Roleplay

Bubblegum Crisis - The Roleplaying Game

This well structured roleplaying game rulebook is all you need to get started in Mega Tokyo 2033, whether your an experienced roleplayer or a complete beginner. You don't actually need the sourcebooks, but I highly recommend them as they provide invaluable information for roleplaying from 2027 through to 203X, they also provide useful additional information for planning your own detailed campaigns and customising mecha. Back to the rulebook itself though, you can expect to see a huge in depth history into Mega Tokyo and its inhabitants, stats and info for all the major, and some minor, characters including their mecha and Hard suits. The book also provides details of all the weaponry / equipment you would expect to find in Mega Tokyo, and easyish rules for the actual Fuzion system which the game is built on. You'll also find sixteen pages of glossy introduction including brief guides to what has previously gone on in each Episode, the book even provides potential future scenarios to get you started with your own campaigns. This is Talsorian Games' first shot with their new Fuzion system which combines the best of the Hero and Interlock systems. Being an experimental new system there were always going to be the odd small teething problems, but the new system has paid off working extremely well. Naturally, being coined from the best of the previous systems, the Fuzion system is compatible with most of Talsorian Games' other material, in fact conversion charts are supplied specifically for this reason in Before / After. Just look for the Fuzion compatible mark. First impressions: The Bubblegum Crisis roleplaying game rulebook provides the reader with an overwhelming source of information and has been extremely well researched and illustrated, this is true also for its first sourcebook Before / After. The Fuzion system may be a little awkward at first for new roleplayers, but once you've got the hang of the system it all ties in together neatly. There are the few odd mistakes within the book, one of which unfortunately crops up in the Vehicle & Mecha Combat section, which can cause conFusion, but Before / After highlights most of these and includes some additional revised rules making combat resolutions easier to get to grips with. Even if you never intend on actually roleplaying, this book is still an excellent buy and in my opinion every BGC fan should own a copy.

Bubblegum Crisis - Before / After

This is the first sourcebook produced by Talsorian Games, which also doubles up as an update, for the Bubblegum Crisis roleplaying game providing new and updated rules, as well as clarifying the few problem areas in the roleplaying game rulebook. Conversion charts are also provided allowing both the Hero and Interlock systems to be incorporated into the Fuzion system. Of course the sourcebook's main job is to provide information on the other time lines that have been covered in Bubblegum Crisis' pre-sequel AD Police and sequel Bubblegum Crash, and this it does exceptionally well. The style and format of presentation within the first book has been kept in Before / After along with the abundant well researched background information and lush illustrations. You'll find stats for all of the characters and equipment from AD Police and Bubblegum Crash, including those for some of the one off used exotic weapons, for example the AD Police's Kumo Battle mover used to derail the train in The Paradise Loop. You'll also find an excellent set campaign that runs on from one of the unanswered questions from The Paradise Loop. This can be played straight away and runs from 2027 to 2034, giving players the opportunity to roleplay AD Police front line officers and members of a Hard suit armoured vigilante group. First impressions: If you already own the Bubblegum Crisis roleplaying game rulebook then I strongly advise you to purchase Before / After, as the new rules make the existing Fuzion system a little easier. And of course you'll no longer be limited to 2032 to 2033. Again, even if you never intend on roleplaying, this sourcebook is still a great read and well worth parting with the necessary cash.