- Joined
- Apr 15, 2014
Randall Reads a Terrible RPG
Part 24: A reflection on game design and entertainment (aka why FATAL is a better game than Wraeththu)
We've done it folks. Although it took nearly a year due to procrastination various distracting shit, we've suffered through one of the worst RPGs I have ever read.
In fact, I'm going to make an assertion right now that some of you may find shocking, or vehemently disagree with. That Wraeththu is a worse game than the infamously bad FATAL.
"But Randall" you may think, "FATAL is god awful. The mechanics are an autistic clusterfuck of math, the author has a disgusting fixation on rape, and it's altogether vile, juvenile, and offensive. For all it's flaws, Wraeththu has a game system that, while clunky, can actually be played."
While these are all very valid points, I would like to point out the one thing on which my argument hinges.
No one in their right mind would actually want to seriously play either of these games. Forget the ease of play when comparing them, because precisely zero people will want to play a non-ironic game of Wraeththu or FATAL.
Wraeththu's setting is terrible. It's based on a series of obscure 70s Sci-Fi novels that only yaoi fangirls have even heard of. The player race are obnoxious Mary Sues who nobody but a misanthropic jackass would relate to. The world is awash in so much new-age woo woo and "humans are da rael monsters u guis" that it ends up making you root for the humans, who are the faceless mooks you're supposed to exterminate. The mechanics, while playable, are clunky and annoying, and a good munchkin could completely break them.
The forum comments from Gabe Strange are rather enlightening, because it shows that the designers of the game tried to make what was originally a fanfiction guide into a massive, universal RPG system which would be the best thing ever and have everything in it. They shot way too high, trying to focus on making it as 'realistic' as possible and adding as much stuff in, without even making sure that it worked properly.
FATAL suffers from the same problem, given it's authors insistence on how 'historically accurate' it is. However, the big difference here is that FATAL is autistic enough to actually dump in as many useless, stupid, and baffling mechanics that it becomes hilarious (character classes such as 'lice picker'. The Urination skill. AN ACTUAL R.ETARD STRENGTH ROLL).
And this is why FATAL is a better game than Wraeththu. Because it's so over the top terrible that it turns around and becomes gut bustingly funny.
FATAL has achieved infamy as the worst RPG of all time. If someone brings it up in an RPG conversation people either get squeamish or start laughing. There's so much stupid, stupid shit. The armor that turns you into racial stereotypes. Infant anal circumference modifiers. Being inflicted with disgusting sexual disorders after casting magic missile. Randomly raping your opponent in the middle of combat. Every page of FATAL turns up something new and awful to laugh at.
In contrast, Wraeththu is just kinda boring. There's funny shit to riff on in it, but it's between long slogs of boring shit that's painful to read through. The mechanics aren't terrible enough to be funny, but not good enough to be decent. It isn't even capable of becoming infamous as a bad RPG, like FATAL, Racial Holy War, or World of Synnibar.
In sheer entertainment value, FATAL kicks Wraeththu's ass and then sodomizes it with a young child (Wraeththu rolled well on anal circumference). And that is why it's a better game, even though it's much more unplayable than Wraeththu.
In summary
And with that, I officially end this review of a terrible years old RPG.
Now it's on to whatever @Splendid Meat Sticks and I choose to do next. Either Racial Holy War, Black Tokyo, or something else. Vote here faggots.
Part 24: A reflection on game design and entertainment (aka why FATAL is a better game than Wraeththu)
We've done it folks. Although it took nearly a year due to procrastination various distracting shit, we've suffered through one of the worst RPGs I have ever read.
In fact, I'm going to make an assertion right now that some of you may find shocking, or vehemently disagree with. That Wraeththu is a worse game than the infamously bad FATAL.
"But Randall" you may think, "FATAL is god awful. The mechanics are an autistic clusterfuck of math, the author has a disgusting fixation on rape, and it's altogether vile, juvenile, and offensive. For all it's flaws, Wraeththu has a game system that, while clunky, can actually be played."
While these are all very valid points, I would like to point out the one thing on which my argument hinges.
No one in their right mind would actually want to seriously play either of these games. Forget the ease of play when comparing them, because precisely zero people will want to play a non-ironic game of Wraeththu or FATAL.
Wraeththu's setting is terrible. It's based on a series of obscure 70s Sci-Fi novels that only yaoi fangirls have even heard of. The player race are obnoxious Mary Sues who nobody but a misanthropic jackass would relate to. The world is awash in so much new-age woo woo and "humans are da rael monsters u guis" that it ends up making you root for the humans, who are the faceless mooks you're supposed to exterminate. The mechanics, while playable, are clunky and annoying, and a good munchkin could completely break them.
The forum comments from Gabe Strange are rather enlightening, because it shows that the designers of the game tried to make what was originally a fanfiction guide into a massive, universal RPG system which would be the best thing ever and have everything in it. They shot way too high, trying to focus on making it as 'realistic' as possible and adding as much stuff in, without even making sure that it worked properly.
FATAL suffers from the same problem, given it's authors insistence on how 'historically accurate' it is. However, the big difference here is that FATAL is autistic enough to actually dump in as many useless, stupid, and baffling mechanics that it becomes hilarious (character classes such as 'lice picker'. The Urination skill. AN ACTUAL R.ETARD STRENGTH ROLL).
And this is why FATAL is a better game than Wraeththu. Because it's so over the top terrible that it turns around and becomes gut bustingly funny.
FATAL has achieved infamy as the worst RPG of all time. If someone brings it up in an RPG conversation people either get squeamish or start laughing. There's so much stupid, stupid shit. The armor that turns you into racial stereotypes. Infant anal circumference modifiers. Being inflicted with disgusting sexual disorders after casting magic missile. Randomly raping your opponent in the middle of combat. Every page of FATAL turns up something new and awful to laugh at.
In contrast, Wraeththu is just kinda boring. There's funny shit to riff on in it, but it's between long slogs of boring shit that's painful to read through. The mechanics aren't terrible enough to be funny, but not good enough to be decent. It isn't even capable of becoming infamous as a bad RPG, like FATAL, Racial Holy War, or World of Synnibar.
In sheer entertainment value, FATAL kicks Wraeththu's ass and then sodomizes it with a young child (Wraeththu rolled well on anal circumference). And that is why it's a better game, even though it's much more unplayable than Wraeththu.
In summary
And with that, I officially end this review of a terrible years old RPG.
Now it's on to whatever @Splendid Meat Sticks and I choose to do next. Either Racial Holy War, Black Tokyo, or something else. Vote here faggots.
