Author: Trafficblast

With tabletop games making a huge resurgence in the past couple of years, it’s great to see not just more TRPG representation in pop culture, but also that tabletop developers are working to make their games more accessible to a wider audience than ever before. With the renewed interest in its world thanks to Cyberpunk 2077, it’s especially good to see the team at R. Talsorian Games (the creators of the tabletop side of the franchise) follow suit with the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit, the “starter set” for the latest edition of the classic TRPG.

Cyberpunk Red, for anyone unfamiliar, is the tabletop “prequel” to Cyberpunk 2077, bridging the gap between the old world of the original Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop game and CD Projekt Red’s upcoming video game. According to the franchise’s creator and veteran tabletop developer Mike Pondsmith, “If [Cyberpunk] 2020 were Star Wars, then Cyberpunk RED is basically Empire Strikes Back. And then 2077 is Return of the Jedi.”

Similar to the D&D Essentials Kit, the Jumpstart Kit for Red is a streamlined version of its full rules, which will be released sometime over the coming months (much like its digital counterpart, R. Talsorian ascribes to a “ready when it’s ready” release schedule). The set contains:

• Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Rulebook

• Cyberpunk Red World Book

• EZ Reference Handouts (in both vertical and horizontal variants)

• Four 11×17” battle maps (marked with standard square grids)

• Six Pre-Generated Character Sheets

• Character Standees

• Vehicle Tokens

The digital version comes with PDFs of all of the above (the maps and standees/tokens can be printed out for physical use or ported over to a digital game table like Roll20), while the physical version contains actual sheets, maps, and books, plus thick-stock carboard punch-outs and plastic stands for the standees and tokens (We’ll have a full unboxing for you as soon as they become available).

What I appreciate with all that is that the box is entirely self contained, meaning you won’t need any other books or reference materials to play. While this does put a few restrictions on you and your fellow players, this is the best way for players – new and old alike – to get used to the ruleset of CP Red. Cyberpunk is a complex game system, even with the updates and revisions that have been implemented between 2020 and Red. This way, everyone can get comfortable with the basic mechanics before jumping into the full ruleset when it arrives.

The biggest limitation of the Jumpstart Kit is that it doesn’t include the full rules for character customization, instead opting to present players with a set of pre-generated characters to choose from – though that honestly isn’t much of a problem at all, as there’s still plenty of variety available. Characters in tabletop Cyberpunk take on one of nine Roles (six of which are available in the Jumpstart Kit), with a pool of 10 Stats that help determine how skilled they are in various fields. Instead of having every pre-generated character be locked into one arrangement of Stat points, each template has six of these Stat sets to choose from (or randomly roll for). This means you can re-roll the same character archetype and still have a very different experience playing them depending on which stat block you end up with.

Regardless of who you play as – or who your friends play as, if you’re the one running the game – your party will find itself with no shortage of activities (both legal and otherwise) to partake in. The 50-page “World Book” covers the basics of what’s happened to Night City since the days of Cyberpunk 2020 (spoiler alert: it’s not great) and what the state of the world is currently (another spoiler alert: it’s really not great*). It also contains a full adventure scenario, which is very similar to the story we played when Pondsmith came to visit us last year, as well as several other “missions” that can be played as standalone encounters or linked together by a creative GM. There’s also a ton of useful information that will help you craft your own stories around Night City, like profiles on local gangs and the delicately-balanced relationships of the remaining megacorps (plus you could probably get away with stealing ideas from some old sourcebooks and adapting them to fit your table).

While there are certain things that we’ll have to wait for the full rules to play with, such as the three remaining character Roles and additional Cyberware, weapons, and Netrunner programs, the only real limit to your experience with the Jumpstart Kit is your imagination (and, I suppose, the time you have to put it to good use). The digital edition, available as of August 1, 2019, will retail for $15.00 USD and the physical edition (available exclusively at GenCon 2019 initially then at your local hobby shop) will cost $29.99.

While its systems aren’t necessarily as intuitive or simple as other tabletop RPGs, I really appreciate how Cyberpunk aims to mix action-packed storytelling with a realistic take on the sci-fi future. The mechanics all make perfect sense once you get the hang of them, and they’re worth getting the hang of thanks to the rich world the Pondsmiths and their team have created. The revisions to the old rules seem to be almost universally for the better – at the very least, you won’t be having game-ending arguments about how shotguns work anymore – and the decision to offer up the streamlined ruleset before the full book is a smart way to acclimate both newcomers and veterans. Regardless of whether you’re just getting off the bus to Night City or a veteran Edgerunner, this is the best way to move forward in Talsorian’s vision of the dark future.

For more on the tabletop side of Cyberpunk, check out our earlier discussion with Mike Pondsmith about how Cyberpunk 2077 benefits from its tabletop origins, or if the gritty world of Night City isn’t for you, check out our suggestions for what tabletop RPG might be!

JR is a Senior Editor at IGN and a wannabe Edgerunner in Night City. He’ll probably chronicle the (mis)adventures of his Red group on Twitter.

*We’ll post a full in-depth analysis of what Red’s story means for the world of Cyberpunk 2077 later this week once it releases during GenCon 2019.

Haven’t even finished your first campaign in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and dying to know what the New Game Plus options are like in Three Houses? Okay. Here’s how it works: Once you finish your first campaign, you’ll get the option to save your clear data to a slot. You can then use your clear data to start a fresh campaign.

In this new campaign, you’ll retain the shop levels and statue perks from your previous game, but you’ll otherwise start from scratch like usual. However, you’ll now be able to spend your Renown, earned from completing battles and quests, to level up a number of things back up to the level they were when you rolled credits.

That means you can spend it on boosting your Professor Level (highly recommended), the individual skills of your protagonist and any class members, as well as the social links between any person. You’ll also be able to change costumes for certain class members.

Because you need to use the currency to give yourself these NG+ perks, and because of the number of spending avenues available, there’s still some strategy required on how best to use it depending on what you’re trying to achieve on your subsequent playthrough. You’ll definitely come in with significant advantages, but you won’t be ridiculously overpowered, at least for the first few hours.

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”

Bethesda has revealed that Fallout 76 will get its first four-player raid next month. During a Fallout 76 QuakeCon 2019 panel (go to around 13:15), the future of the multiplayer-focused RPG was discussed–including the launch of the Vault 94 raid.

“We are finalizing the first Vault, which is Vault 94,” Fallout 76 development director Chris Mayer said. “It’s a pretty expansive Vault. We do think it will be very challenging. I, myself, have been challenged in the playtest–many times–trying to get to the end of it. I think some of the rewards are really cool. Some of them might actually help you hide a little better in the environment.”

Mayer followed up by saying Vault 94 should release in “the next few weeks,” barring “something really major or unforeseen.” Fallout 76 project lead Jeff Gardner added that it would be “definitely August.” According to a tweet, August 20 is the specific date.

“The Vaults are designed for four players, but you can solo, duo, or triple them if you’re a masochist,” Gardner said. “They’re super hard. When you go in, you get to choose one of three different difficulty levels. The first one is called Novice, and when you go in, it’s still very difficult–don’t get me wrong–but it’s probably a good way to get used to the Vault and the puzzles and how to handle it. It’s very puzzle-based. You have to figure out the right blend and balance between taking down mobs and opening doors and doing different things. The second two levels add a time pressure. There’s internal time pressure, from minute-to-minute, but this is a meta time pressure where you have to do the whole [raid] within a certain amount of time.”

Like the previous Fallout 76 expansions, these raids will be free for all players. And after the Vault 94 raid releases, it seems like players won’t have to wait very long for the follow up Vault 96. “We are [currently developing] the second Vault,” Gardner said. “We don’t know when it’s coming out exactly but it will be in the not too distant future. And it depends on the community. If you like these and you want us to build more then we’ll keep building them.”

“We do want to space out the release enough that we can get feedback on Vault 94 and then act on it with Vault 96,” Mayer added.

Fallout 76 is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

If you’re playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses with online connectivity, you’ll likely pick up a lot of rusted weapons. During battles, you’ll see squares that have purple auras emanating from them, and if you end your turn on one of these, you’ll pick up a random weapon. Most of the time, it’ll be a rusted weapon, and your initial reaction might be to exclaim, “well that kinda sucks”, and then sell it. For the most part, that’s the right reaction.

BUT don’t forget to examine them in more detail by hitting “X” on the inventory screen. The game will describe what this rusted weapon has the potential to become if you use the Blacksmith to reforge them. Most of the time, this will just be an iron version of the weapon, but it’s possible for rusted weapons to be turned into rare named weapons. So look closely before you get rid of them!

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”

In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you use different kinds of seals–beginner, intermediate, advanced, and master–to upgrade your units to a variety of combat classes. Later on in the game, you might pick up another kind of seal–the Dark Seal–after defeating a particular enemy who likes skulls (or if you’re really good, you can get it quite early on in the game). But what do these Dark Seals do?

Answer: You guessed it, you use it to become certified in two particular classes: The Dark Mage and the Dark Bishop, which are more powerful versions of the standard mages and warlocks which specialize in Reason magic. These are male-only classes, unfortunately, but each of the three houses has at least one unit who can take advantage of Dark Seals. These classes are extra broody, take a look:

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is all about taking a group of students, and as their professor, turning into absolute killing machines. That’s a problematic setup, but the real question is: What kind of killing machines should they be? Before you start each Sunday, you’ll be given the chance to certify your students in a new unit class, provided they’ve met the requirements.

You’ll need Seals to do so, which can be found in battle or purchased from the item shop. You’ll have a greater chance of passing a certification exam if your student has reached all the recommended skill thresholds listed. You can definitely still pass on lower percentages too, but it’s worth noting that each unit can only take on exam per week.

It’s also worth noting that there’s value in sticking with a more basic class for a little while: Maxing out the experience of a certain class will earn you a class-specific ability which you can retain, even if you change to a different one.

In a similar vein, you’ll later find that some students will develop a personal, unique Combat Art when they master an Advanced class–one that will be available on top of the three Combat Art slots for each character–which is a pretty good reason not to push them any further into a Master Class just for the sake of it.

To make sure you’re working towards the right goals for each of your units, here are the thresholds and requirements for your convenience:

Beginner – Level 5 Requirement

• Myrmidon (Sword: D)
• Soldier (Lance: D)
• Fighter (Axe: D, Bow: D, Brawl: D)
• Monk (Reason: D, Faith: D)

Intermediate – Level 10 Requirement

• Mercenary (Sword: C)
• Thief (Sword: C)
• Armored Knight (Axe: C, Hvy Armor: D)
• Cavalier (Lance: C, Riding: D)
• Brigand (Axe: C)
• Archer (Bow: C)
• Brawler (Brawl: C) [Male Only]
• Mage (Reason: C)
• Dark Mage (Reason: C) [Male Only]
• Priest (Faith: C)
• Pegasus Knight (Lance: C, Flying: D) [Female Only]

Advanced – Level 20 Requirement

• Hero (Sword: B, Axe: C) [Male Only]
• Swordmaster (Sword: A)
• Assassin (Sword: B, Bow: C)
• Fortress Knight (Axe: B, Hvy Armor: B)
• Paladin (Lance: B, Riding: B)
• Wyvern Rider (Axe: B, Flying: C)
• Warrior (Axe: A)
• Sniper (Bow: A)
• Grappler (Brawl: A) [Male Only]
• Warlock (Reason: A)
• Dark Bishop (Reason: A) [Male Only]
• Bishop (Faith: A)

Master – Level 30 Requirement

• Falcon Knight (Sword: C, Lance: A, Flying: B+) [Female Only]
• Wyvern Lord (Lance: C, Axe: A, Flying: A)
• Mortal Savant (Sword: A, Reason: B+)
• Great Knight (Axe: B+, Hvy Armor: A, Riding: B+)
• Bow Knight (Lance: C, Bow: A, Riding: A)
• Dark Knight (Lance: C, Reason: B+, Riding: A)
• Holy Knight (Lance: C, Faith: B+, Riding: A)
• War Master (Axe: A, Brawl: A) [Male Only]
• Gremory (Reason: A, Faith: A) [Female Only]

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”

If you’re playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you might have noticed that in the middle of Garreg Mach Monastery, there is something called an “Amiibo Gazeebo”, which is frankly, a fantastic name. There, you can scan Amiibo, and even if you scan even just one, then the area surrounding the gazeebo will populate with a selection random items–mostly tea, food, and fish–every time you come back to visit on a free day.

If you have an Amiibo of a Fire Emblem character, scanning it will give you new music tracks from the character’s respective game. You can listen to these during the game’s optional auxiliary battles by choosing them in the “General” tab of the options menu.

Here is a list of the tracks each Fire Emblem amiibo will give you:

• Marth – The Time to Act
• Ike – Eternal Bond
• Robin – Id (Purpose)
• Lucina – Conquest (Ablaze)
• Roy – Beneath a New Light (Roy’s Courage)
• Alm – March to Deliverance
• Celica – With Mila’s Divine Protection
• Corrin (Male) – Alight (Storm)
• Corrin (Female) – A Dark Fall (Fire)
• Chrom – Destiny (Ablaze)
• Tiki – The World Tree

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”

There are two nice side-distractions you can partake in when exploring the monastery in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Fishing is a nice distraction that comes with a few perks. Gardening, on the other hand, is a much more valuable activity, and you should be making the greenhouse your first destination every time you decide to explore the monastery on your free day. You’ll increase your Professor Level by doing so, as well as getting a bunch of nice items: food to eat and cook with, flowers to gift to your students, and later on, you’ll even get some stat-boosting items.

Here’s everything you need to remember about gardening:

• As your Professor Level grows, so will your ability to plant more seeds and use more lucrative methods of cultivation. Growing that level by any means possible (teaching, fishing, etc) should be a priority.

• Your yield will be better if you plant seeds of the same type in one batch, eg. flower seeds, herb seeds, vegetable seeds, etc.

• Always cultivate. There are ratings of effectiveness for each of the methods, but just go for the best available to you. Your yield will be better, and you’ll only get those valuable stat-boosting items at the top end.

ABG: Always. Be. Gardening.

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”

Fishing in Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a great way to increase your Professor Level without spending any activity points, with the bonus of being able to stockpile ingredients to have for meals. Sometimes, there will be events on Sundays where rare fish become available to catch, which you can sell for cold, hard, cash. But it’s important to fish smart, meaning you shouldn’t necessarily reel in the first fish that bites!

When a fish catches on, there’ll be an icon that shows what kind of rarity the fish will be. When you’re using expensive bait to catch rare fish (like during a special event day, for example), you’ll want to wait for the Purple, Gold, or Rainbow fish icon to show up to make sure you’re making the most of it.

However, there is a risk of losing your bait after the third snag, sometimes fourth if you’re lucky. So try and get out while you’re ahead.

Here’s how the rarity scales: Blue -> Red -> Gold/Rainbow/Purple (Special Fish Event Only)

And remember: the better your timing is on the minigame, the better the fish will be! Or so the game says, anyway. Excellent! Perfect!

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”

Sharing meals in Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a pretty straightforward concept: Pick two students to eat with, bonus points if they favor the dish, have a great time. Here are some good things to always keep in mind in order to make sure you’re making the most out of every meal.

• Think twice before sharing a meal with a class member who has full motivation. Could you be making this meal have a bigger impact by sharing it with someone else who doesn’t have any motivation? You don’t want to let any activity points go to waste when classes start back up for the week.

• Do the two characters you’re sharing a meal with have the potential for social bonds with each other? If they don’t, look for a different pairing. This is especially important when you’re incorporating students from other houses–not every character can have a social relationship with every other character. (Pro tip: You can hit the X button when choosing your meal companions to view their social ranks between everyone else at the table, if any)

• And later on in the game: Do the two characters you’re sharing a meal with already have a maxed-out social bond? You might have your favorite characters, but if they’re not going to get any benefits out of the meal, it might be worth checking the support menu and see who might stand to gain a bit more.

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: “When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over.”