Yes, thanks for doing this video. Videos of the James Bond RPG are pretty uncommon -- and usually the video is -- I pulled this old box out of my closet and played it a little when I was a kid -- I don't remember any of it -- but let me show you what I have. 😂I guess at least it's something. Your videos show that you definitely plaid the game and you did your research -- so thanks!
"Play however you want because none of these games from the 80s were ever intended to be an endorsement for bad behaviour. They're a form of escapism that might even expose us to valuable moral lessons" This is wisdom. I never did find the time to get familiar with it when I owned a copy, so thanks for the nice, thorough treatment of the ruleset! I feel at once informed and slightly nostalgic!
I honestly love Ms Galore. She kicks butts. The name might be cringy but that actually adds to how awesome as a bad ass Lady she is. I've always respected her.
Thank you Aten, I have been waiting months for this and it was worth every minute. The chase mechanic in 007 and the one from Indiana Jones are both alot of fun. ❤
Yes! I'll cover Indiana Jones as well. Right now I'm all giddy over "Everyday Heroes" ... definitely gonna gush about how cool it is. Definitely a great game to support for all sorts of modern era gaming.
Bond was great for teaching pacing well as social interactions (steps of seduction) and keeping things MOVING!!! They even START with a teaser to specifically get you building up those hero points!!! and "bidding" on chases is not to be missed. (GURPS has a series called "ACTION!" that helps focus the sprawling GURPS toolbox to double naught spies to the A-Team taht reatains a LOT of the meta and mechanics including an overall level of difficulty called BADD to up the tension.)
i think that the depth of background for the PC AND especially the massively detained NPCs made this game really feel exactly like the movies. "He was an member of the SIS till his mission was compromised , had a keen interest in "bird watching" (player immediately makes a double intrada about something , something female anatomy and table groans but upon remembering the movie series and era and decided not to immediately call in a third party to help everyone breath into a paperbag...
You probably already heard me mention this at one point or another, but we used to play a game that was an amalgam of this and the Top Secret game. The GM did all the heavy lifting, so we just played his game and we all had a ball. :-) We played with the one GM and two of us players, so we did exceed the recommended two player count... and I agree that this game (or this style of game) is probably best suited to one-on-one GM/player play. I think the same would apply to the TSR Indiana Jones game.
Liked so much the presentation that I subscribed. I'd love to run an old school spy game, but the closest to that for the moment is Delta Green which seems to bring more players.
i knew i liked you for a reason, dyscalclexia or w/e-tf it is sure makes being a machinist fun for me. not being able to properly write down my phone number almost got my pet sent to the permanent sleeping room. nonstop adventure with numbers. I like charts also. with context numbers always behave better.
Thank you for talking about one of my favorite RPG's ever! I have hung on to the game for nearly 40 years and tell everyone how good it is... Well, problematic issues aside, the mechanics are wonderful
Thanks for the review. I played this extensively with my group during the 80s. The stats for weapons and vehicles really helped differentiate essential tools for non super-powered game play. We also found it was best suited for 1-2 agents, rather than a squad, but for one-shots even that was a fun change of pace.
I've heard nothing but great things about this game, and I regret not picking it up. Thank you for sharing the strengths of the game with us! All the best, Aten -- 🍪☕
I still have my boxed set I believe I picked up in '84. I actually used the Dr. No adventure from the book for the basis of a choose your own adventure for my BASIC computer programing class in 8th grade. Loving your channel, Aten! Keep up the good work! Also a big fan of the TSR Marvel Superheroes. Can't wait to see your take on that.
Oh God, I remember that chart.!!! I had to constantly explain to my buddy/player - and I suck at math ... but he loved being a super spy. We MOSTLY only played with one... but I occasionally had two, and I recall having four, once... ...and the people who can't deal with the Bond series? Who cares what they think! :) Great video, Aten.
Every new video I'm falling more in love with this channel. Thank you for this amazing content, you always somehow seem to show me games I'd love and have never heard of. Massive bond fan and was never aware of this, but I have played all the bond video games.
I remember seeing this game back in the day but I never played it. My group played Top Secret instead which was fun but never quite had the cinematic feel you described here.
Played a fair bit of 'Top Secret' back in the day, but never this one. I believe most TTRPGers secretly want to be James Bond on one level or another, and many never fully grow out of that. I know that's true of me. :) There is also, I know, a card game called 'Before I Kill You, Mister Spy'. It was originally sold as, you guessed it, "Before I Kill You, Mister Bond', but they got into trouble for that (surprise!).
they had crazy detail on things like combat and styles as well as the languages. it was great to be aware of and gave you some appreciation of the details of real spycraft as well as novels.
Woohoo! All caught up again. =^_^= Never played this but I loved the old Bond films when I was a kid. The game looks like it would be a lot of fun, I'll have to see if I can find it some time... If my scatter brain remembers. Really great video, take care and have fun Aten. =^_^=
An excellent video as usual Aten. I love your well researched critique and examination of TTRPG systems I have never heard of. It is disappointing that the system is best run with just a GM and one PC, as I have never felt comfortable in that kind of TTRPG environment, but thematically it makes sense as very rarely would you send a team of spies into a James Bond Like situation. I have obtained a copy of Classified and I am wondering, is possible to make home-brew changes or house rules, that would make party play possible? Now to the subject of tables. I have never been a fan and in my opinion, I have always thought that system creators made them as a subconscious effort to gate-keep their work. "Only smart people are allowed to play our game!" As a software developer IRL, the first thing I do when I see a table in convert it to a computer program that accepts minimal inputs and spits out the final result. I think I might be considered a heathen for doing that.
Party play is possible, youll just need to play in a different style as intended. Id look at one of the adventures written specifically for classified. I think at least one or two exist. BUT get the Q manual!
Yes party play is possible -- most of the adventure modules say you can play with either a james bond level agent, three rookies, or a james bond level agent and a rookie. The author is right it does change the play style -- but DO NOT think this is a two player game -- you can play with more than two players and it is very FUN. We used to play a lot with a james bond level agent, we made the good female a player character (a rookie) and another rookie. This made the game a little easier -- but a TON of fun. We took turns it was actually super fun playing rookies with James Bond (or a james bond level character). Key was you just had to take turns playing a james bond level character. I'm sure you could easily play with two james bond level characters -- but none of the pre-made adventurers were designed for that. You would have to adjust them to do that.
The ancient question of why game masters somehow become better at math than their players has been answered. Tables that we used so often we cannot forget them. And math is fun. Schoolhouse Rocks may also have a hand in it for at least one generation.
That was one of the tunes concerning "English." I meant the ones concerning math. Sung by Paul Simon (I think). Simplification. I tried to explain it to my math teachers in school, but somehow, they never "understood." I never knew where I learned it (simplification) from until a friend bought the DVDs and showed them to me. Then I knew.
Actually I think it was trying to compete with Top Secret, which had been around since 1980 by TSR. But I do think it knocked Top Secret off its throne for a while.
@@welovettrpgs Yes, from all the anectdotal evidence I've seen it did knock Top Secret off its throne. The sad part is the spy genre has never been that popular for TTRPGs so IMO never been a clear leader after James Bond RPG faded away.
@@welovettrpgs Looking forward to it! btw: I was thinking has anyone done a spy genre game that uses D&D 5e mechanics -- and apparently the answer is yes. It is called "The Spy Game". Not familiar with it but thought I would mention it.
If you're looking for a math degree/engineer's RPG, may I counsel the French RpG "Légendes"? that one was made by engineers for engineers and you better have a calculator handy when creating characters or resolving situations.
@@welovettrpgs Unfortunately, that game is strictly geared toward ancient fantasy, whether it be the Orginal Celtic version, or the later (in the 80s) 1001 Nights editions, oh, and it's in French, I doubt it ever got translated.
@@Svartalf14 Thank you my friend! Secret about me. I'm what they call a Francophile. But my French is currently horrible and I can't read French. Yet! At various times I start to improve then life gets in the way. I just need to move to France for a while where I would have to fully learn French or starve.
This RPG was much better than I expected. Heh, and when someone in the group said "you can't make a female 00" and I pointed out that there was an unnamed 003 female agent in Thunderball. Additionally, there was a group of unnamed 00's being given a mission assignment in The World is Not Enough, and one was a female. My family was one of those who fell into the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, so I wasn't allowed to play a game like D&D. However, James Bond RPG or Mayfair Games rpg of DC Comics was 'safe'
I've heard that about victims of the Satanic Panic before. I'm glad you were allowed to play other TTRPGs. Also, these rules specifically allow for female agents, even with some rule variants (such as fame)
@@welovettrpgs Yes, and I'm too lazy to pull my James Bond RPG rue book out but I believe Anya Amasova (from the Spy Who Love Me) has a few stats that are higher than James Bond in the rules. I think one of them was intelligence -- ah now I'm curious and need to find my rulebook. Yes -- you definitely can create female 00s on James Bond RPG.
I'm really excited to be sharing these old school game videos with you! I hope you enjoyed by fabulous singing intro! I should be on Idol!
Yes, thanks for doing this video. Videos of the James Bond RPG are pretty uncommon -- and usually the video is -- I pulled this old box out of my closet and played it a little when I was a kid -- I don't remember any of it -- but let me show you what I have. 😂I guess at least it's something. Your videos show that you definitely plaid the game and you did your research -- so thanks!
"Play however you want because none of these games from the 80s were ever intended to be an endorsement for bad behaviour. They're a form of escapism that might even expose us to valuable moral lessons"
This is wisdom.
I never did find the time to get familiar with it when I owned a copy, so thanks for the nice, thorough treatment of the ruleset! I feel at once informed and slightly nostalgic!
That's very kind of you. Thanks!
I honestly love Ms Galore. She kicks butts. The name might be cringy but that actually adds to how awesome as a bad ass Lady she is. I've always respected her.
Thank you Aten, I have been waiting months for this and it was worth every minute. The chase mechanic in 007 and the one from Indiana Jones are both alot of fun. ❤
Yes! I'll cover Indiana Jones as well. Right now I'm all giddy over "Everyday Heroes" ... definitely gonna gush about how cool it is. Definitely a great game to support for all sorts of modern era gaming.
I run it currently as a back up to my main Star Wars campaign when all the players don't show.
Back up games are great!
Bond was great for teaching pacing well as social interactions (steps of seduction) and keeping things MOVING!!! They even START with a teaser to specifically get you building up those hero points!!!
and "bidding" on chases is not to be missed. (GURPS has a series called "ACTION!" that helps focus the sprawling GURPS toolbox to double naught spies to the A-Team taht reatains a LOT of the meta and mechanics including an overall level of difficulty called BADD to up the tension.)
That Q Manual looks awesome! That alone would make the whole game worth it for me.
It does!
i think that the depth of background for the PC AND especially the massively detained NPCs made this game really feel exactly like the movies. "He was an member of the SIS till his mission was compromised , had a keen interest in "bird watching" (player immediately makes a double intrada about something , something female anatomy and table groans but upon remembering the movie series and era and decided not to immediately call in a third party to help everyone breath into a paperbag...
You probably already heard me mention this at one point or another, but we used to play a game that was an amalgam of this and the Top Secret game. The GM did all the heavy lifting, so we just played his game and we all had a ball. :-) We played with the one GM and two of us players, so we did exceed the recommended two player count... and I agree that this game (or this style of game) is probably best suited to one-on-one GM/player play. I think the same would apply to the TSR Indiana Jones game.
Liked so much the presentation that I subscribed. I'd love to run an old school spy game, but the closest to that for the moment is Delta Green which seems to bring more players.
Yes Delta Green is cool! Look for my Everyday Heroes video in the future. It uses 5E rules and is great for this genre as well, and welcome!
I loved this game as a kid! All the weapon and vehicle stats were exactly what my autism was into.
That's awesome!! Thanks!
I had this game as a kid when it came out. I dont recall playing it very much, but thinking it was pretty cool.
My favorite Secret Agent RPG was Top Secret. The Original, Top Secret/SI, and Top Secret: New World Order. Created by Merle Rasmussen
i knew i liked you for a reason, dyscalclexia or w/e-tf it is sure makes being a machinist fun for me. not being able to properly write down my phone number almost got my pet sent to the permanent sleeping room. nonstop adventure with numbers. I like charts also. with context numbers always behave better.
Thank you for talking about one of my favorite RPG's ever! I have hung on to the game for nearly 40 years and tell everyone how good it is... Well, problematic issues aside, the mechanics are wonderful
Hopefully my video can help you covert more gamers to this wonderful system!
Thanks for the review. I played this extensively with my group during the 80s. The stats for weapons and vehicles really helped differentiate essential tools for non super-powered game play. We also found it was best suited for 1-2 agents, rather than a squad, but for one-shots even that was a fun change of pace.
Thank You!
I've heard nothing but great things about this game, and I regret not picking it up. Thank you for sharing the strengths of the game with us! All the best, Aten -- 🍪☕
Thank You!!
I still have my boxed set I believe I picked up in '84. I actually used the Dr. No adventure from the book for the basis of a choose your own adventure for my BASIC computer programing class in 8th grade.
Loving your channel, Aten! Keep up the good work!
Also a big fan of the TSR Marvel Superheroes. Can't wait to see your take on that.
Thanks! I'm also excited about Marvel. I have several videos planed for that!
Oh God, I remember that chart.!!! I had to constantly explain to my buddy/player - and I suck at math ... but he loved being a super spy.
We MOSTLY only played with one... but I occasionally had two, and I recall having four, once...
...and the people who can't deal with the Bond series? Who cares what they think! :)
Great video, Aten.
Thanks!
i have not (yet) played this game, and your video is encouraging! i enjoyed "Top Secret" back in the 1980s
Every new video I'm falling more in love with this channel. Thank you for this amazing content, you always somehow seem to show me games I'd love and have never heard of.
Massive bond fan and was never aware of this, but I have played all the bond video games.
Thanks! And I was trying really hard to somehow sneak the N64 goldeneye in the video! Maybe Ill still do that at some point.
I remember seeing this game back in the day but I never played it. My group played Top Secret instead which was fun but never quite had the cinematic feel you described here.
Played a fair bit of 'Top Secret' back in the day, but never this one. I believe most TTRPGers secretly want to be James Bond on one level or another, and many never fully grow out of that. I know that's true of me. :)
There is also, I know, a card game called 'Before I Kill You, Mister Spy'. It was originally sold as, you guessed it, "Before I Kill You, Mister Bond', but they got into trouble for that (surprise!).
they had crazy detail on things like combat and styles as well as the languages. it was great to be aware of and gave you some appreciation of the details of real spycraft as well as novels.
Thank you so much Aten.
Please keep up the fantastic work.
Sincerely,
Alicia from Sweden
My pleasure!
i always loved this game! and the accessories and the ease system were great!
Couldn't agree more!
Woohoo! All caught up again. =^_^=
Never played this but I loved the old Bond films when I was a kid. The game looks like it would be a lot of fun, I'll have to see if I can find it some time... If my scatter brain remembers. Really great video, take care and have fun Aten. =^_^=
Thanks!
An excellent video as usual Aten. I love your well researched critique and examination of TTRPG systems I have never heard of. It is disappointing that the system is best run with just a GM and one PC, as I have never felt comfortable in that kind of TTRPG environment, but thematically it makes sense as very rarely would you send a team of spies into a James Bond Like situation.
I have obtained a copy of Classified and I am wondering, is possible to make home-brew changes or house rules, that would make party play possible?
Now to the subject of tables. I have never been a fan and in my opinion, I have always thought that system creators made them as a subconscious effort to gate-keep their work. "Only smart people are allowed to play our game!" As a software developer IRL, the first thing I do when I see a table in convert it to a computer program that accepts minimal inputs and spits out the final result. I think I might be considered a heathen for doing that.
Party play is possible, youll just need to play in a different style as intended. Id look at one of the adventures written specifically for classified. I think at least one or two exist. BUT get the Q manual!
Yes party play is possible -- most of the adventure modules say you can play with either a james bond level agent, three rookies, or a james bond level agent and a rookie. The author is right it does change the play style -- but DO NOT think this is a two player game -- you can play with more than two players and it is very FUN. We used to play a lot with a james bond level agent, we made the good female a player character (a rookie) and another rookie. This made the game a little easier -- but a TON of fun. We took turns it was actually super fun playing rookies with James Bond (or a james bond level character). Key was you just had to take turns playing a james bond level character.
I'm sure you could easily play with two james bond level characters -- but none of the pre-made adventurers were designed for that. You would have to adjust them to do that.
The ancient question of why game masters somehow become better at math than their players has been answered.
Tables that we used so often we cannot forget them.
And math is fun.
Schoolhouse Rocks may also have a hand in it for at least one generation.
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?
That was one of the tunes concerning "English."
I meant the ones concerning math. Sung by Paul Simon (I think).
Simplification.
I tried to explain it to my math teachers in school, but somehow, they never "understood."
I never knew where I learned it (simplification) from until a friend bought the DVDs and showed them to me. Then I knew.
Reminds me a bit of Top Secret, a bit.
Really showing my age here, but my buddies and I used this ruleset to create our own Mack Bolan game. I'm sure someone gets that reference.
This game influenced my favorite game system, Top Secret S.I. :)
Actually I think it was trying to compete with Top Secret, which had been around since 1980 by TSR. But I do think it knocked Top Secret off its throne for a while.
@@welovettrpgs Yes, from all the anectdotal evidence I've seen it did knock Top Secret off its throne. The sad part is the spy genre has never been that popular for TTRPGs so IMO never been a clear leader after James Bond RPG faded away.
@@quantus5875 Well just you wait until I do my full review of Everyday Heroes because I think it would be perfect for spy genre!
@@welovettrpgs Looking forward to it! btw: I was thinking has anyone done a spy genre game that uses D&D 5e mechanics -- and apparently the answer is yes. It is called "The Spy Game". Not familiar with it but thought I would mention it.
@@quantus5875 thanks!
If you're looking for a math degree/engineer's RPG, may I counsel the French RpG "Légendes"? that one was made by engineers for engineers and you better have a calculator handy when creating characters or resolving situations.
lol sounds great! Thanks!
@@welovettrpgs Unfortunately, that game is strictly geared toward ancient fantasy, whether it be the Orginal Celtic version, or the later (in the 80s) 1001 Nights editions, oh, and it's in French, I doubt it ever got translated.
@@Svartalf14 Thank you my friend! Secret about me. I'm what they call a Francophile. But my French is currently horrible and I can't read French. Yet! At various times I start to improve then life gets in the way. I just need to move to France for a while where I would have to fully learn French or starve.
@@welovettrpgs If you ever do that move, contact me in some way, I'll help.
Thank You!
Очень интересное путешествие в прошлое настольных игр! На своем канале я просто вожу игры 1 игрок и 1 мастер по правилам dnd 5e + мои дополнения.
2:50 irony much?
Jolly jeepers, whatever do you mean?
This RPG was much better than I expected. Heh, and when someone in the group said "you can't make a female 00" and I pointed out that there was an unnamed 003 female agent in Thunderball. Additionally, there was a group of unnamed 00's being given a mission assignment in The World is Not Enough, and one was a female.
My family was one of those who fell into the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, so I wasn't allowed to play a game like D&D. However, James Bond RPG or Mayfair Games rpg of DC Comics was 'safe'
I've heard that about victims of the Satanic Panic before. I'm glad you were allowed to play other TTRPGs. Also, these rules specifically allow for female agents, even with some rule variants (such as fame)
@@welovettrpgs Yes, and I'm too lazy to pull my James Bond RPG rue book out but I believe Anya Amasova (from the Spy Who Love Me) has a few stats that are higher than James Bond in the rules. I think one of them was intelligence -- ah now I'm curious and need to find my rulebook. Yes -- you definitely can create female 00s on James Bond RPG.