[Review] Universal Exploits

"I DID NOT HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH THAT PROTOS V SEXBOT!"

The review version is a PDF.

If you don't already know, +Venger Satanis is currently one of the best roleplaying games writer focused on weird, horror, sleazy and old-school; both fantasy and scifi. Alpha Blue is a great game, and Girls Gone Rogue made it even better with so much more material to use. What will Universal Exploits add to this sleazy space setting? Let's find out!

The book is divided into two chapters, "Rules, tables and setting" and "Suggestions, scenarios, and extras". But before the actual content begins, we get to read a three pages long short-story, which is

I wasn't a fan of Alpha Blue art, Girls Gone Rogue was way better and now Universal Exploits has best illustration of the trio! There are pictures from the same artist I disliked in the main game, but they blend well with other styles and artists, as they are no more (crappy) majority. They work now way much better. And line art is awesome. A warning though, many of the pictures are x-rated and sexual in theme with full frontal nudity and sexual acts, but there are also plenty of other science fiction imaginary. The porn doesn't bother me, though. Sure the sexual images oversexualize women and there could be more naked, porny men, too for balance. Again, be warned, there are so many images from which social justice warriors would rip their asses half. There are also few colored pictures, which is a nice addition.

Venger's writing is eloquent as ever, so the reading experience is really good. Everything is explained well with great writing. Because Alpha Blue's rules are extremely minimal and simple, you learn the rules additions easily and quickly. And there are plenty of them with lots and lots of random tables. The rules additions really give more detail for the campaign.

The strength of Alpha Blue product line are the random tables. There are so many, and they are so different. Many are really useful, some just fun additions to weird days you might need one. And what is best of these random tables, they are really inspiring for stories. You can easily just collect all you Alpha Blue books and start rolling tables, taking notes, and soon you have an adventure done. And naturally, you can use these tables in middle of the game to spice up, or sex up, the action and scenes. Religions, desires, alien worlds, locations, events, planets... everything in tables!

But because Alpha Blue as whole is basically made of tables after tables, you should write down all the random tables and collect them into one big index, so you know what tables are in what sourcebook. Otherwise it could be overwhelming to remember all the available material, yet shuffle through all the books to find the right table for the situation (in all sourcebooks and main rulebook together there are random tables for almost any situation).

One great part is domain management. In old-school games, when you have adventured enough, it is time to invest your money on some land. In this sourcebook, you can do it in space!

Suggestions, Scenarios, And Extras gives you hints and tips how to run an Alpha Blue game. Venger is an awesome (Space) Dungeon Master (proof: How To Game Master Like A Fucking Boss) who doesn't hesitate to share his experiences how to make games... well... fucking awesome. This chapter has lots of actual game expamples and suggestions how to get players involved in adventures - and how to make them adventure. Universal Exploits is an adventurers' agency after all!

You also get adventures, but in my opinion they are not that handy to refer during the play and read more than explained short stories. They feel a little railroading also. There are plenty of them, though, and even if not fun to run (I cannot decide that for you, or even myself without actually running them!) they are good fiction of the Alpha Blue setting. Some of the adventures here are more a location, where stuff is going on. A nice addition.

In my opinion, Universal Exploits is a great sourcebook for any science fiction game with weird, gonzo and action. If your game is pornographic -or needs more porn- even better. If you strip all the naughty, you still have lots of great content to use in different scifi settings. Well worth the buck!

Also with the PDF you get separate files for the maps included in the book. They are absolutely brilliant. +MonkeyBlood Design has outdone himself.

One final warning. Because the product is filled with tables and content, PDF version of it might be slow to use in actual game, when shuffling the book is nicer and easier. Just my opinion.
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Universal Exploits at RPGNow.
Alpha Blue at RPGNow.
Girls Gone Rogue at RPGNow.
Sleazy Space Opera (bundle of above three titles) at RPGNow.

My review of both Alpha Blue and Girls Gone Rogue HERE.

[Review] Alpha Blue + Girls Gone Rogue

Get it from RPGNow, both PDF and POD!

ALPHA BLUE is a sleazy science fiction roleplaying game cheering 70's weird scifi and exploitation entertainment. In Alpha Blue interalienracial sex, drug abuse and killing stuff is perfectly normal - and acceptable. Because Alpha Blue is a space bordel!

But what can you do in this space station of sin except have dirty adventures? Quite a lot, in fact!

Even though Alpha Blue is about sex, it is a real game. And a good game too. You might get best of the setting if you keep the sex, drugs and sleaze, but don't make it the focus of the game. You can play space action adventures with sleaze vibes. That's how you can make Alpha Blue a blast! Remember the sleaze, but don't make this game full of it making it a dirty joke. Make it awesome!

If you are already familiar with +Venger Satanis' writing style, you know what to expect. It's like Venger is telling you all these cool ideas, maybe not organized, but clear. His enthusiasm comes across the text. It is friendly, but guiding. There are no dull moments reading Kort'thalis Publishing's products.

I mentioned that it might be not organized that well. It's because there is so much material in the product. Mostly fluff and random tables. And oh boy there are many random tables making this book quite useful even outside of Alpha Blue station! You get all kinds of fun things for character creation like how he dresses and what his signature weapon is. And naturally if you're an alien, what kind of an alien you are from appearance to customs. Other tables are really useful for running adventures.

Alpha Blue is mainly a setting, and easily compatible with any system you want to run it with. But there are light rules included, which are quite fun. Characters have no stats and all difficulties of rolls are determined by who the character is (not what his numeric stats are) and what the overall situation is like. More important is what kind of sex your character likes than how hard he can hit an opponent!

Extras are two character sheets, other darker version and a map of a single floor of Alpha Blue station spread on four pages. It would have been cool if it was pre-numbered so you could fill it easier yourself, as there are locations in the book, but they are not marked on the map. Alpha Blue is supposed to have several floors, but one pre-made floor would have been fun so you could get the gaming on straight ahead. Now you have to map the place before playing the game. Small wrinkle, nothing huge!

Illustration... ehm, I don't like it. Overall it's not quite good. Half of the images are decent and give an idea what Alpha Blue is like, but some pictures are lame; example a person who looks like Doctor Who with two women. Needless to say, there is lots of nudity, partial and full. One other complaint is that men and women are not sexualized equally - there are more naked women than men. Kort'thalis' overall sexual imaginary is quite masculine. It would be cooler if there were more stronger women in illustration and fiction. I am a heterosexual guy who does enjoy strong women too, not always those slaves in golden bikini...

Also there could have been more adventure examples and seeds on what happens at Alpha Blue space station bordel. Now there are only few, and most of those happen outside of the station. Oh why...

Overall Alpha Blue is a great rpg product, if you are not too sensitive for sleazy adult themes. You get lots of random tables to use, a detailed location and light rules. If tentacle sex and drugs you are okay with, you should check Alpha Blue out! If you want to know how people have ran Alpha Blue, here is a Google search done for you: ZAP!

Get it from RPGNow, both PDF and POD!

GIRLS GONE ROGUE is an expansion for Alpha Blue. You don't necessarily need it, but it sure makes the game 1000% better! The pdf is 80 pages of everything! Character creation and options are expanded. There are more little rules like dueling and ship to ship combat. There are more random tables, all kinds of them for so many different situations. You also get quite a few adventures. And tables to create planets. And now the illustration is from the same to better to great!

Girls Gone Rogue makes Alpha Blue better in so many ways expanding it to a full throttle to run campaigns. There is so much material combined in these books, that you will never run out of adventuring ideas and random tables.

Mark my word, even without sex Alpha Blue (and Girls Gone Rogue) is/are a great game full of fun and useful material. If you don't like sleazy themes, just drop them and enjoy space adventures! Illustration... well, you just have to deal with it :)