The Inside Scoop on Gaming

By Odin's beard, this book sucks!

Before I continue, I'd like to point out that White Wolf does deserve some credit for tackling the tragedy of the Amazon rainforest. My issue isn't the subject, but how it was handled.

However, that's all I'll grant White Wolf. Now, on with the critique.

This book was rushed, and it shows. It had lofty ideals, noble goals and worthy aims that got bogged down in a swirling mish-mash of half-written briefings, ill-defined political situations and less-than-believable situations.

(One of them: if all of the Changing Breeds fight for Gaia, then why all of the infighting? Since Gaia literally exists, She can just show up and say "All of you, do this." They will, and that's that. Why hasn't White Wolf dealt with this?)

Where it all went wrong was the Geography chapter. There just wasn't enough space to do it justice, since they attempted to cover all of South America. The important data, such as where the caerns/Wyrmholes/Pentex installations are were not included with the relavent geographic data. Maybe it's all of the Sun Tzu I've read, but when I read a "report" like this I want targets and commanders attached to their locations and not divorced like it was here.

The People chapter wasn't much better. The Garou organization, while sensible to a human military, doesn't sit well with how I see Garou warfare. This is a Holy War, and I expect to see the Garou conduct it as such. As it is, it resembles the U.S. in Vietnam- which may be intentional, given the Garou in charge- or the USSR in Afganistan. The deprivations of non-allied shapeshifters against both sides looks fine until that "Gaia literally exists" thing interferes, and Pentex (fortunately for Gaia) isn't any better that the Garou at this war.

The Encounters chapter is the worst offender. All of it deserved far better coverage that what exists, and the Rio By Night section deserves its own book!

"In Dreams and Nightmares" should've been a separate adventure module. The milspec gear should've stayed in the Player's Guide, and the fetishes properly belong in their appropriate tribebooks.

At the very least, there was no Cobb or SCAR artwork. Thus, the artwork did not suck.

Trees died for this? That's almost as tragic as the book's utter failure to communicate its intended message. If you want a war for Werewolf, get Under a Blood Red Moon.

Don't waste your time or money on this book until you see a second edition.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)

Rage Across The Amazon
Author: Various Authors Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Game Studio Cost: $18 (US) Page count: 120 pages ISBN: 1-56504-041-4 Playtest Review by Bradford C. Walker on 03/27/98. Genre tags: none	By Odin's beard, this book sucks! Before I continue, I'd like to point out that White Wolf does deserve some credit for tackling the tragedy of the Amazon rainforest. My issue isn't the subject, but how it was handled. However, that's all I'll grant White Wolf. Now, on with the critique. This book was rushed, and it shows. It had lofty ideals, noble goals and worthy aims that got bogged down in a swirling mish-mash of half-written briefings, ill-defined political situations and less-than-believable situations. (One of them: if all of the Changing Breeds fight for Gaia, then why all of the infighting? Since Gaia literally exists, She can just show up and say "All of you, do this." They will, and that's that. Why hasn't White Wolf dealt with this?) Where it all went wrong was the Geography chapter. There just wasn't enough space to do it justice, since they attempted to cover all of South America. The important data, such as where the caerns/Wyrmholes/Pentex installations are were not included with the relavent geographic data. Maybe it's all of the Sun Tzu I've read, but when I read a "report" like this I want targets and commanders attached to their locations and not divorced like it was here. The People chapter wasn't much better. The Garou organization, while sensible to a human military, doesn't sit well with how I see Garou warfare. This is a Holy War, and I expect to see the Garou conduct it as such. As it is, it resembles the U.S. in Vietnam- which may be intentional, given the Garou in charge- or the USSR in Afganistan. The deprivations of non-allied shapeshifters against both sides looks fine until that "Gaia literally exists" thing interferes, and Pentex (fortunately for Gaia) isn't any better that the Garou at this war. The Encounters chapter is the worst offender. All of it deserved far better coverage that what exists, and the Rio By Night section deserves its own book! "In Dreams and Nightmares" should've been a separate adventure module. The milspec gear should've stayed in the Player's Guide, and the fetishes properly belong in their appropriate tribebooks. At the very least, there was no Cobb or SCAR artwork. Thus, the artwork did not suck. Trees died for this? That's almost as tragic as the book's utter failure to communicate its intended message. If you want a war for Werewolf, get Under a Blood Red Moon. Don't waste your time or money on this book until you see a second edition. Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)

Rage Across The Amazon