Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > In Nomine

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-15-2010, 08:12 AM   #1
Azinctus
 
Azinctus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Lyon, France
Default French vs English In Nomine

I've started playing In Nomine with a French GM, he has an early version of the French rules. Which version of the French rules was converted to English? How closely related are the two games?

How much of a gap in style and content is there between the French first edition and the GURPS conversion?
__________________
"wars and storms are best to be read of, but peace and calms are better to endure" Jeremy Bentham
Azinctus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2010, 09:55 AM   #2
Rocket Man
Petitioner: Word of IN Filk
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Longmont, CO
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

If I remember earlier explanations, the American rules were created from whole cloth rather than being based on any of the French editions. (Archangel Beth or some of the veterans here would know better than I, though.) The gist of the setting and some of the personalities were borrowed from the French game, but the French original had a HEAVILY satiric edge to it.
__________________
“It's not railroading if you offer the PCs tickets and they stampede to the box office, waving their money. Metaphorically speaking”
--Elizabeth McCoy, In Nomine Line Editor

Author: "What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Stronger"
Rocket Man is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2010, 09:59 AM   #3
Attercap
 
Attercap's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

Really the American In Nomine is more based on the French In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas than it is a direct translation. The d666 gimmick remains as well as some of the other core mechanics, but for flavor and world(s), they're really different games. Especially as the expansions for each game came out. When factoring against GURPS In Nomine, then they're really two different games that happen to deal with the war of Heaven and Hell.
__________________
Attercap.Net - A ttrpg blog covering In Nomine, Call of Cthulhu, and more
Attercap is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2010, 02:57 PM   #4
Archangel Beth
In Nomine Line Editor
 
Archangel Beth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Frozen Wastelands of NH
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

Quote:
Originally Posted by Azinctus View Post
I've started playing In Nomine with a French GM, he has an early version of the French rules. Which version of the French rules was converted to English? How closely related are the two games?

How much of a gap in style and content is there between the French first edition and the GURPS conversion?
The American IN version is based on the original stuff... mostly in descriptions of Superiors and names -- and not all of those. Novalis is a girl in SJG/IN, and a guy in INS/MV. SJG/IN has no Eve as a Superior, and Gabriel is a fruitcake. (There was some back-conversion, though -- the American version had Blandine and Beleth as ex-lovers, and I believe that one of the later French supplements alluded to this.)

That said, I believe Haagenti's main book description is almost a word-for-word translation, and Khalid's original Final Trumpet appearance was also word-for-word translated from the French, I'm pretty sure.

The French version has no Choirs or Bands.

The French version is hugely satirical, but the American version evolved to be much more action-adventure and even tries to make a passing nod to being vaguely sensitive towards many real-world beliefs.

The d666 is used, but means different things -- the english version has two dice to roll under skill level, and a "check die" that indicates degree of success or failure. I believe the French version uses tables?

Basically, call them two entirely different games with certain resemblances. Knowing one will help you very little with the other, and may even be fuel for major misunderstandings. (Vessels, Trauma, Hearts, Choirs, Bands -- all hugely different. For Dominic to spend large amounts of time as a giant turtle, against his will, would be unthinkable in the American version.) I strongly urge you to talk with your GM and get him to, essentially, do up a prospectus of what kind of humor and approach he's making. The default INS/MV one would be... Contrast: Low, Brightness setting: Dark, Humor: Dark and Satirical, to allude to the GMG "settings" descriptions. Make sure that you're expecting Paranoia with angels and demons! O:>
__________________
--Beth
Shamelessly adding Superiors: Lilith, GURPS Sparrials, and her fiction page to her .sig (the latter is not precisely gaming related)
Archangel Beth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-25-2010, 03:32 PM   #5
equity space
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

What the difference between the French and English version?
equity space is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 11:27 AM   #6
Archangel Beth
In Nomine Line Editor
 
Archangel Beth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Frozen Wastelands of NH
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

Almost everything but the window-dressing, honestly.
__________________
--Beth
Shamelessly adding Superiors: Lilith, GURPS Sparrials, and her fiction page to her .sig (the latter is not precisely gaming related)
Archangel Beth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 06:00 PM   #7
Notdan
 
Notdan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Coventry
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

Quote:
Originally Posted by Archangel Beth View Post
SJG/IN has no Eve as a Superior
How is Eve presented in the French edition? As a kind of heavenly analogue to Lilith?
__________________
"We do not stop playing because we get older, we get older because we stop playing"
Notdan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 09:01 PM   #8
Archangel Beth
In Nomine Line Editor
 
Archangel Beth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Frozen Wastelands of NH
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

Quote:
Originally Posted by Notdan View Post
How is Eve presented in the French edition? As a kind of heavenly analogue to Lilith?
Eve is the Archangel of Women, and an ex-human. IIRC, the French version has no Lilith.
__________________
--Beth
Shamelessly adding Superiors: Lilith, GURPS Sparrials, and her fiction page to her .sig (the latter is not precisely gaming related)
Archangel Beth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2010, 05:53 AM   #9
Azinctus
 
Azinctus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Lyon, France
Default Re: French vs English In Nomine

Thanks, I'm having a wee read at the French version now.
__________________
"wars and storms are best to be read of, but peace and calms are better to endure" Jeremy Bentham
Azinctus is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
meta

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:00 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.