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Hostile Takeover $4.97
Average Rating:4.2 / 5
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Hostile Takeover
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Hostile Takeover
Publisher: Gun Metal Games
by Sean H. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/24/2013 10:13:57

Cyberpunks, interested in how the other half lives (and works)? Hostile Takeover is a resource to allow you to play characters working for the megacorporations who rule the world in the near, dark future. Both as a guide for corporate-based games and as a resource for building and playing the corporations, Hostile Takeover is a useful and amusing resource.

Hostile Takeover is a Savage Worlds/Interface Zero source book on working for the mega-corporation from GunMetal Games. It is divided into two parts:

• The New Employee Orientation Handbook, which is the players’ section with options for characters (including new edges and flaws) and the new rules that affect them, such as the sweet expense account rules and a short catalog of toys to be purchased with such. • The Policy and Procedure Manual, which is the game master’s section including advice on running a corporate game, mood, and a discussion of how to build interesting corporations using trapping along with seven example corporations.

Both sections have in-world commentary by former and current employees of the mysterious company which provide some amusing insights.

While a campaign framework is provided in Hostile Takeover it is only that, a framework, considerable work will be needed to expand it into a playable campaign. That being said, there are some useful tools here. There is a good amount of advice and general tools that could be applied to any cyberpunk/megacorporate setting but possibly not enough to justify buying it if you do not play Interface Zero/Savage Worlds.

Disclosure: As a featured reviewer for RPGNow/DriveThroughRPG, I received my copy of this product for free from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Note: Read more reviews and other gaming articles at my journal https://seaofstarsrpg.wordpress.com/



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Hostile Takeover
Publisher: Gun Metal Games
by Michael H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/28/2012 04:16:17

For more discussion about Savage Worlds and other RPG's please visit my blog at http://solaceofsavagery.wordpress.com

Hostile Takeover is a 41 page supplement for Gun Metal Games excellent cyberpunk setting, Interface Zero. The book focuses on adding elements of corporate intrigue, politics, policy and power plays to a campaign. It is divided into two sections – the first is designated as “The New Employee Handbook” for players, and the second is titled “The Policy and Procedure Manual” for Gamemaster’s.

The player’s section is written as if it were a manual for a new hire at a corporation. It contains information for understanding the setting and has advice for using the standard Savage Worlds mechanics in a way that is stylistically consistent with the genre. There are also new Hindrances and Edges for players to choose from that reinforce the setting (I got a kick out of the “Non Disclosure Agreement” hindrance).

The GM’s section, as you’d expect, has a lot of advice for introducing corporate play into Interface Zero. Early on it talks about avoiding turning your game into an office simulator, which I found interesting and helpful since, to me, that seems the quickest way to kill the fun factor of the setting. There are entries on running different types of corporate style games, as well as a detailed section on creating unique companies that have a sense of character. There is also an excellent chapter called “Murder in the Board Room” that shows you how to use common Savage Worlds mechanics (chases, mass battles, etc..) in new ways that emulate different facets of the genre (like using the mass battle rules to resolve a corporate takeover). This approach is very creative and keeps with the classic Savage Worlds idea of trappings. The book is end capped with a list of common NPC’s that your player’s are likely to encounter in an office environment.

This is a cool book and a pretty neat idea. On the surface, the prospect of role playing in an office sounds painfully dull. This book had the challenge of refuting that idea and it does so quite well. Presentation, like all Gun Metal Games releases, is stellar. Layout is well done and the whole book is very polished. This title is well dressed, ready for business and bleeding cool.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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