The Inside Scoop on Gaming

What were you thinking, buying this?

I held off for a long time on this one. I didn't want a setting book for Heroes Unlimited. One thing I really like about the Heroes Unlimited system is that it is generic as far as setting goes. I can make my own worlds, my own cities, my own villains, my own heroes, my own adventures... A setting for Heroes Unlimited is the last thing in the world I wanted to see or spend money on.

Still, one of my players kept going on about how wonderful the book was. Plus, Palladium's best regular writer, Bill Coffin, writes it. Besides, my local store couldn't find a copy of Rigger 3 for Shadowrun and never seems to carry 7th Sea material, so I figured I'd spend the cash on something.

So, what's up with the book?

Normally, I don't mention the Introduction section, because its usually trite and only helpful for finding out about future plans for Palladium's books. In this case, I have to bring it up because it basically addresses my problems setting info for Heroes. Essentially, the thought is that since comic books have become more complex over the years, ranging from traditional super-heroics like JLA to superior characterization pieces like Watchmen. It may be difficult for groups to come up with a consensus on the "feel" for a game. So, Century Station was created to provide a basis for these groups, somewhere where the "groundwork is laid" and left for us to play with. The first in a line of "World Books" to detail a complex world for us to tell complex adventure stories within. I feel compelled to say that it took months for me to even grasp the leap in logic it took to rationalize this. The implication seems to be that we, as players and GMs, are incapable of coming up with our own worlds to tell stories in because comic books aren't all about guys in tights anymore. The only other explanation I can come up with is that Palladium has some kind of policy against doing generic use books and only publishes works that involve specific settings. This isn't the Heroes Unlimited I grew to know and love. It took the introduction to know that this book would sit on a shelf somewhere and gather dust. Still, I'll try to be objective about the rest of the book.

Part One is a quick overview of Century Station. The city history is detailed and pretty thorough, much like I would expect from one of Coffin's Palladium Fantasy books. Times are bad for Century Station and only look to get worse is the general gist of it. Following that is a quick overview of the levels of crime in the city, along with generic NPCs from each level. Right after that is a brief run down on how superheroes work in the city. Specifics on Century Station follow that. The specifics are nicely detailed, including maps of each of the city's sections. If the book were for Rifts, Palladium Fantasy, or 7th Sea, I'd be whooping with joy over this level of attention.

Part Two is the big section of NPCs. A variety of organizations are featured here, along with a few items produced by each. The real prize though, is a complete eleven-page breakdown of the city's Police Department. This info could easily be ported almost directly to any major city with a superhuman problem. SWAT is running around with power armor, the K-9 unit has stats on dogs, and there's even a brief blurb on the Department's Homeless Outreach Bureau. News agencies also appear, but aren't given nearly as much detail as the cops were. A number of "political" groups are also mentioned, mainly based on groups that first cropped up in Aliens Unlimited. Also worth mentioning is a group called Sector 10. References are made to a larger organization called The Sector and to a secret government-owned lab designed to condition and grow their own superhumans, called the Nursery. Since there has been a Heroes Unlimited book called The Nursery on the Coming Soon lists for several years now, I guess we haven't seen the last of Heroes setting books. Urg...

Most of the rest of the book is devoted to NPC descriptions. Most look good, but I just zoned them out as I would have little use for them. Following that, though, is the largest random encounter table I have ever seen. One hundred adventure ideas are packed into a percentile list, with one bonus adventure tacked on to the end. The majority of the adventures could be quickly adapted to work pretty much anywhere.

Yeah, right, but what about the pretty pictures?

The majority of the interior art appears original, with only a few exceptions cropping up here and there. Unlike the Main Book and the GM's Guide, the pictures don't just serve to fill up column space. Cityscape shots and character illustrations help bring the material to life. This is what art in the books is supposed to do, not just draw attention to the fact that is, yes, a superhero game.

Once again, Mike Wilson leads the pack with the clearest, most comic-bookish artwork of the lot. At the other end of the spectrum, Kent Burles gets a number of splash pages in, completely with highly-distracting Head Ridges and spiky bits.

Layout. Well, its Palladium. The same black-and-white, two-column work we always see is still here. The organization of the material, though, has taken a step up. Everything is divided into sections, with materials that go together kept together. If you want NPCs, it's easy to find where to go. If you want geographic information, try the front of the book. Someone actually paid attention when setting this one up.

Worth the dough?

For me? No way. I'd have rather tossed in ten more bucks and bought a second copy of the 7th Sea Player's Guide then use my money on this. It has its redeeming points, notably that police department description, but the majority of the book is a waste of time for me. Had it been a generic city book, covering common criminal types and city organization, I'd have found more use for it. As it is, though, this is definite dust fodder.

Don't let that fool you, though. The material is well written and thorough. This book is one of the examples I'd use to show how a World Book should be done. If setting is your thing, and Heroes Unlimited is your game, then grab this book immediately. It's one of Palladium's better efforts in recent memory.

Century Station
Century Station Capsule Review by FlashFire on 01/06/01 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty) Not my idea of a keeper, but to each his own. Product: Century Station Author: Bill Coffin Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Palladium Books Line: Heroes Unlimited Cost: $20.95 Page count: 224 Year published: 2000 ISBN: 1-57457-040-4 SKU: Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by FlashFire on 01/06/01 Genre tags: Modern day Superhero	What were you thinking, buying this? I held off for a long time on this one. I didn't want a setting book for Heroes Unlimited. One thing I really like about the Heroes Unlimited system is that it is generic as far as setting goes. I can make my own worlds, my own cities, my own villains, my own heroes, my own adventures... A setting for Heroes Unlimited is the last thing in the world I wanted to see or spend money on. Still, one of my players kept going on about how wonderful the book was. Plus, Palladium's best regular writer, Bill Coffin, writes it. Besides, my local store couldn't find a copy of Rigger 3 for Shadowrun and never seems to carry 7th Sea material, so I figured I'd spend the cash on something. So, what's up with the book? Normally, I don't mention the Introduction section, because its usually trite and only helpful for finding out about future plans for Palladium's books. In this case, I have to bring it up because it basically addresses my problems setting info for Heroes. Essentially, the thought is that since comic books have become more complex over the years, ranging from traditional super-heroics like JLA to superior characterization pieces like Watchmen. It may be difficult for groups to come up with a consensus on the "feel" for a game. So, Century Station was created to provide a basis for these groups, somewhere where the "groundwork is laid" and left for us to play with. The first in a line of "World Books" to detail a complex world for us to tell complex adventure stories within. I feel compelled to say that it took months for me to even grasp the leap in logic it took to rationalize this. The implication seems to be that we, as players and GMs, are incapable of coming up with our own worlds to tell stories in because comic books aren't all about guys in tights anymore. The only other explanation I can come up with is that Palladium has some kind of policy against doing generic use books and only publishes works that involve specific settings. This isn't the Heroes Unlimited I grew to know and love. It took the introduction to know that this book would sit on a shelf somewhere and gather dust. Still, I'll try to be objective about the rest of the book. Part One is a quick overview of Century Station. The city history is detailed and pretty thorough, much like I would expect from one of Coffin's Palladium Fantasy books. Times are bad for Century Station and only look to get worse is the general gist of it. Following that is a quick overview of the levels of crime in the city, along with generic NPCs from each level. Right after that is a brief run down on how superheroes work in the city. Specifics on Century Station follow that. The specifics are nicely detailed, including maps of each of the city's sections. If the book were for Rifts, Palladium Fantasy, or 7th Sea, I'd be whooping with joy over this level of attention. Part Two is the big section of NPCs. A variety of organizations are featured here, along with a few items produced by each. The real prize though, is a complete eleven-page breakdown of the city's Police Department. This info could easily be ported almost directly to any major city with a superhuman problem. SWAT is running around with power armor, the K-9 unit has stats on dogs, and there's even a brief blurb on the Department's Homeless Outreach Bureau. News agencies also appear, but aren't given nearly as much detail as the cops were. A number of "political" groups are also mentioned, mainly based on groups that first cropped up in Aliens Unlimited. Also worth mentioning is a group called Sector 10. References are made to a larger organization called The Sector and to a secret government-owned lab designed to condition and grow their own superhumans, called the Nursery. Since there has been a Heroes Unlimited book called The Nursery on the Coming Soon lists for several years now, I guess we haven't seen the last of Heroes setting books. Urg... Most of the rest of the book is devoted to NPC descriptions. Most look good, but I just zoned them out as I would have little use for them. Following that, though, is the largest random encounter table I have ever seen. One hundred adventure ideas are packed into a percentile list, with one bonus adventure tacked on to the end. The majority of the adventures could be quickly adapted to work pretty much anywhere. Yeah, right, but what about the pretty pictures? The majority of the interior art appears original, with only a few exceptions cropping up here and there. Unlike the Main Book and the GM's Guide, the pictures don't just serve to fill up column space. Cityscape shots and character illustrations help bring the material to life. This is what art in the books is supposed to do, not just draw attention to the fact that is, yes, a superhero game. Once again, Mike Wilson leads the pack with the clearest, most comic-bookish artwork of the lot. At the other end of the spectrum, Kent Burles gets a number of splash pages in, completely with highly-distracting Head Ridges and spiky bits. Layout. Well, its Palladium. The same black-and-white, two-column work we always see is still here. The organization of the material, though, has taken a step up. Everything is divided into sections, with materials that go together kept together. If you want NPCs, it's easy to find where to go. If you want geographic information, try the front of the book. Someone actually paid attention when setting this one up. Worth the dough? For me? No way. I'd have rather tossed in ten more bucks and bought a second copy of the 7th Sea Player's Guide then use my money on this. It has its redeeming points, notably that police department description, but the majority of the book is a waste of time for me. Had it been a generic city book, covering common criminal types and city organization, I'd have found more use for it. As it is, though, this is definite dust fodder. Don't let that fool you, though. The material is well written and thorough. This book is one of the examples I'd use to show how a World Book should be done. If setting is your thing, and Heroes Unlimited is your game, then grab this book immediately. It's one of Palladium's better efforts in recent memory.