Mike Pondsmith | |
|---|---|
_cropped.jpg) Pondsmith in 2017 | |
| Born | Michael Alyn Pondsmith |
| Alma mater | University of California, Davis |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur,game designer,graphic designer, writer, teacher |
| Notable work | Mekton,Teenagers from Outer Space,Cyberpunk 2020,Castle Falkenstein |
| Spouse | Lisa Pondsmith |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | 2006Origins Awards Hall of Fame 1994 Origins Awards Best Roleplaying Rules forCastle Falkenstein |
Michael Alyn Pondsmith is an Americanroleplaying,board, and video game designer. He founded the publisherR. Talsorian Games in 1982, where he developed a majority of the company's role-playing game lines.[2] Pondsmith is the author of several RPG lines, includingMekton (1984),Cyberpunk (1988) andCastle Falkenstein (1994). He also contributed to theForgotten Realms andOriental Adventures lines of theDungeons & Dragons role-playing game, worked in various capacities on video games, and authored or co-created several board games. Pondsmith also worked as an instructor at theDigiPen Institute of Technology.[3]
Born into a military family, Mike Pondsmith was the son of a psychologist and an Air Force officer,[4] who traveled around the world with theU.S. Air Force for the first 18 years of his life.[5] He graduated from theUniversity of California, Davis with aB.A. in graphic design and aB.S. in behavioral psychology.[3][6]: 207
Pondsmith recalls that he had been designing games even as a child, but it was not until college that he was introduced to the idea of pen and paper roleplaying games when a friend got a copy of the originalDungeons & Dragons(D&D). Having a lot of naval wargaming experience, he became interested in the gameplay mechanics used byD&D but not in the fantasy setting it presented.[7][8] His interest spiked, however, when he acquired a copy ofTraveller, a science fiction role-playing game published in 1977 byGame Designers' Workshop. Dissatisfied with its mechanics, Pondsmith rewrote the game for his personal use under the nameImperial Star.[9] Pondsmith later calledTraveller the best roleplaying game he had encountered in theGreen Ronin's award-winningHobby Games: The 100 Best.[10][11]
Before he became a pen and paper game designer, Pondsmith worked in the video game industry as a graphic designer. His first job after college involved designing packaging and advertising materials for the now-defunctCalifornia Pacific Computer Company (CPCC). Repackaging Japanese games for the Western world market was the main focus of CPCC in its early days. He later moved on to create designs for the original titles produced byBill Budge and for the earlyUltima games designed byRichard Garriott, all of which were published by CPCC.[7] Pondsmith's job at CPCC ended because of problems the owner encountered, and he started managing a typesetting house at theUniversity of California, Santa Cruz.[6]: 207 Pondsmith got his start in amateur game design in the early 1980s, designing a game for himself calledImperial Star as a result of trying to improve the combat system ofTraveller.[6]: 207
According to Pondsmith, there was not much to do in the area of video game design in the early 1980s due largely to the constraints of available technology. Most of the games released by CPCC were forApple II machines. However, he was familiar with pen and paper games, which he played at the time, and became interested in paper game design. Thanks to his side-job in typesetting, he had access to very modern (for the time) computers with advanced software used in book and magazine layout. Taking advantage of this access, he wrote a game calledMekton, amecha game based on Japanese manga books he had stumbled upon in the past. Due to the interest his work on paper games generated, game design consumed his graphic design career (although he continued designing and laying out most of the R. Talsorian Games' books).[7][12]
The first game Pondsmith designed from the ground up wasMekton, amecha game with heavymanga andanime influences, released in 1984. Pondsmith admitted that he was mostly basing his work on theMobile Suit Gundam manga written in Japanese, which he had acquired. Not understanding the text, he inaccurately recreated the world dynamics purely from the imagery of the comic books. The game's first public testing occurred at a local convention.[7] The initial public release ofMekton focused on its battle mechanics with no roleplaying elements at all; this made it a pure tactical war-game.[13] The success ofMekton proved to Pondsmith that he could make a living out of game design, and he founded the companyR. Talsorian Games (RTG) in 1985.[6]: 207–208 In 1986,Mekton was re-released as a proper roleplaying game with Pondsmith and Mike Jones credited as authors.[14] In 1987, RTG released another of Pondsmith's games inspired by Japanese manga,Teenagers from Outer Space, (RPGA Gamer's Choice Award).[6]: 208 In 1987, Pondsmith releasedMekton II, a new edition of the system, featuring mechanics based on the Interlock System, later used with slight modifications in theCyberpunk line.[15]Teenagers from Outer Space was re-released with significant changes to the mechanics in 1989. Games such asCyberpunk (laterCyberpunk 2020) andCyberpunk V3 were translated into 9 languages.Castle Falkenstein (Best Game of 1994),Cybergeneration, andDream Park soon followed. He also collaborated with theHero Games designers on theFuzion system.
In 1988 R.Talsorian Games released Mike Pondsmith'sCyberpunk: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future. Set in the year 2013 (and often referred to asCyberpunk 2013), the game was a boxed product consisting of three separate books penned by Pondsmith, with Mike Blum, Colin Fisk, Dave Friedland, Will Moss and Scott Ruggels as co-authors. Several expansions by Pondsmith and other authors followed and Pondsmith releasedCyberpunk 2020, a handbook with an updated story arc and mechanics, (although existing expansions remained compatible with the new game) in 1990.
Pondsmith designedCyberpunk 2013 as the second game to use the Interlock system.[6]: 208 Pondsmith attributes creation ofCyberpunk to his interest in the genre sparked primarily byRidley Scott'sBlade Runner released in 1982. The motivation behind theCyberpunk roleplaying game was his desire to recreate the technology and dark, film noir style of the movie.Cyberpunk is the most expansive line of products in the RTG library with forty-four sourcebooks containing over 4,700 pages. The game has had an estimated 5 million players to date.[7][16]
In 1993, again under the RTG banner, Pondsmith released an alternate timeline for theCyberpunk line. The sourcebook titledCybergeneration was further enhanced by additional expansions and a second edition was released in 1995, that built further upon existing, explored themes. A license for the line was later acquired by Jonathan Lavallee, owner of Firestorm Ink, founded specifically to continue RTG'sCyberGeneration product line in 2003.[17][18]
In 1996,Wizards of the Coast licensedCyberpunk for their collectible card gameNetrunner. Designed byRichard Garfield,Netrunner featured locations, entities, and characters familiar toCyberpunk 2020 players.[19] The game was named one of The Millennium's Most Underrated Games in 1999 inPyramid magazine published by theSteve Jackson Games. Mike Pondsmith is featured in the game's credits in the 'special thanks' section and makes a cameo appearance as "Omni Kismet, Ph.D." (character's name is an anagram of his).[20] On May 10, 2012,Fantasy Flight Games announced that they would be releasingAndroid: Netrunner, a new card game based onNetrunner, under license fromWizards of the Coast.[21] Another short-lived card game based on Pondsmith'sIP wasCyberpunk CCG, designed byPeter Wacks, and published by Social Games in 2003.[22]
In 1989,West End Games released aCyberpunk andParanoia crossover. The game, calledAlice Through the Mirrorshades, was designed by Edward Bolme and is compatible with bothCyberpunk andParanoia games. At least two fan magazines were created around the time ofCyberpunk's peak popularity with Pondsmith's approval:Interface Magazine, which evolved from the unofficialCyberpunk Update run by Chris Hockabout, and UK-published 'Punk '21.[23][24]
In 1994, R. Talsorian Games released Pondsmith'ssteampunk-themed fantasy role-playing game titledCastle Falkenstein. The game's mechanics were based on playing cards, instead of dice, and geared towards live action role-playing.Castle Falkenstein remains Pondsmith's most critically acclaimed game to date with the 1994Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules, and the 1995Nigel D. Findley Memorial Award for Best Role-Playing Product recognitions.[25] In 2000,Castle Falkenstein was adapted to theGURPS system byJames Cambias andPhil Masters, and released bySteve Jackson Games.[26]
Pondsmith was briefly associated withTSR, Inc., where he worked onBuck Rogers XXVC, a science-fiction RPG, and two sourcebooks for theDungeons & Dragons:Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms forOriental Adventures in 1988 andHall of Heroes forForgotten Realms in 1989. He also made minor, uncredited contributions to the originalStar Wars: The Roleplaying Game released in 1987 byWest End Games.[27]
Pondsmith has also been president of theGame Manufacturers Association (GAMA), and in his role of GAMA President in 1993, he arbitrated an out-of-court settlement betweenPalladium Books andWizards of the Coast over Wizards' use of Palladium system integration notes inThe Primal Order.[6]: 277
After encountering challenges in the role-playing game industry, on February 15, 1998, Pondsmith announced that R. Talsorian would only operate part-time.[6]: 212 Putting the major game lines on hiatus at this time meant doing the same withHero Games products, and in September 1998, Hero Games announced their separation from R. Talsorian Games.[6]: 151 Late in the year 2000, Pondsmith accepted a job offer atMicrosoft to produce games forXbox.[6]: 212 As a design manager at Microsoft, he contributed to various games (mostly to the lineup of the originalXbox console's exclusive titles) released by the company'sMicrosoft Game Studios.[28] InMechCommander 2, released in 2001, he played the role of Steel, a character featured in cut-scenes (he also voiced the character for the in-game chatter between characters). He was also credited inStormfront Studios'Blood Wake released in the same year. The last Microsoft title he was credited with wasCrimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (2003). In 2004 he left Microsoft to joinMonolith Productions where he worked onThe Matrix Online (2005).[8][29][30][31] During his time at Microsoft, his wife Lisa Pondsmith kept R. Talsorian in business with limited publications.[6]: 212
The idea of aMatrix game was initially pitched internally at Microsoft by Pondsmith and one of his coworkers. Despite advanced talks withthe Wachowskis, the film's producers, the project never came to fruition. Pitches toShiny Entertainment did not succeed either and he later learned that aMatrix game was being worked on at Monolith. Given the opportunity to join the live team (responsible for maintaining the game and producing content post-launch) he decided to join Monolith. Pondsmith ended up doing mission design for the game under Online Creative Director and Lead Game Designer Toby Ragaini.[7]
In 2000 Pondsmith announced that he was working on the third edition ofCyberpunk. The work itself started even earlier, right after the release of theDragon Ball Z Adventure Game in 1999; and the third edition ofCyberpunk was expected to ship soon afterwards. Initially calledCyberpunk 203X, the game was scheduled for a release in the spring of 2001.[32] The first two-page preview of the game was released on August 20, 2001, marking the first pushback of the game's release date.[33] During the prolonged development of the game, Pondsmith released another preview of the third edition ofCyberpunk on December 31, 2004.[34][35] The game's early manuscript was previewed, and the first public playtesting took place during I-Con inRonkonkoma, New York between April 8 and 10, 2005.[32] The game was written by Pondsmith, Mike Blum, Colin Fisk, Dave Friedland, Will Moss, and Scott Ruggels and was finally released on December 13, 2005, to mixed reviews.[36]
Illustrations in the game were criticized,[37][38] for being photographs of slightly modified action figures of which Pondsmith was a collector at the time.[27] The game was successful enough, however, to justify several accessories and supplements which were announced immediately after the core book's release. This includedDataPack (initially calledDossier Pak),FlashPak,Gangbook andAltCult Insider.Cyberpunk v3.0, much like its predecessors, was influenced by the classic cyberpunk books written byNeal Stephenson andWilliam Gibson, but also incorporated ideas from new literary sources, Japanese animation, and movies. According to Pondsmith, it was designed to become a commentary on the 21st century, corporate influences on everyday life, ideologies of groups, the place of government, warfare and advancements inbiotechnology.[16][36]
In addition to working at RTG, Pondsmith contributed to theHero Games'Champions line. Working mostly as an editorial assistant on books such asAlliances for theChampions: New Millennium, he was introduced to the Hero Games' mechanics (Hero System) which he later decided to merge with the Interlock System used by most of the RTG's games up to that point. The end result of this process was theFuzion system used by the later RTG titles, most notably the third edition of theCyberpunk game. In the foreword to the third edition ofCyberpunk, Pondsmith justified these changes as necessary for streamlining the game, and attracting new players. But like the game itself these were met with mixed reviews.[35][36] Pondsmith holds the rights to Fuzion jointly withSteve Peterson andRay Greer of Hero Games.[6]: 150
R. Talsorian Games is aWashington-based roleplaying game publisher.[2] Founded in 1985 in California by Mike Pondsmith, it was one of the first RPG publishers to embrace desktop publishing. Currently Lisa Pondsmith, Mike Pondsmith's wife, serves as a general manager of the company,[39] with Mike Pondsmith remaining the owner, CEO and lead designer.[40] Regarding the source of the name of the company, Pondsmith has stated that "R. Talsorian is a real person who never plays RPGs".[41] In a 2016 interview he clarified that the name "R. Talsorian" derived from one of the company's investors, a "raisin farmer inFresno."[42] A fellow game designer,Warren Spector, advised him to avoid naming his company after himself; Pondsmith and his associates heeded that advice by naming their company after "the one person who would never show up at a convention ever," Talsorian.[42]
Mike Pondsmith uses his alter-ego "Maximum Mike" across many of theCyberpunk books. Unlike reoccurring characters like Morgan Blackhand, Johnny Silverhand or Nomad Santiago, Maximum Mike breaks the fourth wall and talks to the reader directly.[43] Pondsmith's likeness and name, however, were used directly in the Cyberpunk world under different name; he is featured as "Omni Kismet, Ph.D.", one of the characters in theNetrunner CCG (character's name is an anagram of "Mike Pondsmith").[20]
On May 30, 2012, it was confirmed that Pondsmith was working withCD Projekt Red on a video game set in theCyberpunk universe.[16][44][45] On October 18, 2012, the game's name and settings were revealed to beCyberpunk 2077.[46][47] Immediately afterwards, Brian Crecente was able to confirm with the game's creators that Pondsmith was also working on a new edition ofCyberpunk pen and paper RPG game that would evolve the genre.[48][49][50] In the interview forGameSpot, CD Projekt's Marcin Iwiński divulged that Pondsmith's involvement in the video game development mostly focuses on the game world aspect and mechanics, and his input, though constant, does not happen on a daily basis due to the distance between the parties.[51] Video game creators as well as Mike Pondsmith and other RTG designers will contribute on the newly formed cyberpunk.net blog.[51][52][53][54]
Mike Pondsmith also voices two characters inCyberpunk 2077, one of them being Maximum Mike the DJ of Morro Rock Radio, a continuation of his persona from theCyberpunk sourcebooks.[55]
Pondsmith has a wife, Lisa, and a son, Cody who both work at RTG. Although Mike and Lisa had met earlier, their relationship began around 1977 while both were still in college. They were married in February 1982.[56] Lisa serves as a general manager of RTG and has been credited in various titles, most notably as author alongsideJeff Grubb ofThe Memoirs of Auberon of Faerie sourcebook for theCastle Falkenstein system; and Cody is credited as a member of the production staff in theCyberpunk V3.0supplementFlashpak. He was also involved in the promotion and community communications relating to RTG's steampunk titleCastle Falkenstein.[57] Before designing games, Mike Pondsmith worked as an amateur paleontologist. In his spare time he collects plasticGI Joe action figures, prominently featured in theCyberpunk v3.0 core rulebook, and enjoys outdoor activities, reading, as well as playing around with radio-controlled cars and planes.[27]
Pondsmith has been very active in gaming communities[24][58] and has appeared at many gaming conventions over the years. He was present at many of theGen Cons[59] which led to his memories of his experiences to be featured in Robin D. Laws'40 Years of Gen Con published in August 2007 byAtlas Games.[60] He attendedI-CON,A-Kon,Norwescon,Origins,DexCon,DunDraCon and others.[32][33][61] Pondsmith was a guest of honor atRopecon 1999, Astronomicon 2001[62] and I-CON 25 (March 24–26, 2006).[40] Both Mike and his son Cody run various games during different gaming conventions.[63] Pondsmith also appeared on stage to talk about theCyberpunk 2077 video game during two of CD Projekt Red's conferences.[16][47]
Between the years 2010 and 2011 Pondsmith worked in theDepartment of Game Software Design and Production at theDigiPen Institute of Technology inRedmond,[3][64] where he taught game design classes. The two courses he taught wereGame History (GAT 110) andGame Mechanics I (GAT 210).[65][66]
Various games designed or co-created by Mike Pondsmith received awards over the years.
On July 1, 2006, he was inducted into the Origins AwardsHall of fame, along withJolly R. Blackburn,Rodger MacGowan, Dennis Mize (posthumously),Aaron Allston, and the gameStar Fleet Battles.[70][71]
On September 12, 2020, Pondsmith was presented with the Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award at the fourth annual Black in Gaming awards.[72]
In 1990, during his time with TSR, Pondsmith co-designed three, two-player board games for the publisher.[73]
Additionally R. Talsorian Games released Pondsmith's board gameGoDice! in 2006.[73] The initial release ofMekton is also considered to be a board game.[74]
Mike Pondsmith worked on or contributed to various R. Talsorian Games' andTSR's products over the years[75][76][77][78] and wrote several articles in gaming magazines.[79]
For R. Talsorian Games:
| Title | Year | Co-creator | Description | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mekton | 1984 | Boxed set, purely a board game[13] | ||
| Mekton: the Game of Japanese Robot Combat | 1985 | Mike Jones | ||
| Roadstriker (Mekton) | 1986 | Clive Hendrik, Derek Quintanar | ISBN 0-937279-00-5 | |
| Advanced Combat System | 1986 | ISBN 0-937279-02-1 | ||
| Mekton II | 1987 | ISBN 0-937279-04-8 | ||
| Teenagers from Outer Space | 1987 | ISBN 0-937279-08-0 | ||
| Cyberpunk: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future (also known asCyberpunk 2013) | 1988 | Boxed set contains:View from the Edge,Friday Night Firefight andWelcome to Night City | ||
| Solo of Fortune (Cyberpunk 2013) | 1989 | Colin Fisk, David Friedland, Will Moss, Derek Quintanar, and Scott Ruggels | ISBN 0-937279-06-4 | |
| Rockerboy (Cyberpunk 2013) | 1989 | David Ackerman, Colin Fisk, Will Moss, Scott Ruggels, Sam Shirley, and Glenn Wildermuth | ISBN 0-937279-10-2 | |
| Near Orbit (Cyberpunk 2013) | 1989 | Dave Ackerman, Glenn Wildermuth | ISBN 0-937279-08-0 | |
| Teenagers from Outer Space: 2nd Edition | 1989 | ISBN 0-937279-08-0 | ||
| Roadstriker II (Mekton II) | 1990 | Clive Hendrik, Derek Quintanar | ISBN 0-937279-14-5 | |
| Cyberpunk 2020 | 1990 | Mike Blum, Colin Fisk, Dave Friedland, Will Moss, Scott Ruggels | ISBN 0-937279-13-7 | |
| Night City (Cyberpunk) | 1991 | Edward Bolme, Colin Fisk, Mike MacDonald, Will Moss, Lisa Pondsmith, Sam Shirley, John Smith, and Anders Swensen | ISBN 0-937279-11-0 | |
| Chromebook (Cyberpunk) | 1991 | Colin Fisk, Dave Harmer, Mike Masarati, Derek Quintanar, Mike Rotor, John Smith, Kevin Stein, William Tracy, Karl Wu, Andrew Strassmann, Ben Wright, Jeff Hexter, Glenn Goddard, and Marcus Pregent | ISBN 0-937279-17-X | |
| Home of the Brave (Cyberpunk) | 1992 | credited as contributor with main authors being Edward Bolme, Michael MacDonald, Craig Sheeley, and Ross "Spyke" Winn | ISBN 0-937279-36-6 | |
| Chromebook 2 (Cyberpunk) | 1992 | Ben Wright, Mike Roler, Jeff Hexter, Marcus Pregent, Craig Sheeley, Mike MacDonald, Ross Winn, Colin Tipton, and Michael Todd | ISBN 0-937279-29-3 | |
| Dream Park Role Playing Game | 1992 | ISBN 0-937279-27-7 | ||
| Operation: Rimfire (Mekton II) | 1993 | additional material with main author being Michael MacDonald | ISBN 0-937279-37-4 | |
| CyberGeneration | 1993 | David Ackerman, Edward Bolme, Karl Wu | ISBN 0-937294-04-7 | |
| Bastille Day (CyberGeneration) | 1993 | David Ackerman, Edward Bolme | ISBN 0-937279-41-2 | |
| Star Riders (TFOS2) | 1993 | with Hans Guévin | ISBN 2-921573-10-5 | |
| MediaFront (Cyberpunk) | 1994 | credited for design with authors being David Ackerman, Edward Bolme, Eric Heisserer, Will Moss, and Justin Schmid | ISBN 0-937279-52-8 | |
| Listen Up, You Primitive Screwheads!!!! (Cyberpunk) | 1994 | Eric Heisserer, Craig Neeley, Mike Roter, Ross Winn, Charlie Wong, and Benjamin Wright | ISBN 0-937279-45-5 | |
| Eco Front (CyberGeneration) | 1994 | credited for design with authors being David Ackerman and Edward Bolme | ISBN 0-937279-50-1 | |
| Castle Falkenstein | 1994 | ISBN 0-937279-44-7 | ||
| Neo Tribes (Cyberpunk) | 1995 | credited for guidance with authors being Eric Oppen and Ross Winn | ISBN 0-937279-72-2 | |
| CyberGeneration Evolve or Die Revolution 2 | 1995 | David Ackerman, Edward Bolme, and Karl Wu | ISBN 0-937279-74-9 | |
| Mekton Z | 1995 | Mike MacDonald | ISBN 0-937279-54-4 | |
| Mekton Z Plus | 1995 | contributor with main authors being Michael MacDonald and Benjamin Wright | ISBN 0-937279-60-9 | |
| The Lost Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Castle Falkenstein) | 1995 | Edward Bolme and Mark Schumann | ISBN 0-937279-68-4 | |
| Comme Il Faut (Castle Falkenstein) | 1995 | Hilary Ayers, Gilbert Milner, Barrie Rosen and Ross "Spyke" Winn | ISBN 0-937279-55-2 | |
| The Book of Sigils (Castle Falkenstein) | 1995 | Edward Bolme, Michael MacDonald, and Mark Schumann | ISBN 0-937279-61-7 | |
| Steam Age (Castle Falkenstein) | 1995 | David Ackerman,Paul A. Lidberg, Derek Quintanar, Barrie Rosen, Mark Schumann, and Chris Williams | ISBN 0-937279-56-0 | |
| Starblade Battalion (Mekton) | 1996 | Michael MacDonald, Mark Schumann, and Benjamin Wright | ISBN 0-937279-78-1 | |
| Mekton Empire | 1996 | credited as source material author and interior artist with author beingGuy W. McLimore Jr. | ISBN 0-9737271-5-2 | |
| Mecha Manual 2: Invasion Terra Files (Mekton) | 1996 | credited as editor with authors being Craig Sheely and Benjamin Wright | ISBN 0-937279-69-2 | |
| Rache Bartmoss' Brainware Blowout | 1996 | with David Ackerman-Gray, Edward Bolme, Craig Sheeley, Chris Williams and Benjamin Wright | ISBN 0-937279-84-6 | |
| Teenagers from Outer Space 3rd edition | 1997 | ISBN 0-932799-94-9 | ||
| The Memoirs of Auberon of Faerie (Castle Falkenstein) | 1997 | credited for layout and design with authors being Lisa Pondsmith and Jeff Grubb | ISBN 0-937279-64-1 | |
| Champions, New Millennium: Alliances | 1997 | ISBN 0-937279-88-9 | ||
| Bubblegum Crisis: Before and After | 1997 | credited for other writing contributions | ISBN 0-937279-92-7 | |
| The DragonBall Z Adventure Game | 1999 | Paul Sudlow | ISBN 1-891933-00-0 | |
| Mekton Zeta | 2000 | Mike MacDonald | Reprint from 1995 under ANimechaniX brand with new cover and no color interior[80] | ISBN 0-937279-95-1 |
| Dragonball Z Book 2: The Frieza Saga | 2001 | ISBN 1-891933-04-3 | ||
| Cyberpunk v3.0 | 2005 | Lisa Pondsmith and Will Moss | ISBN 1-891933-03-5 | |
| Cyberpunk Flashpak | 2006 | ISBN 1-891933-19-9{{isbn}}: ignored ISBN errors (link) | ||
| Beyond the Edge: Inside the Edgerunner Altcult | 2008 | Ken MacKriell | ISBN 978-1-891933-22-6 | |
| Cyberpunk Red | 2020 | with James Hutt, Cody Pondsmith, Jay Parker, J Gray, David Ackerman, Jay Kovach | ISBN 978-1-950911-06-6 |
For TSR
"Life in 2020 isn't just all guns and drugs, if it was, we woulda named the game Dungeons & Drug Dealers. The best Cyberpunk games are a combination of doomed romance, fast action, glittering parties, mean streets and quixotic quests to do the right thing against all odds. It's a little like Casablanca with cyberware ..." – Maximum Mike
