An RPG based on the music group Abney Park (Yes, you read right), this game takes place in a dark future where there was no final war, only a "Long Apocalypse" and the fall of mankind to it's own hubris and the temporal manipulations of Abney Park and their Time Traveling Airship, the HMS Ophelia.

But these aren't their adventures, these are the adventures of the AS Nautilus/Iron Albatross, and their attempts to live in this dark world, and the horrible realization that the Empire that rules everything is even darker than they suspected, and that time is not what it should be.

With a dystopic view of the world, a ground filled with genetically engineered animals ready to eat any human they come across, cities that survived only due to being behind large walls (And under the automated thumb of the Empire) or raised high above the sky using massive air bags, when each day is a hard-won fight for survival with only a dollop of gin or rum to look forward to... These are the adventures of some few men and women (And automata) who would stand against that which is wrong and say, "No. You back off. The time of man has returned."

It's a pretty good setting with much to appeal to most gamers. Granted we all have our ways of adding to the flavor.

I'd like to belive that my own Mad Scientist Professor Von Orgone has a way of adding some Levity to the proceedings. (even if it can be tinged with menace from some of his creations gone awry.)

I picked it up out of curiosity. It seems interesting but VERY story driven; many of the feats have no mechanical effect at all and just do something flavorful. Which isnt bad but I think it's going to turn a lot of gamers off.

My only real serious gripes were the artwork and the world itself. The artwork swung between gorgeous and Elfwood, some of it was atrociously ugly and out-of-place. The world seems big but there doesn't seem to be that much to DO in the world. Ok you're airship pirates so you...run around and pirate things? I just didn't see that much room for big adventures.

It looks like it'd be a lot of fun but it definitely has it's flaws.

I too finally picked it up out of morbid curiosity. It has not yet arrived in the mail for me to peruse. That said, everything I've read, including your post, indicates that it just takes a strong GM to make it all work. Rather like a good RIFTS game.

Guess my GMing is better than I thought, as my group keeps coming back for more. So far they're gone ruins crawling, wilderness hunting, bird shooting ("CLEAR THE DECKS!!!" *WHAM*), investing, trading, are about to get into politics, and, finally, going through the history of the poor Doctor whose memory hasn't been the same since a botched lobotomy (I think we're up to five names with the guy!).

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

Went through the Doctor's eye, too. He had an eyepatch, but now has a wicked-A cool Steampunk Cybernetic replacement with microscopic vision to assist in surgery. A lot of the crew eye it as well, for the diamond that's used as the focusing prism for it.

Got my book yesterday in the mail and I can definitely see where the shortcoming lie, but they aren't anything too serious, provided you don't get caught up in the minutia. Although it is annoying that none of the firearms have an ammo capacity.

I just had revolvers be six-shooters, and rifles are single shot bolt-actions. The rest I just eyeballed as semi-auto weapons and use them as such.

My group hasn't complained about this.

My Professor Axel Von Orgone is currently working on a lot of little projects at the moment. Creating Automata Horses, Making Rifles that shoot more than one bullet at a time, making Revolvers that have a far greater ammo capacity (found an AWESOME antique 20 shot revolver online as proof it could work), and other things.

Also he's more or less responsible for the current 'Look' of the ship. We took an insane amount of damage when a militarised train really hammered us... long story short the Professor cannibalised the train's engine for the ship's in retribution.

Pirate Science Rules!

It's nitpicky at best. I know. Although for true steampunk love... you need to have a revolver rifle. It just works.

Our resident Mad Scientist has created a Revolver Shotgun. He figures that Quantity is a Quality all on it's own considering his lack of combat capabilities.

That said, he made one hell of a damned fine cannon deck commander when needs arose. Put some iron back into the men, who proceeded to pound iron into the enemy!