The Price of Freedom (role-playing game)

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The Price of Freedom is a role-playing game published by West End Games in 1986.

Description[]

The Price of Freedom is a modern military system in which characters are part of an American resistance battling Soviet invaders.[1] The modern-weapons combat system employs maps and counters.[1] The game includes a "Player Book" (32 pages), "Gamemaster Book" (64 pages), miniscenarios, and maps.[1]

Publication history[]

The Price of Freedom was designed by Greg Costikyan, and was published by West End Games in 1986 as a boxed set including a 64-page book, a 32-page book, four 4-page pamphlets, two color maps, counters, a counter tray, and dice.[1]

Reception[]

Ashley Shepherd reviewed The Price of Freedom for White Dwarf #86, and stated that "I have the feeling that Price is intended to be taken as a tongue-in-cheek game. At least, I hope it is..."[2]

Two French articles[3][4] criticized the way the Soviets are depicted, and especially the fact that only American resistants have Hero Points, and only Soviets and collaborationists endure panic. In an interview to  [fi] (a Finnish novelist, TV producer, journalist and game designer), Greg Costikyan admitted:

My political views are not those of The Price of Freedom; at the time, I considered myself a ‘left libertarian'.

[…] Some of my more liberal friends were intrigued by the idea, but repulsed by the heavy-handed nature of its political message […] But in general, you know, it was a flop. We had quite a lot of interest from the distributors pre-publication, but in the event, it did not sell particularly well. Keep in mind that this was the Gorbachev era, US-Soviet relations were improving, and the scenario was viewed as pretty implausible. […] [I'm] A tad embarrassed by the game.

— Greg Costikyan to Juhana Pettersson, Non-Digital: Better Dead Than Red[5]

According to Petterson, "[The Price of Freedom is] a conservative game designed by a non-conservative designer wishing to sell games to conservatives. [... it] is clearly and explicitly meant to be played by conservative U.S. players living in 1986."[5] Contrarily, James Maliszewski consider that "This isn't exactly a game that takes itself too seriously. […] like Paranoia, The Price of Freedom is actually a well-designed little game."[6]

Reviews[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 256. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
  2. ^ Shepherd, Ashley (February 1987). "Open Box". White Dwarf. Games Workshop (86): 2.
  3. ^ Rosenthal, Pierre; Vitale, Duccio (April 1987). "Price of Freedom". Casus Belli (in French). Excelsior. p. 28.
  4. ^ "Vitrine : Price of Freedom". Chroniques d'outre-monde (in French) (7). Les Tentacules associées. May 1987. pp. 7–8. ISSN 0764-8197.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Juhana Pettersson (April 13, 2015). "Non-Digital: Better Dead Than Red". juhanapettersson.com.
  6. ^ James Maliszewski (November 24, 2010). "Retrospective: The Price of Freedom". Grognardia.
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