I admit to not reviewing as much as I should and when I do it is usually in response to negative reviews that miss the point of a product. In this instance it is on the axis of just not getting the issues we face in the gaming community due to a constant and defensive mindset amongst members of the community that started playing during the satanic panic era. I understand this and have had to overcome my defensiveness brought on by my own experiences.

I also have the dubious advantage of dealing with issues brought up by other traumas and can see how my defensiveness and post traumatic stress affects others around me. Several of my fellow GM's and myself have used similar sheets to the one they have provided though theirs is far and away better than what I ever came up with. Also while Sean and Shanna use in this pamphlet can come of at times condescending and a bit intellectualist, they are only attempting what others in the gaming industry are trying to do. Open the discussion and make the gaming table a welcoming place for everyone.

If you do not feel you need this, that is fine. You are not everyone. I however have had to explain to peoples at many times that there are several things that need to be off scene and not approached as they will undoubtedly cause me to react negatively. I thank Sean K. Reynolds, Shanna Germain and ultimately Monte Cooke for putting out this product and getting the conversation if not started then moving further alonng.

As you will no doubt notice, I don't normally review games. I am doing it here however to address some of the compliments and complaints that have been said here by others. As you can see, I did not give this a five star review. That is not to say it isn't a great game and rather quick to pick up. Nor is it saying that this game doesn't have its flaws. In truth, the dream of a perfect game for every setting is a pure fantasy andf those that believe they have found it are deluding themselves.

The reason for my four star rating has something to do with what a person wrote in the one star review here. They called this game a fan-fiction. It's not. It is also not the game that many of us fell in love with back those any years ago. What it is in many ways is a love letter to all us fans of the original setting and a way for us to introduce new friends to this world we have waxed poetically about for the last several years.

That being said, there are those that have felt betrayed by the fact that the game doesn't follow the trend of having every nuance explored and it being a hundred percent faithful to the original. Most of the gameplay and much of the fluff has been rewritten with a whole nation added to the continent of Theah and the game being pushed away from the ultra detailed minutia oriented character creation and obsessive game balance towards what it was trying to convey in the first place. A game where you play as a cinematic hero.

Is this game for everyone? No, but then what game is? It is a niche that I hope to introduce my friends to and share an adventure on the high seas for a long time. A thanks to the good folks at John Wick Presents and here's to a good journey over the next several months.