The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Right then. This is my first review for material sent to me by RPGnet, so I think a few statements are in order. First, I don't really like TSR. I have AD&D with a passion (as those who have read my other reviews probably know) and Alternity alternately bored me (with the material in the basic books) and disgusted me (with the marketing strategy). I went ahead and requested a Star*Drive (one of the Alternity settings for those who don't know) anyway. Mainly because I just wanted to get any sort of book for free and partly because the grandmaster Ken Hite mentioned that he thought the book a masterpiece (or at least really, really good). With that kind of praise, it couldn't have been all bad, could it? And surprisingly enough, it wasn't. Star Compendium was actually very well done, at least within the limits of the setting.

So does that mean I love Alternity now? Nope. Those familiar with my feelings on Planescape will know that I believe that a few good ideas do not salvage an entire game system. So I do what I always do with good ideas in horrible games - I steal 'em.

too shiny!

That's how I'd describe the book when I first looked at it and tried to read through it - that and ugly. While the chapter opening pages had neat designs and the really nice looking (if almost impossible to use quickly) stellar map were cool, the rest of the art and layout is bland, boring and often downright ugly. The art is far below standard for a company of TSR's level, and the layout design for sidebars and such shows nothing near the amount of time that must have been spent on the page borders. Then there is still the problem of the shiny pages. For some crazy reason, the book is not only printed in color, but also one some paper stock almost shiny enough to shave in. It makes for a phenomenally difficult read unless you are in the most controlled of circumstances. That qualified for several "demerits" in my book.

Other than that, it's a nice book. The writing is reasonably clear and intelligent and often filled with great ideas. It was quite fun to read, and kept inspiring ideas for other science fiction games as I went along. The book did start of in a somewhat confusing manner (there was a great deal of information about star systems not in the book, ones I assume are in the basic Star*Drive campaign setting materials), but it moved on from there. The star map still bugs me though, mainly because while it looks pretty, there are no distinctions between stars with colonies and those without, so finding Karnath on the map (for example) is a chore.

after reading it

I have to say I'm very impressed. The book contains information on six different star systems in the Verge (Dewi, Talbott, Karnath, Eldala, Vieron and Tychus) and they were all at least interesting and well done. Ones like Dewi were down-right excellently executed. Unfortunately the assumptions of the Star*Drive often come to fore and leave a bad taste in my mouth. Easy FTL travel and a staggering proliferation of life and sentience are both parts of the operatic science fiction that the game is and they can make it a bit difficult to pull the material into another setting. What's worse, the author managed to use those very same problematic assumptions to make some really interesting plot and setting ideas, such as the secret shipyard in Talbott or the native cultures of Eldala and Karnath, both of which have really interesting alien races.
Each of the different star systems have a slightly different theme and mood. Dewi is the home of the New Dreth Commonwealth and is a stage of unification and political intrigue against a backdrop of a golden age long past. Talbott is a star system hosting a powerful shipyard that was built in secrecy and revealed in fanfare, pleasing some and enraging others. Karnath is a world surrounded by mortal enemies while both humans and the natives try to reconcile their differences. Eldala is a newly-discovered planet where first contact has just been made with a new and intriguing alien race. Vieron is a system at war, it's populated world occupied by an invading force while the colonists resort to ever more desperate measures to survive and even perhaps to win. And finally Tychus is a small world whose claim to fame lie in it's deadly lowlands, where ancient alien ruins seem to breach both time and space, and sometimes sanity.
All of the worlds are well-written and well-done, and are good resources for really any science fiction game, such Fading Suns. With some effort, the star systems and colonies can be converted to fit another campaign, or provide inspiration for more detail on material already in print.

do you like Alternity?

If so, then this book is a very useful purchase. If not, then it is not as essential, but can still be useful if you don't mind some leg work in touching it up to be dropped into some other game. The book has lots of good ideas, most or which can be extricated from the Alternity rules and setting. Star Compendium is certainly worth looking at either way - that is, if you don't mind paying TSR's inflated prices.
- Derek Guder
- Kintaro Oe
- kabael
- kabael's netbook
- the McGuffin Group

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Star Compendium: Systems of the Verge
Author: David Eckelberry Category: game Company/Publisher: TSR, Inc. Line: *StarDrive Cost: $21.95 Page count: 128 ISBN: 0-7869-1371-1 SKU: TSR 11371 Capsule Review by Derek Guder** on 01/13/00. Genre tags: Science_fiction Far_Future Space	Right then. This is my first review for material sent to me by RPGnet, so I think a few statements are in order. First, I don't really like TSR. I have *AD&D* with a passion (as those who have read my other reviews probably know) and *Alternity* alternately bored me (with the material in the basic books) and disgusted me (with the marketing strategy). I went ahead and requested a **StarDrive* (one of the Alternity** settings for those who don't know) anyway. Mainly because I just wanted to get any sort of book for free and partly because the grandmaster Ken Hite mentioned that he thought the book a masterpiece (or at least really, really good). With that kind of praise, it couldn't have been all bad, could it? And surprisingly enough, it wasn't. Star Compendium was actually very well done, at least within the limits of the setting. So does that mean I love *Alternity* now? Nope. Those familiar with my feelings on *Planescape* will know that I believe that a few good ideas do not salvage an entire game system. So I do what I always do with good ideas in horrible games - I steal 'em. too shiny! That's how I'd describe the book when I first looked at it and tried to read through it - that and ugly. While the chapter opening pages had neat designs and the really nice looking (if almost impossible to use quickly) stellar map were cool, the rest of the art and layout is bland, boring and often downright ugly. The art is far below standard for a company of TSR's level, and the layout design for sidebars and such shows nothing near the amount of time that must have been spent on the page borders. Then there is still the problem of the shiny pages. For some crazy reason, the book is not only printed in color, but also one some paper stock almost shiny enough to shave in. It makes for a phenomenally difficult read unless you are in the most controlled of circumstances. That qualified for several "demerits" in my book. Other than that, it's a nice book. The writing is reasonably clear and intelligent and often filled with great ideas. It was quite fun to read, and kept inspiring ideas for other science fiction games as I went along. The book did start of in a somewhat confusing manner (there was a great deal of information about star systems not in the book, ones I assume are in the basic StarDrive* campaign setting materials), but it moved on from there. The star map still bugs me though, mainly because while it looks pretty, there are no distinctions between stars with colonies and those without, so finding Karnath on the map (for example) is a chore. after reading it I have to say I'm very impressed. The book contains information on six different star systems in the Verge (Dewi, Talbott, Karnath, Eldala, Vieron and Tychus) and they were all at least interesting and well done. Ones like Dewi were down-right excellently executed. Unfortunately the assumptions of the **StarDrive*** often come to fore and leave a bad taste in my mouth. Easy FTL travel and a staggering proliferation of life and sentience are both parts of the operatic science fiction that the game is and they can make it a bit difficult to pull the material into another setting. What's worse, the author managed to use those very same problematic assumptions to make some really interesting plot and setting ideas, such as the secret shipyard in Talbott or the native cultures of Eldala and Karnath, both of which have really interesting alien races. Each of the different star systems have a slightly different theme and mood. Dewi is the home of the New Dreth Commonwealth and is a stage of unification and political intrigue against a backdrop of a golden age long past. Talbott is a star system hosting a powerful shipyard that was built in secrecy and revealed in fanfare, pleasing some and enraging others. Karnath is a world surrounded by mortal enemies while both humans and the natives try to reconcile their differences. Eldala is a newly-discovered planet where first contact has just been made with a new and intriguing alien race. Vieron is a system at war, it's populated world occupied by an invading force while the colonists resort to ever more desperate measures to survive and even perhaps to win. And finally Tychus is a small world whose claim to fame lie in it's deadly lowlands, where ancient alien ruins seem to breach both time and space, and sometimes sanity. All of the worlds are well-written and well-done, and are good resources for really any science fiction game, such *Fading Suns. With some effort, the star systems and colonies can be converted to fit another campaign, or provide inspiration for more detail on material already in print. do you like Alternity? If so, then this book is a very* useful purchase. If not, then it is not as essential, but can still be useful if you don't mind some leg work in touching it up to be dropped into some other game. The book has lots of good ideas, most or which can be extricated from the *Alternity* rules and setting. Star Compendium is certainly worth looking at either way - that is, if you don't mind paying TSR's inflated prices. - Derek Guder - Kintaro Oe - kabael - kabael's netbook - the McGuffin Group Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Star Compendium: Systems of the Verge

too shiny!

after reading it

do you like Alternity?