Fall is here, and it's time for the October update. It's a couple days early as I will be offline this weekend. At least, that's my excuse. In truth I think I'm just excited to share this month's chapter preview.
Hardcore Hardware
Blue Planet has always emphasized the technology of its setting, and the earlier editions dedicated many pages to what we hoped were plausible, hard science descriptions of speculative hardware. Since it's an RPG, we wanted plenty of cool toys for characters to play with, but more importantly we wanted to evoke the setting through its technological context. This remains an essential intent, so thoroughly updating the technology was a primary focus in Recontact.
Though it could be argued that modern game design has deemphasized the traditional "gear chapter," we have opted instead to lean into it, spending significant time researching real world advances in technology and updating our speculative tech. From where we got it wrong in the first edition - like separate devices for every function - to where we got it right - like the proliferation of drones - we have cut and consolidated items, updated or upgraded gear and even added whole new classes of tech. From smart materials to quantum computing to bioreactors and direct air capture processors, we have included advanced technologies that weren't even speculative when the first edition of BP was published over 25 years ago.
All these upgrades and additions have made me particularly excited to share this month's preview of the Hardware chapter, and I hope you enjoy what you see. Don't worry about the lack of vehicles and cetacean gear in the preview - they are in the layout queue.
As usual, a backers' only update will contain a link to the previews and the error reporting form. Give it a read and let us know what you think!
Storm Surge Update
Anymore I prefer my RPGs to be theater of the mind. There was a time, however, when maps, miniatures and tactical play were my jam - as evidenced by the kludgey but well-intentioned first edition BP combat rules. My RPG and tactical play have diverged over the years as I've gained a love of sci-fi miniature games like Core Space, Zombicide: Invader and the OOP classic, AT-43.
I have been feeling a little old school of late, so I decided to use all the toys I've collected for these various minis games to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the GenDiver Security thread. I planned a big tactical set piece to challenge my players - and to see how far we could push the new BP rules. And what makes for a better tactical challenge than a reverse heist into a heavily defended HCIS island black site, camouflaged as an automated cargo depot?
Though I left plenty of openings for them to use stealth, remote intrusion or social engineering, I also wanted to offer the option for tactical play if they chose - or if subterfuge failed and the site went hot. I wanted to really test the limits inherent in the technological tools and defenses of the setting and to that end told them they could utilize anything they wanted from the hardware and weapons chapters - actual tech or implied - but that as the moderator, I was going to do the same. Suffice it to say, things got pretty warm.
The session opened in media res, with the crew attempting a tactical entry through the shipping container stacks. When this was inevitably foiled by robotic sentries mowing them down, I reassured the shocked players that the scene was only one of the many virtual simulations they had run. This intentionally put them on their toes for the "real" thing, but also gave them the chance to assess other options in character, via AI sims rather than fall prey to the dithering that often stalls party planning sessions.
In the end the reverse heist was successful, but what they encountered in the warehouse - and inadvertently released into the wild - was not what they expected and is a whole lot more dangerous than they know...
Delivery Date?
This month marks a year since our original estimated delivery date of October 2022. I know the old joke that Kickstarters are always late, but for me the delay is no laughing matter. We continue to work as fast as real life and the various production challenges we have faced allow, and we are rapidly completing the layout - as evidenced by the previews we have been sharing. As soon as possible, we will share out the digital versions of the books and head to press. In the meantime, all I can ask is for your continued patience and enthusiasm. It's that support that has kept me and the project going, and I hope you can trust that we are working as diligently as possible.