The three articles below are in response to Dava's request for thoughts about SLA v2. The first is my thoughts on the setting, then the system and finally my ideas for a possible cover.

SETTING

My main criticism with the first SLA book is that it tries to do and mention everything, without really focussing on anything. After an intro involving the main god-like characters, there are then guidelines for low powered starting Operatives, then rules for creating Necanthropes, then Thresher power suits, then carrien. At first glance you can't tell if your character should be playing with the movers and shakers, or fighting tek trex robots in a downtown basement. The lack of definitive game rules until p110 might originally have been very cool, but it is also very frustrating for beginners trying to work out where to start.

For the first book of SLA too much space is given to content that is not going to concern most groups for many years. By all means drop hints and clues of the bigger picture, but don't waste space with Necanthrope rules, or Thresher weaponry that only said Necanthropes can actually stand up to. Also as nice as the intro history for Sla is, it is confusing for new players who just want to know how to create a character from the cool picture on page 15.

Coupled with the unnecessary information discussed above, is the lack of real information that a GM actually needs to run the game. A history of DarkNight is useful, but more useful would be detailed examples of how they work and manipulate in Downtown. The Kiestas sound like a cool gang, but what are they involved in, what is an average squad member like, who is in control? In game terms a Carrien won't get through body blocker armour when armed with raw strength and a hockey stick, so why are they such a threat in the game background?

Yes, everything can be sorted out in advance by a 'decent' GM, but frankly why should they bother when they can get better preparation work in other rpgs out there. RPG books are there to allow people to play games in a fictional world. If a GM has to spend a lot of time working out the basics before they can even state what kind of stories they are going to run, the game isn't exactly making life easy for them.

My solution to the above points would be to focus the first book on low level Operatives and low level threats. Starting Ops and Shivers against gangs, serial killers, soft companies and carrien. Manipulating them all are DarkNight, Cloak and Necanthropes. Characters are weak and only have access to small guns and light body armour. The BPNs focus mainly on survival, trying to get one step ahead of everyone else. The book would cover the history of Sla in a page, as most of it is irrelevant to this kind of game. The current overview of Mort is good, as long as it was followed with more specific descriptions of at least one sub-sector of each of the areas (i.e. a detailed section of Mort Central, of Uptown, of Suburbia, etc).

The Operative hours section would be greatly reduced, freeing up space so that players can have info about playing as Shivers, normal civilians, gang members or props. The Ebb section would be reduced by removing the Necanthrope creation as well as by changing the Ebb system so that it doesn't require each rank to be described individually. This space could then be used to give more information about Frothers, Shaktars, Wraiths and Stormers. The weapons and equipment can be reduced down to a double spread of images and a double spread of summary information. Perhaps also a double spread of additional item images such as mobile phones, clothes, stereos, TV's and umbrellas. All the items should be big, blocky and plastic looking. Especially the umbrellas.

Towards the rear of the book should be the GMs section, labelled as such. This has how to use and equip soft companies, gangs, the skin trade and DarkNight. It has details of other threats like carriens, carnivorous pigs, manchines, Thresher, tek trex robots, mutants and serial killers, all of which only need a couple of pages to describe. Several pages are devoted to starting off a game and also running a campaign from SCL 10 to SCL 10A. Finally the section ends with a double page of BPN ideas (just short three line ideas) and also a double page of weird-shit ideas (again short three line ideas for things that could be truth related).

All the other details such as Necanthropes, contract killers, Cloak, Thresher power suits and off world locations are left to another book. As are details about Senti, Slayer, Intruder, chien cultists, Monitors and Stigmartyr agents.

SYSTEM

The core of the system includes: Stats that restrict skills, passive skill checks, 2d10: 11+ required, gun damage per ammo type, and, armour that is penetrated by different ammo types. There is also a certain amount of 'crunch' behind the rules, with specific descriptions of how to handle certain situations. Without these things, the system will not feel as if it is a revised version. Instead you might as well use an already developed system (D20, GURPS, UA2, etc) because these will at least have been significantly play-tested.

The current system needs strengthening in several areas. The physical injury, drug addiction and stress systems should have the same basic core, rather than separate isolated systems for each one. Ideally armour and vehicles should also follow this core system as well (armours have specific ID for each location, vehicles have only one single value, for example).

The Ebb system is another isolated set of rules. It should be possible to maintain a structure behind the Ebb abilities, but still treat them like conventional skills, with FORMula as an Ebb Stat limiting their maximum rank. Another improvement would be to allow cosmetic customisation of the abilities (ask me about my ideas for Aspects/Totems some time).

Character creation is currently too time consuming for beginning characters. If there was a general drop down in points (to say 50 points), then low level differences in Ranks actually become important. This would of course be for 'street' level characters. Ideally the system should be cleanly expand so that those wanting to play Cloak Ops against Necanthropes and Contract Killers don't all end up with Str 15, Dex 15 and Pistol 15.

Competence (Key of Delhyread P4) and Rep (Contract Directory P95-96) are two prime examples that the current system breaks down appalling for even mid-level characters. If the system could also handle Halloween Jack and still make him nigh on invulnerable to even Necanthropes, so much the better.

Stats should be brought to the forefront of the system. Injury, fatigue, emotional distress can be easily modelled by reducing stats and correspondingly reducing their associated skills. The Stats should also be used to restrict more of the Advantages/ Disadvantages, in the same way that CHArisma restricts reputations.

The combat system also needs strengthening. Automatic weapons fire should be improved upon, and the modifiers should be made more general so that players don't have to memorise 42 different circumstances and their corresponding bonuses/penalties. If the core of the combat system was also the same system that you could use for car chases, arguments and other types of conflicts, this might also emphasis that Sla isn't just about Guns.

Oh, and don't get me started on the current Vevaphon 'rules'...

COVER

I read somewhere that RPG covers should reflect the types of characters that you can play if they are best going to grab new people.

The first book worked well because the mysterious character was unknown. There was something 'wrong' about him, and people wanted to find out what. He was also cool looking, as at that point trenchcoats weren't an overused RPG cliche.

I'd base the new cover on one of the existing pieces of artwork from the MRB. I don't have a page reference to hand, but it has the "Cloak: We Mean Business" poster on a wall, and a girl shooting round the corner of it. I'd expand that general idea for the cover.

The wall is covered in lots of posters and graffiti, all cool, sla related and mysterious. In the centre of it is a Mr Slayer poster that someone has put a bullet hole through the centre of his head. There is also the Cloak: WMB poster as it is too good not to include.

Instead of the lone female operative, there is a full squad. On the ground, propped up against the wall is a Stormer with numerous bullet wounds all over his body. He is about to use an air syringe with Kick Start to boost his healing. Standing next to him is a male human with obvious Nuke Tendon implants, replacing a clip in a big automatic gun mounted on his arm.

At the edge of the wall are two further Ops. One a female human (possibly an ebon) pointing a hand cannon around the corner and firing. Kneeling down by her feet is a Wraith with a long barrelled sniper rifle, also giving covering fire. All over the floor are spent ammo shells, drug vials and puddles of rain. And you never can work out what they are fighting against.