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                     Results: Dark Sun Ratings
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          Compiled by: brooks@odie.ee.wits.ac.za (Goth)

[Note: This file is one section of the ratings posted on December 22, 1994 
to rec.games.frp.dnd; it is included in order to make the publically 
available ratings as complete as possible.]

                          ==============
                          Points Ratings
                          ==============

In order for a product to appear on the points rating table, it must
have at least five votes. Products are listed in points order, from
highest to lowest.

     /-------------------------------------------------------\
     |                        - Key -                        |
     |                                                       |
     |  Score = the product's average rating                 |
     |  Low = the lowest rating anyone gave this product     |
     |  High = the highest rating anyone gave this product   |
     |  Voters = the number of people who rated the product  |
     \-------------------------------------------------------/

Product                                     Score  Low  High  Voters
-------                                     -----  ---  ----  ------
DSS2: Earth, Air, Fire & Water               9.0    7    10      5
The Will and the Way: Psionicists of Athas   8.4    6    10      5
MC12: Dark Sun                               7.1    4    10      7
Dragon Kings                                 6.3    5     8      7
CGR2: Complete Gladiator's Handbook          6.3    4     8      6
Dark Sun Boxed Set                           6.0    0    10     23

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                             Comments
                             ========

This next bit is a selection of comments people have sent in. I've
removed some remarks which were very similar, especially for products
which provoked large quantities of comment and I've done some minor
editing for grammar and spelling. Other than that, this is how they
were sent in.

Dark Sun Boxed Set and General Comments
---------------------------------------
In general, I think all the supplements are very good -- I've not
cared for the few modules I've purchased (exept Black Spine). I hated
the "flip book" format; while it was a good idea, it simply made the
supplements too expensive. Some of them (e.g., Dragon Kings) are
great, but not all that playable (at least to those of use who never
run 20+ level PCs). 

Dark Sun was the best (in my opinon) version of an alien world in
AD&D. Everything was pretty cool, and clean. Except a couple of
things -- the way the world was introduced, for example. I know
storyline is important, but it doesn't need to get mixed up in the
refrence details. Another thing was that you have to buy all the
later boxed sets to understand more about the world, (i.e. Cites, the
Silt Sea, etc.) I know this gives the DM a lot of freedom, but why
buy a boxed set, if you have to make up everything your self? (I only
use these sets if I don't want to spend the time making up my own
world.) Another big turn-off was that you had to go out and buy the
Psionics Handbook, first. Dark Sun would have been much cooler if it
contained more stuff... in my opinion, (that doesn't stop it from
being a cool game though).

Dark Sun (the boxed set), was a very good, well-made game. The only
thing that I found wrong with it was that it didn't have enough
stuff!  When I go out and buy a boxed set, I'd like it so it wasn't
so "iffy" in many areas. So many places are so uncharted. Hey, if I
wanted to make all this stuff up, I would go out and make my own set! 
But I know that this was TSR's ploy to make me go out and buy more
stuff, which kind of worked. Otherwise, the ideas and the background
were just fine.

I thought it was a good world but I didn't think I would be running
it anytime soon. I liked the harshness of the world, but must agree
with current critics who pen it "an enviro feel-good munchkin land".

Dark Sun is all I play, although I do have Planescape, which I only
purchased as an extention to my Dark Sun campaign.

Dark Sun is still my favourite setting. So call me a munchkin, I'll
just sic my thri-kreen gladiator on you... I like the "differentness"
of it all. The new PC races, harsh setting, very strange creatures
all over the place. It's just weird enough to appeal to me.

Dark Sun would be cool, but it wasn't thought out enuff.

The Dark Sun Boxed Set is one of the two best products I have
bought from 2nd edition stuff -- I'd give it a 10 if the mini-module
it contains wasn't so damn horrible. It is also a deal at $20. 

Not much to say. I liked, but don't play it much.

Supplements
-----------
City by the Silt Sea, while limited in its use, is well thought out
and well presented.  Overall it is one of the best of available
adventures. The creatures in MC12 are great for the world of Athas,
but most are of limited use elsewhere.

Dragon Kings seems not to be very well thought out and could have
been much better. It is also not worth having a full hardback book
for. The Gladiator's Handbook is okay, but a little bit unnecessary.
City-State of Tyr is extremely good in its depth. Earth, Air, Fire &
Water is an important and necessary resource for any DS campaign if
there are any clerics involved whatsoever.

Earth, Air, Fire and Water is by far the best accessory TSR has
published that I have read. It really gives depth and colour to the
new Dark Sun cleric. The Will and the Way isn't quite as good but is
very important because of the new psionic powers inside.

City State of Tyr is good. I actually need and use it a lot because
I mainly play City adventures.

When I first flipped through Dragon Kings, it looked beautiful. I was
awed. There were so many cool things (that I thought) were pushed
into it. Then when I bought it, I found out I didn't like it at all.
I guess it was another one of TSR's ploys to make me buy more of
their junk. It's good if you like playing past the 20th level, but I
don't. I can't stand DMing a game past othe 20th level, the players
get WAY to powerful, and are hard to control, and change. You find
that you have to meddle with higher beings and things just get out of
hand. Even in a Dark Sun campaign. Once I had to put the Dragon of
Tyr against a group of 17-19th level characters. And guess what? They
kicked his ass! After you get to a level that is that high, you lose
a lot of fun in the game. And the DM/GM loses the most fun,
especially when you have dragons, elementals, and what-not which can
blow up the whole freaken place.

The Gladiators Handbook was all right. Part of it was a "joke" as I
would call it though.

Dragon's Crown was not playtested enough. We found numerous weak
points, resulting in an overall poor rating.

It is a great pity that the best Dark Sun product so far has been
Valley of Dust and Fire, as this was the single place the PCs have
the least probability of ever visiting. It is an even greatest pity
that TSR killed Borys, therefore rendering the whole supplement
(Valley) useless. Who said the guys have brains in their heads?

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                              The End
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