How Could BRP Be More Popular...?

[frogspawner]

Conversion from OQ to BRP is semi-automatic. I do not think different editions are needed. In any case, we are looking for a "Flagship" sci-fi product for BRP, not for "Yet-another-version-of-a-good-setting-that-spans-several-systems".

My personal vote is for expanding Outpost 19.

OK. I'd rather not give up on retro-fitting Rising with Outpost and the others quite so easily, though. Isn't an existing body of published work worth salvaging?

Of course, the flagship needs to be named. How about "BRP: Outre Space" ?

(Outre's 'e' being accented or not, depending on the amount of slime in that particular volume...)

[rust]

How about "BRP: Outre Space" ?

Ah ... Frankish crusaders on robot horses fighting Muslim aliens in orbit ?

[frogspawner]

Ah ... Frankish crusaders on robot horses fighting Muslim aliens in orbit ?

If you like. It's basically been done before - The High Crusade. Poul Anderson, wasn't it? And the C.Rising setting has a Holy Islamic Republic as one of Earth's great powers, leaving the door open to "Jihad In Space" - which itself has fine precedent (Dune).

But SF isn't my genre - so I'll leave such details to others...

[Thalaba]

This new RPG.net thread seems pertinent to the Sci-Fi discussion: "Sense of Wonder" SciFi settings - RPGnet Forums

[NickMiddleton]

Sure? That might be barrier to expanding O19 into a full-blown setting, since such things do tend to creep in.

Yes, but like plasticine, eventually you just end up with a horrible off brown mush. Individual GM's can, and will, do whatever they like with O19 and it's setting - but I have (mostly in my head alas) a fairly clear vision of what it includes and Lovecraftian horror is not on that list.

Really? Couldn't different Corps just have different technologies? CR's F-Drive is likely tainted by the mythos - maybe some Companies have scruples against using it... ( As if!)

The entire basis of the large scale back drop in the Gate Warden universe is that it's easy to transport people via gate, but high volume / mass cargo has to go via FTL ship.

So... he's moving on to new SF setting? So will he leave the C.Rising setting to CoC/BRP? And anyway, why couldn't RoH span a third system - BRP?

I'm sure John will comment if he has time - but my impression from my early involvement with RoH was it was less about "moving on" than "diversifying". And having done the monograph route with CR / JN he was interested in a route with more possibilities whilst leaving him in control - which OpenQuest gives the project. As has been said, converting RoH OQ to BRP should be a doddle

Well, is Outpost19?

"Soft" Space Opera? Psi-powers, FTL starships and communication, multiple off Earth human societies that are all fairly recognisable, tech that despite being from millennia in to the future is remarkably familiar but not quite "now"? Oh yes, O19 fits the broad outlines of the genre... Quite deliberately.

My personal vote is for expanding Outpost 19. But who publishes it? Chaosium directly? Alephtar Games? The Unborn Collective?

Speaking purely personally, it would have to be Chaosium - the setting makes reference to some elements from the original Future*World (albeit IIRC only the Quertzl and Sauriki are in O19) and I always conceived of it as playing in / with "their" setting. I have other SF ideas that, if I ever have the time, I'd like to develop and which could go in a number of directions (both conceptually and publishing-wise): but the Gate Warden's I see as a Chaosium thing. I just need to pull my finger out and write some more down in a coherent fashion that makes sense to other people...

*sigh* Must buy a lottery ticket tonight...

Nick

[Jason D]

Alephtar Games seems to concentrate on (and get a good reputation for) historical settings,

This will change soon.

I hope that doesn't mean that you're going to get a bad reputation for barely paying attention to historical settings!

[Rurik]

I hope that doesn't mean that you're going to get a bad reputation for barely paying attention to historical settings!

Personally I can't wait to take my Mechas crusading through the Baltic - that'll convert some heathens for sure!

[Jarulf]

They'll just Line up the Dragons.

[frogspawner]

Individual GM's can, and will, do whatever they like with O19 and it's setting - but I have (mostly in my head alas) a fairly clear vision of what it includes and Lovecraftian horror is not on that list.

Absolutely fine, of course. Keeping one eye on making it easy for GM's with plasticine-tendencies to run that other already-published stuff might be friendly, tho'. (Chaosium being your publisher of choice, and all).

"Soft" Space Opera? Psi-powers, FTL starships and communication, multiple off Earth human societies that are all fairly recognisable, tech that despite being from millennia in to the future is remarkably familiar but not quite "now"? Oh yes, O19 fits the broad outlines of the genre... Quite deliberately. ...the setting makes reference to some elements from the original Future*World (albeit IIRC only the Quertzl and Sauriki are in O19)...

Nice. But can the universe have a better name than "Future*World", please?

Any of you SF-fans out there feel able to help in developing that?

[seneschal]

I Was A Teenage Space Zombie?

[LivingTriskele]

I think there's a tendency for people who don't care about rules to assume no one else does either. But I know plenty of people who will ask about what system a new campaign is going to use well before they ask more than cursory details about the setting.

I probably have an unhealthy relationship with RPG systems. In fact I'm such a dork I read tabletop RPG rulebooks for pleasure. I have three bookshelves filled with games, and I have even more packed away in storage. For me the game mechanic is very important, as well as how thoroughly it is supported. Different rule sets tend to influence different styles of play. Nice packaging/artwork communicates to me that the publisher both cares for the product and has faith that it will last. Of all of the games I've played, BRP's core game mechanic is my favorite.

Still I find myself considering Hero System or GURPS instead.

Edited December 17, 2009 by LivingTriskele

[threedeesix]

I probably have an unhealthy relationship with RPG systems. In fact I'm such a dork I read tabletop RPG rulebooks for pleasure.

Boy can I sympathize with you there. I have a stack of various RPG books (all different systems) next to my bed, I grab one at random to read before falling asleep at night.

My wife is a devout christian, she'll be lying in bed reading the bible while I'm reading "The Book of Vile Darkness".

Here we are as emoticons >:-> :innocent:

Edit: My head is not that noticeably smaller than hers in real life.

Edited December 17, 2009 by threedeesix
Commenting on head size

[LivingTriskele]

LOL-- I hear you there. Nothing quite like a nice hot cup of coco, a snuggie, and The Book of Vile Darkness.

[frogspawner]

Outpost 19 could be evolved into a very good setting.

...the setting makes reference to some elements from the original Future*World (albeit IIRC only the Quertzl and Sauriki are in O19) and I always conceived of it as playing in / with "their" setting. I have other SF ideas that, if I ever have the time, I'd like to develop and which could go in a number of directions (both conceptually and publishing-wise): but the Gate Warden's I see as a Chaosium thing.

So, any of you SF-fans think the WorldsOfWonder FutureWorld, with added Outpost 19, would be good to develop into a Flagship BRP setting?

Having now read the WoW/FW stuff I have my own opinion, but I'm not into SF, so what do I know?

(BTW, "the Quertzl and Sauriki are in O19", Nick? How? Intriguing...)

[Atgxtg]

So, any of you SF-fans think the WorldsOfWonder FutureWorld, with added Outpost 19, would be good to develop into a Flagship BRP setting?

Having now read the WoW/FW stuff I have my own opinion, but I'm not into SF, so what do I know?

(BTW, "the Quertzl and Sauriki are in O19", Nick? How? Intriguing...)

Personally, I think we'd need a lot more than Future World, even with O19 added. Future World, like the other WOW settings has very little to it. Since It has to cram character creation, setting, gear, and scenario into a small booklet, it barely scratches the surface.

[rust]

Personally, I think we'd need a lot more than Future World, even with O19 added. Future World, like the other WOW settings has very little to it. Since It has to cram character creation, setting, gear, and scenario into a small booklet, it barely scratches the surface.

I agree. In my view the BRP science fiction flagship should have all the chap-

ters expected of a good science fiction roleplaying game, for example starship

construction, system and world design, and so on.

[frogspawner]

Personally, I think we'd need a lot more than Future World...

I agree. In my view the BRP science fiction flagship should have all the chapters expected of a good science fiction roleplaying game, for example starship construction, system and world design, and so on.

Naturally. What I was really asking was whether you guys sufficiently like the few details that are given about the WoW/FW setting, to think it's worth (anyone) developing it further...

Nick apparently thought well enough of it to base Outpost19 there, and Rosen likes that, so... ...could it be the speck-of-dirt that, snowflake-like, a whole amazing universe can be built around?

[rust]

Naturally. What I was really asking was whether you guys sufficiently like the few details that are given about the WoW/FW setting, to think it's worth (anyone) developing it further...

I am afraid my answer is not a helpful one, but I really think this would be up

to the author of such a supplement, in my view he would be the only one able

to decide whether Future World has the right "feel" for him to work with.

[Atgxtg]

I am afraid my answer is not a helpful one, but I really think this would be up

to the author of such a supplement, in my view he would be the only one able

to decide whether Future World has the right "feel" for him to work with.

I agree. Assuming that someone were to make a BRP Sci-Fi sourebook, then they are probably going to have to put together a setting.

[RosenMcStern]

Well, the world of Outpost 19 is Niven-esque (and Herbert-esque, somehow) and very good, but if the author himself is not so sure, or is waiting from a nod from Chaosium (and Charlie is really busy these days, so do not hold your breath), then we need a plan B.

If I were to propose something in this brainstorming phase, according to my tastes, it would certainly be John Varley's Eight Worlds (a future history that runs very different from Hinleins's one). It was considered the most promising SF saga in the '80s, lots of prizes won. Maybe not today's piece of cake, but it would make a superb RPG.

[LivingTriskele]

I haven't had a chance to read this entire thread, but if the idea is to make BRP more popular by coming up with a flagship setting, I don't think it's going to work--the setting may take off in flying colors, but I doubt it will make BRP more popular. Call of Cthulhu is already very popular but it hasn't really helped promote BRP in the gaming community, at least around here (San Francisco Bay Area).

Just, my unsolicited two cents-- BRP needs to be brought up to modernity's standards to compete. To do this it needs to be restructured so it has the option of being a point-buy system (like GURPS 4th Edition or Hero System), with modular balanced components and options. I'm not talking about replacing any of its arbitrary aspects--just providing more options. The superpowers section strikes me as an attempt to do this, though its success is open to debate... And for BRP to really compete with other multi-genre compatible game systems out there it needs to be hardbound with color artwork. Like I said, just my two cents.

[rust]

Just, my unsolicited two cents-- BRP needs to be brought up to modernity's standards to compete.

I agree that it could make the game more popular, but I doubt that it would

still be BRP.

[LivingTriskele]

What I love about BRP the most is it's core mechanic. It's simple and fairly solid and I wouldn't change it. I'm talking about coming up with balanced optional modular components for magic/superpowers/abilities, even disadvantages, etc. beyond the level of normal, skilled PCs. Over the years many things have been done with BRP and it has always remained a solid game. I don't think that allowing for optional components will change that, especially if one of those options is to keep it 'old school' as it is now.

[frogspawner]

I haven't had a chance to read this entire thread, but if the idea is to make BRP more popular by coming up with a flagship setting, I don't think it's going to work...

That's not all, no. In fact it's not even on the core shopping list, I now notice, which I'm taking to be...

So now we have:

1. More quality books on the shelves (not just monographs).

2. At least one of these should try to capture the cinematic market, but we shouldn't abandon the gritty core, either.

3. Produce a much lighter version of the quickstart to hand out.

4. Make the quickstart rules available in more places (Drivethru, etc.)

5. Produce a few little primers on how to use the BRP book and its options to emulate the game you want to run.

Did I miss any? Are there any more?

... and #6. The BRP Bikini Babes, of course.

Of those, #4 is done, or now do-able by anyone who cares to post links with the downloads area.

I guess discussion of settings could qualify under #1. (Though maybe the SciFi discussion should go down into the Settings or SharedWorld sub-forum - but would anyone follow it there?)

[NickMiddleton]

(BTW, "the Quertzl and Sauriki are in O19", Nick? How? Intriguing...)

Well, they are mentioned - they are not directly part of the action, but they are both part of the wider setting and are mentioned in the timeline and there are ways they could have a tangential impact on the adventure (I'm being as non-specific as possible to avoid spoilers).

Well, the world of Outpost 19 is Niven-esque (and Herbert-esque, somehow) and very good, but if the author himself is not so sure, or is waiting from a nod from Chaosium (and Charlie is really busy these days, so do not hold your breath), then we need a plan B.

You are dead right about the Niven and Herbert influences on Outpost 19- the odd thing is that neither authors book were in my mind whilst I was writing it, I was far more aware of Alastair reynolds and Heinlien's Tunnel in the Sky... Funny the tricks the mind plays.

I believe very much in the Gate Warden Universe - and whilst I also firmly believe it's a project whose future lies with Chaosium, I'm in no way waiting on them for anything. Dustin has expressed interest in a sequel / follow up to Outpost 19 and I had started something, but this year has been bloody hard both personally and at work, so its not progressed much beyond the summer. But the delay is all down to me, not Chaosium.

Nick