Runo Knows...GURPS Uplift
This will be a short one. Why?
Well, GURPS Uplift is an update of the original GURPS Uplift. Since the 1st edition came out, David Brin has written a second trilogy, starting off on the sooner planet of Jijo and ending with galaxy-sundering events. That's a lot of pages giving a lot more information on new races, new events, and the such. And the series basically ends the Streaker series - showing what happened to the ill-fated Dolphin crewed ship.
So what do you have with GURPS Uplift 2nd edition?
Like many GURPS versions of books, and it's extremely useful for any game system. My all time favorite part still is the "alien creation system" that they have. A number of charts and tables takes you through creating a pre-sapient alien, who is then uplifted to full sapiency.
In addition, you have the details of a number of alien races: the few allies of Earthclan, and the myriad enemies. An appendix gives a lot more detail to Jijo, allowing games to be played out there both before and after the events of the second trilogy, and there's more detail on some of the technology, such as E-level hyperspace and the weird possibly bio-tech of the hydrogen breathers.
To be honest, my biggest nitpick with the book is the cover - it's just plain awful, in my opinion. It looks like something out of a 1970s sci-fi novel. I'd be embarassed to have someone see me reading a book with that cover.
But other than that, this is one of those great GURPS books that you should get if you're a sci-fi gamer or a fan of David Brin's books. And the hints at a new Uplift book (Jijo Ascendent) get me excited. (The first edition kept hinting at a new book called "Sooners" which became the new trilogy; perhaps this will do the same.)
Well, GURPS Uplift is an update of the original GURPS Uplift. Since the 1st edition came out, David Brin has written a second trilogy, starting off on the sooner planet of Jijo and ending with galaxy-sundering events. That's a lot of pages giving a lot more information on new races, new events, and the such. And the series basically ends the Streaker series - showing what happened to the ill-fated Dolphin crewed ship.
So what do you have with GURPS Uplift 2nd edition?
Like many GURPS versions of books, and it's extremely useful for any game system. My all time favorite part still is the "alien creation system" that they have. A number of charts and tables takes you through creating a pre-sapient alien, who is then uplifted to full sapiency.
In addition, you have the details of a number of alien races: the few allies of Earthclan, and the myriad enemies. An appendix gives a lot more detail to Jijo, allowing games to be played out there both before and after the events of the second trilogy, and there's more detail on some of the technology, such as E-level hyperspace and the weird possibly bio-tech of the hydrogen breathers.
To be honest, my biggest nitpick with the book is the cover - it's just plain awful, in my opinion. It looks like something out of a 1970s sci-fi novel. I'd be embarassed to have someone see me reading a book with that cover.
But other than that, this is one of those great GURPS books that you should get if you're a sci-fi gamer or a fan of David Brin's books. And the hints at a new Uplift book (Jijo Ascendent) get me excited. (The first edition kept hinting at a new book called "Sooners" which became the new trilogy; perhaps this will do the same.)