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First Impressions of Delta Green...


Dethstrok9

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Secret File/ Delta Green first impressions/ We are all doomed/

Hello my friends! Awhile ago I asked you what the enigmatic game called Delta Green was, and if it could be all it's cracked up to be... Now I have obtained it. Woohoo!!

Yesterday I received a secret package from Arc Dream Publishing in the mail, they were kind enough to send me a review copy of the slipcase set. So here is my unboxing video, and what follows is a brief summary of what I'm enjoying so far after a quick flip-through:

 

 One of the biggest problems I have always had with Call of Cthulhu is the way investigators are supposed to both investigate and work together just "because". The way investigators are often throw together to fight creatures or threats they would likely simply run away from in real life can get grating, and Delta Green provides the answer with its MIB or X-Files type approach to investigators. We have a secret sect of the government which functions as a secret society and will call on its members to fight Mythos threats. But instead of giving anybody any sense of security in their employers, the DG core books do quite the opposite, painting a picture of a bleak and horrifying group who is a mystery to even its own members. This group will stoop below morality for the common good, and if its hand picked agents have problems, those very agents often will become the mission!

 I also find the horrific aspect of the game to be important, and additional sanity resources are much appreciated. The way the game ties the sanity into the way real life and bonds are effected makes the terrifying mentality of the mental illness all the more poignant. The way bonds work also seem great, so much so that I may use the bonds rules set even outside of DG...

 In Call of Cthulhu (my favorite horror game, which is why I keep comparing the two), there is some artwork reminiscent of a cartoon and others which feel like a scientist's meticulous sketching of a creature from beyond. While I enjoy that style of artwork very much, I cannot help but notice how much more eye catching the artwork in DG is... I mean, those images are actually scary af! Half the time I have no clue what the heck I'm looking at, let alone how to process or comprehend it. As an aside along the same lines: the aesthetic of the game and the layout of the pages is evocative in itself. There are dozens of scenario hooks hidden in the pages which each could become a full blown campaign, and the general feel of the books is that you hold in your hands something confidential. Off limits. Redacted.

 I personally enjoy conspiracies and secret plots, the very concept of them. So the way DG takes those concepts and runs with them is truly incredible. Everything has layers of fear and goes far deeper than you though possible, everything is on a need to know basis, and if you learn more than you should, you will either learn to keep your mouth shut or likely end up dead.

These are just some surface level impressions, I encourage you to check out the video and let me know what you think, and also let me know what aspects of Delta Green you love the most or most excite you:)

These are just a few examples of stuff I found exciting about the system and the core rulebooks, really didn't have any complaints at all (something rare to see, let me tell you). There was none of the copy paste stuff from the CoC core books, each book was its own entity and fully contained a part of the needed materials to both play and be a Handler (GM).

The game has forced my hand, this is just the beginning. From this point onward, we shall be exploring Delta Green on my channel (in addition to RQ) and we shall start with a "How to get into: Delta Green" series. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! I'm looking forward to delving deeper into the mind wrenching lore and sanity shattering system of Delta Green.

Edited by Dethstrok9
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-Voice of the Legion

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I'm reading The Labyrinth right now and loving it. Their lore and info is so damn good... you can read it as pure enjoyment instead of a rules set. So DG started off as supplements for CoC before they went to their own D100 systems. Those earlier DG CoC supplements are pure gold. If you want get into some fantastic writing, i recommend picking up Delta Green Countdown. You can get the pdf on DTRPG for $20... although i recommend the hard copy. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/99299/Delta-Green-Countdown .

I say pick up all the earlier DG CoC supplements but Countdown will really set the tone for you and give you a taste that slaps you in the face, begging for more... and it will only set you back $20. Cheers, Gil

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