The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I was in Dallas at my crazy family reunion. I was insanely jealous of my cousin who had just bought "Legends of the Five Rings," when I picked up this gem. It was either $30, and it is as solid a future science fiction game as Traveller 2300. This game has a nice set of minimalist mechanics. You add pluses or minuses to eight characteristics, pick your skills and you're ready to go. To do anything you roll a number of D6s equal to your skill level (characteristics can add a plus or minus to each die rolled), you take the highest roll and add a bonus for each 5 or 6 that you rolled. The rules allow for normal, cinematic, and gritty realism. It is well-designed and mechanically sound for each of these genres. The game includes rules for RPG play, and wargame play- the rules for 3D vector movement in space are also innovative and simple. There is a nice selection of mechas, and starships as well. This game is fairly complete- 232 pages of close set type, and nicely illustrated as well. This game gets a "B." It gets taken down a grade because some of what they define as optional character creation rules are in the "Jovian Chronicles Companion." They should have been in this book. I like this book even if it does seem pricey. It does a better job for the mecha genre than GURPS: Mecha.

DP9.com is the company web-site, but its never updated enough. They promise errata, but never seem to deliver.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Jovian Chronicles
Author: Dream Pod 9 Category: game Company/Publisher: Dream Pod 9 Cost: 30 Page count: 232 ISBN: 1-896776-13-2 Capsule Review by Scott Shafer on 02/02/98. Genre tags: none	I was in Dallas at my crazy family reunion. I was insanely jealous of my cousin who had just bought "Legends of the Five Rings," when I picked up this gem. It was either $30, and it is as solid a future science fiction game as Traveller 2300. This game has a nice set of minimalist mechanics. You add pluses or minuses to eight characteristics, pick your skills and you're ready to go. To do anything you roll a number of D6s equal to your skill level (characteristics can add a plus or minus to each die rolled), you take the highest roll and add a bonus for each 5 or 6 that you rolled. The rules allow for normal, cinematic, and gritty realism. It is well-designed and mechanically sound for each of these genres. The game includes rules for RPG play, and wargame play- the rules for 3D vector movement in space are also innovative and simple. There is a nice selection of mechas, and starships as well. This game is fairly complete- 232 pages of close set type, and nicely illustrated as well. This game gets a "B." It gets taken down a grade because some of what they define as optional character creation rules are in the "Jovian Chronicles Companion." They should have been in this book. I like this book even if it does seem pricey. It does a better job for the mecha genre than GURPS: Mecha. DP9.com is the company web-site, but its never updated enough. They promise errata, but never seem to deliver. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)