NOTES:
This is really the first major variation from the
overall theme of the Phoenix Command Unofficial Support Page, and many
of you may be wondering what this is all about.
Well, in late 1994 to early 1995, I ran a
cyberpunk-style game using Phoenix Command roleplaying rules in the
Lawnmower Man RPG (aka PC-Lite) and set the game in my own
interpretation of the First Corporate Wars. The game was called
Jericho, since it was to be set in a time when the very walls of
society seemed to be crashing down. Besides, it seemed like a cool
name at the time.
The game itself was a blast with a convoluted
storyline that involved riots, mercenaries, biotechnology, and
high-level politics. This was the last serious roleplaying game that
the group played as time schedules forced us all to move on with our
lives.
I recently rediscovered my notes and materials on
the Jericho game, and decided to post them onto the internet in this
form. These are unedited from their original text, even though in some
places, I did think pretty hard about it--read the predictions in the
worldview section and see how close I came to reality--or not, as the
case may be. Anyhow, Jericho had--still has a lot of stuff I find
interesting and I may as well share it with you. If you can find some
way to use this in your own personal roleplaying sessions, I wish you
well. Incidentally, these materials may not make it clear, but the
original intent of the game was to have the players take on the roles
of the disenfranchised revolutionaries--those who would still fight
for the human destiny and the human spirit. In the Living Steel
storyline, they would have been among the first to have fought for
"The Dream."--essentially becoming the precursors to the
Seven Legions.
Also, an interesting side note: At about the same
time, Barry Nakazono and Dave McKenzie of LEG had let slip that they
planned a Phoenix Command roleplaying game, and that the game was to
be set in the first corporate wars era. Alas, this was not to be,
since LEG decided to stop operations shortly after releasing the
Terminator 2 miniatures game rules.
I won't claim that Jericho is anywhere near on par
with what was intended for the official Phoenix Command RPG, but it is
an interesting look at "what might have been."
Enough retrospection. Enjoy the Revolution.
RPG: Jericho Worldview
RPG: Jericho Technology
RPG: Jericho Small Arms
