Finally got the game to the table for a test run. The group had done some ICRPG, another rules-light game, not long ago, so I thought this would be an easy pick-up game… Nope. The dice system is light, and can quickly get you through a basic combat or task check, but what about everything else? The concept here seems to be: you will need to adjudicate the details. And for seasoned RPGers, there will be details. For a system that prides itself on quick resolution via minimal rule look-up, I think it neglects to acknowledge that players will either try to find a rule that isn’t there, or will want to discuss the merits of a new rule/mechanic to handle that particular situation. Either way, not quick. For example, before starting the adventure, I reviewed with them the Wealth rule. It is abstracted into levels. No coins. You are a certain ‘level’ of wealth. And wealth advancement/loss is arbitrary, based on narrative - which, again, is adjudicated. Having something so abstract that affects so many other aspects of the game was obviously going to throw up some red flags. There went our first 15 minutes. And with no resolution - primarily because we decided it was going to be a one-shot and thus it was mostly irrelevant. The same issues were prevalent with magical effects. And combat tactics. And on and on. I shouldn’t have given the players the rulebook. If your players don’t ask too many questions, or don’t think outside of the 2-dimensional d6-box that these rules put them in, this game may play as fast and smoothly as it claims. But our first session went slower than a game of 5e with all the stopping, hammering out details and new core concepts, and having multiple discussions of “can I”. I think it would have been much easier if I just told them it was a board game. All-in-all, I would not put this in the category of a rules-light system, but rather an incomplete game concept with some assembly required.

The rating is both for content and the POD product:

The content is concise and generic - which is exactly what I was looking for. Surprisingly, I found that even though I used many of these basic, common-sense soloing procedures before purchasing the book, the formalized sheets and processes were a helpful jumping-off point for me to create more specific tables for my various game systems.

The POD copy was my second physical purchase from DriveThruRPG. It was a soft copy, and is comparable to what I would puchase from my local game store. I also, previously purchased the Ironsworn harback POD. I believe they were both processed by the same company? Both products were professionally done, and took only a few weeks to arrive on my doorstep.

The backstory is an ideological diatribe which soured my first impression of the game, but the gameplay sections are a smoother read, with the author mostly down from his soapbox and focused on (what looks like) a compelling system with a nice amount of depth for use in longer campaigns. Overall, an interesting setup, and the muck of a backstory looks to be easily separated from the rest of the game mechanics and setting, allowing for an enjoyable rpg experience without the armchair politics.