[UA] Re: Bitterness

[matt ryan]

I thought I'd chime in, even though I haven't posted to this list in centuries.

I like the hidden concept of the game, that all of the political/magickal 
intrigue happens beneath the level of society noticeable to its citizens.
I like the idea that there aren't "good" and "evil" people - more or less 
-, only people with conflicting motivations, all of whom are merely 
following their own self-defined path towards "enlightenment".
I like how friggin' simple the game mechanics are. I think it adds to the 
"furious combat" angle of the game.
I like how the game isn't about the accumulation of treasure and the 
slaying of antagonists.
I like the creepy feeling of stories like "Bill in Three Parts".

I don't like the fact that I don't get to play much. My gaming group would 
rather play Deadlands, which is a fun game.

I bought Unknown Armies when it was first released because it was an Atlas 
Games product. My ultimately favorite RPG is Ars Magica, another of Atlas 
Games' products. I waited three years (I think) to play it. I will be 
buying the second edition, even thought it may be another three years 
before I play UA again.

(I like reading the list, too, by the way.)

matt
At 11:24 AM 4/11/02 +0200, you wrote:
>What I like:
>
>- the fact that all religions are equally bogus. I've seen enough modern-day
>games which use a barely disguised Judeo-Christian world view as truth for
>their settings. UA has its own mythology (and subsequent truth) instead.
>
>- the openness of said world view. There is still place for the Unexplained,
>even though the basic nature of the universe is explained. In effect, just
>about anything is possible.
>
>- the game system very easily converts to the system I use (out of habit,
>not because I don't like the UA system).
>
>- the relative openness of the magic system which does not only rely on
>spells but allows for other effects, too.
>
>What I don't like:
>
>- Above all, the name. I wasted about a year thinking that 'Unknown Armies'
>was probably a cosim gone half-assed RPG, or a modern-day Warhammer, or
>maybe Soldier Zombies from Hell. Some game with a primary focus on combat.
>Therefore completely useless to me.
>
>- Many schools of magic, many avatars are simply way above my head. I just
>don't get what motivates them, don't understand the taboos driving their
>magic, I cannot develop any feel for them. The same goes for a couple of
>other concepts. But that is probably related to:
>
>- I haven't read / watched most of the influential novels / movies UA
>apparently is based on. For instance I had never heard of Tim Powers or
>Charles DeLint. I did order a book by Powers, though, so I'm about to remedy
>that. Therefore, many things presented in UA are doubly arcane to me;
>incidentally many references on this list are, too. For instance, his
>highness, the Royal Minister of Stuff advised me: "(...) Like Edward
>Leedskalin and the coral castle in Florida or the Flying Dutchman." Clearly
>we've got vastly different frames of reference because I haven't got the
>slightest inkling who E.L. might be, have only seen a couple of photos of
>the coral castle and only a fleeting, faint memory of the Flying Dutchman.
>In other words, UA attracts a lot of people with similar (sub-) cultural
>background which isn't quite as easily available here in Germany.
>
>- ...and it's not 'Das Garten' but 'Der Garten'.
>
>Robin
>
>
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