I've been reading Over the Edge 3E. This book communicates its intricate, arcane, confusing setting by **not doing its job well**.
There are no page references. Important players are mentioned many times before they are described. The glossary/index is full of details but also full of holes.
So yeah, for someone with only a vague awareness of the previous editions, figuring it all out is work. I've had to open the epub on my tablet to search the text for answers.
It would be frustrating in any other game but OTE's lore is so proteiform and so wide that you don't need to know or understand half of it to run it. At least that's my impression about 65% through the book (65% is a wild estimate as I've given up reading it in sequence).
Mind you, the above does not apply to the rules. They're short, simple, illustrated by *pages* of examples, and contained within their own 20-page chapter.
I would also salute the amount of advice given for creating and playing characters that drive the game. I am very much looking forward to the GM tips and advice section.
My semi informed opinion (subject to revision): OTE 3E is peak trad TTRPG.
It has no mechanics to influence the story or characters. The rules handle conflict resolution and nothing else. Players and GM are in charge of making the game fun and interesting. But the book has excellent material for people to do that.
