If you’ve ever wondered how you might cope in the face of the apocalypse, this RPG line gives you the chance to find out.

Lets see ... I can roleplay out the decision of whether to wait until my insulin runs out and die slowly and unpleasantly, or kill myself and end it quick. I'm sure that'll be a fun session. Of course, even if I weren't diabetic, I have no skills that would be of any use whatsoever in an apocalypse (unless I can upload a virus to take out the alien mothership). If the other players were smart they'd ditch my character right away - sounds like I'll really enjoy playing this game!

I'm all for post-apocalyptic games where everyone plays an average schmuck; The Walking Dead is one of my favorite comics. I wouldn't even mind playing someone similar to myself. But I'd like to play someone who at least has as much chance of surviving as the guy next to me.

I suppose some people wouldn't have a problem with this; but not only will I not buy this game, I would refuse to play it under any circumstances. I don't understand why Fantasy Flight would go this route. It could've been an option for those groups who would enjoy it, while leaving "play some other average schmuck" as the default option. Instead they've spoiled the whole product line by tying it to an obviously terrible idea. A shame.

(Just to cover the obvious: yes, of course I could theoretically use the rules to create whoever I want. But unless the whole group plays that way it would essentially be cheating - and who wants to be the only guy at the table who isn't playing himself?)

If you’ve ever wondered how you might cope in the face of the apocalypse, this RPG line gives you the chance to find out.

Lets see ... I can roleplay out the decision of whether to wait until my insulin runs out and die slowly and unpleasantly, or kill myself and end it quick. I'm sure that'll be a fun session. Of course, even if I weren't diabetic, I have no skills that would be of any use whatsoever in an apocalypse (unless I can upload a virus to take out the alien mothership). If the other players were smart they'd ditch my character right away - sounds like I'll really enjoy playing this game!

I'm all for post-apocalyptic games where everyone plays an average schmuck; The Walking Dead is one of my favorite comics. I wouldn't even mind playing someone similar to myself. But I'd like to play someone who at least has as much chance of surviving as the guy next to me.

I suppose some people wouldn't have a problem with this; but not only will I not buy this game, I would refuse to play it under any circumstances. I don't understand why Fantasy Flight would go this route. It could've been an option for those groups who would enjoy it, while leaving "play some other average schmuck" as the default option. Instead they've spoiled the whole product line by tying it to an obviously terrible idea. A shame.

(Just to cover the obvious: yes, of course I could theoretically use the rules to create whoever I want. But unless the whole group plays that way it would essentially be cheating - and who wants to be the only guy at the table who isn't playing himself?)

I find it intriguing how many RPG guys are flipping out and putting this game down on the premise never buying or playing the game because they don't want to have to play as themselves . You don't have to that is always at the discretion of the players and the GM . They are merely promoting the game and daring people to try and play it as themselves to see how they would fare in the situation . I love RPG's I play D&D and Star Wars Edge of Empire and love playing as someone I'm not . And I can still play as someone I'm not with this game when released . But I have to admit I think the fact that they tried to build it and challenge people to see just how well they could do in an apocalyptic world is a great idea . Think about it play as whoever you want , or play as yourself and realize your limitations and find ways around those limitations .

JUST REMEMBER , IT'S A GAME AND MEANT TO BE FUN . THE DESIGNERS OF THE GAME AREN'T GOING TO SIT IN YOUR BASEMENT AND SLAP YOU ON THE BACK OF THE HAND WITH A RULER BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO PLAY AS YOURSELF . If it's built so you can build a character just like yourself then it's built so you can create any character .

I find it intriguing how many RPG guys are flipping out and putting this game down on the premise never buying or playing the game because they don't want to have to play as themselves . You don't have to that is always at the discretion of the players and the GM .

I addressed this in the last paragraph. Everything is always at the discretion of the players and the GM - everything and anything can be house ruled. I could write my own post-apocalyptic game if I wanted to. But I am talking about the Rules As Written: anything else requires additional work and agreement among the group.

It seems odd to me they would choose to constrain the game in this way. I have absolutely no problem with them presenting "play as yourself" as an option for those who would enjoy that. But why not equally support other options? Surely the themes of these games would work just as well if the PCs are all workers in the same office, or sharing a college dorm, or happen to be sitting in the same diner when sh*t goes down, or any number of other scenarios.

Again, I'm sure you could make these rules work with such scenarios. But all the information I've seen so far is unequivocal in declaring that you are playing yourself sitting down to play roleplaying games.

I suppose some people wouldn't have a problem with this; but not only will I not buy this game, I would refuse to play it under any circumstances. I don't understand why Fantasy Flight would go this route. It could've been an option for those groups who would enjoy it, while leaving "play some other average schmuck" as the default option. Instead they've spoiled the whole product line by tying it to an obviously terrible idea. A shame.

(Just to cover the obvious: yes, of course I could theoretically use the rules to create whoever I want. But unless the whole group plays that way it would essentially be cheating - and who wants to be the only guy at the table who isn't playing himself?)

Absolute horse pucky, it's by no means spoiled nor is it an obviously terrible idea, nor is it a shame. It's simply not for you at this point, and there are other games out there.

I really don't see how recommending you play as your self is constraining. If you don't want to play yourself then play a retired SEAL with a collection of weapons and hardware. Or you could be bold and play yourself without some problematic condition. It's fiction by its very nature and when fiction and reality collide some corners get sanded off for the greater story.

Pretend your smarter, stronger, faster, more athletic than you really are just so you can have fun. Or get really wild and use things like being diabetic, paraplegic, ect to combat those limitations. Even if you don't have one of these conditions it might still be fun to play a character that does. It's a game of imagination and your enjoyment there of is only limited by that.

Absolute horse pucky, it's by no means spoiled nor is it an obviously terrible idea, nor is it a shame. It's simply not for you at this point, and there are other games out there.

Why is it that whenever someone makes a complaint about an RPG, someone feels the need to say, "no one will force you to play that way", or "go play some other RPG"?

If that's all you can come up with, you have nothing constructive to add to this conversation.

I really don't see how recommending you play as your self is constraining.

They're not "recommending" it. That is the way the game is designed. Since we don't know much about the rules at this point, there's no way to tell how much work would be involved in playing differently.

I really don't see how recommending you play as your self is constraining.

They're not "recommending" it. That is the way the game is designed. Since we don't know much about the rules at this point, there's no way to tell how much work would be involved in playing differently.

Show me a rules set to make an average person and I will show you how to make a Ranger in the 82nd Airborne

I think your over-stressing something that is clearly a marketing pitch.

Absolute horse pucky, it's by no means spoiled nor is it an obviously terrible idea, nor is it a shame. It's simply not for you at this point, and there are other games out there.

Why is it that whenever someone makes a complaint about an RPG, someone feels the need to say, "no one will force you to play that way", or "go play some other RPG"?

If that's all you can come up with, you have nothing constructive to add to this conversation.

I never said "no one will force you to play that way." I said that it's not spoiled, or a terrible idea, or a shame. You're putting words where there aren't any or you're simply interpreting in a false manner. However your complaint is a valid one, I never said it wasn't. You don't think the concept is for you, nor sound in it of itself, nor do you see any way to work around it in a fair manner. Fine. It's not for you, these things happen. There are other systems to play, but that does not make this one flawed.

If that's all you can come up with, you have nothing constructive to add to this conversation.

And thus making it the perfect answer to an unconstructive topic...

Well...I have severe asthma. In a post zpocalyptic world, there's a good chance that the pharmacies will be looted so it would be almost impossible to keep up with my meds. I would have to be creative and find ways to control my breathing using mind-over-matter techniques, like voodoo magic! Yes, voodoo is in the game too! Read the description http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5027

If there's voodoo magic then there's other kinds of magic too! There's lots of potential here. Don't give up on your imagination so quickly!

Well...I have severe asthma. In a post zpocalyptic world, there's a good chance that the pharmacies will be looted so it would be almost impossible to keep up with my meds. I would have to be creative and find ways to control my breathing using mind-over-matter techniques, like voodoo magic! Yes, voodoo is in the game too! Read the description http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5027

If there's voodoo magic then there's other kinds of magic too! There's lots of potential here. Don't give up on your imagination so quickly!

Now that's making lemonade out of lemons. Remember, when life gives you lemons, burn life's house down...with the lemon!

If that's all you can come up with, you have nothing constructive to add to this conversation.

Yeah, like whyining about it i sooo constructive. I think what people are wondering about is you saying: "i won't play this under any circumstance". So one of your friends comes in and he sez; "dude we got a game that lets you play yourself in a zombie apocalypse!" and you go "GET OUT!" That sounds a bit harsh doesn't it? Are there even rules for diabetes?

You want the same chance as everybody else? here lemme fix the setting for ya:

In 2015 the umbrella corp invented a cure for all ilnessess, but something went wrong, while it cured all peole, it turned some of them into zombies, thus the apocalypse began. P.S. you are one of those who got better.

Well...I have severe asthma. In a post zpocalyptic world, there's a good chance that the pharmacies will be looted so it would be almost impossible to keep up with my meds. I would have to be creative and find ways to control my breathing using mind-over-matter techniques, like voodoo magic! Yes, voodoo is in the game too! Read the description http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5027

If there's voodoo magic then there's other kinds of magic too! There's lots of potential here. Don't give up on your imagination so quickly!

Fokin' voodoo magic mon!

Stay away from da voodoo!

power of voodoo
Who do? you do
Do what? remind me of the babe
Ok I'll stop that now...

Wait a minute, if you play as yourself, how can there be magic and voodoo in the rules? Or are there that many Hougan and Mambos out there that they had to inculde it in the rules? Because I'm pretty much joe average and i don't even have "conjuring" as a skill. So i guess it's just an npc thing.

power of voodoo

Who do? you do

Do what? remind me of the babe

Ok I'll stop that now...

Props man!

As a GM/player, I wouldn't have an issue if you wanted to leave the obvious medical issue out of it. If you feel it would place you on par with the other characters, then have at it. I don't know you from Adam, but I think you'd find that "you", have a lot more to bring to the table then what you're giving yourself credit for.

For the sake of argument, I have 5 kids, 3 are under 5. In a real zombie apoc, I'm pretty screwed! Not because I need medical attention, but because small kids tend to cause large problems. They are not quiet when they need to be, they don't use the bathroom like normal folks, they can't eat "just about anything" and survive, when they are over tired/hungry they get louder. In addition, because I have them I don't have guns just laying around the house. Severe disadvantages. That said, I won't leave them, and will go down with this ship if need be, but not before giving my best efforts not to.

Being disabled military, I have several friends that I game with, that are amputees, irl, I game with 2 of them regularly. I suffer from depression and take medications for such. I stop breathing in my sleep and have an electronic device (CPAP) to ensure I get some rest (That will be fun once the power goes). My wife (the kid's mother), sucks at camping, screams at bugs, etc.. in other words: would be horrid in a survival situation. I have a jock buddy, plays professional hockey, that can't read. This list goes on and on.

I also know said friends will have my back in such situations. I know they won't see my loud, stinky, needy, kids as a downside to survival, but the point of it. I know their mother will do everything in her power to overcome her disadvantages, I can trust them in the truest sense. It would be fun to see it played out.

I don't view your issues as being on unequal terms with the player next to you, as I've pointed out, we all have our faults. If I don't like the ones I am seeing, then I know it is time to make changes.

However, I wouldn't force any of these factors upon you. If you want to forgo the medication needs, then by all means do so. The medications don't define you. If you want to keep the medication needs, they you've got what a months supply worth, on hand? You've given an adventure plot to the GM, and you're not in immediate danger. It's a dream situation.

The medications don't define you.

That's some true motivational stuff right there!

Well said.

Asthmatic, lactose intolerant, fructose malabsorbtion, irritable bowl syndrome, and most severely eczema. In the long term I have Huntington's Disease and will likely not live past 50 today let alone in some post apocalyptic wasteland. Assuming one of my other conditions doesn't finish me off first.

Before I was diagnosed with and given medicine to treat my problems my Eczema break outs got infected and it was mistaken for a flesh eating virus. If I had not gotten treatment I would have been in need of severe medical attention.

My diet consists of rice, rice, rice, soy, soy, soy, soy milk. As well as meat and some small amount of veggies that don't make me sick. If it wasn't for all the vitamins and minerals added to food I would be in rough shape.

Now the irony is if I didn't have these disabilities I have quite a lot of survival skills.

The medicine I need for my skin is made by the phramasist/chemist and never kept in stock. So I'm ultra screwed.

I think I might last a month minimum but past that? It all depends on how long until my skin breakouts get infected.

Edit

Oh and I can get stomach cramps so intense it's more painful than being kicked in the nuts. That's usually if I accidentally eat or drink something with a lot of milk without knowing. Or if the lactase pill I have expired/didn't work when I willingly consumed milk.

Can happen for too much sugar. And lesser cramps and gas for any food at any time just because my stomach feels like it. That's the IBS for you.

Edit

The eczema break outs are also more itchy than chicken pox. Extremely itchy with almost no way to relieve it other to to moisturize my skin and if that doesn't work use medicine.

If by some stroke of luck I make it past 30 I have to start worrying about HD as it begins to destroy my mind as the virus consumes my mind. Leading to loss of control of emotions, slowly losing and eventual loss of limb control, and all sorts of other fun goodness.

On top of that I have almost no one to help me. Being as sick as I am I'm not great with conversations. What did you do last night Gamgee? Oh spent about 2 hours in the washroom in extreme pain and ate the exact same food I eat almost every day. You? How's the weather?

I'm actually about to get disability.

Imagine if you will. You haven't eaten anything but boiled rice and vitamins for 3 weeks, water for months on end as the only thing to drink, no one wants to talk to you, cramps more painful than being hit in the balls, itchy at night so bad you start to scratch your own skin off and this is the best you can do to stop yourself from going insane, skin is beginning to fall of fin places from the infection, you have to worry about the future and how you'll live day to day and HD, and take care of your grandfather and others who depends on you, and have only had a few hours of sleep in days and days. Averaging a few hours of sleep a week because of how painful living is. Your also alone because no one else wants to help you. No one wants to be with you. They will never be with you. The end. No one is stupid enough. Barring any existing family (not significant other).

Now imagine being in this state of torment for over an entire year slowly getting worse as the doctors don't know what's happening to you.

I don't think many people know the agony I have gone through.... I just look them in the eye and scare them now. I don't even know what to talk about. They talk about their problems like needing to find a house and having to wait an extra 6 months. Or how their baby only lets them sleep a few hours each night.

If I do somehow survive this is in store for me.

I'm a tough person mentally. It's just my physical body and physical mind that will fail me. Whatever my fate, it will be a good death .

So who wants to do the Gamgee challenge run and see how long they make it?

Edit

Forgot the laundry list of allergies.

dog, cat, horse, feathers, beech trees, birch tree, dandelion, dust mite p adn f types, trees, grass, ragweed, rabbit, hamster, gerbil. Any and all of these can set off both my Asthma and/or my skin condition.

I really like the idea of playing myself, even with all my faults. I think it adds motivation for certain scenerios and could possibly be some really good role playing moments.

Well...I have severe asthma. In a post zpocalyptic world, there's a good chance that the pharmacies will be looted so it would be almost impossible to keep up with my meds. I would have to be creative and find ways to control my breathing using mind-over-matter techniques, like voodoo magic! Yes, voodoo is in the game too! Read the description http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5027

If there's voodoo magic then there's other kinds of magic too! There's lots of potential here. Don't give up on your imagination so quickly!

Now that's making lemonade out of lemons. Remember, when life gives you lemons, burn life's house down...with the lemon!

When Life gives you lemons, squirt lemon juice in Life's eyes. Then leave a flaming bag of dog poo on his porch, ring the bell and run...

To the OP, you complain about the character generation system, rail against others that offer alternatives but then admit we don't know much about the rules yet. And if the rules let you create yourself, they will let you create any other normal human being. If you don't want to play as yourself, or play as yourself without medical conditions, go ahead. Ask the rest of your group if they want to play regular folks who aren't themselves. Then you're not "cheating".

You come off as a bit too strongly offended by a game you admit we don't know much about yet.

Were I to run this game I would use a point buy system to get "equal strength" characters, but tell players to use themselves as a template. In my case, I am clumsy, so (if it has the traditional stats) I would have relatively low dex, but higher con, being reasonably healthy. Everyone would play a character like themselves, without having to worry about specific problems. The OP would have a lower con, possibly, but that would take care of the medical stuff, and would have higher other stats to balance.

I like the thought of scrounging meds in a post-apololyptic world, though, so would like to see someone hang onto that.

Were I to run this game I would use a point buy system to get "equal strength" characters, but tell players to use themselves as a template. In my case, I am clumsy, so (if it has the traditional stats) I would have relatively low dex, but higher con, being reasonably healthy. Everyone would play a character like themselves, without having to worry about specific problems. The OP would have a lower con, possibly, but that would take care of the medical stuff, and would have higher other stats to balance.

I like the thought of scrounging meds in a post-apololyptic world, though, so would like to see someone hang onto that.

To me, "equal strength" characters takes a lot of the fun out of things. Not everyone is equal to each other. I would not say for a GM to not use a point buy system to make the characters, but I would say to not use an equal number of points for everyone.

I'm excited to get a look at the rules, as it sounds like an interesting idea.

However, I'm one of those people who "playing as myself" would make for a rather brief, uninspiring story---mostly because a zombie chase with me in it would end as soon as I reached the end of a sidewalk with no wheelchair cut-out...

or

If the game started in my office with the power going out and zombies attacking, I'd make it to stairwell...and have to make a decision whether it would be better to launch my chair down the stairs and break my neck (the quick way) or get eaten by zombies!

Who am I kidding, I'm always the GM anyway!