[MisterJohnson]

I've heard a lot of good things about Eclipse Phase, but I'm concerned that the lack of permanent death makes for a less suspenseful game. For those who've actually played it, is this an issue at all?

No.  It actually opens up a lot of issues.  It's quite a neat take on transhumanity conundrums.

What I should have written is .. "It opens up a lot of *possibilities*."   I like the mechanics, and the game world is well thought out with many factions and things to work into a campaign.

[JustADude]

I've heard a lot of good things about Eclipse Phase, but I'm concerned that the lack of permanent death makes for a less suspenseful game. For those who've actually played it, is this an issue at all?

Lack of "permanent death" is a MAJOR plus in my book. As a player for obvious reasons, and as a GM because I avoid killing PCs as often as I can (meaning I won't kill a PC off entirely unless they want their character to die).

Okay, I've never even heard of Eclipse Phase, but this has me intrigued. Could someone please elucidate on why PCs can't ever die for good?

[MisterJohnson]

I've heard a lot of good things about Eclipse Phase, but I'm concerned that the lack of permanent death makes for a less suspenseful game. For those who've actually played it, is this an issue at all?

Lack of "permanent death" is a MAJOR plus in my book. As a player for obvious reasons, and as a GM because I avoid killing PCs as often as I can (meaning I won't kill a PC off entirely unless they want their character to die).

Okay, I've never even heard of Eclipse Phase, but this has me intrigued. Could someone please elucidate on why PCs can't ever die for good?

In a nutshell, you can't "die" because your 'self' the essence what what makes you you... your memories and such can be uploaded to a computer and then transferred to another body.  So, now imagine that you'd like to visit Mars, well then, go to the upload center and then farcast (beam yourself) to Mars.  Once there, your self gets downloaded into a new meat body. If you are in combat and your body gets too damaged, your most recent upload can then be dropped into a new body.  this can cause a lapse of memory if it had been awhile since your last upload.  Also, to be clear - you can die - if you have no copy of your 'self' anywhere.  Otherwise, in essence, people can never truly 'die'.

[JustADude]

In a nutshell, you can't "die" because your 'self' the essence what what makes you you... your memories and such can be uploaded to a computer and then transferred to another body.  So, now imagine that you'd like to visit Mars, well then, go to the upload center and then farcast (beam yourself) to Mars.  Once there, your self gets downloaded into a new meat body. If you are in combat and your body gets too damaged, your most recent upload can then be dropped into a new body.  this can cause a lapse of memory if it had been awhile since your last upload.  Also, to be clear - you can die - if you have no copy of your 'self' anywhere.  Otherwise, in essence, people can never truly 'die'.

Ah, gotcha, so less "Total Immortality" and more "Save File".

[CanRay]

Like Spider Jerusalem going to LA in Transmetropolitan.  Gotcha.

[Black]

Deadlands: Hell on Earth
NWOD: Hunters game, perhaps not the actual Hunters: The Vigil material.

[KarmaInferno]

If you are in combat and your body gets too damaged, your most recent upload can then be dropped into a new body.  this can cause a lapse of memory if it had been awhile since your last upload.  Also, to be clear - you can die - if you have no copy of your 'self' anywhere.  Otherwise, in essence, people can never truly 'die'.

At least one of the published adventures opens with your team waking up in a med-lab, missing two weeks of memories.

[spoiler]You quickly find out that apparently two weeks ago your previous iterations went off on a trip. On this trip they may have encountered something that caused them to commit suicide. And that something may be on it's way to where you are now.[/spoiler]

So yeah, lots of existential horror in Eclipse Phase. And plenty of regular body horror too, just think about nanotech in a horror setting.

On the other hand, EP is a game where you can play a sentient octopus, a floating cloud of dust, and robots.


-k

[JustADude]

On the other hand, EP is a game where you can play a sentient octopus, a floating cloud of dust, and robots.

How about a floating cloud of octopus-shaped sentient robots?

Hey, don't look at me like that, you know CanRay would've said it eventually anyway.

[KarmaInferno]

Actually, yes. Yes you can.

You can even play a star-diving space whale.



-k

[All4BigGuns]

I think the EP character I built but never got to play was a Fury. Can't remember for sure though. Been a while since I've looked at it.

[The Doomed One]

Another fun thing about Eclipse Phase is that, because it is creative commons, people can do things like this. So if you are curious about the contents of the books you can see for yourself, and decide if you like it before buying it.

[MisterJohnson]

I thought of another game, which admittedly I have not played myself for years and years, but I liked it a lot ...  TORG.  That was another world-altering RPG where 'the Gods' came down and wreaked havoc with the reality of Earth.  Depending on your geographic location there might have been a new reality to that area - such as pulp fiction, cybermancy or living lands - and others.  It was sort-of a generic types of system (but complex) where you could basically play any genre of game within the same world.  So, your players could be fighting dinosaurs in the western USA then fly to the UK and meet with their elven friends.

Anyways, I liked that game - and going back to the original question... if I did not play SR, that's a game I'd like to try playing again.

[nakano]

L5R 4th Edition and Dark Heresy would be my top two choices.  Old World of Darkness would be a runner up to those two.

[FraustyTheSnowman]

Hell, I'd love to PLAY Shadowrun. From junior high until now, the only people who would run a game besides me (with one or two one night exceptions) generally handed out 50+ karma per session,  mullions of nuyen, and ran their existing characters as NPCs (to keep us actual PCs on track...).

Outside of SR, I run/play Pathfinder, would love to play Earthdawn, Fading Suns, Starwars (by the way, starwars was not ment to be played with a d20 in my opinion).

[Outrider45]

I know that eventually the Shadowrun game I play in will end at some point so I have been concidering what I'd like to play as well.

1) more Eclipse Phase! I'm loving this game and so is the wife (bonus!). It's just cool and provided our group can find a stable location to keep playing this is the replacement.

2) Cthulhu Tech

3) Mutants and Masterminds

A possible addition would be Airship Pirates but I need to read the book before I decide to go full out with this setting. I also see CanRay dancing at the mention of Airship Pirates...

If I had to run another game....sigh.... I'd run the Delta Green setting for Call of Cthulhu by Pagan Publishing. Its just excellent.