmer wrote:On Ravages of Time: Some of those events, particularly major maimings and equipment losses, are too significant to have happen offstage. Those really should be adventure climax moments.

You have a valid point. That's why I put in the last paragraph of the article, which addresses your concern. I will say one things though - sometimes it is a lot of fun just to come up with a really dramatic story about some huge change to your character without having to worry about anyone else's input. I for one often fantasize about having a character make some heroic sacrifice with a "consequences be damned" attitude. It's fun, pure and simple.

The Ravages of Time table is both a catalyst and permission (as if we really needed permission, right? ) for this type of unfettered story telling. So the random roll dictates your character got scarred and lost some Physical Beauty points - now come up with the story of how. You could just say "Yeah, a Coalition grenade hit me," and leave it at that, but where's the fun in that? Instead you could say, "We were in this huge fire fight, and my buddies Ted and Darcel were pinned down and wounded. I made a mad dash crawl to them while the rest of the platoon laid down cover fire. I got Ted out, but as I was crawling back for Darcel a Coalition grenade landed in the mud right between us. Before I could move Darcel leapt on it. Next thing I know I wake up in a hospital with half my face looking like ground beef. (In a choked up voice) If Darcel hadn't taken that blast, I wouldn't be here today. These scars will forever remind me of him. I'm going to avenge his death if its the last thing I do!"

Okay, so that might be a little overly dramatic, but you get my point. I got to make up that whole encounter, with my character doing heroic things and getting saved from death in a dramatic way, and I didn't have to wait for anyone else to roll dice or think of what they wanted to do! That's the fun in having big events happen "off-screen".

It's not for everyone, though, especially if you get to meet with your game group often - and I get that. I just hope you won't throw the table (and the underlying idea it represents) away without giving it a chance first, that's all. In the end its something I've had fun with, and I think others can too.

Out of curiosity, how long does it take for contributors to receive their copies of The Rifter in the mail once it goes public? I know there was a holiday last week and all, but I still haven't received my copies just yet. I'm to the point where I'm going tomorrow to buy a copy from my FLGS (Friendly Local Gaming Store) so I can see how it looks in print (plus I don't mind supporting Palladium in the least by buying a copy in addition to the free ones I get).

I read a few of the articles so far, and have actually been impressed that I like (or at least have not disliked) anything so far.

Lucky Psychic: Good, solid. I saw, and wished for, an expansion in the teeny blurb that some don't see it as supernatural, just statistics. Wish it would have had a sub-class like a nega-psychic who just talks about how coincidences happen all the time etc. But overall good.

I was surprised I enjoyed the Nightspawn story. Just 2 bits of constructive criticism. Too many exclamation points! Some times it seemed every third sentence was ! The word 'literally' was literally used too many times. No one will think . if you can take it out and the sentence means the same, do it. Less is more (in this case figuratively)!

Archie article. I Absolutely hated Archie. Only the shemarians in the original Source book had any redeeming features in my point of view. I did not like the archie part of the 2nd Rifts sourcebook. Shemarian Nation changed my thoughts and I started to enjoy reading about archie. This article takes that another step into the enjoying reading about archie. Back in the early 90s, we had a HU campaign going where I had an AI robot who tried to use robotics/tech to fake super powers, so I saw where it was going and could relate.

Haven't read anything more.

cubefarmer wrote:On Dawn of a New Era: Mostly well done but relies rather heavily on a certain kind of party (the not-quite-illegal vigilante). It's problematic, for example, for the federal law enforcement team I GM to be captured in the ConGenix facility if they go in with a warrant. One thing I do want to warn you away from doing, and the editor really should have, is tying characters, particularly villains, to real world organizations, particularly political or religious ones. I refer here to congressman Gonzales being given a real world party affiliation, PB is likely to get angry letters about that. If story needs the involvement of such organizations, make up fictional ones.

Thanks for the review. Let me try to respond.

I actually talked to Wayne about the real-world political affiliations, and we both agreed that they should be changed or even removed altogether so as not to give the impression that PB is endorsing one party or another. I told Wayne that they really weren't important in the overall scheme of the adventure, and that I just used them so as not to confuse myself when writing. I haven't receieved my copies yet, so I can't confirm or deny if they weren't removed or changed. If they weren't, then I whole-heartedly apologize for that (even though Wayne was supposed to do this during editing).



Again, I thank you for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If you've got any other questions, just let me know!

ZorValachan wrote:I was surprised I enjoyed the Nightspawn story. Just 2 bits of constructive criticism. Too many exclamation points! Some times it seemed every third sentence was ! The word 'literally' was literally used too many times. No one will think

Spoiler:

that the spear figuratively pinned her to the wall

. if you can take it out and the sentence means the same, do it. Less is more (in this case figuratively)!

Thanks for the input. I just read it again last night and I agree. I should have proofed it a little better. I'm already working on editing Volume 2 (I actually have 10 volumes written so far) and I'll submit it within the next two weeks. I'm going to get my friends and family to proofread it for me as well to help find those stumbling blocks. I appreciate your feedback, ZorValachan!

JMHutchins wrote:Thanks for the input. I just read it again last night and I agree. I should have proofed it a little better. I'm already working on editing Volume 2 (I actually have 10 volumes written so far) and I'll submit it within the next two weeks. I'm going to get my friends and family to proofread it for me as well to help find those stumbling blocks. I appreciate your feedback, ZorValachan!

I didn't want to seem just nitpicking, we writers need to help each other

To answer your first question above the quoted post; I got my comp copies about the day before or after I got my subscription copy. Since I got my copy of 53 last Wednesday, I would think you'd get your's very soon if you haven't already.

I know it is hard, but I always try to wait at least 2 weeks after I finish to do my 'final' proofread (as well as giving it to my brother to proofread). And read it out on printed paper. You'd be surprised on little errors you glanced past both on a computer screen as well as when it is so fresh in your mind. Once some time passes, you'll forget just enough to not have it look correct in your brain and thus bypass what you really wrote on paper:).

Looking forward to additional volumes. I'm not a fan of Hammer and the Forge, so it as a nice shock to find a story I liked.

Continue with my 'sorta review' of #53.

I got through the new faeries/ faerie animals/semi-faeries article. I'm not a big 'faerie' person, but I use them on occasion. Basically it was a short flavor text on a type of faerie critter and then a 'stat block'. It had a lot of them, and can be used in any setting, not just Rifts.

About half way through the Heroes Unlimited super-adventure article. Will -sorta review- it after I'm done.

Still no disappointment in this issue for me. Everything is solid and ranging from Good to Great.

Opps, I noticed last night while going over the book that I didn’t include the experience tables when I wrote the "Lucky Psychic", but that’s an easy fix. Depending on the mindset of the Lucky Psychic character, the more intellectual/ brainy types use The Genius P.C.C. table while the more action/physical oriented types use the Physical Psychic P.C.C. table.

Still don't have my copies yet. I know that the contributor copies were supposed to be mailed last week, and as I am in Vegas it could be a bit before I get them. But be assured that once I do, I will read through them and provide my own reviews on the stuff therein!

Severus Snape wrote:Still don't have my copies yet. I know that the contributor copies were supposed to be mailed last week, and as I am in Vegas it could be a bit before I get them. But be assured that once I do, I will read through them and provide my own reviews on the stuff therein!

In his weekly update, Kevin mentioned he dropped the ball and didn't get the contributers' copies out yet, but was going to have it done on Monday.

ZorValachan wrote:

Severus Snape wrote:Still don't have my copies yet. I know that the contributor copies were supposed to be mailed last week, and as I am in Vegas it could be a bit before I get them. But be assured that once I do, I will read through them and provide my own reviews on the stuff therein!

In his weekly update, Kevin mentioned he dropped the ball and didn't get the contributers' copies out yet, but was going to have it done on Monday.

Bad! That's a bad Kevin!

Ok, now seriously - it's all good. When they get here, they get here. I just can't stand the waiting!

I hear ya... thank goodness my Rifter subscription was still intact.

Picked up Rifter #53 yesterday. Will post review later.

Got the Rifter....over all pretty good.

The Lucky Psychic: I like luck type Characters....this looks interesting...though I don't play Beyond the Supernatural...but always like to read them and steal the ideas.

Dark Day Chronicles....not much into fiction...I haven't read it.

A.E.C.H.I.E Phase Two...I like it. I am a fan of the Shemarrien plan by Archie.

On Faerie Folk: I like this one also as it gaved more interesting encounters....though the art was rather meh.

Dawn of a New Era: It is a great adventure....except well come on Republicans? It would Democrats who would pass the anti-super hero registration....how dare you attack...just kidding. I read the previous posts on that subject. It is really not a issue....and a well written adventure. I'll just change Prio Gonzalez to a Democrat if I ran the adventure.

Ravages of Time: I have to say....this article is the antithesis of what a Role-Playing is all about in some ways in my own opinion. I mean part of the fun of RPG is that you are not just writting a story in a vaccuum...you actualy have to deal with other intelligences(hopefuly...). Anyway that is just my opinion. If I could not game as often I would rather do RP by IM or e-mail with the group than just roll on a chart and get blown up by a land mine....or some other very arbitary result. But to each their own.

Hammer of the Forge: Just end it already...please it is a waste of space.

johnkretzer wrote:A.E.C.H.I.E Phase Two...I like it. I am a fan of the Shemarrien plan by Archie.

Don't tell his heart, his aechie breachi heart, I just don't think it'd understand....

So far I'm pleased with Rifter #53. The Faerie Folk part was interesting, definitely will be some
guys I'll use in my PF games. Didn't get a chance to read the Nightbane story. The Luck Psychic
reminded me a certain character from Marvel's old TSR game. Many aspects of it I use for those
who play Karmic Powers in my HU games. I really enjoyed the HU adventure. Definitely will be
playing that sometime in the immediate future. Everything else was a good read. All in all I'm quite
pleased with this Rifter and want to congratulate all the writers who got into this issue. Welcome
to the club guys

Now if I would only get my contributor copies so I can read the darned thing!

Finally got my copy of Rifter 53 yesterday. Didn't get the chance to read much of it, but I did read the Lucky Psychic PCC. I'm highly impressed, and will probably use this in my campaigns. I don't play BTS2, but I think he would work in HU or even Rifts. Heck, he may be able to be used in PFRPG. Either way, I likey!

I'll be able to read the rest of the issue tonight or tomorrow and provide my 2 copper pieces on the rest (except for DOANE which, as I'm sure you should all guess, will get a glowing 5 star review from me).

Severus Snape wrote:Finally got my copy of Rifter 53 yesterday. Didn't get the chance to read much of it, but I did read the Lucky Psychic PCC. I'm highly impressed, and will probably use this in my campaigns. I don't play BTS2, but I think he would work in HU or even Rifts. Heck, he may be able to be used in PFRPG. Either way, I likey!

You flatter me generously Proffessor Snape... ten points to Slytherin!

Seriously Severus, thank you for your compliments on my work. I try.