AAA is written by Ninjalicious, the editor of the Urban Exploration zine Infiltration. Ninj has a friendly, easygoing writing style. He throws in corny jokes every once in a while, which is the sort of thing that would normally bug me but in this case it just comes off as likeable. Reading the book one can tell that Ninj has had a lot of experience in urban exploration and truly loves his hobby. The book is not too dense, perfect for a reader who knows nothing of the subject, yet manages not to be repetitive or slow.
First the book discusses the general hows and whys of exploration, including how to recruit a team, how to train, what equipment to bring, how to research and plan for an exploration, and general tips for 'social engineering' your way into a place you want to be or out of trouble. Then comes in-depth looks at the differed kinds of sites one might want to explore, including abandoned sites, active sites, construction sites and underground tunnels. For each it discusses the dangers, how to find suitable sites, how to get in and out without getting caught, how to find one's way around inside and what one may find in such a site. Ninj goes beyond common sense, telling us things we never would have guessed without a lot of experience with each type of site.
Most RPGs involve exploring fictional world, so I imagine most gamers, like me, have a thing for exploring and would get a thrill out of reading a well-written book on the subject. Yet AAA would be most valuable as a resource for gamemasters.
To use examples from games I've written: What if you're GMing Fates Worse Than Death and the PCs are trying to infiltrate a gated corporate living complex by means of a storm-drain tunnel? This book will tell you what interesting things the PCs might see or what dangers they might encounter.
Or say the PCs in an In Dark Alleys game are trying to sneak into a certain office in the top floor of a corporate office building. Is there some way to use service elevators that bypass the building's normal security? What interesting stuff will they see in the service areas? This book will tell you.
AAA is also a good reality-check for in-game infiltration. PCs aren't better off dressing all in black when trying to sneak into a complex. Nightvision goggles won't actually help them. In most cases apologizing to security and begging for forgiveness is better than coming up with an elaborate story about how they're supposed to be there.
I do have a few complaints. The photographs are too light and too small to make out many details. Also, I would have like to have heard more stories of his adventures. Finally, as an author who will probably use this book as a resource I would have liked to have seen a little more descriptive language.
If you're interested in getting a copy of AAA you won't be able to find it in game stores, you can order it online at www.infiltration.org or through amazon.
