Friday, April 13, 2012

L is for Living Steel

***********Just for the sake of clarity - the theme for my A to Z postings is gaming in the 1980's with my friends.*************
Living Steel
It seems unusual to do a post about a game that I have never played but I have also never read the rule book; I did hold it in my hands and flip through it at the used book store one day.  All the gory details about the game can be found from the listing at Waynes Books.  The book was in pretty horrid condition so it immediately fell into the no purchase category.  I remember the price being asked for it was much higher than the condition warranted.  I have also wondered if I made the right choice about purchasing that hardbound rule book several years ago. 
So, what's the point of a post about a game I virtually have no knowledge about?  I remember seeing the ads in Dragon magazine in the 80's.  We were also looking for other directions besides D&D or "yet another fantasy game" and this looked to fit the bill.  I also remember that several of us wanted to get this game.  Come on, look at the cover!  That looks to be pretty much the opposite of D&D.  The only thing I know is from the reviews I have read; basically, hearsay is it.  The general impression seems to be that it was super detailed in just about everything from combat, world history, guns, etc.

We looked at several of the game stores but could never find the game.  None of us knew anything about mail order at the time so that wasn't even an option...lol.  Maybe one of these days I can track it down at a reasonable price...   

2 comments:

  1. To sum up Living Steel: Great idea, poorly executed.

    I personally love the extremely detailed combat system, done to hits that determine how long your character can survive without medical attention, the level of attention required to ensure survival and his chances of survival with a lower level of available care.

    The game had potential, but it read like stereo instructions.

    Personally, I love it. but at the same time, I'm very much aware of it's many limitations.

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  2. Thanks for the honest info about Living Steel. I am intrigued by the level of detail in this game. I would be very interested in trying it out. Too bad that the rules read like a technical manual. It doesn't scare me off, though. I still want to try it.

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