This product shows the homebake origins which the FSpace rules developed from. While not a well rounded rpg in it's origins, it shows how this rpg was developed. It is refreshing to see a publisher show how their game begun at such a basic level and some of their commentary about it's origins are included. For this reason alone I rate it highly for collectors. Personally I'm a purist and want to see them release the actual original without the facelift temaplte (can't resist an old school black and white book). The product if used with the other accessories provides a very basic set of rpg mechanics to extend or wrap a universe around. Otherwise it could be used as a means to rejig parts of FSpace with a more simplistic set of rules.

I originally purchased a printed copy of this book direct from the publisher at an expo about 8 years ago, and it was their first attempt to bring their game into a commercial format (they've done earlier books, but those are really prelims). I've used this book a lot for gaming, but more to show others what our local boys are up to. The book is not as well polished as later editions and does have a few errors which they now provide a document noting where they are, along with some correction they've made, which is helpful. It is a good attempt to take the game from homebake to proam status. The book is light on universe content, but the Concise Rulebook 4.0 is bigger and was released at the same time to cover the need for more detail. The reference manual while currently pitched at players seems more about keeping the cost of a printed book down when they did the original release. They used to ship a CDROM with the printed book which contained the larger rulebook and all their original supplements and beta documents for the game. If you're looking for a better rulebook, get their blakc and white Concise Rulebook 4.1 or their first colour 4.2 version. If you want a more polished version of the Reference Manual, get the 2.1 version. If you're happy with a cheap edition with the barebones to build on, then this edition is for you.

Written by the main editor of the game to replace the skills section of FSpace with an interesting alternative treatment for skills that seems to work with the spirit of the game mechanics. While it presents an alternative idea for skills, it is clear GMs will have to invest some time in making this change work in other parts of the game mechanics (something the publisher admits). It would be nice to see this extra work done by the publisher in an updated release. It is nice to see a publisher releasing material based on the alternative views of others working within their team. Are their any other alternative concepts for game mechanic changes for this game the publisher has yet to release?

No science fiction game would be complete without a few robots, so here is an introduction to the subject as handled in FSpace. It begins with a short discourse on the diversity of constructs which fall under the title of 'robot' - fascinating reminder of the range that could be imagined, marred by a very heavy image behind the text that makes it rather hard to read. Robots range from automated factories to human-form constructs given the appearance of sentience by programming, artificial intelligence and downloaded skills. Some are suitable for use as player-characters, and the interesting suggestion is made that a remote-operated robot might be a novel avatar for a character.

Most of the rest of the book consists of the details of a variety of robots to be found in the worlds of FSpace. They range from space construction 'bots to robotic riding animals, surveillance and security and even toys. Other specialised but useful ones include a self-mobile searchlight, a camera capable of professional-standard work, and an android domestic servant. Needless to say the military has been very interested and there's a range of combat and recon models to choose from.

Each one comes with about a page of description, game statistics and an illustration. There are a few slips that a thorough proof-read would have caught. The ideas will be useful whatever game you play, although statistics are, of course, aimed at the FSpace player. Overall this is a fascinating glimpse of the sort of robots likely to be developed by the 22nd century. However a bit more on robot design, both in terms of the alternate reality of the game and in game mechanical rules, would have improved this greatly, but as a catalogue of some common ones it's excellent.

An interesting account of an alien species adapted to live on board slow-travelling ships in deep space. Illustrations are adequate to their purpose though not up to much as handouts. Editing is not the greatest.