Shadowrun - World Almanac Of The Sixth Form Shadowrun is an old hobby (since 1989!) And if there's something exciting in this range is its storyline. 21 years of development, for almost as much time elapsed in the fictional world of Shadowrun, the first basic book is the last in 2050 and supplements the fourth edition are dated 2072.
All this has led to a very complex chronology, which often requires reading novels in addition to the supplements game to be apprehended in its entirety. Inevitably, the announcement of this
Almanac Of The Sixth World I was immediately excited. Finally, a book collecting and detailing all of the continuity of Shadowrun? Sold! Naturally, there are people who already works fine, starting with the
ShadowWiki . But an official book for easy reference, was a logical and necessary addition to the range.
It partly missed, although I must admit that this observation is that I had fantasized the book instead of really find out about its content ...
The almanac is in the form of a book of 208 pages, very nice paper in an all-color hardcover very strong.
first observation, if 208 pages already seem a bit thin given the magnitude of the task, the purely historical part of the supplement does in fact less than 100 pages, the second part of the supplement is devoted to a digest which are detailed geographical forty countries. Worth, of course, this summary of the current situation, especially since v4 preferred supplements describing specific locations to specific regional v3.
For the background, so it will be roughly one page per year. Each time, a box listing the highlights of the year. These synthetic elements are supplemented by one or several historical documents (manifest, article, interview), as usual comments from various stakeholders.
The first entry is 1999, making the world a reality Shadowrun assumed parallel. Far from seeking to make rétrocontinuité, successive leaders of the Shadowrun line kept the starting point of chronology, which I think is a great idea. We thus find, from 1999 to 2049 the elements already in place from the first edition of Shadowrun in 1989. Items related to 20 years of publication (2050 to 2072, so) eventually occupy only 28 pages! It is thin, where the details of the timeline could have filled a real book! It is therefore an overview.
Added to this is an editorial decision (on which I I did not, however, no illusion): no direct reference to the works of the range. I agree that it was complicated, especially in terms of implementation graph if every line, he had to make a reference. The fact remains that if you have not read the novel "Black Madonna", it is difficult to understand how the event "Renraku concluded a deal with Decker Leonardo" is any interest! The almanac is not an easy reference tool to dig this or that aspect.
remains one last point very annoying. I do not know if the book was completed in haste, but it is peppered with lots of failures. I am not a fundamentalist of the shell, but their recurrence irritating. Two examples? In Berlin, the neo-anarchists have published a Festimano or Fanimesto? In the same paragraph, a corporal is spelled and Cherub Kebura ... More troubling, some errors go against the objective source of reference book: the separation of Belgium took place in 2015 or 2016? The entry is repeated in boxes on both dates! All pavement dates from 2006 is repeated in 2020. One of two years (presumably 2020) is zappée. And if I think the forums Official Catalyst Games, these are not the only problem ...
The good news is that the translation by Black Book Editions will be corrected. Given the impeccable quality of their previous outings, and as I am regarding a Fill Shadowrun madman, I already know what I will do during the French release!
This almanac is a memory aid, but not the ultimate handbook continuity I called my wishes. He can not put into perspective the various events, or actually decipher. It remains a practical book (one Once corrected!) but the ultimate source on the 6th World remains to be published ...
