Well, a while ago I picked up a game off Ebay called Vor, which I remembered seeing around a few hobby stores before FASA went out of business. Initially, I wasn't completely impressed with the box set. The Union marines weren't very well done (although I liked the make up of the units weapons), the opposing army were the Growlers (nuff said), the terrain wasn't to my taste, and while some things were interesting in the rulebook, like the setting, some of the alien races it covered were horrible, like the Mashers, Zynkee, or blue-squat looking guys. I loved the Union and Neo-Soviet guys, but at the time it wasn't enough to keep me interested so I sold it on Ebay. In my review of games on my website, I pretty much tore Vor up.
Then one day I've got money burning a hole in my pocket and I stumble upon a great Buy-it now for all the Vor Forcebooks along with a Vor novel, for only $12. After a long delay of getting them, I finally got them the other day and sat down to digest what was in them.
Surprisingly, I was really impressed. I mean, The really cool thing about Vor is the setting it takes place in. Anything is possible and unpredictable. Not only was I impressed with the Union and Neo-Soviets, but also the Pharon, Shard, and what the hell, the Growlers.
I guess I was just turned off with the crappy minis the main box set came with, and some of the lame races in the main rulebook, but outside of that I am really impressed with what FASA was doing. I think that if they had dropped several of the lame races, and maybe revised the Zynkees to be something more Elvish, I would have given it two thumbs up. Actually, I would say I would have changed about 70% of what the game has, and by the time I would be done it would be a game I would actually love.
It's a real shame. Ironwind Metals (formally Ral Partha) still makes some of the minis (which I do plan on ordering), but I know this is a game that very, very few people have any interest in. The worst part about it all this is the setting the game takes place in. I haven't been this impressed with a setting since Shadowrun, which I loved because of the infinite possibilies of mixing -high-tech sci-fi and magic, in a world 50 years from ours now. I still think Shadowrun takes the cake.
Anyway, what is everyone's experience with this game? I would rate this game higher than Warzone (although Warzone's 2nd Edition gamebox is probably one of the best box sets ever produced), because most of Warzones miniatures really suck and the setting is garbage, but I would bet there are gaming groups playing Warzone and none playing Vor. One of my favorite games right now is Void 1.1, and I have to admit that Vor beats out Void in a couple of categories.
Oh well. I am going to drop $300 or so on minis for Vor. And yes, I DID RE-BUY THE MAIN BOX SET. ?
And I am sure many people had the same reaction I did when Vor first came out, which helped FASA go down the tube. If they had just done a few things differently. . .
