Rob Boyle

Part of me loves the hell out of Eclipse Phase-the setting is freaking amazing transhumanist post-apocalyptic existential horror cyberpunk.

On the other hand, I have some problems. The d100 system is... workable, I guess, but the skill list not particularly inspired, which is a problem given that you have to spend 700 of 1000 character points on it.

For RPGs, a big question is always "what do you do?" Kill monsters and get treasure; lounge around being depressed and drinking blood, get show more screwed over by some corporate Mr. Smith douchehole. In Eclipse Phase, the default setting has you as agents of Firewall, a distributed intelligence agency/conspiracy that preserves transhumanity from existential threats. While I haven't read the GM guide, Firewall appears to send poorly equipped agents on suicide missions. Not much fun there.

A second question is the materiality of the setting, and this is another area where Eclipse Phase falls short. Okay, minds are software, bodies can be bought off the rack, and everybody lives off of nanoreplicators in space, but I think there should be a more serious engagement with the value of information vs kilowatts and reaction mass, the dangers of high-powered weapons in glorified tincans, and how polities fragment when point-to-point travel takes months, and low bandwidth communication takes hours. The Solar System is big.

That said, kickass setting in a lot of ways, great presentation, and the book is free. What do you have to lose? show less

Eclipse Phase: the Roleplaying Game of Transhuman Conspiracy and Horror is a new near-future transhuman setting, which immediately invites comparison to the GURPS-based Transhuman Space. This game is built from the ground up to accommodate the notion that almost everyone can have their minds backed up and restored into different bodies, and has mechanics for handling both monetary and reputation-based economies.

The setting is darker and more desperate than that of Transhuman Space; Earth is show more an off-limits hellhole full of dangerous nanotech swarms, the remnants of humanity are scattered across the solar system and divided into squabbling factions, and the only aliens who want to talk to us are rather unhelpful. Both settings are rife with opportunities for conflict, but this one has much more of a tense Cold War feel to it, with existential threats looming in many places.

I was impressed by the well-written detail depicting the setting; I’ve read much of the material in their References section and didn’t spot them taking any shortcuts assuming that the reader is already acquainted with them. If you’re planning a game with transhuman elements in it, this is worthwhile to pick up for its perspective. show less

Revised second edition. Humanity, nearly wiped out by an attack of beings known only as Titans, have survived in the planets and asteroids of the Solar System. Somewhat more than human, these transhumans continue to thrive, and have even colonized some worlds beyond Sol. But there are still threats to humanity, and so Firewall exists, to find out and defeat these menaces before they can overwhelm and destroy us all. Requires a very dedicated group, but not a bad game.

The setting is amazing and interesting. The rule system is standard rpg with some innovative twists.