The Gaming Den

Im on a Stalker fever right now, playing the PC game, reading the book, and watching the movie.

I know there is an actual Stalker rpg out there, but never read it. So, how is it ? Any good ? And which "Stalker" is it based on - the novel, the movie or the game ?

Thanks,

Is it a game about stalking people

reading the book

Which book? "Roadside Picnic", or one of the hundreds books based on game?

EDIT: Apparently there are multiple different RPGs.

Longes wrote:

reading the book

Which book? "Roadside Picnic", or one of the hundreds books based on game?

EDIT: Apparently there are multiple different RPGs.

Roadside Picnic.

And the game I heard about is this one here, I think: http://www.burgergames.com/stalker/EN_web/

silva wrote:And the game I heard about is this one here, I think: http://www.burgergames.com/stalker/EN_web/

That one's based on the Strugatsky novel and the Tarkovsky film. (I have the original Finnish edition.) It doesn't present any objective truth behind the Visitation that took place thirteen years ago, only various theories developed by researchers and believers since then: might've been aliens from outer space, could've been an interdimensional anomaly. In fact, if the players ever begin to think that they really understand the Zones, the GM is always encouraged to show them wrong.

It's a good match for the setting, with the caveat that expecting any great tactical detail from the system will only lead to disappointment. The resolution mechanic for meaningful conflicts is based on the GM evaluating both the player's idea for a course of action and how it's roleplayed out on a scale from one to five, with an appropriate ability on the character sheet earning a bonus to both. Those two values are then multiplied by each other and the result compared to a difficulty level between two and thirty. This applies even in combat: opponents don't have a stat block as such, only a toughness rating for determining the difficulty of overcoming them.

However, a player may also choose to spend a point from the appropriate attribute for the rest of the session in exchange for an automatic success, a lucky break, or a new clue. This acts as HP of sorts, as well, since you can do that to avoid being defeated until the attribute runs out. The eight attributes are rated on a scale from zero to five, and they're derived from the number of related abilities (divided by two and rounded up). You get to pick ten of the abilities (for example, "Bureaucrat", "Demolitions", "Sixth Sense", and so on) during chargen, but each of them comes with some associated drawback.

The likes of that "Bureaucrat" ability might turn out to be useful because there's no reason why an entire campaign couldn't revolve around illegal artifact trade in some major city, for instance.

Let's just hope he has a good GM, who will give HAPPINESS FOR EVERYBODY, FREE, AND LET NO ONE GO AWAY UNSATISFIED.

Thanks for the info, Yann. Im trying to track down the book, as Im a total fan of the Stalker "multiverse".

About the game, on a superficial reading of reviews on the net, Im finding it interesting, if a bit on the bland side for my tastes. I will post more impressions after Ive read it.

Lounges wrote:Let's just hope he has a good GM, who will give HAPPINESS FOR EVERYBODY, FREE, AND LET NO ONE GO AWAY UNSATISFIED.

Sorry, I dont get it. Whats does this mean ?

silva wrote:Thanks for the info, Yann. Im trying to track down the book, as Im a total fan of the Stalker "multiverse".

About the game, on a superficial reading of reviews on the net, Im finding it interesting, if a bit on the bland side for my tastes. I will post more impressions after Ive read it.

Lounges wrote:Let's just hope he has a good GM, who will give HAPPINESS FOR EVERYBODY, FREE, AND LET NO ONE GO AWAY UNSATISFIED.

Sorry, I dont get it. Whats does this mean ?

It's a reference to Redrick's wish in the end of the Roadside Picnic.

Oh yeah! Totally! How I could have forget that!