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Danin
2010-01-16, 12:40 PM
I got a free preview for the game on free RPG day a while back and only now took a look at it. It seems rather awesome, and just what I was looking for in a change of setting (Been playing D&D for 6 years, time to branch out). I have a fair knowledge of the Warhammer universe, but I have a few questions about the setting if anyone could be so kind as to answer them for me:

1. How is the system? Are there balance issues? What kind of play should I expect from it?

2. How effective is melee? From the demo it seems... underwhelming.

3. Are there rules for playing races other than humans? (Eldar, Tau, Orks, Tyranids, Necrons and Kroot most specifically)

4. Are there pre-published modules that I could use to get into the game? How are they?

5. Do you enjoy the game? I generally find the views and opinions expressed here are in keeping with my own, so you all should be a pretty accurate judge of my potential to enjoy it.

6. Warhammer is generally a very lethal system. Does that translate over to Rogue Trader?

Any other comments or help would be useful. The $65 for the rulebook is not a decision I make lightly.

Grumman
2010-01-16, 12:49 PM
6. Warhammer is generally a very lethal system. Does that translate over to Rogue Trader?
I haven't played it but from what I have heard: definitely.

Dvil
2010-01-16, 03:44 PM
1. How is the system? Are there balance issues? What kind of play should I expect from it?

Well, from my limited experience, the only issue we've found so far is that if you're careless with your character, it takes a long time to heal damage back.




2. How effective is melee? From the demo it seems... underwhelming.

Melee certainly can be powerful. If you have a reasonable strength and a good weapon, you can cleave though mooks in combat just as fast as you can from range (discounting anything more powerful than a bolter on full-auto). I don't know how detailed your demo is, but the main combat career gets a special ability that improves proficiency in a particular weapon type, as well as melle talents available, so if you specialise then melee is an option. I think range is more powerful overall, but not by too much.



3. Are there rules for playing races other than humans? (Eldar, Tau, Orks, Tyranids, Necrons and Kroot most specifically)

There aren't any specific rules for such, but there are rules for enemies covering all races, so it wouldn't be too difficult to compare the human stats to the alien ones, and change a xeno PC's stats proportionally.




4. Are there pre-published modules that I could use to get into the game? How are they?

The only thing that I know of is the sample campaigns, in the rulebook and the GM's kit. I haven't tried them though.




5. Do you enjoy the game? I generally find the views and opinions expressed here are in keeping with my own, so you all should be a pretty accurate judge of my potential to enjoy it.

Yes. I'm a fan of 40k, and the system seems to work. It's quite fast-paced in general, but 40k is too.




6. Warhammer is generally a very lethal system. Does that translate over to Rogue Trader?

Well like I said, healing is slow, and only slows down as you take more damage. Generally though, the PCs have enough armour to get away with a few things.




Any other comments or help would be useful. The $65 for the rulebook is not a decision I make lightly.

Well, I'm running a PbP game (http://campaigns.6.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=298) on another forum, so I don't know if that'll help. It's my first time running a PbP so the style might not be the best to analyse the game from, but every little helps.

Matthew
2010-01-16, 08:01 PM
Nearly bought this the other day; I also have the free preview, though I thought that the "tiny head, giant gun" art style was a bit overstated.