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"Covert Generation": Generation Gap Becomes Generation War
mattormeg:
Fiction: Cool Running Cell p5
Section 1: Classifi ed Documents p8
For Agent Eyes Only................................................p8
Pay Attention Kid....................................................p9
Welcome to the Real World....................................p12
Fiction: Th e Hot Hour p16
Section 2: Th eatre of Operations p20
Th ose in Control......................................................p20
Bad Neighbors..........................................................p24
Crime & Punishment..............................................p26
We Happy Few.........................................................p29
Fiction: Get Your Mad On p34
Section 3: Agent Training p37
Making the Cut.........................................................p37
Character Creation Example...................................p52
Fiction: Claws of the Gryphon p55
Section 4: Operations Manual p60
Childs Play................................................................p60
Operations Handbook............................................p61
Representatives Handbook.....................................p73
Fiction: Ghosts of Xmas Past p80
Section 5: Mission Briefi ngs p83
Tactical Intelligence..................................................p83
Mission Briefi ngs......................................................p88
Fiction: Techsystems Trouble p96
Section 6: Debriefi ng p99
Dancing on the Edge..................................................p99
From Agent Zero.......................................................p101
Recruitment Poster p104
Villain Sheets p105
Connections & Gear Sheets p106
Character Tables p107
Agent Dossier p108
A promising first effort from game designer Caz Granberg, Covert Generation allows players to take the roles of tweens and teenagers waging a desperate, secret battle against the forces of Generation X (“The X”): former slackers-cum-secret masters of the Earth.
The X, essentially young adults between the ages of 20 and 40, long usurped the dominance of the Baby Boomers and now impose their power through corrupt business practices, mind-altering pharmaceuticals and worse.
The young people of the covert generation are all that stands between The X and complete world domination, yet the youthful protagonists must balance their secret operations with other complicated aspects of adolescent life, such as dating and homework.
Following a modus operandi that places them somewhere between Che Guevara and Kim Possible, Covert Generation agents depend on a novel collection of heavily modified gadgets and non-lethal weaponry to accomplish their missions. In the hands of these young agents, portable gaming systems become high-tech communications devices and Super Soakers become powerful means of personal protection.
A narration-heavy game, Covert Generation uses a competitive dice pool mechanic which rather than directly dictating the results of a specified action enables the player with the highest result to momentarily take the reigns and narrate how exactly a particular conflict scene proceeds.
For players and gamemasters with fertile imaginations, this system can be ideal because it places story in the center stage and allows everyone to take a strong role in the evolution and direction of the ongoing narrative.
As a consequence of this system, combat becomes more or less abstracted, which could make Covert Generation a less appealing game for those who desire a “crunchier” style of combat. Still, this observation is not exclusive to Covert Generation, for the same could be said for many other narrative role-playing systems.
As a book, Covert Generation is visually quite appealing. It is full of handsomely illustrated, highly evocative gray scale drawings from a stable of competent artists. These, along with the selected quotes from real-world revolutionaries that pepper the text do well in communicating the feel of Covert Generation.
Covert Generation comes “ready to play” with a full selection of starting scenarios and sample antagonists, guaranteeing a minimal amount of preparation and start time for groups eager to start play.
A heady mix of hard line Leftist politics and whiz-bang, caffeinated adolescent adventure, Covert Generation will appeal to both politically-minded adult gamers and their children. This is no small feat, and as the gaming industry continues to “gray,” it may fall to games like Covert Generation to save the hobby.
Covert Generation is available through Indie Press Revolution. More information about the game is available at the publisher’s website, www.HeftyWrenches.com.
RPGPundit:
Considering how utterly unknown this game is, and how the "reviewer" has just one post and its the review (appearing like the ONLY reason they joined was to post this review); AND given that the "review" itself reads more like an ultra-positive infomercial than a critical analysis of the game, I'm highly suspicious about the lack of bias of this review.
I wouldn't be surprised if "mattormeg" wasn't "Caz Granberg" or someone else associated with Hefty Wrenches. Which is pretty sad.
RPGPundit
GRIM:
I don't know. I'm not convinced by the premise, but then I guess the flower generation did become the current shower so anything's possible.
Mcrow:
I sent an email to the poster requesting that he clarify whether or not he is conected to th publisher.
It seems to much like an ad, mostly because there is little or no opinion in it.
I right my reviews light on opinion, but you can tell what I think of a game.
If this is in fact is purely a plug, I wouldn't mind seeing it removed.
JongWK:
IMHO, reviewers should make it clear if they're linked to a company or not. Conflicts of interests and all that, you know...
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