Critical Miss: Issue 6 (Nice Setting... How About Some Sodding Scenarios?)

Nice Setting... How About Some Sodding Scenarios?

This rant was supposed to be about the lack of scenarios for certain game systems and settings. But when I started looking into it, it got a bit more complex. So before I get into the rant proper, I want to give you a little quiz.

Humour me.

I'm going to give you the title of an Aberrant product, from White Wolf Publishing.

"Aberrant: Year One"

Now what do you think this book is about?

Would you be thinking it might be a supplement outlining the events happening in the first year of the Aberrant timeline?

Well you'd be wrong. Here's the description from the back of the book:

"This sourcebook details the Aberrant world as it stands in the year 2008. A host of cities from around the globe, as well as various dangerous technological items, give Aberrant characters all the hotspots and heat they can handle."

© 2000 White Wolf Publishing Inc

It's actually a sourcebook describing the Aberrant world as it stands in 2008. Cities like Moscow, Addis Ababa, Mumbai, Los Angeles and Tokyo are described, along with a few items.

How about another one?

"Aberrant Worldwide (Phase I: A Worldwide Sourcebook for Aberrant)"

Now this one sounds like it would have been a good name for the above book (e.g. a description of the Aberrant world). But obviously it can't be.

Here's the description:

"The world is not a static place. It turns. It changes. With the entry of nova influence to the highest positions of power, the world has undergone a Quantum-powered renaissance. Project Utopia has led us into a new golden age of glamour, heroism and progress. But something is wrong."

"Some of the world's new heroes are its demons. Others are its politicians. The vigilant few are nervous... as they should be. Aberrants Worldwide is the beginning of the end of the golden age of novas, and the whispered prediction of dark things to come."

© 2000 White Wolf Publishing Inc

Now at this point you're probably thoroughly confused, so I'll let you in on the secret. It contains a mini-campaign of four linked scenarios. Obvious, right?

So now I have a slightly wider theme to my rant:

"Why is it that so many settings and systems have so little in the way of published scenarios, and why is it that when they actually do publish scenarios, they try to disguise them as sourcebooks."

Why...