Finally got my copy today. Would be happy to answer some questions to the best of my ability. I'm not really familiar with the setting (is anyone?), so lore-related questions aren't my strong suit.
Some first impressions:
- There are a lot of options for the build-your-own stuff. You can build your own species, weapons, armor, and Aeffects (which are kind of like magic/superpowers). These aren't done in 2-3 steps with a couple options for each step--there are over 30 traits for weapons alone, and a weapon can have up to 3 traits.
- I'm pretty much 100% convinced that the Æffects rules are the answer to the superheroes question.
- Lot of neat new (and old) talents. I can see most of them fitting right into a classic fantasy setting, though a really hard setting might not work with all of them. They incorporate an Æmber cost into some talents, though that could be removed relatively easily without much stress, I feel. And some of the names are hilarious, especially in English; my favorite is "Tickets to the Gun Show," which allows you to use Coercion with Brawn. Right below is a picture of a bunch of muscly space ogres flexing.
- I probably would not include the magic rules and the Æffects rules in the same game. They aren't really the same mechanically, but they are similar in function that having both may be a bit much.