Saturday, April 23, 2016

[Welcome] The Conspiracy X Blog - Its Purpose and Goals

Conspiracy X first appeared in 1996 published by the predecessor of Eden Studios, New Millennium Entertainment. An obvious hit, the core rulebook was reprinted a number of times and a range of
supplements soon followed. Like many RPGs of the era, Conspiracy X tapped into the zeitgeist of the 90s Middle America - a world that was changing faster than anyone expected and where no one quite knew who to trust any more.

In many ways Con X was a follower - building on games like Dark Conspiracy and Delta Green, while also capitalising on the rise of shows like the X-Files. But that's where the similarities begin and end. Con X isn't about fighting against authority, of being the hero, or trying to understand the truth. It is in fact the opposite - Conspiracy X is about being part of the conspiracy, about being the Bodyguard of Lies. And this point is often lost on the casual roleplayer, some of whom may only know of the game in passing. To many Con X is a X-Files copy-cat that is now well past its hey-day.

But you know that's not true.

While Eden Studios grew in the early 2000s to become a leading RPG publisher (on the the back of its licensed products), it never forgot its roots. Under the guiding hand of Dave Chapman, a second edition of Conspiracy X was published in 2006. Utilising Eden Studios popular Unisystem game mechanics, it not only updated the rule set to incorporate much of the 1st edition's supplemental material, it also brought the setting forward into a world much changed after 9/11.

In the years that followed, Eden Studios fortunes changed - unfortunately for the worse -  and with it the other planned Conspiracy X 2.0 supplements remained hidden away (barring a PDF version of the The Extraterrestrial Sourcebook). That was until the success of Kickstarter, which allows an avenue for games such as Con X to be revived through the pledges of the dedicated fans. And pledge they did. The initial offering to see The Extraterrestrial Sourcebook in print did well enough to convince Eden to release the third (The Paranormal Sourcebook) and fourth (The Conspiracies Sourcebook) in quick succession.


And there the line might end. A solid set of books that covers all the core Conspiracy X concepts; from the alien invasions through psychic powers and the threat of Corruption, to finally hinting that everything we know and hold dear about Aegis may well in itself be a lie. Many other game lines haven't ever seen even this much material, let allow deliver some sort of closure on the ideas the original authors had in mind.

But, I say, why stop there? Why can't there been more stories to tell, further desperate missions to undertake, and a chance to claim once more the title of the Bodyguards of Lies? That is the purpose of this blog, to act as a repository for any sort of ideas, adventures or discussions related to Con X - be they for first edition or second. I can't promise anything, but it is the goal of this blog to regularly release new content for Conspiracy X for as long as I have ideas or others are willing to share theirs*.

So, I hope you'll join me in this effort, and long live the conspiracy...

* - Note that I do not have a licence to publish anything belonging to Eden Studios or Conspiracy X property, and I'll be doing my best to limit any direct references to official material (beyond references). This blog is expressly a fan page and doesn't claim to be anything else!

1 comment:

  1. Glad to see that ConX isn't alive only in my heart !

    I hope we can shake the dust, and call on the dark forces of the seepage to resurrect this marvelous game !

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