Dream Pod 9 has established a reputation of visual excellence, and delivers it strongly with their line of poster-size blueprint files.
Review Originally Published February 5th, 2002
Dream Pod 9 has earned a reputation of high excellence across its three lines of games (Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, and Tribe 8 — and if you didn’t already know that, shame on you). One of the more innovative forms of supplementary product they’ve tapped in these product lines are the “blueprint files”.
Each of these files – including the Heavy Gear Blueprint File which is being reviewed here – comes packaged in an 8.5” x 11” white envelope. On the front of the envelope is the title and a sort of “table of contents” – which tells you that there are eight 19” x 15” (poster size) blueprints folded inside the envelope, and that these blueprints are of: A Hunter gear; a Jager gear; a Mammoth strider; a Vortex landship; a Khan landship; a CEF hovertank; and a Fury-class assault shuttle. In addition, each of the blueprints is presented in miniature on the cover – so if you have any question regarding what these blueprints look like, you can just take a quick peek at the cover and you’ll know.
Each blueprint comes with some background text on the design, plus various specifications and explanatory passages. They are elegantly suitable for either framing or for actual reference to the crafts in question.
The biggest drawback of the product can be summed up in a simple question: What the heck do you do with it?
Well, like I said, these blueprints are great display pieces: Frame ‘em, tack ‘em up, whatever. If you’re a gearhead like me, your favorite might find a place in your office. Even if you’re not, then you may find displaying them on the walls of your game room will help add ambience and atmosphere to your Heavy Gear campaign.
Speaking of gaming, these blueprints can also come in handy as props and hand-outs. This is particularly true if your adventures are based off of a landship – in which case the landship blueprints can become primary reference points for the campaign.
Other than that, though, I’m not really sure. I, personally, find them cool. Of course, I own a Heavy Gear keychain… judge me if you must.
In short: Take a look at the cover in the store. If it looks like the type of product you’re going to get some use out of, pick it up. If not, don’t. You’re not going to be missing anything.
Style: 5
Substance: 4
Publisher: Dream Pod 9
Price: $9.95
Product Code: DP9-058
Page Count: n/a
ISBN: n/a
The Heavy Gear keychain was solid metal and really cool. I used it for years and years until it broke. Afterwards, I kept it in one drawer or another for several years, but it appears to have wandered away at some point. I’d forgotten all about it, until rereading this review unlocked a core memory.
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