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Eco Front, sourcebook for R.Talsorian Games', Cybergeneration

I bought this 80 page sourcebook/adventure module thinking it was for R.Talsorian's Cyberpunk game, having enjoyed reviewing Neotribes when it came out. Instead I found that Cybergeneration was not a campaign within Cyberpunk, but its own game, and as I found, as well detailed as its predecessor. I cannot speak to the mechanics of the game (either of them) as I have never read nor used them, but that never stops a real gaming gem from shining. Written as if a college journalism major were reporting on a hot controversial topic, it takes you right into the game world with enough perspective to react to it comfortably.

Eco Front details the history and current status of the struggle for the ecology that makes up the bulk of the Cybergeneration game. There is enough information to give non-players a taste of this world where corporations rule and destroy the ecology for profit without remorse. Gangs and organizations of mostly young people fight these powers with efforts that range from PR, to passive resistance, to sabotage, and even open conflict.

An added twist involves a plague which kills adults but mutates adolescents, giving them extraordinary powers and abilities, the Eco Front sourcebook adds to these mutations by offering the Scout as a new "Evolved type" (read character class, profession or even race). The plague takes center stage as the known timeline of its spread is provided, as well as the included adventure providing clues to fill in the blanks.

Descriptions of some very familiar ecological groups (Greenpeace, The Cousteau Society, and others) and their activities are provided. As are the youth gangs who act independently of these organizations. Several large corporations receive coverage as do their current activities. An interesting part of the game world is that some of these youth gangs set up mini-ecologies called J-parks (after Jurassic Park) to preserve and repopulate the environment. They gain access to gene splicing and clone making equipment and actually grow and/or develop the species that populate their parks.

There are some small sections on Tech equipment, animals working with the PCs and GM tips, but about half the book is taken up with campaign background info. There is enough provided,independent of game mechanics, to allow other cyber-type, dystopia, dark future gamers to adapt large parts of the background to their own game as well as the included adventure.

The second half of the book is dedicated to a well written and exciting adventure that easily introduces new players to the world and their place in it. Within the adventure they will meet gangs, corp. soldiers, very original mutants, AI computers and low tech frontier settlers. I could easily place it in a Gamma World or XXVc campaign, or using the first section of the book, build an original Eco Front campaign for either game.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Eco Front
Author: staff Category: game Company/Publisher: R.Talsorian Games Line: Cybergeneration Page count: 80 Capsule Review by Papyrus on 05/12/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Post-apocalypse	Eco Front, sourcebook for R.Talsorian Games', Cybergeneration I bought this 80 page sourcebook/adventure module thinking it was for R.Talsorian's Cyberpunk game, having enjoyed reviewing Neotribes when it came out. Instead I found that Cybergeneration was not a campaign within Cyberpunk, but its own game, and as I found, as well detailed as its predecessor. I cannot speak to the mechanics of the game (either of them) as I have never read nor used them, but that never stops a real gaming gem from shining. Written as if a college journalism major were reporting on a hot controversial topic, it takes you right into the game world with enough perspective to react to it comfortably. Eco Front details the history and current status of the struggle for the ecology that makes up the bulk of the Cybergeneration game. There is enough information to give non-players a taste of this world where corporations rule and destroy the ecology for profit without remorse. Gangs and organizations of mostly young people fight these powers with efforts that range from PR, to passive resistance, to sabotage, and even open conflict. An added twist involves a plague which kills adults but mutates adolescents, giving them extraordinary powers and abilities, the Eco Front sourcebook adds to these mutations by offering the Scout as a new "Evolved type" (read character class, profession or even race). The plague takes center stage as the known timeline of its spread is provided, as well as the included adventure providing clues to fill in the blanks. Descriptions of some very familiar ecological groups (Greenpeace, The Cousteau Society, and others) and their activities are provided. As are the youth gangs who act independently of these organizations. Several large corporations receive coverage as do their current activities. An interesting part of the game world is that some of these youth gangs set up mini-ecologies called J-parks (after Jurassic Park) to preserve and repopulate the environment. They gain access to gene splicing and clone making equipment and actually grow and/or develop the species that populate their parks. There are some small sections on Tech equipment, animals working with the PCs and GM tips, but about half the book is taken up with campaign background info. There is enough provided,independent of game mechanics, to allow other cyber-type, dystopia, dark future gamers to adapt large parts of the background to their own game as well as the included adventure. The second half of the book is dedicated to a well written and exciting adventure that easily introduces new players to the world and their place in it. Within the adventure they will meet gangs, corp. soldiers, very original mutants, AI computers and low tech frontier settlers. I could easily place it in a Gamma World or XXVc campaign, or using the first section of the book, build an original Eco Front campaign for either game. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)