The Inside Scoop on Gaming

This is another book I got to review from RPGnet (so bear in mind that the fact that I got it for free might color my perception to a more forgiving review), and while I was expecting it to be abysmal, it was really a lot better than it really had any right to be. After reading two Star*Drive books in a row that have been quite good, I'm half tempted to bother looking at the rest of the line. I still hate the system and the setting in general, but more and more I'm wondering what hidden gems the game has.

Planet of Darkness is an adventure, and one of slightly more epic proportions than I might like, but it is good none the less. It's major problems lay in the idea that a Stellar Nation will stoop to terrorism hidden behind a ploy that a toddler can see through (and not expect disastrous repercussions) and that the game revolves around mystics who are manipulating events according to a prophecy they have (that's just something I've had a bit much of lately).

all dressed up

The book looks strange. For some reason, it's printed on blue paper, with black (and sometimes blue) text. Why, I have no idea, and it does make it harder to read sometimes (though no where near as difficult as the glossy pages from the Star Compendium). The layout is simple enough, and there is almost enough cross-referencing to keep me happy. The art, amazingly enough judging from the cover, is really very good. Done by Jon Foster (a name I don't recognize), they remind me of the work of some of my favorite artists like Christopher Shy and Rick Berry, both of whom work extensively with digital mediums. I really hope that Mr. Foster gets more work in the industry.

The only major problem I have with the presentation of the game is that it has those old blocks of text that can be read to the players. While I could easily ignore them when I ran the game, they still annoy me to no end. The material would be better served simply described, especially since most "readable" blocks clock in several notches below "normal" text in writing quality. There is a reason that I would call them obsolete these days.

running along

The adventure itself is good, mainly because it has lots of solid details and nicely goes layer by layer. While the first adventure seems innocent and unconnected (and is also the best one of the lot), there are lots of little details that are not revealed to the players until later, showing the web they have been captured in. The book has lots of nice maps and details on the characters involved, none of who simply fall over into stereotypes, which is a nice change. There are a few events that need to happen, but nothing that shows as overtly forced.

Without revealing too much, I can say that the adventure revolves around Lison, dealing with the many Stellar Nations that would desperately love to get their hands on the valuable planet and that backstabbing and double-dealing abounds. There are lots of excellent, memorably scenes as well, overall making for a very nice and satisfying adventure. Except for two major flaws.

First, the plot relies upon the intervention of some psychic aliens who act like a combination between Men in Black and greys (making me wonder if there is a closer connection between Star*Drive and Dark*Matter beyond using the same system). They arrive on the scene and start manipulating events according to some premonition that they got. While they do show up later and provide some assistance that is cool enough to almost excuse them, they do little more than erode the already-thin science fiction feel to the game.

Second, the entire second part of the story revolves around a plot arc that is very interesting until you find out the truth, and then it becomes something more like a joke. I kept waiting for the big-haired villain to step in to provide the appropriate "evil villain cackle." It is just something that I can't see happening in a political environment that bears any resemblance to our modern world. Instead of working, it would turn Lison into a bloodier and longer version of Vietnam. A Stellar Nation should be smarter than that.

Should I take if off the shelf?

I would say yes. Planet of Darkness is worth a look. It's an interesting story at it's heart and a pretty good adventure, although it needs some work. If you are playing Star*Drive then it is of pretty good use (maybe even almost being worth the price tag). If not, then it is still useful, although it requires much more work than the Star Compendium to use and shares it's over-priced nature. Planet of Darkness is nothing to write home about (at least overall), but it certainly does have some very fine elements.
- Derek Guder
- Kintaro Oe
- kabael
- kabael's netbook
- the McGuffin Group

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Planet of Darkness
Author: Christopher Perkins Category: game Company/Publisher: TSR, Inc. Line: *StarDrive Cost: $13.95 Page count: 64 ISBN: 0-7869-1328-2 SKU: TSR 11328 Capsule Review by Derek Guder** on 01/13/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Far_Future Space Conspiracy	This is another book I got to review from RPGnet (so bear in mind that the fact that I got it for free might color my perception to a more forgiving review), and while I was expecting it to be abysmal, it was really a lot better than it really had any right to be. After reading two **StarDrive* books in a row that have been quite good, I'm half tempted to bother looking at the rest of the line. I still hate the system and the setting in general, but more and more I'm wondering what hidden gems the game has. Planet of Darkness is an adventure, and one of slightly more epic proportions than I might like, but it is good none the less. It's major problems lay in the idea that a Stellar Nation will stoop to terrorism hidden behind a ploy that a toddler can see through (and not expect disastrous repercussions) and that the game revolves around mystics who are manipulating events according to a prophecy they have (that's just something I've had a bit much of lately). all dressed up The book looks strange. For some reason, it's printed on blue paper, with black (and sometimes blue) text. Why, I have no idea, and it does make it harder to read sometimes (though no where near as difficult as the glossy pages from the Star Compendium*). The layout is simple enough, and there is almost enough cross-referencing to keep me happy. The art, amazingly enough judging from the cover, is really very* good. Done by Jon Foster (a name I don't recognize), they remind me of the work of some of my favorite artists like Christopher Shy and Rick Berry, both of whom work extensively with digital mediums. I really hope that Mr. Foster gets more work in the industry. The only major problem I have with the presentation of the game is that it has those old blocks of text that can be read to the players. While I could easily ignore them when I ran the game, they still annoy me to no end. The material would be better served simply described, especially since most "readable" blocks clock in several notches below "normal" text in writing quality. There is a reason that I would call them obsolete these days. running along The adventure itself is good, mainly because it has lots of solid details and nicely goes layer by layer. While the first adventure seems innocent and unconnected (and is also the best one of the lot), there are lots of little details that are not revealed to the players until later, showing the web they have been captured in. The book has lots of nice maps and details on the characters involved, none of who simply fall over into stereotypes, which is a nice change. There are a few events that need to happen, but nothing that shows as overtly forced. Without revealing too much, I can say that the adventure revolves around Lison, dealing with the many Stellar Nations that would desperately love to get their hands on the valuable planet and that backstabbing and double-dealing abounds. There are lots of excellent, memorably scenes as well, overall making for a very nice and satisfying adventure. Except for two major flaws. First, the plot relies upon the intervention of some psychic aliens who act like a combination between Men in Black and greys (making me wonder if there is a closer connection between StarDrive* and **DarkMatter* beyond using the same system). They arrive on the scene and start manipulating events according to some premonition that they got. While they do show up later and provide some assistance that is cool enough to almost excuse them, they do little more than erode the already-thin science fiction feel to the game. Second, the entire second part of the story revolves around a plot arc that is very interesting until you find out the truth, and then it becomes something more like a joke. I kept waiting for the big-haired villain to step in to provide the appropriate "evil villain cackle." It is just something that I can't see happening in a political environment that bears any resemblance to our modern world. Instead of working, it would turn Lison into a bloodier and longer version of Vietnam. A Stellar Nation should be smarter than that. Should I take if off the shelf? I would say yes. Planet of Darkness is worth a look. It's an interesting story at it's heart and a pretty good adventure, although it needs some work. If you are playing StarDrive* then it is of pretty good use (maybe even almost being worth the price tag). If not, then it is still useful, although it requires much more work than the Star Compendium to use and shares it's over-priced nature. Planet of Darkness** is nothing to write home about (at least overall), but it certainly does have some very fine elements. - Derek Guder - Kintaro Oe - kabael - kabael's netbook - the McGuffin Group Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)