By Eric of Cluster Cove
Master of the pavement, second to none by the way of the gun; Justice Velocity has given me the tools needed to pull off the perfect heist with my friends. Upon getting my mitts on this tabletop role-playing game, I can’t seem to stop playing it.
I’ve been playing tabletop role-playing games since 2009, both in person and online as a game master and player. One of the biggest fears I contended with was watching my art teacher in high school play Dungeons & Dragons on an early edition, knowing that I had to learn the system before playing my first ever session with a master and his pupils.
I was intimidated by the complex rules that accompanied the game and opted to remain a spectator. Soon some friends who were also new to the experience sought me out to take the leap into tabletop role-playing games, which gave me the confidence to change my life forever.
Presently my mission is to never let rules or arguing slow down the story and role-play. The process of throwing a fireball or back-flipping through a hail of bullets should make sense, but never be arduous. You never hand-wave a process when it works perfectly to begin with.
Justice Velocity has hit the mark, giving the players the right amount of rules and plenty of space to attach their own if they feel so inclined. The game thrives in speed, purposefully so.
For years I’ve put up with complex game systems that seemed to be a pain for the sake of it, only because I loved the flavor of the worlds they offered. Hundreds of hours spent converting said complex games into another streamlined system I favored, it makes me wish Justice Velocity was in my sights before doing so.
Now I find Justice Velocity’s mechanics making friends with all of my role-playing games. The way the developers handle driving is second to none for me. I’ve struggled with making my players who only play driver-type characters feel their speed and skills behind a wheel match the pacing and simplicity of players who swing swords and shoot guns.
Nothing ever feels like I’m fudging the game, so they feel included and powerful when it’s their turn to smash the pedal. Before, others would internally groan when it was my driver’s turn in combat, but now they are revered and wanted–which, to this day, blows my mind.
“Justice Velocity has hit the mark, giving the players the right amount of rules and plenty of space to attach their own if they feel so inclined. The game thrives in speed, purposefully so.“
I’ve used Justice Velocity to bring in people who have never played tabletop role-playing games before at my college. You can start playing with people who have no concept of taking on a role, and turn them into the best computer hacker to ever grace the internet in under thirty minutes.
There’s no “beginner’s only/veteran’s only” stamp for tabletop role-playing games in my opinion. It either works well with itself and gives users everything they need to function, or it doesn’t. Veteran players and myself that use Justice Velocity simply love it because it’s the former.
Games considered “simple” still dominate, like Mario as an example: fantastic and beloved because they excel at what they offer to the player. Justice Velocity is snugly placed next to my collection of Dungeons & Dragons books on my shelf, all equally a thrilling and stress-free experience to play.
My first question before playing any tabletop role-playing game is, “Does it give me the opportunity to collaboratively tell stories with friends without frying my brain to exist within the game world?” Justice Velocity leaves bullet holes in all the check boxes.