Arsenal review, What are your thoughts? Options

[Zhan Shi]

Picked up my copy at the local game store today, and read through most of it. Impressions: ok, so the cover was not to my liking. But so what? The text is first rate. Many did not like the inclusion of martial arts in SR3, but I think the current version is far superior. Interior art is excellent. Also I like the fact that Arsenal is a one stop shop for weapons, vehicles, drones, and armor, plus modifications for all four, as well as chemicals, drugs, gear, toxins, and environmental hazards; it's several sourcebooks rolled into one. An index would have been nice, but that's a very minor quibble about a fine product. Cheers to the devs/writers. Questions:

1. Has Dikote been removed from SR4, or have I just missed it (either in Arsenal or a previous book)?

2. The Jackpoint segment. Crater lake was a spike point through which some horrors broke loose (Worlds Without End). Were those civilians not acting under their own volition? Also, I seem to recall something about a Toxic dragon inhabiting the SOX; did the attacks have something to do with that?

3. Is the art on p. 43 just intended to be a great piece of art, or something else as well? After all, it does appear (I think) to depict a mummified troll wearing the regalia of a pharoh.

4. Was Firefight inspired by Equilibrium? BTW, love the new styles and maneuvers. Now Preston can come to life.

EDIT: forget about the index. Just noticed the page numbers next to item descriptions in the back. D'oh! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarrassed.gif)