Fluid Mechanics sets itself a goal and then goes and seals the deal.

Review Originally Published May 21st, 2001

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one surprised when Fantasy Flight Games started releasing hardcover supplements for their critically acclaimed Blue Planet game. Although I was initially skeptical, I now applaud them for taking the risk: The extra couple of bucks the hardcover format tags onto the cost for these supplements is more than compensated for by the durability which the hardcover offers.

The unavoidable question, of course, is whether or not the content wedged into the pages between those hard covers is worth the price tag. To start answering that question, let’s take a look at the first Blue Planet supplement: Fluid Mechanics: Technology in the World of Blue Planet.

ASSESSMENT

Arguably the first thing which distinguishes one science fiction setting from another is the technology which is available in that setting – in fact, technology can be considered the defining quality of any given science fiction world. Fluid Mechanics is designed to give Blue Planet players a wealth of technological tools, developing the hard science which provides one of the foundations for the creative depth of the Blue Planet setting.

Unlike the “techbooks” for many games, Fluid Mechanics does not limit itself to simply providing a textual warehouse of disconnected technical gadgets, instead distinguishing itself by presenting a cohesive, integrated view of the technical reality of the Blue Planet world. As a result, even if a gadget is not specifically addressed within Fluid Mechanics, the book will leave the GM with a firm sense of whether or not such a device could exist within the scope of the setting.

Another strength is the technical art which accompanies the text – illustrating the technology which is being described. I would have liked to have, perhaps, seen a bit more of it – but, when it is present, it is crisp, clear, and informative.

Given the strength of the technical art, it is surprising to note that the book’s sole true weakness lies within some of the “atmosphere” art (art which is not specifically connected to a technical description). At times, this can be extremely weak.

CONCLUSION

Fluid Mechanics sets itself a goal and then goes out and does it with great panache. If you’re running a Blue Planet campaign, then this book should definitely be on your “To Buy” list.

Style: 4
Substance: 4

Writers: Jeffrey Barber, Greg Benage, Greg Porter, Brian Schoner, Jason Werner
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games
Price: $23.95
ISBN: 1-887911-11-1
Production Code: BP03
Page Count: 128

Reading this today, it probably seems weird to open a review by questioning the wisdom of publishing a hardcover RPG supplement. At the time, though, this was a surprisingly controversial decision. With very few exceptions, RPG supplements were simply NOT hardcover books. There were certainly exceptions, but it was completely unprecedented for an entire line of RPG products to feature hardcovers. Even D&D wasn’t doing that!

There were, in fact, people who were really angry about this. They felt that RPG publishers were somehow ripping them off by charging premium prices for hardcovers. In reality, the hardcovers were generally only a few bucks more expensive than comparable softcovers of the time, but it wasn’t unusual to see someone ranting about how they would rather pay less for a softcover book.

The reality was that RPGs were becoming unprofitable to print, but fans were, in fact, extremely resistant to publishers increasing prices. (Nothing has really changed: People, of course, never like to see prices go up, but RPGs with print runs of a few thousand copies are frequently having their cover price compared to books with print runs of tens or hundreds of thousands of copies.)

The watershed moment for hardcover RPG supplements came when John Nephew, the founder of Atlas Games, posted a detailed breakdown of the design and production budget for Ars Magica supplements on the RPGNet forums. What it boiled down to was simple: It cost a little bit more to print a hardcover book, but the perceived/actual value of the hardcover meant that gamers were willing to pay a price high enough that publishers could actually afford to CREATE the book. Therefore, all future Ars Magica supplements would be hardcover books. It wasn’t long before the rest of the industry followed Atlas’ lead.

Even Wizards of the Coast was eventually dragged along: 3rd Party OGL publishers followed the same economic logic and began publishing hardcover books while Wizards was still publishing softcover B&W books. This contributed to the 3.5 Edition reboot of the game, which also allowed Wizards to reboot the D&D supplement line in more profitable (and competitive!) hardcovers.

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.

The year is 2199. From its scientific foundations and technological detail to a beautifully developed future history, this game never stops delivering on the promises of its rich, evocative setting. Complemented with a robust dice pool system and some innovative character creation mechanics, Blue Planet deserves a place on every gamer’s shelves.

Review Originally Published in Games Unplugged (February 2001)
Republished on RPGNet May 22nd, 2001

The colony world of Poseidon, the titular setting of the Blue Planet Roleplaying Game, is a wondrous place: From the metropolis of Haven to the floating city of Dyfedd to the corporate town of Simushir and beyond, humanity has left its indelible mark upon the planet. But beneath the waves of this ocean world lurk mysteries which are only beginning to come to light – enigmas which may hold the key to mankind understanding the nature of the universe… and themselves.

Unlike many games which have two core rulebooks, the Blue Planet Moderator’s Guide has absolutely no rules content. Instead, its 250 pages are spent detailing Poseidon to an exceptional level of detail.

(The Player’s Guide – which contains the entire Blue Planet rule system – was previously reviewed.)

FUTURE HISTORY

Humanity’s rapid technological progress of the past century continues unabated into the next. (In addition to the technological wonders which await us, the creators have also taken the time to discuss the dead ends which we pursue – small touches like this give the entire background of the game a sense of reality which many SF settings lack.) As always, the political landscape changes – sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Then, in 2075, an astonishing discovery is made: While studying the Oort Cloud, astronomers discover a wormhole beyond the orbit of Pluto. Although it takes more than a year for scientists to realize what they’ve found, and another three before they confirm their suspicions, a new era of humanity is opened up: On the other side of the wormhole is Poseidon: an earth-like planet. A colonization mission is sent, and plans are made to follow up with regular resupply missions.

But then mankind’s technological pace meets with disaster: In 2090, a genetically engineered parasitic fungus designed to attack rice crops begins to rapidly mutate – spreading to the rice itself and, then, to wheat crops. As the so-called Fischer Virus spreads around the globe, famine is inevitable. This disaster, which lasts until 2120, causes massive social and political upheaval: Billions die; the UN is replaced by the GEO (Global Ecology Organization); several multinational corporations become nation-states in their own right; and the colonization effort is abandoned.

And then, finally, in 2165, it’s time for mankind to return to the stars – and, more specifically, Poseidon. They discover, upon their return, that the colonists they left behind – who slowly lost their advanced technology in the interim – have gone native and developed unique cultures of their own. At this point, it seems that a slow development of Poseidon will now be inevitable and natural… until Long John is discovered. Long John, a xenosilicate unique to Poseidon, is discovered to possess the keys to advanced molecular and (more importantly) genetic engineering – perhaps even unlocking, at long last, the secret of immortality. A latter-day gold rush is launched, and Poseidon is transformed, in short order, into a political and economic hotbed of competing interests – commercial, political, and social.

The current year is 2199: Natives fight with Incorporate City-States. Incorporate City-States struggle for independence from the GEO. Earth still struggles to fully recover from the long years of the Blight. And through it all, beneath all of this frontier conflict, lies a mystery beneath the waves…

Poseidon is home to a wide diversity and variety – but it is all fully justified by the setting’s future history. This is a smart game: Every element – from the believable, yet alien ecology to the technological landscape of the future – is fully justified and then used to its utmost. The detail of the book provides not only a depth, but also a clarity of understanding, to a rich and evocative setting – one which is not only fascinating to experience, but which also instantly begins sparking adventure ideas. I’ve often said that details are the key difference between a good idea and a great game world, and Blue Planet proves that maxim true.

It is ironic that this rich detail is also directly afflicted (one might say blighted) by the only serious flaw in the entire package: The table of contents – which lists only the four chapter headings for the entire book – is woefully inadequate for a book of this scope and depth.

But small glitches like that are scarce on the ground when it comes to Blue Planet, and its clear that – when it comes to rich, rewarding science fiction settings – you will be hard pressed to find one better.

Grade: A-

Writers: Jeffrey Barber, Greg Benage, Allan Grohe, John Snead, Jason Werner
Publisher: Biohazard Games (Fantasy Flight Games)
Price: $27.95
Page Count: 255
ISBN: 1-887911-05-4
Product Code: BP01

Read my review of the Blue Planet Player’s Guide!

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.

Welcome to the world Blue Planet – one of the smartest games you’ll ever come across.

Review Originally Published in Games Unplugged (February 2001)
Republished on RPGNet May 22nd, 2001

The year is 2199. Natural and manmade disasters have torn Earth apart. Incorporated city-states dominate the political scene. Civilization has barely survived a post-modern dark age. But there is hope: A wormhole at the edge of the solar system leads to a blue, oceanic world… Poseidon.

Welcome to the world Blue Planet.

With the Player’s Guide (being reviewed here), and its companion volume (the Moderator’s Guide), the Blue Planet game is moving into its second edition, with these two core rulebooks covering the same material which the first edition rulebook and Archipelago supplement did. Although the Player’s Guide contains a solid set of introductory setting material, in general the contents of the two books can be broken down very simply: The Player’s Guide contains all the rules. The Moderator’s Guide contains the world.

From the first moment you encounter the world of Blue Planet (in a first person narrative introduction which not only introduces you to the planet Poseidon, but also gives you a firm grasp of what the life of your character is like) you begin to appreciate the impressive creativity and thought which have gone into it.

For starters, this is a smart game: The science and technology which provides the foundation for Blue Planet’s science fiction is not only well researched, but acts as a powerful element in the logical historical extrapolation which gives rise to the future history presented in the game.

Unsatisfied with merely giving the grognards a rich supply of technical detail, the designers of Blue Planet have given you a setting rich with themes and elements from across the scope of the science fiction field: High adventure, cyberpunk, post-cyberpunk, hard SF, and space opera all find their place here. You can choose what you want to emphasize in your own campaign, or take the rich synthesis of the entire gestalt to heart. This multi-layered approach – which adds depth, believability, and utility to the setting – also gives rise to a number of small touches which are packed full of dynamic possibility: For example, the handling of non-humanoid intelligence (and the allowance given in playing non-humanoid PCs) is refreshing and well done.

As a natural result of all this, the Blue Planet setting gives rise to a number of different campaign structures: GEO Marshals, Incorporate agents, illegal poachers, native activists, treasure hunters, and dozens of other possibilities lie nascent within this world.

Easily overlooked in this second edition is the brand new Synergy System, which replaces the rule system of the first edition. A limited dice pool system, with a standard combat extension, and a simple, realistic wound system that gets the job done. But where the system really shines is character creation – which is accessible, yet dynamic. Accessible because the process is kept open and simple through the use of varying power levels, character packages, and other shortcuts. Dynamic because underneath this simple exterior is a system capable of handling a wide variety of needs and wants. Perhaps the most interesting part of this entire system is the unique Attribute/Aptitude/Skill dynamic – in which characters not only have the traditional split between their natural talents (Attributes) and learned abilities (Skills), but also have a representation of what areas their character tends to excel in (Aptitudes). Aptitudes serve to focus a character’s role in a campaign in a very realistic and flexible fashion. There all sorts of elements throughout the character creation system which can be described in the same manner: They aid, but they do not restrict.

Grade: A-

Title: Blue Planet: Player’s Guide
Writers: Jeffrey Barber, Greg Benage, Allan Grohe, John Snead, Jason Werner
Publisher: Biohazard Games (Fantasy Flight Games)
Price: $27.95
Page Count: 255
ISBN: 1-887911-40-7
Product Code: BP02

Blue Planet is another of my great white whales (pun intended). I fell in love with this setting when I read the first edition, but I’ve never been able to run a game there. I haven’t sailed those cerulean seas for many years, but for a decade or more I frequently revisited them and dreamed. (One idea I had was as Blue Planet/Transhuman Space mashup.) I was even hired to write a supplement for FFG’s edition of the game, but that, too, never came to pass.

FASA released a revised version of the 2nd Edition, which I don’t own but have been given to understand is basically just a cleaned up version of the edition reviewed here. A third edition of the game, Blue Planet: Recontact, was crowdfunded in 2021, missed its intended 2022 release date, but appears to be on the verge of finally becoming reality. Perhaps the third time will be the charm for me!

BLUE PLANET REVIEWS
Moderator’s Guide
Fluid Mechanics
First Colony
Frontier Justice

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.

High quality artwork on a GM screen packaged with an excellent starter adventure for Big Eyes, Small Mouth. This one gets two thumbs up from me.

Review Originally Published May 21st, 2001

GM screens invariably follow the same pattern: You’ve got a trifold or quadfold piece of cardboard with art on one side and relevant statistics on the other. This is almost certainly packaged with some sort of pamphlet, which is usually included in a vain attempt to convince people that the piece of cardboard is actually worth the exorbitant price which is being charged for it.

(You know, I can’t figure out why they don’t just package the GM screen with the character sheets.)

The Big Eyes, Small Mouth GM Screen certainly fits this pattern: Quadfold cardboard (with each fold having the same dimensions as the rest of the BESM product line), with an accompanying cross-genre adventure module: So, We Have… An Obelisk?

THE SCREEN

The screen itself focuses primarily on combat – at points seeming to go out of its way trying to find relevant charts (for example, half a page is spent detailing the differences between the six skill levels – which come down to the fact that skill level 6 has a -6 bonus and a skill level 5 has a -5 bonus). As a result, I feel that it overlooks other charts and information which would have been more useful. This is a fairly typical failure of GM screens, and one of the reasons I don’t generally like them – although the BESM screen at least avoids the silliness of including character creation rules (which you’re almost never going to have to reference during actual gameplay).

The art on the opposite side is a stunning piece of full-color fantasy art by Julie Dillon, an artist who should already be familiar to any BESM fan. Dillon’s art continues to impress me in its ability to conjure forth epic and awe-inspiring vistas with dynamic and varied characters. The quality of the art alone has probably earned this screen a place at my game table. (Oddly, I’ll probably end up using it for my upcoming D&D campaign, actually).

When I first saw the screen I was initially concerned about the decision to have it mirror the dimensions of the BESM books. The shorter height, at some game tables, will reduce the usefulness of the screen as a screen. But in actual practice I didn’t find this to be a problem except in the rare circumstance where the table being used was abnormally low compared to the players sitting around it.

THE ADVENTURE

Opening Scene: The PCs’ homeworlds are utterly destroyed and they die.

If nothing else, that’s certainly a catchy way of starting an adventure – and gives the players a great deal of flexibility in creating their characters (since it allows them to draw from any genre or setting they can conceive of and the GM is willing to approve).

Of course, shortly after they die they find themselves summoned by a disembodied voice, whereupon they appear upon a dusty, ruined road which runs along the edge of a tent village which has been raised in the shadow of a giant obelisk… just like the obelisks which led to the destruction of their own worlds.

Here’s what’s going on: In one of the many dimensions of the multiverse, a corrupt America has discovered the secret of draining other dimensions of their energy – granting themselves eternity and immortality, but robbing trillions of their lives. They accomplish this through the use of the obelisks. The PCs are faced with the difficult task of saving this world from destruction.

The tent village in which they have appeared has been formed at the command of the Teacher, a seeming messiah who preaches that the obelisk is a tool of the gods – sent to test their followers for their strength and faith. In truth, the Teacher is an agent of the dimension which controls the obelisks – and is using his position to complete the draining process on this world.

Assuming that the PCs can pierce through the Teacher’s facade and prevent him from bringing about armageddon on this world, they will find themselves teleported to the homeworld of the obelisks. There they have an opportunity to end this horrific interdimensional genocide forever – but not without a twist: They can end the genocide, but only by wreaking havoc on multiple worlds themselves. On the other hand, they can make a deal with a devil and see their homeworlds restored as new frontiers for the Empire.

The concept is bold and daring, and Jesse Scoble, the author, succeeds at investing it with memorable characters and powerful scenes. Every so often you get an adventure which makes you want to jump up and start gaming right away: In my opinion, this is one of them.

CONCLUSION

The screen’s content is of average quality. The screen’s artwork is stunning. The adventure included with the screen is excellent, and can easily serve as either an exciting one-shot or as the foundation for a highly memorable and entertaining campaign.

This one gets two thumbs up from me.

Style: 4
Substance: 4

Authors: Jesse Scoble
Company: Guardians of Order
Line: Big Eyes, Small Mouth
Price: $12.95
ISBN: 1-894525-12-4
Production Code: 02-102
Pages: 50

I never actually got a chance to run So, We Have… an Obelisk? I wasn’t well-positioned to run one-shots back in 2001, and my group ended up playing that D&D campaign I mentioned until half the group moved away a couple years later and the rest of the group broke up.

This review, though, definitely makes me want to double back and run the adventure now. If nothing else, Past Me was successful in selling Present Me on its virtues.

You may have noticed that the last several reviews were all originally posted on May 21st, 2001, and there’s a bunch more to come. This was Justin Bacon Review Week, a special celebration in which every review posted that week (20+ in total) were written by me. The instigation, if I recall correctly, was that the site had a bit of a backlog and so a number of reviews I’d written were sitting in the queue. Then, on top of this, I had a week or so with a lot of free time where I was reading and reviewing another huge swath of books.

Sandy Antunes, the founder of the site (and who was still running it at the time), reached out and thought it would be fun to celebrate my contributions to the site. I was incredibly honored by the gesture. It was the first time I’d received an official accolade like this, and it still means a lot to me even today.

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.

Big Eyes, Small Mouth is possibly the best roleplaying system on the market today, and the new Fast Play Rules provide the perfect introduction for you and your players.

Review Originally Published May 21st, 2001

Big Eyes, Small Mouth is possibly the best roleplaying game on the market today. It succeeds at being a clean, simple system which leads to fast-paced, fun gaming sessions without sacrificing the level of detail necessary to accomplish everything you need it to. At the same time, Big Eyes, Small Mouth is the easiest generic game I’ve encountered. By that I mean that the task of adapting it to a new genre or campaign world is a quick and easy process – unlike other generic systems (such as GURPS or FUZION) which need to be thoroughly tweaked and customized to fit each iteration of your gaming needs.

And, on top of that, Guardians of Order has supported BESM with a remarkable line of high quality support products, including a plethora of licensed anime games: Big Robots, Cool Starships; Hot Rods & Gun Bunnies, Sailor Moon, Dominion Tank Police, Demon City Shinjuku, Tenchi Muyo, and many others.

In other words, this is a game you should be playing.

In fact, the only difficulty I’ve had with BESM is – as with many high quality systems – convincing people to give it a try. Guardians of Order is not the first company to attempt to rectify this with some sort of introductory package, but I have to admit that I am particularly impressed with their Fast Play Rules: Between the low price (only $1.95) and the high production values (glossy full-color), it will not only impress my gaming buddies – I can cheaply pick up multiple copies to hand out.

So, what has Guardians of Order crammed into this slim little pamphlet?

First, you have some standard introductory material (“What is a roleplaying game?”, “What is anime?”, “What is Big Eyes, Small Mouth?”, etc.). This, coincidentally, also makes this an attractive package to pick up if you’re looking to “convert” someone to RPGs – cheap, yet highly alluring (particularly to existing anime fans).

Next, an abbreviated version of the BESM rules are provided – including character creation (with the exception of the optional skill rules from second edition), action resolution, and combat.

The package is then rounded out with four brief samples of potential game ideas and themes (Journey to the East, Magical Bug Hunter Keko!, Legend of the Galactic Empire, and Voyagers of the New Dawn).

CONCLUSION

Big Eyes, Small Mouth is an excellent game. The Fast Play Rules are an excellent introduction to an excellent game.

Style: 5
Substance: 5

Authors: Mark C. MacKinnon and David L. Pulver
Company: Guardians of Order
Line: Big Eyes, Small Mouth
Price: $1.95
ISBN: 1-894525-28-0
Production Code: 02-100
Pages: 22

Surprisingly, however, I never wrote a full review of the second edition of Big Eyes, Small Mouth. I actually have a half-finished draft of one which I apparently started in September 2000, but it became one of those reviews that sat for too long after I read the book until it reached a point where, to do a meaningful review, I would have needed to go back and do a fresh cover-to-cover read of the book. And it just never happened.

I had written a review of the 1st Edition of Big Eyes, Small Mouth back in 1999. As I noted back then, it quickly became one of my go-to RPG systems. It’s been a long time since I played it, but I still have fond memories of its 2nd Edition and wouldn’t hesitate to grab it again if the need arose.

I’ve never picked up the 3rd Edition or the 4th Edition of the game. I actually know very little about them, having remained quite content with my copies of 2nd Edition.

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.