The v0.3 update is ready!  Let's talk about what's changed:

• A slightly reworked setting focusing on a civilian-run distributed network of espionage cells.  Big thanks to Jason Morningstar for the content review, and to Tim Gemperline for the idea for the setting update.
• A slightly reworked gear-up system; your basic gear includes an outfit and two personal defense weapons to give you more options on how to approach less combat-forward scenarios.  Some weapons that were Special Items (small arms) are now available as basic gear!
• A full design pass – fonts, colors, art, and some small layout changes.  Thanks to Pierrette Dagg for the suggestions and review.

Why a content review?

One of the biggest challenges with writing a technothriller / espionage game in the 21st century is that historically, the genre has been deeply rooted in nationalism and the Cold War.  Prominent authors in the space upheld the righteousness of Western, capitalist, or specifically American (or British) interests.  Not that that was ever the right approach, but especially with the rise of the alt-right, white nationalism, and neo-fascism, I'm not interested in furthering the interests of people in power.  I cribbed from the settings of Global Frequency and Watch Dogs Legion: a distributed civilian collective without the special interests of governmental oversight.  Is it legal?  No, but when was espionage ever about being legal?  It's about doing the right thing.  So the rework says the "quiet part out loud": if you're planning on using this game as a tool to punch down on already victimized populations, don't.  Play another game; there's plenty of them.

I also discovered, in the interests of full disclosure, that a previous playtester of Measure of a Badass, the game from which The Yggdrasil Initiative was spawned, and from which the game's system is named, ended up, years later, moving somewhere and becoming a member of the actual, capital-N Nazi party.  Jason Morningstar graciously offered to review the game's content for any undesirable influence that individual might have caused, and found none, but did offer some very helpful suggestions to help bring the game's content in line with its intentions.  Expect some other minor rework in this area as the game continues to be polished.

Gear up changes

Superspy fiction involves high action setpieces, which often include combat.  Guns are part of the modern world; there's no getting around that.  That said, I wanted to offer alternatives in case characters wanted to focus on less lethal alternatives.  The gear rework includes some less combat- or lethally-focused options, including alternate outfits and less lethal weapons, including some that were previously Special Items.  I did a slight balance pass on those items to keep them in line with the rest of the basic gear.

Design

You'll see that pretty evidently when you open the document; images, typefaces, colors, and other graphic design touches throughout the work.  It looks more like a proper game book now!

Conclusion

I really hope you like what's changed.  As always, please feel free to reach out with any feedback or suggestions via the usual channels, here or on Twitter, or via email.  Have fun, kick ass, and cause good trouble.