|
|
|
CRGE, Conjectural Roleplaying GM Emulator |
Pay What You Want |
Average Rating:4.6 / 5 |
|
Ratings |
Reviews |
Total |
|
71 |
6 |
|
|
17 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
2 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
|
| Click to view |
|
|
|
|
If there were a ranking somewhere between "Poor" and "Good", say, "Average", I would give it that. I'm new to solo role playing and oracles in general. So I may be missing something. But my experience with CRGE was lack luster. Not bad, just not what I needed. It seems to me to be an elaborate "Yes/no" oracle and some guidance. Some people seem to get a lot out of just that, but not me.
|
|
|
|
|
Unfairly overlooked by many, CRGE earns top marks. It is easy to use and provides much-needed structure to solo games without being overbearing. Anyone can pick up and play with CRGE in minutes; the same can’t always be said of other products in the same space.
|
|
|
|
|
Excellent tool for solo roleplaying. A true must have.
|
|
|
|
|
I haven't played RPGs since I left university 30 years ago. This system is brilliant and has allowed my to solo for the first time in decades. Thank you.
|
|
|
|
|
I tried it for free and really liked it! Works great with my game. It even works well with the Mythic GM Emulator. So I ordered it again and paid for it. Well worth the five bucks! Thanks for a great product!
|
|
|
|
|
Although I have never gotten Mythic GM Emulator book and I wasn't sure if I should get it or not, I found that CRGE was free (pay what you will for it,) I decided to get this one instead and found that this is totally worth it! From what I read, it seems Mythic GM Emulator is exactly just like CGRE, so you should pick up CGRE first (be sure to give support such as donation or ratings!) This book shows you how to roll from tables based on yes/no questions you would normally ask the GM to make the game come to life. For example, you would ask yourself out loud, "Is there a door in this room?" and roll the dices. If it's a no, you would find another way and ask different questions to get out of the dungeon and such. It's challenging to come up with your own questions at first, but it becomes easier as you proceed through the game. I recommend you to get the 2 other companion books called BOLD and UNE that brings random NPC and stories to life in combination with this. It would seem like a LOT of paperworks and spreadsheets, but think of them as moving parts of an engine. It's a lot better than video games and computers on rainy days when you just want to use your imagination.
|
|
|
|
|
Review of CRGE, Conjectural Roleplaying GM Emulator.
Description. CRGE is a universal game tool where you can emulate a GM's simple, basic responses to random events as they are created by the game's mechanics. It is NOT a replacement for a living, breathing human being, BUT it is a pretty good tool to create random events on-the-fly with simple questions and dice rolls.
Rules are easy to understand, simply laid-out for the reader. CRGE draws much influence from Mythic Role-Playing Game engine in the form of Yes / No questions and resolution chart. I think personally it does a better job of handling increasing intensity in the RPG game, but CRGE does not handle random events as well as Mythic. This is a tool, not a game - so, it is fun to use only if you think your RPG Core Rules are fun to play.
The Layout and Design of this product is simple, straight-forward. Nothing gets in the way of reading and absorbing the information. (A few more nicely-rendered illustrations may have helped, but not necessary.)
Is it worth the money? as you can Pay What You Want, I say it is definitely worth a few bucks. I suggest that you purchase this product, try it for yourself, if the reviews give you a clear idea as to what this game product can provide for your RPGs as a tool.
|
|
|
|
Creator Reply: |
Thank you for the review! |
|
|
|
|
A poor man's Mythic GM; it's a universal [generic] supplement [not an all-in-one solution], not an actual full, detailed RPG. So no character creation, genre tables, XP, or anything detailed like that. Once again (see TOSS) it's pretty much a 25-page brainstorming blogspot post. I understand the author (who is a Nice Guy and very smart) spent two years drafting this, and it's pay what you wish, but this is a super niche product with hardly any reviews and community buzz. Don't get me wrong, you will probably take a couple of things from this for your solo adventures or if you are into random generations or coming up with character backgrounds. But this is no Mythic or Covetous Poet, even with the cool oracle charts.
FU (The FreeformUniversal RPG) is much more popular, but has similar flaws, as they are not really "systems" per se. John Fiore's 9Qs sticks to the basics as a kickstarter of plot ideas.
The author's goals seem grand, but CRGE is just one tool in your box. I'm getting tired of the 100% agnostic freeform supplements. Even GURPS has specific modules/themes/more specifics than the plethora of solo supplements that feel like untested thought experiments.
The sad part is you could combine UNE + TOSS + BOLD + TOSS, and you still don't equal MYTHIC or COVETOUS POET, or even a quick solo game on RPGSOLO.com.
|
|
|
|
Creator Reply: |
Thank you for the review! You are correct that this is just one tool, a mere GM emulator. I intended it to be as transparent as I could in overlaying almost any RPG I could think of. It was playtested with FATE, World of Darkness, and even Chuubo\'s to give way to those RPG\'s story mechanics first and foremost. Mythic RPG and Covetous Poet are way more comprehensive for sure, but I\'ve seen that solo RPG\'ers love to play around with tools in their toolbox to create the exact system for their needs. Happy solo gaming! |
|
|
|
|
Either for free or $5, this is a pretty solid product. It takes the meat of the Mythic GM Emulator and installs simpler elements based off of narrative structure to add variety without making things too complicated. I was especially fond of the three-tiered structure, allowing you to go from a sandbox game all the way up to a structured, plot-driven story if you so choose. Rather than Mythic's Chaos Factor (which most other GM emulators strip out) it includes three oracle tables based on the nature of the scene, with skewed results depending on if the scene is geared towards learning what's going on, coming into conflict, or tying things up. It's a neat little solution.
The system runs great in my test run, but it left me wanting a random event generator like Mythic's, which is an extremely useful tool for coming up with ideas on the fly. There's also the inherent paperwork which comes with managing any GM emulator (though far, FAR less than actually being a GM). Namely, tracking plot threads, NPCs, the kind of scene being played, etc. This isn't really a knock against the system, since most GM emulators are like that, but it's something to be aware of.
All in all, it's a great replacement for Mythic, though I'd personally use elements from both.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|