Description

Setting: The Year is 2078. The world has changed and will not return to it’s previous state. In 2052 Umbratech, the first major corporation to rise from the ashes of the ecological wars of the mid 40’s grew in power and ambition. With their invention of the world’s first Planetary Core Reactor, located on the undersea Mid-Atlantic Ridge, it was hoped that the world would never again rely on non-renewable sources of energy. However, things did not go as planned. With no knowledge of the deepest crusts scientists blindly drilled to reach the intense heat of the Earth’s Core, relying on theoretical data on the makeup of the Earth’s layers. They were wrong, and a rapid reactor failure ensued, allowing the Earth’s mantle to bleed through the crust. Massive continental shift occurred, along with earthquakes and a total disruption of oceanic ecosystems. A new continent emerged from the ridge, born in a matter of months. Midatlantia, as it was called, was both rich in resources and hotly contested. New ocean currents, melted icecaps, and the worldwide destruction of cities launched a new era on the Earth as world powers fought bitterly for the new and old land alike.

This war was known as the Mid-Atlantic War. By 2057 the war was over, and an alliance of the warring states had been formed to share the land. However, shortly after colonization the Mid-Atlantic Alliance ceded from their mother nations and declared independence, causing worldwide uproar. The troubles of creating a new nation were soon soothed by the vast wealth of Midatlantia, and the world was quickly ready to begin trade despite misgivings about the legitimacy of such a nation.

In 2064, the world’s first, large scale underwater research station was created under the mantle of international cooperation. Recognizing that the ocean held untold secrets which would ultimately benefit mankind, the major nations of the world came together to form the International Maritime Collective. Together, they created the International Oceanic Observatory and Research Facility, often referred to as “The Dome”. This underwater facility was built on the floor of the Mariana trench in the Atlantic Ocean, thousands of feet beneath the surface. It has now been operational for fourteen years. Numerous scientific advances have been achieved through its research and thousands of new species have been cataloged and studied, resulting in cures for many diseases and new technologies that improve the lives of people everywhere. But rumour has it that scientists aboard the station have been conducting unauthorized research as well.

Overview: Fathoms is a cooperative adventure game with miniatures in which a group of players fight against hordes of undersea monsters controlled by a game master. Gameplay is designed to pit players against a changing environment as monsters swarm and water pours through hull breaches. Players advance their characters skills and armament by gaining experience. The game can be played in campaign mode in which a series of missions unfold a storyline, or as one-shot scenarios.

Gameplay: Fathoms begins by one player assuming the role of the Fathom Master, while the others pick from a selection of characters. Both the Fathom Master and the other players earn experience points. Players use it advance their character in skills that benefit either themselves or the whole team and to buy equipment. The Fathom Master uses it to unleash increasing terrors upon the players, such as more monsters or events like hull breaches. Players gain experience when they explore, kill monsters or use computer terminals to perform various tasks. This experience may be used between missions or at equipment lockers. The Fathom Master gains experience by damaging players and may spend it on his turn.

The game board functions as a grid and the line of sight rules are relatively simple. Each player receives two actions which may be divided any way they choose. In any order or repetition a player may move, attack or use an item/door/skill. Turn order is determined by rolling for initiative. Each player has 1 miniature which they maneuver through the rooms on the game board. When new rooms are opened, the Fathom Master places units depending on the number of players he opposes. Some of those units are predetermined while other may be bought with experience to add variability. Each round the Fathom Master follows the mission guide to keep the game evolving.

Modes of Play:
Fathoms offers two modes of play: Campaign mode and Scenarios

There are 7 missions in Campaign mode, all of which are meant to be played sequentially as the story unfolds. Scenarios are one-shot missions that represent possible scenarios that could have occurred over the course of the storyline.

Game End: The game ends when players complete either the Campaign storyline or a one-shot Scenario. The game also ends if all Players are killed during a mission. Players that don't work well with others die, quickly.

Unique Elements: What makes Fathoms different than other adventure games is its use of water as an important game element. As the players progress through the game they encounter pools of water and hull breaches that will flood the map room by room. One simple rule guides the flow of water from room to room, making it simple to work with and compelling in the way it changes the battlefield. In water, weapons may become stronger or weaker, some skills may cease to be effective, and monsters grow stronger and more formidable.

Fathoms also has high-ground, which can give tactical advantage whether a room is dry or flooding with water.