Friends
Alter
Spezial
Just Look At Him! There He Stands
Quest Angriff der Orks
With His Nasty Orkish Hands!
How many Orcs are hiding behind the bush? Which escape route did the thief take – to the left through that back alley or to the right and out of the town? Shall we go to the tavern first or rather straight to the Temple of Pinki-Panki-Punki? And, of course: where is that elephant? Anyone involved in a role playing game will have asked those and similar questions time and again. Early games of that particular genre, e. g. “Dungeons and Dragons” (TSR Inc., later on Wizards of the Coast) since 1974 or “Dark World” (Schmidt Spiele, 1984), left it all to the creativity and enthusiasm of the players, in most cases especially to the Games Master, whether they used miniature figures or (mostly self designed) game equipment (only think of letters or treasure maps on fake parchment) to enhance the fantastic atmosphere of a game.
Along came hybrid forms that combined role playing games and board games, for example “DungeonQuest” (Alga/Schmidt Spiele, 1985) or HeroQuest (MB, 1989). Here, board gaming elements became more common in contrast to dice-rolling tables or bestiaries, key parts with pen-&-paper-role playing games. If a player was still required to perform the part of a Games Master, as for example in HeroQuest, that Games Master was provided with a whole armada of gaming aids (for example treasure cards, monster statistics cards, heroes and monsters miniature figures, even plastic parts representing doors or furniture). All those were an integral part of the basic game. The possibility to design new or sequel adventures for the game(s) was there from the beginning and stayed intact especially when official support for that product line by Milton Bradley ended in around 1994. Approximately the same approach was taken by the producers from Aventuria (“Dark World. Boardgame”, 1992) and, quite recently, with Dungeons & Dragons’ “Castle Ravenloft” (2010) to gain ground in this branch of games based in fantasy worlds. These were rather side steps, though, because pen-&-paper-role playing games remained their main field of products – always in new and advanced editions, accompanied by minor or major alterations to the games’ basic systems.
“Quest – Zeit der Helden” (basic game & five-part adventure “Attack of the Orcs”), designed and written by Alexander Dotor and André Wiesler at Pegasus games publishing company, is another hybrid between rôle-playing game and other fantasy games. Inside the relatively small box is not only everything you need for playing the basic quest, but an additional option of designing your own adventures – to some extent.
Playing these adventures begins similar to playing in traditional pen-&-paper-role playing games – a Games Master explains the settings of the game, the player characters decide (amongst themselves) what to do, the Games Master tells about the next steps, asks questions, poses a riddle or asks them to do some tests and so forth. In the basic quest “Attack of the Orcs” players may choose to lead either an Elf-Rangeress, a Dwarf-Warrior, a Lizardman-Shaman or a human Mage through this adventure. There exists a promotional giveaway, which was available at the Spielefest 2010 or is available still on the internet at www.pegasus.de/1986.html under the title “Dein Weg ins Abenteuer” (“Your Path Into the Adventure”, German only), containing a beginners’ one-stage adventure and two hero-characters: a magically gifted Catman (looks rather like a lion) and a female Barbarian Warrior. There was also a Christmas 2010 special, also still available on the internet at http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/89503/quest-zeit-der-helden-der-weihnachtsmann (rather bad printing quality, though; German only) enabling a surprise appearance of Father Christmas.
In order to decide who is winning a combat or who passes a skill test (or similar tests), you get to roll ten-sided dice (D10). The system of dice rolling is rather simplistic – add the characters’ current points in the appropriate skill to the dice result and compare with the Games Master’s either fixed number (skill tests) or in case of a fight the added points and dice of the character’s opponent. Players’ characters win, when there is a tie or they got a higher result. In addition, in most cases a die result of “0” (zero) means an automatic loss and a “9” (nine) facing up means an automatic success at whatever test you were taking.
More differences to customary role playing games are mainly to be found in the additional equipment of “Quest – Zeit der Helden”. Character sheets as well as sheets for the Games Master are made from laminated cardboard. Notes, e. g. changes of skill points or tasks completed by the characters, are to be jotted down and can be removed easily (simply rub over them) after the adventure is done. However. if you wish to preserve the new statistics, for example to lead the same character into another quest, demands recording them in some other, more stable way. Items (weapons, potions, other equipment etc.) and spells are available as cards, comparable to HeroQuest, Descent (Fantasy Flight Games) or to the Dungeons & Dragons Boardgame – saves time and labour in contrast to writing down their specifics onto your character sheet (traditional system).
Character pieces, mainly used to clarify positions during combats, are provided as cardboard prints – alas, to be fair, made without any luxury at all.
Furthermore, the basic game contains a map of the Island of Krokk where the adventure takes place, so everybody knows at least approximately where they are.
Location cards are very helpful not only to the Games Master – (s)he puts them in front of the players, and they may decide, for example, to inspect the Chapel, rummage through the merchant’s offers or march to Ye Olde Tower. The Games Master then looks up the chosen place in the Quest booklet and tells the heroes what they encounter there. Does anybody still remember those Game Books , e. g. “The Warlock of Firetop Mountain” by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, published in 1982? The “Quest” quest booklet is quite similar to those, but even less complicated. The Games Master should find anything here that is necessary to advance the game – but does not have to tell the players everything. From time to time the Games Master, instructed by the quest booklet, ticks off boxes on his (or her) sheet so that later on in the game it should be easy to recall where the characters already had been, or which decision they had made. These notes have an influence on the adventure, may allow a surprise monster attack or, at the end of the game, may bring an additional reward for the heroes – speaking in very general terms.
Designing your own adventures for future gaming sessions is not so easy, despite a detailed instruction in the rules booklet. On the other hand, it is not as difficult as it was with traditional pen-&-paper role playing games, where the publishers’ business success depends mainly on selling additional adventure booklets, playing aids and the like. Pegasus have their own internet homepage, including a forum site and download section, for “Quest – Zeit der Helden”. For example, you will find an emended, more suitable version of the first main opponent there (episode 1 of “Attack of the Orcs”) and by now at least one additional quest booklet.
This game seems to be suited well even for beginners, the rules booklet is easy to read and follows a logical path, although a better index (and, as so often before, a better proof-reading service) would have been desirable. Game play is explained step by step, starting to play while studying the booklet is an option recommended by the designers. Although this was practicable, we rather recommend to peruse the rules booklet in advance and start with the promotional game “Dein Weg ins Abenteuer”, mentioned above, before trying to embark on “Attack of the Orcs”. Apart from that, “Quest – Zeit der Helden” is a fast and entertaining game, the game’s system seems promising and could be a lure into the world of fantasy gaming, even to those who have shied away from customary pen-&-paper-role playing games due to the extensive use of tables, rather complicated rules and incalculable additions and alterations.
A sequel, „The Dark Cult“, is announced to be released in August 2011.
Martina & Martin Lhotzky, Marcus Steinwender
Spieler : 2 – 5
Alter : ages 10 and up
Dauer : ca. 100 minutes per episode (Basic game 500 min minimum)
Autor : Alexander Dotor, André Wiesler
Grafik : Hans-Georg Schneider, Sascha Rost
Titel : Ident
Preis : ca 21 Euro
Verlag : Pegasus 2010
Genre : Fantasy role playing game
Zielgruppe : With friends
Mechanismen : tell story, roll the dice
Kommentar:
Nice components
Interesting introduction to the genre
Designing of personal adventures is possible
Support by material on the web
Vergleichbar:
Pen&Paper role playing games
Meine Bewertung: 5
Martina, Martin & Marcus:
Summary / Short Cuts: Easily to learn Fantasy game, suitable for beginners as well as for experienced rôle game players of the old school pen & paper genre.
Zufall 2
Taktik 1
Strategie__
Kreativität
Wissen_
Gedächtnis
Kommunikation 3
Interaktion 2
Geschicklichkeit
Action