Rocket Age

Great game, nice alternate history and it uses the same system as Doctor Who so it makes for great cross-over games

Super

Rocket Age could be a wonderful game, allowing roleplayers to experience the thrills and moral simplicity of an earlier approach to entertainment, as exemplified in "Buck Rogers" and "Flash Gordon". Unfortunately what Mr. Spencer has chosen to do is to create a solar system of enormous scope and complexity, with various colonial nations vying with each other and with the natives of the planets they are attempting to dominate. So complex and morally murky are the issues presented here that any player hoping to represent the forces of truth and righteousness, as is usually the case in this genre, is going to have a VERY hard time choosing where to place his/her loyalty.There are better games for approaching this genre, and I would recommend that you look into those.

Rocket Age is a love-letter to the science fiction pulps of the 1930s. Think Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, John Carter, or even Dan Dare from the 1950s. It's two-fisted heroism and four-color characters. The game's setting is an alternate 1930s where the use of "radium" has driven humanity to the stars in shining rocket ships with ray guns strapped to their hip. Lead by the U.S. Rocket Rangers (as seen on the cover), this game is all about the tropes and themes of the pulps it honors.The game system is the same system used in Dr Who: Adventurers in Time & Space, though I've never played that particular game. The system plays fast and and loose, with characters being encouraged to be brave and take risks. Skills are broad. Transport covers all forms of transportation, whether you're riding a lizard-mount from Mars or flying a Rocketship. All Melee combat is covered by Fighting - whether by fist or sword. Characters built on a point system, which can be spent individually or used to purchase a racial package and a professional package. Then they can be customized by evocative traits (both positive and negative) like "Man of Science!" or "Unlucky." These points can also be used to buy high-tech equipment, like rayguns, rocketpacks, or spaceships. In addition to humans, you can play ape-like creatures from Venus, machavellian aliens from Europa (a moon of Jupiter), or one of the many castes of natives to Mars - along with several other options.The system is simple and easy to teach, whether for skill use or combat. It lends itself well to the fast n' furious nature of pulp. In fact, most of this book is taken up describing the setting and evoking the tone of the genre - less than 30 pages detail the actual mechanics of the game's dice rolling.In short, if you're looking for a pulp sci-fi setting, Rocket Age is it. It's got a broad setting that can be easily used to tell all kinds of pulp stories and the game's mechanic is easy enough to be picked up by new gamers - yet the traits and character creation system have sufficient depth for more experienced gamers. In short, this game is well worth getting.

Despite the rather cruddy cover art, this is very nice game. It runs well, and has more than a handful of convenient mechanics. I find it really easy to run a campaign, a lot easier than some of the other steampunk RPGs.

Format classique pour un jeu de rôle aux règles simples(et pour utiliser la formule consacrée"mais pas simplistes" ) et à la présentation soignée.c'est vraiment le jeu que voulais pour créer des aventures inspirées de Flash Gordon,Buck Rogers et John Carter.le background est notre système solaire dans une uchronie qu démarre au début du XXéme Siècle de notre bonne vieille Terre,avant la 2ème Guerre Mondiale:nos grandes puissances(USA,URSS,Allemagne,France,Angleterre,etc...) se lancent à la conquête des autres planètes et font la rencontre d'étranges peuples plus ou moins enclins à les laisser s'installer sur leurs domaines.Les races extraterrestres présentées dans ce livre de bas,exotiques et stéréotypées à souhait, sont détaillées avec soin et jouables en tant que personnages et offrent des possibilités savoureuses de roleplay.le jeu a un très agréable parfum de SF à l'ancienne,entre "Planète Interdite" et les serials des années 30,avec une délicieuse naîveté assumée,un brin d'humour et de la grande Aventure épique au coeur des étoiles(les fameux Rocket Rangers illustrés sur la couverture)juste un peu dommage que les divers vaisseaux spatiaux présentés ne soient pas accompagnés d'une illustration aidant à leur description(mais bon,après tout,une fusée,c'est une fusée)c'est un de mes coups de foudre en jeux de rôle de ces dernieres années(avec "Barbarians Of Lemuria" de S.Washbourne et "The Void" de chez Wildfire)