OK, Dark Heresy has been out in the world for a good few months now and no doubt has brought thousands of hours of gribbly Imperial goodness to the dark, popcorn littered gaming tables of the world.

So as an RPG, what does Dark Heresy do brilliantly?

What part of the rules, or 'flavour' of the game stands out as superlatively good?

Why do you think that great bit of the game is so good?

Do the psyker rules hit the spot? Why? Is the combat system the best ever written?

Tell us all what you love about Dark Heresy and why you love it!

Luddite said:

It seems to stand up to the idea that it is a "beginner's game."

Luddite said:

Nope. Dark Heresy falls in this regard, to me at least, as much as many of the 40k RPG interpretations that I've found online... They just don't seem to match.

Luddite said:

It is a version of 40k RPG. For that it should be lauded. While it's not quite the game that I would have loved after "25 years of waiting" it represents a concept that I love to see created. That is, "40k RPG."

Kage

Hi Kage, how the hell did you manage to get all those nice neat quotes? How do PM you so I don't have to clog up threads with posts like this? Why am I fighting this forum's software – where's the hard code override? I want to play not go bald!

Moving on. The biggest plus for DH is the background. It is the background that makes the game interesting. I also think the production values are sky high (I have the BI version of DH)

As to the system? It shares much with it's fantasy counter part and the same problems can be fixed just as easily and have be discussed a zillion times (a lot of those fixes disappeared with the old BI forum ) so I'll gloss over that.

As to what I like about the system - I like the percentile chance for resolution. I think that it's nice and quick, the damage rules are a bit slow, but the critical charts are fun.

I wouldn't put it as strongly as DH is successful in spite of the system (even though I just said it ), as I think the system has some good ideas, but it lacks a certain vague 'something' in the execution of that system. The careers system are kinda cool concept but I would prefer it more freeform, and perhaps correct the 'job first skills after' and more 'training first then job', where the job is more about in game effect than a 'class'.

It is interesting.

Philip

PS: I wonder if my problems on this forum are down to me using Firefox?

Luddie, I distinctly remember you starting a thread like this on at least one of the old forums.

Luddite said:

Oh, and presentation. Having spent months reading from dull, unformatted Playtest documents it's really lovely to see the final layout. it inspired me to learn InDesign. I think that DH is probably the prettiest RPG I have (although I prefer the GURPS 4.0 books for layout, as they're much less "busy" which helps a lot when finding information)

Luddite said:

Superlatively good? that's a tough one - I really like that they've stuck with low characteristics + modifiers rather than fall into the trap Inquisitor was caught in of "NEED BIGGA NUMBARZ". We are unlikely ever to see stats of 250 in DH and I'm very glad of that

In my opinion the things that Dark Heresy does best are:

- Gun pr0n and

- Tieing mechanics to background

In regards to the first "strength". Many 40K gamers are into gun pr0n and Dark Heresy delivers. I can't count the threads where people discuss which weapon is best and why. "Shall I take that Hecutor with manstopper rounds and a red-dot sight or shall I go with a compact bolter with hellfire rounds and an ammo selector?"

In regards to the latter. Dark Heresy has Righteous Fury, Faith and other Traits that ties the mechanics with the background and a certain playstyle. The mechanics strengthen the feel that you are playing a 40K game.

I love the gothic widgetyness of the adventures - Ambulon, The House of Whatnot and Etc. and its flying ships and sundry ambience.

What I love best is that we get a good feel of the grittiness of the 41th millenium.

To get the forum working properly you must recite te Blessings of the Omnissiah properly by the way.

I've always loved the setting of 40k, and I love the way DH has been respectful to the setting whilst simultaneously being innovative. It's not like Inquisitor, real care and attention has been put into fleshing out the "civilian" 40k world.

Luddite said:

Brilliantly: it gives a GM the tools to explore the 40k universe, from the dark underbelly. There' so much that can be done in the system, it's a little ridiculous. The flexibility to include nearly any genre of game experience in the same campaign is pretty powerful.

I love the streamlined combat and skills, percentile dice is a great way to go. Our game group flies through combat, and it's usually a pretty epic affair.

The professions and skills stand out and represent the universal archetypes quite well, also.

Snowtiger said:

You touch on my favorite part of the universe and the rpg.

(Oh, hello everyone! This is my first post on the Forums. Been playing for a while, though.)

I like how we can go from gunslinging action to investigative almost diceless roleplaying to horror and suspense and back to action/adventure all in one session. This is easily one of the most adaptable games in existence in that respect, but I have always thought that had a little more to do with the setting than the system. But, I like that there are lots of skills and abilities (more so that other games) that support non-combat playing.

Lightbringer2009 said:

Really? How?

Can you give some examples?

Philip S said:

If you're quoting to one person it is easy. Just hit "quote" and then copy/paste the section that says something along the lines of "(QUOTE efidm=38692)" making sure that you use capitals to close that out, i.e. "(/QUOTE)" If you don't use the capitals then the software tends to go a bit crazy.

If you're replying to multiple people then it gets a bit more complex. I always just go into the HTML view (Ctrl-Tab) and then use the blockquote tag, i.e. "(blockquote)(b)Philip S said: (/b)(br /)Quoted text(/blockquote)".

Of course, at the moment it doesn't seem to want me to go into code view, so hopefully the powers that be haven't disabled that particular feature and it's just because I'm using the "reply with quote" option (since you're the only one that I'm replying to).

Edit: Nope, my bad. For some bat-sh*t crazy reason, the HTML edit function has been removed. Or at least so it seems to me at the moment.

Kage

Luddite said:

Perhaps it is a reference to the idea that the characters are nigh on civilians?

Kage

Charax said:

I concurr. The unnatural characteristic concept is a much more elegant way of dealing with very tough/fast/strong/etc things.

Other than that what do I like about Dark Heresy.. well they picked the Inquisition as the subject matter, so frankly they couldn't go wrong with yours truly, that being my favorite part of 40k.

I like the choice to pick a sector and set it there. I like the Sector Timeline and how every book presents more things mentioned in the timeline, so you get the feel of a cohesive history of the sector. (Although how cohesive is, I know, a matter of debate).

What I like?

• New sector. Calixis is very much a blank slate which they can do what they want with. Which, in this case, is slant it more towards concealed threats than swarms of aliens and heretics assaulting worlds. I really enjoy the focus often resting on the more mundane levels of Imperial society (which conceal vile cults and heretical organisations, of course). The detail that goes into the setting really does it for me.
• "Low power" characters: I might be strange for thinking so, but I like how the game focuses on reasonably normal people of the Imperium recruited to undertake strange and horrible tasks for the Inquisition. Rather than starting off as the hard-as-nails, skilled and stubborn characters you see in the literature you can have a character grow into one. I'm enjoying playing a rather optimistic priest who is slowly becoming jaded as he experiences the wider Imperium. The Inquisitor's Handbook also introduced some great alternate career ranks, speaking from a fluff perspective.
• Combat: It's fast and reasonably dangerous, though smart gear selection and use of tactics prevent it from being an acolyte murder-fest. Unless they come up against something that should rend them limb from limb with ease. I won't say I love the system unconditionally, since I have a couple of issues with it (Fear being utterly crippling, for a start), though I do like how the mechanics mesh with the setting.

Luddite said:

I hate it when people try and pin me down on my poorly worded sweeping generalisations!

I guess the point I was trying to make here is that the setting is far more detailed than Inquisitors "OK, here's why Inquisitors fight each other, off you go, get stuck in" approach. It was silly of me to be disappointed with Inquisitor, but in hindsight the reason I WAS disappointed was because it was not the game that DH has turned out to be.

DH is a fully realised, professionally put together setting and system that stands alongside the rest of the 40k universe without being reliant upon it. It's not 40k lite.

Real care and attention has been put into the setting section, in fact arguably it's the heart of the game. In Inquisitor the combat rules were the heart of the game, and the setting was built around them.

Lightbringer2009 said:

Lightbringer2009 said:

Lightbringer2009 said:

Ah, that makes sense.

To be honest it feels like the game is aimed directly at me

Production gets a big tick - It has lot and lots of great atmospheric pictures, fluff and interesting things to read - but its vague enough in the usual areas which means I can make it my 40K universe with ease . The presentation is top notch as I would expect from something linked to a GW product.

I know some people have problems with that very aspect but never been a problem in a game I have run or been a part in. In my head I know how my 40k Universe works (or at least the relevant bits that come up) and so any gaps I fil quite easily.

The only thing I am not fond of is the Character generation / path/ making everything balanced - but I have yet to come across a game system that has suited my style and requirements without requiring a good few "adaptions". I also tend to play games at higher levels and the PCs are the on of the centre points of the story.

so I tweek the chacrter gen a bit and i am very happy with the product, even if its just siting back and reading it