Blogs

Eclipse Phase Contributor Bio

Real Name: John Snead
Firewall Codename: Heron61
Eclipse Phase Background Equivalency: Autonomist/Voluntary Mercurial
Previous Experience: I've been writing RPGs professionally for more than a decade and have worked on almost a dozen SF RPGs, including Traveller, Star Trek, Star Wars, GURPS Transhuman Space, and Trinity
About Me: I'm a freelance RPG author living in the lovely city of Portland Oregon. I'm a generalist, with degrees in everything from history to mathematics as well as an avid SF fan and a gourmet cook. Socially and politically, I'm a fairly extreme liberal (at least by US standards).  My favorite authors are Alastair Reynolds and P.C. Hodgell. 
Transhumanist Interests: I'm an avid transhumanist for both personal and sociopolitical reasons.  In addition to being personally eager to make use of the upcoming advances in longevity and intelligence enhancement, I also see the various transhuman technologies as our best way to reduce poverty and increase both human potential and overall freedom while also managing this planet so that it remains a good home for all of its lifeforms.
Eclipse Phase Contributions: I wrote half of the gear chapter as well as the detailed setting section. 
Favorite Thing About Eclipse Phase: I read a great deal of modern SF by authors like Alastair Reynolds, Linda Nagata, and Ken MacLeod, and I'm very pleased to see a SF RPG that is based on modern SF and that involves both transhumanism and interstellar travel.

Some of our German friends helped to promote Eclipse Phase at RatCon in Essen Dortmund last weekend. Pictured above are Tobias Wolter, Heiko Oertel, Lars Blumenstein, and Klaus Scherwinski. We even got a bit of press (in German) from it. Thanks guys!

• Smart plankton
• 15 applications for nanotech
• Edible optics
• Dark energy for FTL
• 6 pills that will change your life

These items and more are posted at http://delicious/infomorph

* Blocking things out in augmented reality

* Invisibility cloak gets closer

* Space exploration through 2040

* Fingerprint test knows if you've been naughty

* Future wars fought with minds

These items and more are posted at http://delicious/infomorph

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth or sat down for a demo this past weekend.  We all had a blast getting to meet you and talk about the game to new and interested people. 

The response to the game was awesome, it seemed like nearly everyone we talked to about it was excited to have a chance to play it and impressed with what we had on display.

In case you missed it the big news was the announcement that the game itself will be out early 2009 and that the partial reason for the delay is that we're been given the go-ahead to do the core book in full color.  Yes that means you'll have to wait a bit long, but it also means you'll get to see more of the EP universe in vibrant colors. 

So again thanks to everyone who came out, played a game, got a t-shirt or a poster, or who just asked questions.   We hope to see more of you in the future!

Hi there!  If you're reading this then you've discovered that the site is live so allow us to officially welcome you to the online home for all things Eclipse Phase.  We're coming to you from Gencon where, if you are lucky enough to be, you'll be able to get more info about the game.  We will be running Demos at Gencon in addition to having t-shirts and posters and a few annoncements about the game.  So if you're here stop by and visit us at booth #1303/1307 the Catalyst Game Labs booth. 

And even if you're not at Gencon feel free to register on the forums and start posing any questions or comments about EP you may have. 

Cheers!
    - The EP Design Team

• Floating Cities for Venus
• Floating cities for water worlds
• Nanoplastic
• Spray-on laser shields.
• Jetpacks!

These links and more can be found at http://delicious.com/infomorph

For folks who are attending GenCon, you should make sure to attend the Catalyst Game Labs seminar on Saturday the 16th, 12:00 to 13:00, at the Embassy Suites, room Chancellor 3. We have a special announcement to make regarding Eclipse Phase that you’ll want to hear!

While the EP core book itself won’t be at GenCon, we will have an Eclipse Phase Quick Start Rules handout that we’ll be giving away for free. It includes an overview of the setting, a simple version of the rules, and a starting adventure.

We’ll be posting the QSR on our (still-in-progress) website later, but be sure to stop by the Catalyst booth (#1303/1307) and pick one up. While you’re there, you can grab an EP poster and an EP t-shirt, and check out all of the other exciting things Catalyst has to offer!

Eclipse Phase Contributor Bio

Real Name: Brian Cross
Firewall Codename: Kylleran
Eclipse Phase Background Equivalency: Loonie/Argonaut
Previous Experience: Shadowrun, Fourth Edition, and a few other SR products (both 3rd and 4th)
About Me: I’m a graduate student by day and by night as well. I’m currently writing my dissertation and hope to be set loose upon the world soon. In my spare time I both play and write games and spend a great deal of time planning elaborate escape plans from my current geographical confines.
Transhumanist Interests: I’m both personally and professionally interested in the effects of accelerating technologies on the human-turning-transhuman condition. While I’m skeptical of such ideas as ‘the singularity’ happening on time (January 1, 2050, right?), I do think that the emerging technologies present the best opportunity that has come along in a long time to radically reshape our world into something better, something more egalitarian.
Eclipse Phase Contributions: I co-created the Eclipse Phase concept with Rob Boyle and have contributed to the development of the project as time has allowed. Specifically I’ve worked on the skills and some of the intro materials to the game.
Favorite Thing About Eclipse Phase: I like my sci-fi hard, but I realize not everyone does. In that vein, EP is about as hard as they come but also has a real (trans)human element that should resonate with even the most casual gamer. We’ve made a game that doesn’t sacrifice your post-singularity dystopian best-guess future, but it’s also a game that doesn’t require a Ph.D. in Physics to really get. It’s got something for everyone and it brings a whole new dimension to tabletop RPGs with the uploaded personality system (look ma, no deaths!).

Public voting for this year’s ENnie Awards is now online! This year, Catalyst Game Labs is nominated twice: once for the Shadowrun Quick-Start Rules in the Best Free Product or Web Enhancement category and also in the Fan Choice Best Publisher category!

In the Best Regalia category, you also owe it to yourself to check out Green Ronin’s Hobby Games: The 100 Best, a great book with top game designers writing about their favorite games — both Shadowrun and Classic BattleTech are included, of course!

Please check out the other nominees and other categories and then go register your voice!