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First off, I love the setting for Eclipse Phase. I was pointed out to me by a friend when first released, but I was on a Fantasy RPG kick at the time and didn't look at it. I wasn't until several years later another friend started up a campaign and I joined in and fell instantly in love with the setting. I went and bought everything I could get my hands on for the game in hardcopy and in PDF. I volunteered to run games at Conventions and have a few ideas I'd like to write up to publish.
That said, I was ready to HATE second edition.
Second Ed EP aimed to simplify a lot of the number crunching in the rules. For me, common math is easy, so I didn't see the need. For other folk I understand math might have got in the way of the play experience. Character generation was long and slow, and there were a lot of the changes in that area make it swift, also, to make 'resleeving' faster too.
I backed the KS, because this product, and these creators, absolutely deserve my support. I participated in the playtest, grumbled a bit, noted some good things, realised some of the changes in play that might happen because of changes in the rules. I didn't read the finished PDF immediately, but at Gen Con 2019 I got my hands on a print copy and purused it on the long flight home to Australia intersperced with binging some television.
I am solidly impressed.
Character generation is easy. You can start generation, finish, and play a short scenario in one session. A practical imposibility with first edition. Resleeving is a breeze too. The changes make for swift, exciting and sometimes heroic play, while maintaining a fair bit of grit.
One of our players was concerned his character build, heavy on cyberware and mods, was 'crippled' under the new rules; Quickly exhausting his resources in a fight compared to the old system. However, fights don't really last that long, and effects were minimal. He still outclasses the entire rest of the Squad, though I anticipate his heavy investment in a single body to be a liability in the long run, as being prepared to cut and run from a body is a necessity some times.
Playing an Async character, the changes to the Psi rules are a fantastic opportunity for roleplay. I love them. I look forward to playing out stuff in our campaign.
Overall, this edition is even sexier, with lovely artwork throughout.
I'll always recommend EP to someone looking at a Transhumanist RPG, and this new edition with its lighter character generation goes a very long way to making this game accessible to all.
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