J-RPG Blog!

Japanese Tabletop RPG Blog

• Mark Causey March 2008

  I discovered this new game on my daily haunt, Playspace Hiroshima. I found subsequent links via Google to Amazon.jp and Fukkan. Fukkan has a big description and some sample art, which I've inlined below (edit: note, I have hyperlinked to a super large version of the third image instead of inlining it). Fukkan states that it is a sequel to the 2005 game, 戦国霊異伝 , which I also know nothing about.
  
  Can anyone help translate and give me an idea what the game is about (other than something about the Shogunate and some crazy looking samurai going to war)?
  
  I'm betting it focuses on killer duels between samurai and ronin. I saw something about killer points and a wolf gauge? It kind of looks like a Rurouni Kenshin TRPG.
  
  ■ファンの眼を覚ます新タイトル登場。このゲームは『戦国霊異伝』の単なる続編ではなく、新ゲームと言っていいだろう。根強いファンが多く新作要望も高い『戦国霊異伝』。だが、残念ながら、本来の製作者である有限会社キラメキは現在活動してない。そこで、本来の製作者である有限会社キラメキの幕末編を作りたいというアイディアをもとに、ＴＥＡＳ事務所が新たなゲーム背景の構築とシステム改訂を考案・実行し、より遊びやすい、より面白い作品として完成！幕末の動乱に揺れる扶桑国（日本）においても、人間と妖異の戦いは続いていた――。
  
  
  
  ○『幕末霊異伝　ＭＩ・ＢＵ・ＲＯ』特徴紹介
  
  * 進化した判定システム：剣術モノらしい、スパッと切れ味の良いダイスロールを実現。
  
  * ヒーローポイント＆必殺技ポイント、「壬・生・狼ゲージ」の導入：使命感の表れである「壬ゲージ」、命のやりとりで死線をくぐり抜けた証の「生ゲージ」、殺気を表現する「狼ゲージ」が、戦闘とロールプレイを盛り上げます。
  
  * パーティ共有の死亡回避ポイント「天命」を実装：ＧＭが管理し、基本的にプレイヤーには伏せられているため、ヒロイックさと命の重みを両立した、スリリングな戦闘を味わえます。
  
  * 戦闘システム：一般的な命中→回避の流れではなく、構えの崩しあいで雌雄を決する、剣術らしい「斬り合い」を再現しています。いつも死と隣り合わせの剣劇の中に、活を見出す戦闘を再現できます。
  
  * 流派の必殺技とも言うべき「剣術奥義」と、それを補助する術法」の数々が、史実を超えた幕末伝奇バトルを演出します。
  ※画像はイメージです
  
  

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• Pinkys.brain April 2008

  It's probably not a really good translation but it should serve the purpose (I'm not an English native speaker...). Especially the feature list is hard for me to translate:
  
  
  The introduction of a new title to open up the eyes of the fans. This game isn’t simple the next instalment of the “Tale of Wonders of the Warring States” (戦国霊異伝), it’s rather a whole new game, fulfilling the call of the deeply rooted fans for a new work of the famous/excellent “Tale of Wonders of the Warring States”. Unfortunately the original producer Kirameki isn’t anymore. Therefore, based on the idea of producing Kirameki’s Bakumatsu-Edition [bakumatsu = the final period of the last shogunat], the office of TEAS designed and realized a construction of a new setting and system, easier to play, completing an even more captivating product. The battle of humans and monster/ghosts [yôkai] continues in a Japan, shaken by the turmoil of the bakumatsu period ---.
  
  Introduction of features of “Bakumatsu rei-den Mi-Bu-Ro”:
  
  * a revolutionary resolution system: Dice-rolls well reflecting swordfights with its deadliness [hard to translate].
  
  * Hero points and points for special maneuvers/skills/attack, introduction of the “Nin-, Life- and Wolf-Gauges”: the “Nin-Gauge” expressing the sense of duty; the “Life-Gauge”: proof of handling life-threatening situations, walking the line between life and death; the “Wolf-Gauge”, representing the will to kill, all to liven up the fights and roleplay. [*arghhh*]
  
  * Implementation of party-shared “Fate”-points, allowing to escape death: managed by the GM, basically so that the they are kept hidden from the players, allowing the player to enjoy thrilling fights by having both heroism and a chance of survival.
  
  * Battle system: not the normal flow of hitting and evading, but the outcome decided by the clashing and crumbling of stances, reflecting the realistic swordplay. The ability to reflect battles that capture life in the middle of battles stages where death is more than just a possibility.
  
  * The many school-specific special techniques (“secret techniques”), and techniques that supplement these, produce adventurous battles in the bakumatsu period that exceed the historical facts.
• Diamond_Sutra April 2008

  Posted By: Pinkys.brain
  * a revolutionary resolution system: Dice-rolls well reflecting swordfights with its deadliness [hard to translate].

  
  
  Damn dude, you did a good job, though. (^.^)
  
  For those in the audience, the linguistic breakdown of this Japanese sentence looks a little something like this:
  
  "Evolution(ized) Resoltuion System: Bladework story looks like, "Spaa!" (*sound of quick cutting*) through good cutting taste dice roll realization."
  
  For those of you wondering, "Hey, how come more cool Japanese RPGs don't come out in English?", there's your answer. Imagine an entire book that looks like the above, which you have to assemble back into something readable and understandable. (^.^;
  
  It's also the reason why computer translation between E-J and particularly J-E will be perfected at around roughly the same time that we've developed warp drive and have colonized Saturn.
  
  -Andy
• ryuuchiba April 2008

  Posted By: Diamond SutraIt's also the reason why computer translation between E-J and particularly J-E will be perfected at around roughly the same time that we've developed warp drive and have colonized Saturn.

  
  
  Warp Drive will come way before.
• Diamond_Sutra January 2009

  BTW, I saw this game in a fwe of the Yellow Submarines that I visited.
  
  I ended up passing on it: The price point was too high, I ran into that "wall of text" effect with little layout to break it up. It honestly, seems like a straight reprinting of a game created in the early/mid 90s. Which is cool as an artifact, but a lot of unique, nifty designs and design elements have come out since.
  
  Looking through the game, it just seemed kinda standard. I guess the real magic behind the game is all caught in the sword school rules and dueling mechanics. The rest just felt kinda like an Everygame. Again, though, this was just at a glance.