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The Mechanical Catalog is sort of a Janes guide for the 23rd century setting of Jovian Chronicles. One hundred thirty-six pages of ships, mecha, fighters, and some of the coolest technical drawings comprise the MechCat. While a little light on readable info, what there is doesn't come across as dull. What it also does not appear to be, is as useful as it could have been, or even should have been.

The Valhalla space station is a useful micro-setting, complete with cast of characters and storyline to involve the PCs, making it a handy little gem for GMs. It's a shame that they weren't carried through to at least one of the warships. The diagrams of the ships and mecha are fun to look at and useful, especially so if one is considering running a campaign set on a ship. The variations on the common mecha enhance the feeling of realism of their place in the setting. More realism is added by the attention to detail given by the writers. The depth and seriousness of the presentation make it possible for one to feel immersed in the setting.

For players in a mecha-oriented game, the diagrams and color commentary about the exo-armors will be fun to read. Some of the ships and exo-suits from the original rulebook (the Mekton supplement) finally make an appearance in this new incarnation of Jovian Chronicles. More mecha can't be a bad thing. With the new ships and mecha,the Central Earth Government forces are covered to the point where the Jovians no longer appear to have a mile head start in the arms race.

Admittedly, the MechCat isn't for everyone. While it has mecha and a few small craft that the player might use, a large part of the book is dedicated to warships. While neat to look at, some players and GMs will find little of serious utility for a role-playing campaign. As it says in the introduction, "The Mechanical Catalog provides a much broader look at the craft of the various factions." That's what it does, and does well. While most Jovian Chronicles GMs could put a copy to use, forgetting to bring the MechCat to a gaming session is not likely to slow down a role-playing game.

I can strongly recommend this book to anyone playing a mecha-heavy JC campaign. The art is top shelf and the writing is decent. For those indifferent to mecha, there are some things of interest, but it is really up to the individual as to whether or not that's enough cause to buy it. For those who don't put much military hardware into their games, the few civilian items won't likely justify the price.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Mechanical Catalog
Author: Marc A. Vezina, Philippe R. Boulle & Tyler-Millson-Taylor Category: game Company/Publisher: Dream Pod 9 Cost: $22.95 Page count: 136 ISBN: 1-896776-18-3 Capsule Review by C. H. Gallant on 06/14/98. Genre tags: none	The Mechanical Catalog is sort of a Janes guide for the 23rd century setting of Jovian Chronicles. One hundred thirty-six pages of ships, mecha, fighters, and some of the coolest technical drawings comprise the MechCat. While a little light on readable info, what there is doesn't come across as dull. What it also does not appear to be, is as useful as it could have been, or even should have been. The Valhalla space station is a useful micro-setting, complete with cast of characters and storyline to involve the PCs, making it a handy little gem for GMs. It's a shame that they weren't carried through to at least one of the warships. The diagrams of the ships and mecha are fun to look at and useful, especially so if one is considering running a campaign set on a ship. The variations on the common mecha enhance the feeling of realism of their place in the setting. More realism is added by the attention to detail given by the writers. The depth and seriousness of the presentation make it possible for one to feel immersed in the setting. For players in a mecha-oriented game, the diagrams and color commentary about the exo-armors will be fun to read. Some of the ships and exo-suits from the original rulebook (the Mekton supplement) finally make an appearance in this new incarnation of Jovian Chronicles. More mecha can't be a bad thing. With the new ships and mecha,the Central Earth Government forces are covered to the point where the Jovians no longer appear to have a mile head start in the arms race. Admittedly, the MechCat isn't for everyone. While it has mecha and a few small craft that the player might use, a large part of the book is dedicated to warships. While neat to look at, some players and GMs will find little of serious utility for a role-playing campaign. As it says in the introduction, "The Mechanical Catalog provides a much broader look at the craft of the various factions." That's what it does, and does well. While most Jovian Chronicles GMs could put a copy to use, forgetting to bring the MechCat to a gaming session is not likely to slow down a role-playing game. I can strongly recommend this book to anyone playing a mecha-heavy JC campaign. The art is top shelf and the writing is decent. For those indifferent to mecha, there are some things of interest, but it is really up to the individual as to whether or not that's enough cause to buy it. For those who don't put much military hardware into their games, the few civilian items won't likely justify the price. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 3 (Average)