Search
Review Editing
Review of SolaPol Sourcebook
Focus accounts for much of the success of the sourcebook, which covers its topic thoroughly, with an authority that informs without constraining. Each of the six chapters feels important; very little padding is present. First we read of the history of the United Solar Nations, the parent organization of Solapol. This helps to give a sense of desperate order to the proceedings. This sense does much to enhance the plausibility of the survival of the UN into the 23rd century. The next couple of chapters deal with Solapol proper, expanding on the organization and duties of this force. It is in these chapters, and the one following it on Solapol careers, that the virtues of the sourcebook become most clear. The information is accessible, plausible, and it covers very nearly everything you might need to know about the guts of Solapol. In short, it shines, and I can speak no ill of it. For those who like that sort of thing, there are a number of generic characters sketched to represent the careers. I am not much of a fan of these, but they seem well done.
The section on gamemaster resources is more problematic to me; much of the information is simply more appropriate to one of the core books. Simply tailoring and expanding this advice to apply to Solapol doesn't justify the space taken, at least not in my mind. Two elements do break this rule: the list of the ten most wanted and the 'ongoing investigations' do provide useful information. The most wanted list I can only criticize for failing to seem worthy of its name; these finely drawn and useful criminals seem too tame to be the worst! On the other hand the 'ongoing investigations' makes no such missteps, the Orbital Yakuza and Netzbanden stand out as particularly useful additions to the JC universe.
The final section covers Solapol equipment and additional rules. Most of the equipment is useful, and some of it is downright interesting, such as the anti-matter gun. Who doesn't like devastation? Some of the additional rules serve to clarify combat, but others seem too specific, and prone to defeating the fluidity of the Silhouette combat system. I'd recommend just playing these advanced combat effects by ear, without rules, but if you prefer more structured combat they look golden.
No review of the Solapol Sourcebook would be complete without mention of the new direction DP9 has taken with the art. Quiet those gasps of horror; change can be good. The art for JC books has always been excellent, and I wouldn't be at all distressed to see some of the future books done in the old style, but the new look instantly grabs onto you. The character art is different, equal in most ways, with perhaps a wider range of atmosphere now that it is slipping out of the anime bracket. The difference really does shine though, in the mechanical depictions. These are rare in the book, with only one new mecha being introduced, but the sense of depth and size comes across in a fashion that was never conveyed under the old style. The sense of reality that some of the mecha art in the Mechanical Catalog had is back, and a great big hello to it!
Up to now I've been almost unrelentingly positive, but I do have some nits which creep in across the length of the book. First among these was the occasional feeling that I was reading material too closely akin to that which I had read in the core books. While the layout was logical and thorough, and these sections should have existed, I would have been much happier to see them become more topical for this presentation. The second is my long-standing issue with the presentation of the Edicts in JC. I have no quibble with them per se. Glaringly evil as they seem I would be content, nay, interested in them if there was a sense that they should be a legitimate point of debate in the universe. The characters in Jovian Chronicles seem to be mostly unaware of the discomfort that these rules will cause the average reader from a liberal democratic society. This blind spot, repeated as it is time and again, made ever more noticeable in its continued absence, undercuts the credibility of the characters. This is not an issue we should feel afraid to see the characters confront, keep the Edicts, but use their true drama too: question them. The other problem with the Edicts, specific to this book, was their uneven representation. At times it was depicted as being more like simply FCC regulation, and at other points the full thought control version was back and raging. A more consistent approach would have been preferable.
Overall the book is good. It does everything it needs to do with style, where it has flaws they lie in optional areas. The frosting may be less than perfect, but the cake here is mighty fine. A definite buy for anyone into JC at all.
Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
