I'll first preface this by stating that I am one of the game's authors,
though NOT a part of Precis Intermedia.
I'm a regular guy with a normal job who happened to get lucky
enough to do some freelancing on this title.
That said...
HardNova 2 Revised & Expanded is a low-cost, standalone RPG
overflowing with what you'd normally see in most publishers' entire game line.
For starters, you get several player character aliens, a setting, stock ships, gadgets & gear,
creatures, and even 16 adventures (called "scenarios").
The amount of content for a core rulebook is quite impressive, actually.
Let's face it, there's games out there that spoon-feed you every rule.
I don't have time for complicated, bogged-down systems with unnecessary info that
I won't use, like how long my character can hold his water before his bladder explodes.
HN2RE keeps everything simple by giving you only the rules you need
(but built to allow for tinkering if that's your thing).
Upon some familiarity, you'll be amazed at how easy it is creating new
gimmicks, species, creatures, starships, or anything else you can dream up...
Trust me when I say this game can handle almost any space setting out there -
whether sword & planet, hard sci-fi, or even space opera.
You won't spend hours just creating a character in order to play, either.
In fact, character generation can be accomplished in a breezy 10 minutes or so.
Or pick a template from the back of the book's pages, name the character,
grab some gear, and off you go even faster! Heck, task resolution is even uncomplicated:
Roll 2d6, subtract from ability + skill & compare that margin to a Difficulty.
Viola!
It's a small wonder why this game has managed to survive for 10 years,
but what's different about this new anniversary edition vs. the one before it?
Some improvements include:
- smoother mechanics (better organized combat & removal of extra task resolutions)
- 9 extra player character species (one isn't found in any official supplement!)
- notes for playing hybrid characters
- character Roles (such as Beastmaster, Mercenary, Pirate, etc.)
- further skills and gimmicks (some exclusive to HardNova 2 Revised & Expanded)
- new weapons and armor
- 88 more creatures (even spaceborne ones, a HardNova first!)
- updated alien artwork
- revised star map displaying new species' home planets
- additional starships (including a debut!)
In a nutshell? Bigger! Better! Badder!
If you want a fun, easy-to-learn sci-fi game with lots of support*
that uses normal dice you probably already have in an old board game laying around,
do yourself a solid and buy this RPG.
It's too good not to.
*http://www.pigames.net
or, feel free to visit this product's forum thread for questions or further discussion:
http://www.pigames.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=2247
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