The Inside Scoop on Gaming

The second release from Biohazard for its Blue Planet line is as brilliant as the core rulebook. If you have discovered the wonderfully detailed world of Poseidon, and are not personally insulted by its perceived politics, then this supplement will be a welcome and gratifying purchase.

The Archipelago referred to in the title is the Pacifica cluster, which was adequately detailed in the core rules. These 126 pages will allow a detailed campaign within those hundreds of islands to become more detailed yet, and provides enough plot devices and hooks to last through months of game time; even if only a fraction of the information herein is deemed relevant.

The table of contents is, like the core rules, sparse, providing only the titles of the six large sections. Like Blue Planet, however, a detailed index is included and can be used to quickly locate relevant passages and page numbers. Rather than being divided into sections according to thematic content, a la the rulebook, Archipelago's six sections each detail a geographic region within the large Pacifica cluster.

The frontispiece of the book is a full-page detailed map of the Pacifica Archipelago, rendered in clean lines which show major currents and ocean depths in addition to the islands themselves. The map is easy to read and looks technical, which adds to the flavor of the setting from the outset. No busy, out-of-scale map here, and the style is absolutely suited to the world. You could imagine downloading this very image from CommCore on your bodycomp.

After a page of introductory text, the book dives right into the detailed descriptions of each of the six regions.

New Hawaii

This section starts off with a detailed map of the islands in question, in the same style as the frontispiece. Geological and artificial features such as peaks, reefs, and major settlements are indicated on the map. This trend is followed throughout the book, with each section opening with a map of the region.

The map is followed by a local history which provides an overview of the island cluster. Next, two cities in the region are covered in great detail. Simushir and Atlantis are vividly depicted, including demographics, layout, terrain, and government. There is a full-page map of Simushir in the same silhouette style used to depict Haven in Blue Planet. These travelogue-like entries are punctuated with Access Denied sections detailing behind-the-scenes plots which can be dropped into any campaign. Further details on the elusive Aborigines are provided in New Hawaii's Access Denied boxes.

Following the details of the settlements, several prominent NPC's are profiled in great detail, including full game stats for each individual. No brief sketches here, each of these NPC's are described in physical, psychological, and historical terms.

Finally, flora and fauna native to the region of New Hawaii are presented, in identical format to that of the core rulebook. In general, this book looks like an extension of Blue Planet, reinforcing the idea that this world was created with no small amount of forethought, right down to the layout.

The Northwest Territories

If the Old West undertones of Blue Planet were not obvious, names like this serve to keep the tone just below the surface without hitting the players over the head with it. "Northwest Territories" conjures up images of unpopulated frontier, while at the same time bringing to mind the inevitable development and population of such virgin territory, as has happened throughout the history of North America.

This section is identical to the first in terms of layout. Three more settlements are outlined: Baffin Island, Santa Elena, and Crusoe Island Military Base, with a map of the Baffin settlement provided. Plenty of Access Denied sections are included here, with an extended history of the Sierra Nueva conflict and some appropriate plot suggestions. In this section, it becomes evident that the spotlight settlements have been chosen by the authors to provide a feel for the full spectrum of "civilized" settings on Poseidon. Santa Elena, for example, is a corporate town, owned and operated by the Incorporate, GenDiver. Crusoe Island, on the other hand, is a GEO Armed Forces base dedicated to combating the eco-terrorist cell operating in Sierra Nueva. These are far from cookie-cutter towns and cities, and they further reinforce how Blue Planet refuses to fall into genre cliches. Not too many tranquil tropical villages populated by back-to-nature scientists in the average cyberpunk story, and not too many corporate mining towns in the sort of setting where you would expect to find talking dolphins (and I can think of 4 such novels and stories, so don't give me that look!). The authors rarely go for the obvious way out in their settings.

The Northwest Territories tour closes with a selection of NPC's and native lifeforms, as per the New Hawaii section.

Haven Cluster, Zion Islands, Prime Meridian, and Westcape

These remaining four sections follow the pattern established by the first two. A dozen more settlements are covered in some detail, ranging from the artificial and mobile floating city of Dyfedd to the New Rastafarian-controlled settlement of Kingston. The Access Denied sections provide dozens of interesting twists to choose from, and even a fraction of these would provide weeks of quality gaming.

In all, thirteen NPC's are detailed along with twelve new species native to Poseidon. As with the Blue Planet rulebook, Archipelago reads like multiple sourcebooks rolled into one dense package; being a sort of Who's Who, a bestiary, and a regional travelogue all at once, and none of these elements seems abbreviated. How Biohazard manages this in only 126 pages is a bit of a mystery, but I tend to believe it is achieved by eliminating the filler text which is typical of many other systems.

After reading Blue Planet, I was confident that I would never need another book to run a campaign within the rich setting. Archipelago is, indeed, an entirely optional purchase, and it does not provide dozens of new rules or errata like the majority of RPG supplemental releases, effectively forcing GM's to buy them. This is, however, such an exemplar of how games should be written and designed that to overlook it would be nearly criminal. You do not need it, but you will not regret buying it if Blue Planet impressed you with its attention to detail and originality. There is enough material here to keep players busy for years, and none of the material requires any further work on the GM's part.

As for the few shortcomings of Blue Planet, they have been addressed and improved here. A much higher art to page count ratio is evident, with Archipelago losing the textbook feel that Blue Planet suffered from. The text is substantial, but it is opened up by the inclusion of plentiful illustrations and maps. The artwork is mostly pen-and-ink or pencil drawings, consistently of high quality and appropriate for conveying the tone of Poseidon. The layout is absolutely professional, with clean font on white or grey pages, separated and punctuated with frequent bold type. As this book is 95% setting, this could even provide plot and setting ideas for another system set on an alien waterworld.

In a way Biohazard might be too efficient for its own good. With Blue Planet and Archipelago, I do not know how I could ever shoehorn all of the rich detail into one campaign, so other releases will just seem superfluous. Come on Biohazard, get with the picture! Providing a great game with all of the detail players need for $47 is just bad business. You should edit this material into 10 sourcebooks and make each end with a reference to the next. At this rate, you'll give the RPG industry a bad name and spoil all of those gamers.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Archipelago
Author: Jeffrey Barber et al Category: game Company/Publisher: Biohazard Games Line: Blue Planet Cost: $18.95 Page count: 126 ISBN: none SKU: BZG3100 Capsule Review by Roger Taylor on 08/27/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Space	The second release from Biohazard for its Blue Planet line is as brilliant as the core rulebook. If you have discovered the wonderfully detailed world of Poseidon, and are not personally insulted by its perceived politics, then this supplement will be a welcome and gratifying purchase. The Archipelago referred to in the title is the Pacifica cluster, which was adequately detailed in the core rules. These 126 pages will allow a detailed campaign within those hundreds of islands to become more detailed yet, and provides enough plot devices and hooks to last through months of game time; even if only a fraction of the information herein is deemed relevant. The table of contents is, like the core rules, sparse, providing only the titles of the six large sections. Like Blue Planet, however, a detailed index is included and can be used to quickly locate relevant passages and page numbers. Rather than being divided into sections according to thematic content, a la the rulebook, Archipelago's six sections each detail a geographic region within the large Pacifica cluster. The frontispiece of the book is a full-page detailed map of the Pacifica Archipelago, rendered in clean lines which show major currents and ocean depths in addition to the islands themselves. The map is easy to read and looks technical, which adds to the flavor of the setting from the outset. No busy, out-of-scale map here, and the style is absolutely suited to the world. You could imagine downloading this very image from CommCore on your bodycomp. After a page of introductory text, the book dives right into the detailed descriptions of each of the six regions. New Hawaii This section starts off with a detailed map of the islands in question, in the same style as the frontispiece. Geological and artificial features such as peaks, reefs, and major settlements are indicated on the map. This trend is followed throughout the book, with each section opening with a map of the region. The map is followed by a local history which provides an overview of the island cluster. Next, two cities in the region are covered in great detail. Simushir and Atlantis are vividly depicted, including demographics, layout, terrain, and government. There is a full-page map of Simushir in the same silhouette style used to depict Haven in Blue Planet. These travelogue-like entries are punctuated with Access Denied sections detailing behind-the-scenes plots which can be dropped into any campaign. Further details on the elusive Aborigines are provided in New Hawaii's Access Denied boxes. Following the details of the settlements, several prominent NPC's are profiled in great detail, including full game stats for each individual. No brief sketches here, each of these NPC's are described in physical, psychological, and historical terms. Finally, flora and fauna native to the region of New Hawaii are presented, in identical format to that of the core rulebook. In general, this book looks like an extension of Blue Planet, reinforcing the idea that this world was created with no small amount of forethought, right down to the layout. The Northwest Territories If the Old West undertones of Blue Planet were not obvious, names like this serve to keep the tone just below the surface without hitting the players over the head with it. "Northwest Territories" conjures up images of unpopulated frontier, while at the same time bringing to mind the inevitable development and population of such virgin territory, as has happened throughout the history of North America. This section is identical to the first in terms of layout. Three more settlements are outlined: Baffin Island, Santa Elena, and Crusoe Island Military Base, with a map of the Baffin settlement provided. Plenty of Access Denied sections are included here, with an extended history of the Sierra Nueva conflict and some appropriate plot suggestions. In this section, it becomes evident that the spotlight settlements have been chosen by the authors to provide a feel for the full spectrum of "civilized" settings on Poseidon. Santa Elena, for example, is a corporate town, owned and operated by the Incorporate, GenDiver. Crusoe Island, on the other hand, is a GEO Armed Forces base dedicated to combating the eco-terrorist cell operating in Sierra Nueva. These are far from cookie-cutter towns and cities, and they further reinforce how Blue Planet refuses to fall into genre cliches. Not too many tranquil tropical villages populated by back-to-nature scientists in the average cyberpunk story, and not too many corporate mining towns in the sort of setting where you would expect to find talking dolphins (and I can think of 4 such novels and stories, so don't give me that look!). The authors rarely go for the obvious way out in their settings. The Northwest Territories tour closes with a selection of NPC's and native lifeforms, as per the New Hawaii section. Haven Cluster, Zion Islands, Prime Meridian, and Westcape These remaining four sections follow the pattern established by the first two. A dozen more settlements are covered in some detail, ranging from the artificial and mobile floating city of Dyfedd to the New Rastafarian-controlled settlement of Kingston. The Access Denied sections provide dozens of interesting twists to choose from, and even a fraction of these would provide weeks of quality gaming. In all, thirteen NPC's are detailed along with twelve new species native to Poseidon. As with the Blue Planet rulebook, Archipelago reads like multiple sourcebooks rolled into one dense package; being a sort of Who's Who, a bestiary, and a regional travelogue all at once, and none of these elements seems abbreviated. How Biohazard manages this in only 126 pages is a bit of a mystery, but I tend to believe it is achieved by eliminating the filler text which is typical of many other systems. After reading Blue Planet, I was confident that I would never need another book to run a campaign within the rich setting. Archipelago is, indeed, an entirely optional purchase, and it does not provide dozens of new rules or errata like the majority of RPG supplemental releases, effectively forcing GM's to buy them. This is, however, such an exemplar of how games should be written and designed that to overlook it would be nearly criminal. You do not need it, but you will not regret buying it if Blue Planet impressed you with its attention to detail and originality. There is enough material here to keep players busy for years, and none of the material requires any further work on the GM's part. As for the few shortcomings of Blue Planet, they have been addressed and improved here. A much higher art to page count ratio is evident, with Archipelago losing the textbook feel that Blue Planet suffered from. The text is substantial, but it is opened up by the inclusion of plentiful illustrations and maps. The artwork is mostly pen-and-ink or pencil drawings, consistently of high quality and appropriate for conveying the tone of Poseidon. The layout is absolutely professional, with clean font on white or grey pages, separated and punctuated with frequent bold type. As this book is 95% setting, this could even provide plot and setting ideas for another system set on an alien waterworld. In a way Biohazard might be too efficient for its own good. With Blue Planet and Archipelago, I do not know how I could ever shoehorn all of the rich detail into one campaign, so other releases will just seem superfluous. Come on Biohazard, get with the picture! Providing a great game with all of the detail players need for $47 is just bad business. You should edit this material into 10 sourcebooks and make each end with a reference to the next. At this rate, you'll give the RPG industry a bad name and spoil all of those gamers. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)