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This is the first Monster Manual for TSR's new Alternity game. This book contains descriptions of various races, but mostly creatures which are found in an area of rediscovered space called the Verge. First of all, this book is just gorgeous! It looks very nice, the illustrations are dead on, and the stats (within the limitations of Alternity) are well done! There is an index, which groups the monsters in several different ways, and the book as a whole is organized around the theme of a starship going around gathering up biological information regarding this "new" sphere of space.

The monsters are a nice if unexceptional lot...there are too many dragon analogs, cat things, and mobile mists to suit me. They just seem to be a bit staid. The contents just don't match the genius of the design. There is a bit more information regarding the different races in Alternity, and this is kind of nice. Yet it is hard to dismiss the analogs between this game and AD&D, with creatures like the Weren/dwarves, Fraal/elves/greys, Mechalus/borg, sesheyan/? (possibly an original idea), and T'sa/hobbits/gnomes.

I was also disappointed in that the ecological systems of each planet weren't developed in more detail. In the old Traveller game you could take some six-siders, and inside of an hour you've got a complete ecosystem down. We find a few exceptional, or typical, monsters here, but nothing to really define the world.

Overall I'd give this product a "B." It is above average for its design, not its contents. I may be dazzled by design, but in the end the contents will determine whether or not these monsters are used in my campaign.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Star Drive Alien Compendium Accessory: Creatures of the Verge
Author: Richard Baker and Bill Slavicsek Category: game Company/Publisher: TSR Cost: 21.95 Page count: 128 ISBN: 0-7869-0778-9 Capsule Review by Scott Shafer on 10/12/98. Genre tags: Science_fiction Far_Future Space	This is the first Monster Manual for TSR's new Alternity game. This book contains descriptions of various races, but mostly creatures which are found in an area of rediscovered space called the Verge. First of all, this book is just gorgeous! It looks very nice, the illustrations are dead on, and the stats (within the limitations of Alternity) are well done! There is an index, which groups the monsters in several different ways, and the book as a whole is organized around the theme of a starship going around gathering up biological information regarding this "new" sphere of space. The monsters are a nice if unexceptional lot...there are too many dragon analogs, cat things, and mobile mists to suit me. They just seem to be a bit staid. The contents just don't match the genius of the design. There is a bit more information regarding the different races in Alternity, and this is kind of nice. Yet it is hard to dismiss the analogs between this game and AD&D, with creatures like the Weren/dwarves, Fraal/elves/greys, Mechalus/borg, sesheyan/? (possibly an original idea), and T'sa/hobbits/gnomes. I was also disappointed in that the ecological systems of each planet weren't developed in more detail. In the old Traveller game you could take some six-siders, and inside of an hour you've got a complete ecosystem down. We find a few exceptional, or typical, monsters here, but nothing to really define the world. Overall I'd give this product a "B." It is above average for its design, not its contents. I may be dazzled by design, but in the end the contents will determine whether or not these monsters are used in my campaign. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 3 (Average)

Star Drive Alien Compendium Accessory: Creatures of the Verge