[Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

[TheQuestionMan]

Greetings Herophiles, I picked up The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition) about 1758hrs just before my FLAGS closed and here is what I have learned so far.

 

 

Art: (4 out of 5) The Front Cover Art was well selected a group picture of the Sentinels, TAF's version of the JLA and Avengers. The Back Cover Art contains a selection of Supervillains. While not my what I'd pick they do make you curious enough to seek them out and check out their write ups. The Interior Art is consistent and thought provoking. Personally I like the style and hope they maintain it.

 

 

Layout: (4 out of 5) I think it would be better to section it out.

 

1. Table of Contentions - Its clear and easy to reference. Not too small and clear separations.

 

2. Introduction & How to use this Book - Short and sweet. Lets you jump right into TAF Universe in an amusing style.

 

3. Appendix 1 - Timeline of the TAF Universe is great and really brings the reader into the setting.

 

4. Appendix 2 - Adventures, Plots, and more...

 

Writing: (4 out of 5) - The Staff and Playtesters did a great job making sure that TAF was well written and organized.

 

 

Content: (4 out of 5) - Again it is better to section it out.

 

1. High Powered Superheroes and Supervillains galore. Great backgrounds and Character Sub Plots. The Write-Ups are logical and creative without being abusive. I have not picked a favorite yet, but I like the Hell's Belles

 

2. Maps, Drawings, and the BAR!!! What would our lives be like without the proper maps.

 

 

Summary: (4 out of 5) I need more time to absorb it, but I have to say it is... Fracking Awesome! The quality of the production and content make it more than worth the price (Canadian). My only complaint is the speed it took to get into my hot little hands and that's not their fault.

 

If your looking to run a High Powered Campaign without suffering from excessive Power Gaming this is the Allies/Enemies book for you. If your looking for some cool Maps and ideas you will be referencing TAF 2.0 for the next 25yrs. I kid you not. Great work folks.

 

 

 

Make mine Hero by Blackwyrm Games!

 

QM

 

 

P.S.: Sentinels Base Staff - Stan Kirby (Director of Facilities) and Darren Long (Chief Legal Counsel) .... ... ROFLOL!!!

[Balabanto]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

The Brawling Balabanto loves the Table of Contentions:

 

The Brawling Balabanto will run Malthus against Contention One, as Doc Steel and the Sentinels Save Lives,

 

Business Confidence also against Contention One, as they destroy vast amounts of property with attack misses,

 

And Wombat Paradigm just because.

[Longshadow]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Glad you liked it, QM. Maybe I don't hit these boards religiously enough, but I think you're the first person to actually point out any of the Easter Eggs.* There are a couple of others at least...I'm just snarky that way. A vaunted "Neo-No-Prize" to whoever pulls all of them out for display.

 

 

 

(*Strangely, none of the M&M posters over at that other forum picked up on "Darren Long," or at least none that I can remember. Odd that, huh? )

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

I really like the fact that the powers while powerful are not abusive, but I said so already. The way high powered characters should be.

 

 

Cheers

 

QM

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

The one I noticed was Stan Kirby, but that's a bit obvious, at least from a comic history perspective...

 

I do agree about the powergaming aspect. I was reading through a couple of characters and thinking, "Oh, that's an interesting writeup...holy schnikes! 900 points?!?" My next thought was "Oh, so that's why the character sheet is so easy to read, and fits on one page..."

 

 

Kevin "These characters all need at least 3 more limitations on each power" Schultz

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Many of the characters made use of Talents (with Book and Page Reference numbers).

 

Many also had lots of Contacts (The Superhero Community was my favourite.)

 

I do not understand the obsession with tidy numbers. Most characters are 800pts or 1000pts, or 1200pts, etc... , but I like it anyway.

 

They are so many Groups that I do not know where to begin...

 

 

QM

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Many of the characters made use of Talents (with Book and Page Reference numbers).

 

Many also had lots of Contacts (The Superhero Community was my favourite.)

 

I do not understand the obsession with tidy numbers. Most characters are 800pts or 1000pts, or 1200pts, etc... , but I like it anyway.

 

They are so many Groups that I do not know where to begin...

 

 

QM

 

Actually, this was a sticking point for me about the book.

 

With almost every character topping out at 800+ they all seemed to fall into Master Villain category either in Powers or Contacts. Just about every seemed to be as connected or self sufficient as a first world country.

 

Where's the incentive to bring any of these villains together? They're all so well connected and organized there's no villains actually on par with the average PC.

 

Sure, I'm glad it wasn't just lists and lists of Powers, but even then just about every villain was the equivelant of a PC Superteam in terms of resources. Or better.

[misterdeath]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Actually, this was a sticking point for me about the book.

 

With almost every character topping out at 800+ they all seemed to fall into Master Villain category either in Powers or Contacts. Just about every seemed to be as connected or self sufficient as a first world country.

 

Where's the incentive to bring any of these villains together? They're all so well connected and organized there's no villains actually on par with the average PC.

 

Sure, I'm glad it was just lists and lists of Powers, but even then just about every villain was the equivelant of a PC Superteam in terms of resources. Or better.

 

Depends on your superteam, I suppose. If you're running an 800-1000 point game, it's right on par.

 

If you're looking at 350 point starting Heroes, well the players better point whore for their lives in this setting, so I can see your point, and it's a good one.

 

I like the AF setting, and would like to see it developed more, because it offers something that I'm not seeing elsewhere; the higher powered setting for higher powered characters.

 

But, hey, that's just me.

 

D

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Depends on your superteam, I suppose. If you're running an 800-1000 point game, it's right on par.

 

If you're looking at 350 point starting Heroes, well the players better point whore for their lives in this setting, so I can see your point, and it's a good one.

 

I like the AF setting, and would like to see it developed more, because it offers something that I'm not seeing elsewhere; the higher powered setting for higher powered characters.

 

But, hey, that's just me.

 

D

 

I agree, as a setting it sounds great. And high powered, which is cool.

 

But there's no setting material to mark it against, only an NPC book.

 

Which means the only real benchmark I have is against the Standard Superhero setting in Champions (not the CU, just pulling Standard Superhero from the main book.) - because that's where most HERO gamers play.

[misterdeath]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

I agree, as a setting it sounds great. And high powered, which is cool.

 

But there's no setting material to mark it against, only an NPC book.

 

Which means the only real benchmark I have is against the Standard Superhero setting in Champions (not the CU, just pulling Standard Superhero from the main book.) - because that's where most HERO gamers play.

 

Truth.

 

So, Longshadow, when's the main setting coming out so we have something to compare things to.

 

D

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

They are High Powered, but still vulnerable to 350pt characters because they are built along Standard Superhero Campaign Levels.

 

I know I was comparing my 350pt characters against them and liking what I saw. I may not have the Connections, Favours, and Skills to match them, but I can match them on the Battlegrounds! That makes it a great book for me. It also shows how to maintain game balance while still building powerful characters.

 

 

 

 

Besides, Sentinels are TAF'verse's JLA/Avengers.

 

QM

[MitchellS]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

With almost every character topping out at 800+ they all seemed to fall into Master Villain category either in Powers or Contacts. Just about every seemed to be as connected or self sufficient as a first world country.

I think there's a big difference between the M&M and Champs versions of the two books. Most of the M&M write ups are in the PL 10-13 range. That makes them tough starting level threats but nothing extraordinary. Our group [average PL 11] had a great knockdown drag-out fight against The Sinister Circle just a couple of weeks ago [captured 5 of them]. I'm not sure if there's a conversion snafu or if you need to look past the points to see what the character's power level really is in the Hero version.

[Plex]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

I was a bit overwhelmed by the point cost also when I first started glossing over the product. I thought that if I wanted to use these characters for my game I was going to have to rewrite them. But once I actually started looking closer at build costs, it's not so bad for the most part. There will still be some characters I'll need to adjust, but overall I think I'll be able to use them as is. (I'm starting the game with the group at 350-375pts.) What I've really liked about the book so far is the well written character backgrounds and the bases.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

It's become clear to me that the Algernon designers have slightly different priorities than Steve Long and Co. The former like to lay on a lot more noncombat Skills, Talents, and Perks than the latter. Personally I like how broad and well-rounded these characters come across.

 

As TheQuestionMan and Plex point out, though, their combat capabilities are not excessive compared to published 5E characters. Attack and Defense size, Speed and CV would be much better points of comparison than point totals. However, my impression is that in most cases, if you cut down the AF characters' points by about 25% you'd be in the ballpark for the Hero Games characters that they rank with.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Besides' date=' Sentinels are TAF'verse's JLA/Avengers. [/quote']

 

I'm looking forward to seeing Darren and Steve's CU Sentinels, who play much the same role in that universe. I may just cull both books for a Sentinels' "all-star team."

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

The main power level discrepancy (as opposed to point total discrepancy) I see between the TAFverse and the CU is in DEX and SPD. The TAFverse (especially in TAF) seems to have both higher average DEX and SPD, and higher "high" DEXes and SPDs.

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Well here's the biggest difference I have:

 

When I look at comparing characters I don't just throw them down on the battle mat and go "Ok, are they combat balanced?"

 

Sure, many of the characters in TAG are combatively comparative to a Standard Super in most Champions games.

 

But once you add in all the others parts, and quite frankly I like only about 1/3 to a maximum of 1/2 my game to be Combat Related, the Algernon Characters quickly out strip their Champions counterparts - easily putting even some of the mundane villains into Minor Master Villain status on their non-combat capabilities alone.

 

Great, I could probably beat them up easily, but everywhere else I look like a chump with a stick.

 

I like that in my Master Villains where half the fun is story arcs or even entire campaigns trying to stop them. But every villain I encouter being intensly well connected and knowledgeable in just about every aspect they could be? The book starts to look like a collection of Mary Sues.

 

Not that it is, but I feel it dangerously approaches that threshold where the designers (and a number of people contributed to this book) all wanted to create the coolest characters they could.

 

I like the emphasis on non-combat abilities as much as the next guy, but it can easily tip too far in that direction creating Lists Of Skills just as much as you can create Lists Of Powers.

 

And all this coming from the guy who's own Champions Character spent close to 200 points on Skills themselves. I love skills, my favorite part of the game, but 300-400 points in Skills, Perks & Talents is the Non-Combat Eequivelant of the same overbalance in Combat Ability.

[mattingly]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

The TAFverse (especially in TAF) seems to have both higher average DEX and SPD, and higher "high" DEXes and SPDs.

I disagree with this one. The average DEX and SPD in the book (from the speed chart in back) are 20.17 and 4.47, including minions and minor characters. With just the full-page write-up characters (and also the Sentinel Reserves and Prometheans), they come to 22 and 4.86, still not terribly unreasonable. Out of 118 characters, the middle of the speed chart is the 59th character, the Serpent Queen (Human Form) at 18 and 5.

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

I disagree with this one. The average DEX and SPD in the book (from the speed chart in back) are 20.17 and 4.47' date=' including minions and minor characters. With just the full-page write-up characters (and also the Sentinel Reserves and Prometheans), they come to 22 and 4.86, still not terribly unreasonable. Out of 118 characters, the middle of the speed chart is the 59th character, the Serpent Queen (Human Form) at 18 and 5.[/quote']

 

Indeed, the combat capability of most characters falls where I'd expect them to, DEX and SPD included.

 

And I don't want to give the impression I don't like the book because of the high point totals and my feelings about their immense skills sets. But when compared to a Standard Superhero I believe them to be high.

 

Now, if the Algernon setting uses the High Powered Superhero, or simply places more emphasis on skills/perks/talents this is fine. But like I said, I have no setting to fall back on so I've got to compare it to what the average group out there uses.

[Shaft]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

I find that the high point totals are intimidating at first glance, but a close look at the builds are for perks that often get hand-waved.

 

Having said that, I'd still scale down the raw power levels, but I tend to run Street level Supers, so that's more of a personal taste issue.

 

The presentation is incredible- one of the most asthetically pleasing books I've had the pleasure to flip through- and not just HERO books; I mean gaming books in general.

[Shaft]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

The one I noticed was Stan Kirby, but that's a bit obvious, at least from a comic history perspective...

 

Darren Long (a lawyer, no less) was a bit more subtle.

[Dominique]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

One thing I think you guys have to remember that many of the various characrers presented in TAF have many years of experieice, and their power levels reflect that. Personally, I've always felt that a lot of the "big guns" of the CU were a little underpowered compared to the heroes you see in many comics.

[OddHat]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

Personally' date=' I've always felt that a lot of the "big guns" of the CU were a little underpowered compared to the heroes you see in many comics.[/quote']

 

Agreed on this. One of the strong points of the Algernon Files, both 2.0 and Fires of War, is that the characters have a strong Comic Book feel to them while remaining playable. You could easily slap down most of the Heroes in front of your players and play a solid one-off or convention game with a comic book feel; you could also use them as models for 700 +/- point Superheroes in a campaign that started at that level.

 

My own review laid out most of my feelings on the book. Some of the campaign specific builds could have been better explained (Transdimensional on Desolid, which means something in the AF universe but doesn't under unmodified 5thER, or AP Presence, which again has a clear meaning but not under the standard 5thER rules), but overall these are some of the best books to come out so far for HERO 5th, and I'm very glad to have them.

 

Of course, Gestalt will rock like Strike Force on steroids.

[Dominique]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

I'd actually like TPTB (hint, hint) to give Dave a crack at writing some material on well rounded "high" level character for use in the "standard" CU. Or, whip up an article (second hint) on integrating some of the various TAF characters into the existing CU, as several of the characters would make nice additions to some of the existing groups. For instance, I think Terminal Velocity would make a perfect addition to EUROSTAR, and Wraith would work very well in a Dark Champions game.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: [Review] The Algernon Files 2.0 (Hero Edition)

 

I'd actually like TPTB (hint' date=' hint) to give Dave a crack at writing some material on well rounded "high" level character for use in the "standard" CU. Or, whip up an article (second hint) on integrating some of the various TAF characters into the existing CU, as several of the characters would make nice additions to some of the existing groups. For instance, I think Terminal Velocity would make a perfect addition to EUROSTAR, and Wraith would work very well in a Dark Champions game.[/quote']

He has a good Point. Dave would you be interested in writing a regular column in Digital Hero or Posting one on the Forums?

 

 

Cheers

 

QM