I've always had a fondness for this game. I mean, it's a RPG about playing RPGs, how awesomely self referential can you get?
I feel today's younger players would be completely bewildered by this game. It's a mere 128 page softcover compared to modern 300 page monster hardcovers. So, the inclination would be to think it's a very limited game. Right?
Wrong! In those 128 pages, Dream Park has several quick start tactical games, full character creation rules, as well as basic material for psionics, magic, superpowers, and futuristic, modern, and archaic equipment. It has a GM tips section with some really good stuff on structuring the flow of a night's game. Not to mention the game itself uses a light and quick playing basic system which emphasizes fast paced cinematic play. All this... 128 pages.
It does more than many games do after 2 dozen heavy supplements.
The idea in Dream Park is the GM would use the multi-genre nature of the system to mix separate genres into a unique experience. This was typical for the period. The sample adventure suggests combining Pulp, Horror, and Swashbucking in a post holocaust struggle by a submarine crew against dinosaurs and zombies.
But the really big conceit of Dream Park was the idea the players were themselves playing characters who were players in a virtual RPG. Like players wandering from game group to game group, the characters would meet different GMs with different adventure worlds and different styles. One game they might be playing a game where the GM had mixed the idea of Swords and Sorcery with Superheroes and the next they may be playing a scenario of Space Opera Mecha Gangsters.
One nice thing about this was the flexibility of the characters. Each character had core abilities which remained the same from game to game, but everything else was an add-on which could be swapped out from session to session. One adventure your character could be a double-O level gadget using spy, the next he could be a radioactive superpowered vigilante.
Mega-cool stuff. I'm so happy I bought my copy back in the day. It makes me a bit sad that I never hear about the game. Consider this a bit of spreading the word. Although, good luck finding a copy.
