Kokosing Farewell is a brilliant setting guide for FIST set at a fictional version of a ghost-ridden US college. It deeply understands the thematic space it’s working in and devises a setting which is light yet cathartic and familiar. This has the potential to spawn some seriously funny and emotional games!
On my first read, the breezy document seemed at odds with a game I normally think of as thematically heavier. On my second pass, though, it clicked! The setting is kind of inevitable, in the world of FIST. CYCLOPS gets its new people from somewhere, after all! And, as a representation of the oppressive status quo, CYCLOPS make a perfect stand-in for the real oppressive social forces which try to shape higher education.
There is a complex love for the subject matter on display. Another commenter describes it as “biting kisses,” which captures it perfectly. It seems to me that the author has a real affection for this place and real discontent with its flaws. This piece points out with a sardonic wit some of the problems with both the particular college in question and the broader system of higher education, and in doing so gives us a space to rebel. It feels like a cathartic space, which fits FIST’s ethos excellently.
My only note relates to layout: in a future version, it may be useful to have clearer section boundaries, to help mentally group big ideas. Frankly, though, that doesn’t get in the way of enjoying this wonderful setting guide. Oh, and the on-site photography is a wonderful addition. I love the visuals!
Kokosing Farewell is a wonderfully grounded addition to FIST that –especially with some expansion, minor revision (and maybe more of that wonderful photography)– will be the cornerstone of some amazing games in the very near future.