Close
Close
Browse Categories
$ to $















Vampire Translation Guide $3.99
Publisher: White Wolf
pixel_trans.gif
by Chris H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/30/2014 07:43:48

Originally I was going to give it a one star rating, but to be fair to WW, which I have been a ravenous supporter since 1991, and especially Matt McFarland, I revisited it to be sure what I remembered was still the case. I got the VTG because I had been putting together an old WoD TT game but wanted to use the new WoD system because at the time I thought it was better and this book would be invaluable. Obviously, right?

Actually no, not so much. Hence my bitterness. I had put so much thought and research into my new hybrid system that by the time this book came out I simply could not accept what Matt had done. Up to that point I had no problem with his previous work. Primarily my displeasure was, and still is, for the disciplines. In my extensive investigation regarding them, I had eventually come up with a very unsatisfying answer from the developers and authors of disciplines. The concluding reason for the seemingly random array of Attribute+Ability+whatever else that were sometimes and sometimes not vs a multitude of the same type of combinations that were also sometimes subtracted dice and sometimes contested rolls was......”just because” and/or “that's what we felt like doing”.

I know that the editing from WW has been lacking (minor or otherwise) since the beginning of time, but the new WoD seems to have taken it to a whole new level of frenzied C&P without regard for formatting. I am happy though that they stopped using the font for subheadings they did in the Vampire core book and the frequency of offensive mishaps also seems to have lessened of the years.

Also, the first time I read VTG, it felt like it was written in a weekend and till now had held onto that thought. This was evidently successfully done with H.O.L. And that book was friggin' awesome, but in this case I did not like. It gave the impression that it was pushed out for publication as a place holder or to fit a quota or something like that. After looking at it again, I have to rescind that thought, but not completely. It still seems to lack “Quality” (for lack of a better word) and that disappointed me quite a bit. I do acknowledge that a .99 cent price tag could alleviate a lot of that perception, I am a collector as well and purchased the dead-tree format.

Along those same lines, I think there could have been a lot more to it. Both crunch and meat for both the content that is there and that which was missed or left out intentionally. There may have been at one time, but what they published simply seems inadequate at best. I would have gladly payed more for more and would have been happier for it.

All that said, my favorite rule in all of the WW games is “the golden rule” which is basically, if you don't like a rule, toss it and make something that works for you. I have been using this almost as long as I have been storytelling and it works well. I have spawned quite a few ideas in other ST's from my own. In one instance, a completely new WoD setting was dreamed up from an idea I had. My point here is, even if the ideas and rules in this book are not for you (me), it still does have the potential to procreate others simply by presenting them. I get ideas for games from some of the strangest places sometimes.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif Back
You must be logged in to rate this
pixel_trans.gif
Vampire Translation Guide
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

0 items
 Gift Certificates