Frontier Justice is an incredibly well-researched supplement, providing a valuable investment not only for Blue Planet GMs, but GMs of any game system.

Review Originally Published May 21st, 2001

I’m of a mixed mind when it comes to Frontier Justice. It’s meant to be the sourcebook for “Crime and Law Enforcement” for Blue Planet — and it does that. In fact, it does that with a copious amount of detail and information. Multiple criminal and law enforcement organizations are given a history, culture, scope of affairs, and individual character; the process of committing a wide variety of crimes (and then solving them) is gone over with a figurative pair of tweezers; and, finally, an entire adventure is presented.

So, without a doubt, Frontier Justice accomplishes what it sets out to do.

But after finishing Frontier Justice I felt a reservation, and it took me awhile to nail down exactly what it was. For a long time I thought that the book simply lacked – for want of a better word — excitement. But, upon reflection, I think my problem actually stems from the fact that Frontier Justice is so busy presenting the copious research and creative effort undertaken by its creative team, that it forgets to do so form the viewpoint of a game supplement.

Certainly there is more than enough information here for any GM who wants to get his players intimately involved with either side of the law, but the GM is – to a certain extent – left adrift in this sea of information without a compass or rudder.

Then again, I may just be paranoid.

On the other hand, the wealth of research which has gone into Frontier Justice pays huge dividends – making this a valuable supplement not only for Blue Planet GMs, but GMs of any game system (regardless of genre or time period).

Finally, I should make a note of the adventure – which provides the interesting opportunity of playing both or either side of the story (either the criminals committing the crime or the law enforcement agents trying to solve it).

Style: 4
Substance: 4

Writers: Greg Benage, Catten Ely, Jason Werner
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games
Line: Blue Planet
Price: $23.95
ISBN: 1-887911-44-8
Production Code: BP05
Page Count: 128

As I discussed in my review of John Tynes’ Power Kill, this was a time frame in which I was beginning to wrap my head around the concept of what I would later call “game structures” (and what I would not refer to more specifically as campaign structures and scenario structures). The thing I was trying to put my finger on in this review of Frontier Justice is the same thing: A ton of valuable information, but lacking the structure that would bring all of that material meaningfully to the game table. (If you want to see the difference, check out how Kenneth Hite’s Nights Black Agents does more than just inundate you with espionage facts — it packs the entire spy thriller and vampire horror genres into structures that make it shockingly easy to fully realize them at the gaming table.)

But, as I said all those years ago, don’t let that overly detract you from Frontier Justice. There’s a TON of really cool reference material here for running crime-based campaigns. (Which is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit recently.)

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

First Colony is a supplement which every Blue Planet GM should want to own.

Review Originally Published May 21st, 2001

First Colony is the sourcebook for the city of Haven, the surging metropolis which is at the heart of the colonization and exploitation of Poseidon in Fantasy Flight Games’ Blue Planet.

There is nothing revolutionary here: As city sourcebooks go, this is precisely what you expect. The geography is covered, important locations described, the major political structures discussed, and influential NPCs introduced. In addition there are four adventure scenarios set within the city.

Sometimes, though, you don’t need to be revolutionary in order to be good. In fact, most of the time it isn’t even remotely necessary. First Colony delivers the goods by not only providing a broad overview of the city, but in giving that overview depth. Despite its somewhat short length (made even shorter by the inclusion of the adventures), First Colony gets it done.

WHAT YOU GET

The Argos Island Cluster, on which Haven is located, is the first thing covered by the book. This coverage is relatively brief, but since there is little of interest there beyond Haven itself, this is hardly a fault.

Haven itself is then systematically detailed by breaking it into districts, and then describing the major features within each district. Once you have a firm grasp on the city’s existing geography, First Colony moves onto Haven’s society, starting with a history of the island’s colonization, and then moving onto its politics, commercial make-up, and culture. Throughout this description of the city, NPCs are liberally sprinkled. By the time you are finished, First Colony has given you a complete top-to-bottom view of Poseidon’s capital.

The four adventures which are included are more than adequate. I’m not, however, remotely sold on the idea of including adventures within a sourcebook like this. I would have vastly preferred to see the 50 or so pages used on these adventures used to give even more description of Haven.

CONCLUSION

Like Fluid Mechanics, the first Blue Planet supplement, First Colony is a book which every Blue Planet GM should want to own. And, when it comes to supplements, that’s high praise.

Style: 4
Substance: 4

Writers: Greg Benage, Brian Breedlove, Catten Ely
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games
Price: $23.95
ISBN: 1-887911-32-4
Production Code: BP04
Page Count: 128

My thinking about urban sourcebooks has evolved quite a bit since 2001, and I wonder what my opinion of First Colony would be if I revisited it today. Re-reading my review I got a bit of whiplash, as my initial thought on seeing that the book included four adventures was, “Great! Love to see that!” only for my past self to say, “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” Quickly thumbing through my copy, I wonder if the setting details are, in fact, a little lighter and lacking in concrete detail, which could certainly explain why my past self might have thought it better to fully deliver sourcebook utility instead of including adventures.

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

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.