The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Fourth Millennium is a game I came across a while back while wandering through some of the links on the webpage that my friends and I maintain, the McGuffins Group. The basic premise of the game revolves around the role of technology and humanity in the far future (in the fourth millennium, oddly enough). Unfortunately, the game's old site went down and it was recently relocated (to http://www3.sympatico.ca/maliszew/4M.html), but the site is not fully operational, with only the main page available. I've spoken with the author, James Maliszewski (who also has a column on RPGnet), and it is unfortunate that it seems that the game is falling to the wayside for more lucrative employment. This really is sad because I think that Fourth Millennium has a staggering amount of potential, it is one of the most imaginative and well-thought out science fiction games I have yet seen.

Being a web-based game, Fourth Millennium doesn't conform easily to my standard chapter-by-chapter method of reviewing, so I will have to use a similar method as I did in my review of Haven: City of Violence, talking about the game in general and then discussing the webpage itself.

History of the Future

The basic drive behind Fourth Millennium is a critical look at the role and value of technology. Unlike many other science fiction RPGs, which could just as easily be orks and elves in space, Fourth Millennium really strives to be science fiction. In the future, mankind advances their technology at a staggering rate, and they end up encountering aliens and trading information with them and all of the other standards of the genre. Where Fourth Millennium diverges, however, is in the fact that technology is not glossed over.

After fighting a war to gain more technological might, humanity realizes just what it is sacrificing in its mad grasp for more power, more technology, more everything. The idea that a society cannot accept, integrate and use new forms of technology without also being changed (sometimes slightly, sometimes dramatically) is really at the heart of the game. Faced with either a self-imposed technological stasis or a dissolution of mankind's essential humanity, the former is chosen. Unfortunately, the alien nation of the Psaikhailou advances upon Earth, their plan of slowly brining Earth to them through gifts of technology stunted by the Stasis (the hold on technological advancement). The Earth is captured and those humans who support the Stasis are forced to turn to other worlds as homes. There they forge a new society, with citizenship based around "phyles" or different cultures, all banded together under the Treaty of Svoboda to uphold the Stasis and oppose the Psaikhailou.

The elements I like most in Fourth Millennium is that issue of technology. The game has a stronger message than any other I've seen (even more so than Blue Planet, which I don't see as all that "preachy" myself). This is, in some ways, both good and bad, because while it makes the game ask very important questions, the material written up also has the habit of already answering the question of "Is technology something that can destroy your humanity if you don't rigidly control it?" with an absolute "Yes." The Psaikhailou have subjugated Earth and turned it into a scene from A Brave New World with people being born into occupations that they cannot escape from. There is no crime and no worries, but neither is there any freedom. I think that the game would have benefited from a more ambiguous stance, not answering its questions but really bringing the idea that maybe peace and happiness is not worth the cost of freedom, or that it is not worth becoming so different that you could not really technically be called "human" anymore. There are some elements of this, like the fact that when the Svobodan League was able to liberate Earth with their military might, the residents of Earth itself tossed out their "saviors" in favor of the Psaikhailou, but I got the impression that this was rationalized through mind control and mental domination.

Another brilliant element of the setting is that of phyles. In the future man is desperate to maintain and preserve what he sees as his unique humanity, and that often takes the form of preserving traditional cultures. Each culture becomes much more tightly-knit that it was on Earth and they gain the rights of nations, enforcing their own laws, providing citizenship, voting in the Svobodan governing body. Reminding me somewhat of Exile, Fourth Millennium manages to really be an alien setting. It is set far in the future and really manages to feel that way.

The information what was on the website (http://www3.sympatico.ca/maliszew/4M.html) was, unfortunately, rather slim and unsatisfying, but after emailing the author, he sent me several files that never made it to the web (at least in full) and they greatly helped in filling in some of the holes. There were, however, still some things left unfinished, and I think that the game would greatly benefit from a star map and some more broad discussion of the universe as well as more specific information on the phyles. There is also no information on specific technology or aliens either, although James did say that he was radically changing the setting, getting rid of aliens all together, replace them with humans who have gone far down the road of "personal evolution."

I have to say that I sincerely hope that James turns his attention back to the game at some point. Fourth Millennium is a brilliant idea, and I would really like to see it take off.

A bit about the website

First, the url for those who haven't noticed or are reading this in text format, http://www3.sympatico.ca/maliszew/4M.html.

The website is a nice, simple design, and is pretty easy to navigate. Unfortunately, I have to say that at this time James has not gotten around to updating since his move, so nothing other than the main page is available, so those who want to check out the game (which really should be anyone who is a fan of science fiction RPGs) will have to either wait until James puts the page up or petition him for a copy of the files. Hopefully a deluge of email will encourage him to finish the game, but then I just want more.

I'd be willing myself to post copies of the files (as well as the files he sent me personally), but I will not do so unless James gives his permission to do so. While I love the game and want to share it, neither do I want to step on anyone's toes, so don't bother asking me for them unless James' says it's okay (hopefully he will).

That's about it

And all I have to say in conclusion is that Fourth Millennium is a game that all science fiction fans should check out. Those few players of Exile will find lots of inspiration here, as would other games like Fading Suns and Blue Planet. Even Trinity might benefit from a reading of Fourth Millennium, this really is how hard science fiction should be done. Too bad there is so little of it.

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

Fourth Millenium
Author: James Maliszewski Category: game Company/Publisher: Third Millenium Games Line: Fourth Millenium Cost: free Page count: perhaps 150 pages, of which maybe 30-50 were available on the net previously Capsule Review by Derek Guder on 11/15/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Far_Future Space	Fourth Millennium is a game I came across a while back while wandering through some of the links on the webpage that my friends and I maintain, the McGuffins Group. The basic premise of the game revolves around the role of technology and humanity in the far future (in the fourth millennium, oddly enough). Unfortunately, the game's old site went down and it was recently relocated (to http://www3.sympatico.ca/maliszew/4M.html), but the site is not fully operational, with only the main page available. I've spoken with the author, James Maliszewski (who also has a column on RPGnet), and it is unfortunate that it seems that the game is falling to the wayside for more lucrative employment. This really is sad because I think that Fourth Millennium has a staggering amount of potential, it is one of the most imaginative and well-thought out science fiction games I have yet seen. Being a web-based game, Fourth Millennium doesn't conform easily to my standard chapter-by-chapter method of reviewing, so I will have to use a similar method as I did in my review of Haven: City of Violence, talking about the game in general and then discussing the webpage itself. History of the Future The basic drive behind Fourth Millennium is a critical look at the role and value of technology. Unlike many other science fiction RPGs, which could just as easily be orks and elves in space, Fourth Millennium really strives to be science fiction. In the future, mankind advances their technology at a staggering rate, and they end up encountering aliens and trading information with them and all of the other standards of the genre. Where Fourth Millennium diverges, however, is in the fact that technology is not glossed over. After fighting a war to gain more technological might, humanity realizes just what it is sacrificing in its mad grasp for more power, more technology, more everything. The idea that a society cannot accept, integrate and use new forms of technology without also being changed (sometimes slightly, sometimes dramatically) is really at the heart of the game. Faced with either a self-imposed technological stasis or a dissolution of mankind's essential humanity, the former is chosen. Unfortunately, the alien nation of the Psaikhailou advances upon Earth, their plan of slowly brining Earth to them through gifts of technology stunted by the Stasis (the hold on technological advancement). The Earth is captured and those humans who support the Stasis are forced to turn to other worlds as homes. There they forge a new society, with citizenship based around "phyles" or different cultures, all banded together under the Treaty of Svoboda to uphold the Stasis and oppose the Psaikhailou. The elements I like most in Fourth Millennium is that issue of technology. The game has a stronger message than any other I've seen (even more so than Blue Planet, which I don't see as all that "preachy" myself). This is, in some ways, both good and bad, because while it makes the game ask very important questions, the material written up also has the habit of already answering the question of "Is technology something that can destroy your humanity if you don't rigidly control it?" with an absolute "Yes." The Psaikhailou have subjugated Earth and turned it into a scene from A Brave New World with people being born into occupations that they cannot escape from. There is no crime and no worries, but neither is there any freedom. I think that the game would have benefited from a more ambiguous stance, not answering its questions but really bringing the idea that maybe peace and happiness is not worth the cost of freedom, or that it is not worth becoming so different that you could not really technically be called "human" anymore. There are some elements of this, like the fact that when the Svobodan League was able to liberate Earth with their military might, the residents of Earth itself tossed out their "saviors" in favor of the Psaikhailou, but I got the impression that this was rationalized through mind control and mental domination. Another brilliant element of the setting is that of phyles. In the future man is desperate to maintain and preserve what he sees as his unique humanity, and that often takes the form of preserving traditional cultures. Each culture becomes much more tightly-knit that it was on Earth and they gain the rights of nations, enforcing their own laws, providing citizenship, voting in the Svobodan governing body. Reminding me somewhat of Exile, Fourth Millennium manages to really be an alien setting. It is set far in the future and really manages to feel that way. The information what was on the website (http://www3.sympatico.ca/maliszew/4M.html) was, unfortunately, rather slim and unsatisfying, but after emailing the author, he sent me several files that never made it to the web (at least in full) and they greatly helped in filling in some of the holes. There were, however, still some things left unfinished, and I think that the game would greatly benefit from a star map and some more broad discussion of the universe as well as more specific information on the phyles. There is also no information on specific technology or aliens either, although James did say that he was radically changing the setting, getting rid of aliens all together, replace them with humans who have gone far down the road of "personal evolution." I have to say that I sincerely hope that James turns his attention back to the game at some point. Fourth Millennium is a brilliant idea, and I would really like to see it take off. A bit about the website First, the url for those who haven't noticed or are reading this in text format, http://www3.sympatico.ca/maliszew/4M.html. The website is a nice, simple design, and is pretty easy to navigate. Unfortunately, I have to say that at this time James has not gotten around to updating since his move, so nothing other than the main page is available, so those who want to check out the game (which really should be anyone who is a fan of science fiction RPGs) will have to either wait until James puts the page up or petition him for a copy of the files. Hopefully a deluge of email will encourage him to finish the game, but then I just want more. I'd be willing myself to post copies of the files (as well as the files he sent me personally), but I will not do so unless James gives his permission to do so. While I love the game and want to share it, neither do I want to step on anyone's toes, so don't bother asking me for them unless James' says it's okay (hopefully he will). That's about it And all I have to say in conclusion is that Fourth Millennium is a game that all science fiction fans should check out. Those few players of Exile will find lots of inspiration here, as would other games like Fading Suns and Blue Planet. Even Trinity might benefit from a reading of Fourth Millennium, this really is how hard science fiction should be done. Too bad there is so little of it. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Fourth Millenium

History of the Future

A bit about the website

That's about it