Straight from Holistic:
“DYSTOPIA, INC.” FORETELLS OUR FUTURE IN SPRING 2004
Atlanta, GA — Holistic Design, Inc., publisher of the popular Fading Suns science-fiction roleplaying game, is pleased to announce a brand new game exploring the history of the Fading Suns universe. “Dystopia, Inc.” takes players to the year 2323, when global megacorporations — called zaibatsu — ruled the Earth and began to spread their control into space. It’s not the gleaming utopia of progressive sci-fi, but an institutional dystopia where individuals struggle to build an identity in a world of pervasive, subtle mind-control.
“’Dystopia, Inc.’ is an attempt to breath new life into the popular but tired cyberpunk genre,” said Bill Bridges, developer and co-creator of the new game. “You won’t find solo hackers spending hours rolling dice against abstract and faceless programs — the hackers of Dystopia’s era pit themselves face-to-face against the virtual bodies of sentient programs. Hacking in ‘Dystopia, Inc.’ is more about guile and intimidation — that is, good roleplaying — than clever skill rolls.”
“Dystopia, Inc.” is the first volume in HDI’s new “Futures Past” series, exploring eras of the future that are actually past histories for Fading Suns’ 51st-century characters. No previous knowledge of Fading Suns is required, and “Dystopia, Inc.” acts as the perfect introduction to this fascinating universe. It chronicles the very beginnings of humanity’s initial exploration of space and the discovery of the alien jumpgate that makes star travel possible. Characters take the roles of corporate barons and enforcers, government regulators and spies, and exotic clavers, followers of unique sub-cultures like the Transhumanist mutants or the Sathraist space cultists. Behind the scenes, an underground revolutionary cell called Zero helps people help themselves to break out of the system of corporate and government control. Off Earth, the planets and moons of the solar system hide a variety of strange alien relics, giving rise to human-alien hybrid technologies.
“Dystopia, Inc.” presents playing options for two different game systems, the d20 Modern System and HDI’s own Victory Point System. It features new advanced classes, cybernetics rules, psychic powers, and a host of high-tech equipment and bizarre consumer gear. It continues Holistic's commitment to high quality, detailed roleplaying settings.
Look for “Dystopia, Inc.” in Spring, 2004.