http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=1656

The selection of character stats sounds a bit like Wizards' Castle Ravenloft's Skill Card selection.  And skill tests sound a bit like Dungeonquest skill tests, but with a starting pool of "determination" tokens.

Wouldn't mind having that Duke in Arkham Horror, though. This Duke actually bites; the AH Duke just makes you feel better.
 

 Arkham Duke neutered?

Im getting the impression this is too simple atm and am hoping theres a lot more room for replay and more complexity to the gameplay. Well see.

Well, from what I gather ... at the start of the game the Keeper generates the story and the details of the story through the use of numerous story cards.

So, from what I recall readin, say there are 6 overall story arcs/scenarios.  Each story arc is split into 3 or 4 sections, with anywhere from 3 to 6 options for each section.  That makes a pretty variable story.  So, while the players might be familiar with the "main" idea of the story, the specific motives and places and events of the story will be pretty different each time, as long as the Keeper doesn't choose the same option every time.  Add in that various clues, monsters, items, etc can also get placed in different locations each game, and players can take different characters (and even different options for each character!) and it seems like there's a lot of possible variety in the story and details of the game, anyway.

yes, but for how long? How many times can you play through one of the scenarios before metagame knowledge creeps in?

The fact is, from what I gather, that the Keeper has many ways to change the story:

1) Plot card selection

2) item / clue /npc card selection (random?)

3) item/ clue / npc placement

So, unless you can read the Keeper's mind, you won't really know what his exact goal is until you get towards the end of the game.  You might get familiar enough to know that "the Keeper needs to sacrifice a townsperson to summon Cthulhu", but you won't know where the sacrifice needs to take place, nor which townsperson is to be sacrificed, etc.  I think it's pretty doubtful you'd be able to tell the majority of the goal/plot early in the game. At least it seems to me, anyway.

dvang said:

It's also possible that some clue cards could be used in different outcomes of the same scenario.  So, even if you've played the scenario before, you won't know the outcome based on a few clues.  I could even imagine a case where someone doesn't see all the clues to a particular outcome in the same scenario; so even playing the same outcome, an investigator player may not want to assume the outcome early on.