Why did BRP never establish a 'Classic' Sci-fi setting?

[Newt]

Isn't Cthuhu Rising really just Cthulhu meets Aliens, with the serial numbers filed off?

Yes, there's a ton of free stuff over at cthulhurising.co.uk . Its easy enoguh to run it as hard sci-fi corperate space game without any of the Cthulhu Mythos, in fact one of the free campaign arcs Merchant Venturers is completely mythos free.

Oh did I mention CR's author John Ossoway is writting the Hard Sci-fi setting "River of Heaven" for d101 and OpenQuest, coming early 2011.

[sdavies2720]

I'd love something like Lensmen meets Bladerunner. I think BRP is a little gritty to do justice to the Lensmen series, but the technological advancement, long-running battle between nerds and goo, er, I mean Arisia and Eddore, would all be good. And Bladerunner is probably a better fit in terms of tone. I'm not sure how the GURPS lensman supplement did.

Steve

[dragonewt]

Ghost in the Shell (Although not really Space Opera). There is a D20 oriented source book for it.

While at the Serena Dawn site, have a look at the Alien source material (Fuzion rules).

The source material for Lightspeed might also be of interest. It is a generic collection of several well known genres and worlds (with the serial numbers filed off) (Fuzion rules): Lightspeed.

Edited May 18, 2010 by dragonewt

[Solardog]

Farscape - licensed by AEG, poor-quality game, game line retroactively killed before release

The only thing the players could do, was to play the crew of Moya.

But honestly, why do so many people want licensed settings? I'd much prefer to see a clever and thoughtful setting created by a writer of RPG games than a writer of television shows or films.

Yes, an original Sci-fi setting for BRP. That would be an certain buy for me.

Here is an thought. An updated and expanded Future World.

[Conrad]

Here is an thought. An updated and expanded Future World.

You mean like this?

http://basicroleplaying.com/showthread.php/1522-OUTPOST-19-An-Archaeological-Research-Station-on-the-Frontier-of-Space

[TrippyHippy]

I think the major problem in determining a sci-fi setting for BRP is simply in the narrowing down of which one to choose - and which would be successful.

Wistful thinking about setting it in the 'Worlds of Phillip K. Dick', as a similar cult novelist to the status of H.P. Lovecraft, are neutered somewhat by the vast diversity of his settings by comparison to the Arkham-centred worlds of the latter author.

Of course we could argue that Call of Cthulhu itself is a sort of sci-fi setting, but most fans now regard it as purely of the horror genre, albeit flexible to all sorts of settings and eras.

I don't necessarily think the game needs to be from a licensed setting per se, in the same way that Glorantha wasn't (originally, anyway). However, in this case, the only in-game settings that really would fit the bill would include things like WH40K or even Traveller's Imperium. Indeed, GURPS had a lot of success with it's version of Traveller (even though the rules gave it a different style of gameplay). Maybe there could be a BRP version of The Imperium too. On the other hand, I doubt that Mongoose would be likely to license that setting to anyone now (having worked so hard to get it). Doesn't even bare thinking about 40K....

So, I dunno - what about BRP Fading Suns or BRP Blue Planet?

[Solardog]

You mean like this?

http://basicroleplaying.com/showthread.php/1522-OUTPOST-19-An-Archaeological-Research-Station-on-the-Frontier-of-Space

Oops! Well, i want an 399 page dead tree book with planets,technology and weird alien and human cultures. I know that will only happen in my dreams.

I'd like to see a BRP version of Cubicle 7's Mindjammer setting ( for Starblazer Adventures)

Mindjammer setting looks very promising. Welcome to the The Darradine Rim.

[Solardog]

The Silent Death universe RPG, should work fine with BRP.

Silent Death: The Next Millennium

[cjbowser]

Yes, an original Sci-fi setting for BRP. That would be an certain buy for me.

Here is an thought. An updated and expanded Future World.

What about an expanded version of the Gatewarden universe that Nick created for Outpost 19? If he had the time and desire to expand it, it sounds like there might be an audience.

[Smoking Frog]

I started playing Traveller in 1977 when it was just three little books in a box. In the beginning we had to make up our own campaigns until they started publishing a vast amount of material on the Imperium and you could just buy a pre-made sector and use it. But that was in the halcyon days when Traveller was basically the only game in town -- so to speak.

That was also the time when we didn't think twice about having a different game system for every game that we played. We didn't even blink when all the TSR games we bought had incompatible rule systems. As Bob Dylan might have sung "Times, they have a-changed." Now there is a superabundance even of generic game systems and of sci-fi settings.

I would think that given the current market there's not much chance that an original elaborate setting -- meaning that the detailed work of creating the background of the setting, planets, ships, races, and so forth is done by the publisher rather than the GM -- will be a financial boon to any publisher. But I also don't see why someone could not create such an original elaborate setting as a labor of love with the understanding that the thousands of hours of work put into it will not be compensated monetarily. Perhaps a team of dedicated authors . . .

When you are the only game in town -- like the Imperium when Traveller was in its infancy -- you don't have to be spectacular to be very popular. (Reminds me of DOS, but that's another thread . . . ) Now, I would think that you could not create a setting -- whether original or licensed -- that would so blow away gamers that it could make big dent in the RPG market. But as I said, that is no reason why one cannot be produced as a labor of love . . .

[NickMiddleton]

You mean like this?

http://basicroleplaying.com/showthread.php/1522-OUTPOST-19-An-Archaeological-Research-Station-on-the-Frontier-of-Space

That was largely the intent with Outpost 19 - I've been struggling to expand some of the background details from it into something worth showing Dustin but real life alas has intervened rather heavily...

Oops! Well, i want an 399 page dead tree book with planets,technology and weird alien and human cultures. I know that will only happen in my dreams.

If I win the lottery, that's what I'd like to expand the the O19 setting to - Full gazetteer, Human, Pilot and Gate warden cultures (plus sub-cultures, multi-world powers and weird off shoots like the Instrumentality, the Logopolitan Orders, the Multi-corps and UOGC), the Sauriki and Bug societies (plus the Rumahl, what's back on Earth behind the Curtain and the Precursors) and a sampling of worlds in the Outer Dark (human and otherwise).

What about an expanded version of the Gatewarden universe that Nick created for Outpost 19? If he had the time and desire to expand it, it sounds like there might be an audience.

See above - but let me also point out that whilst I'm very proud of O19 (and painfully aware of it's many flaws as well), I don't regard it as strictly mine: it is an elaboration of many elements of Chaosium's Future*World and an admixture of other ideas I had culled from other SF sources. So if I do seriously undertake another visit, I'd want to do it with Chaosium's blessing as it were.

If I can get enough free time to finish UW #2 I will then be turning my attention back to the Gate Warden Universe - but I can't say anything definite until I know I've got the time and that's been a scarce and precious commodity this last year and a bit.

IFF I do go back, my broad thinking at present is to do something larger, more like a "regional sourcebook plus scenarios" - probably focused on the new Territories and Tripoint Facility with a few short scenarios / scenario outlines set on the facility / in that area of the Human Sphere. Would that be of interest to folks? Bearing in mind that I've got a few sides of sketchy notes and no free time at present, or for the foreseeable future?

Cheers,

Nick

[Thalaba]

BRP Blue Planet?

That would certainly be a good match, and probably a good seller, too. I like that setting.

[Nightshade]

One of the things I intermittantly work on is an updated version of FutureWorld as a campaign; I've got some work on it (basic setting background (which I posted on here a while back), aliens, updated weapons, some character generation versions) but it gets done when I'm of a mood. I could see it having some virtues as a general setting for SF, in part for the reason it was originally set up as it was; you can do a lot of things with it without having to get into the side issue of ship construction and combat (I know some people just love that stuff, but for a lot of potential campaign focus its just a distraction). I kind of doubt I'd ever get enough done on it to make a book by myself, though, since I'm mostly just interested in it for an exploration oriented campaign.

[Mysterioso]

What about an update of Worlds Beyond or Other Suns?

[wbcreighton]

Worlds Beyond: secondhand knowledge that Chaosium hasn't been able to contact the original author ( published in 1989 ? )

Other Suns: author Niall Shapiro wrote on one of the other BRP yahoogroups about doing a second edition, but if memory serves me that was a couple of years ago, and he hasn't written in awhile. Someone suggested he sell the books by PDF but he didn't seem interested.

[Jason D]

I'd love something like Lensmen meets Bladerunner. I think BRP is a little gritty to do justice to the Lensmen series, but the technological advancement, long-running battle between nerds and goo, er, I mean Arisia and Eddore, would all be good. And Bladerunner is probably a better fit in terms of tone. I'm not sure how the GURPS lensman supplement did.

Wow... that combination makes my head explode.

I can't imagine any two settings as fundamentally different in tone.

[Jason D]

Ghost in the Shell (Although not really Space Opera). There is a D20 oriented source book for it.

I know enough people who've dealt with Japanese companies over RPG adaptations to comfortably say that if Chaosium said they were licensing a Japanese anime IP, I would call them up and plead with them to reconsider.

The only thing the players could do, was to play the crew of Moya.

It was possible to do more than that, but the GM advice was horribly brief, and the game wasted something like 50 pages on episode-by-episode descriptions, rather than game content.

So, I dunno - what about BRP Fading Suns or BRP Blue Planet?

Both games are, I think, owned by the same publisher now, and they're technically still "live" game lines.

[Jason D]

What about an update of Worlds Beyond or Other Suns?

As noted above, Dustin tried in vain to contact the original author, but no one seemed to have contact info for him.

[seneschal]

During my web explorations I've downloaded a set of BRP Flash Gordon write-ups that a fellow did. They're fun to read, but BRP's grim, realistic play style doesn't seem a good fit for Flash's cinematic, hairbreadth-escape type adventures (no PC-level character dies or gets seriously injured, ever, regardless of the odds against him).

On the other hand, if George Lucas could summon fire from heaven with a faux-Flash space epic, why not an intrepid BRP author?

[Guest Vile Traveller]

A Gil Gerard-style Buck Rogers (1st series) would work, though. In spite of all the one-liner humour, I always thought it was quite dystopic. All those devastated planets, mutated populations, warfare, piracy - a very grim setting, really.

[Marchand]

I really like Hinterwelt's Nebuleos setting (link). Their inhouse Iridium system uses percentiles and feels a bit like BRP to me. I'd love to play a campaign in their setting using BRP.

I think BRP needs vehicle / spacecraft rules before it can really challenge as a generic SF system, though. Maybe these exist in some supplement I don't own...

[rust]

Maybe these exist in some supplement I don't own...

Not really, but Atgxtg here on this forum has been working on something very interesting, per-

haps he could be convinced to complete it and show it ...

[TrippyHippy]

Both games are, I think, owned by the same publisher now, and they're technically still "live" game lines.

Both are owned by RedBrick, a New Zealand based company, that is currently publishing the new edition of EarthDawn with Mongoose. They are in partnership through the Rebellion group with both Mongoose and Cubicle 7 (just like Alephtar games are).

They have mooted that both Fading Suns and Blue Planet will get new editions at some time. In my view, neither setting is especially married to their respective systems (Fading Suns is a pretty generic d20 roll under, and has been converted to D20 in the past; Blue Planet 1st edition originally had a percentile system, and has had three different systems in total - including GURPS). The real issue is whether Red Brick sees a potential market being bigger if they associate themselves with a game system like BRP. In my view, Blue Planet (which never really sold well on it's own, despite critical success) would definitely benefit.

Actually, the more I think about it Blue Planet would make the perfect BRP sci-fi setting. Cerebral, detailed, a backstory with something to say, and with a rich immersionist setting that doesn't require heavy themed mechanics, but needs them to scale well. That's precisely what BRP offers. In fact, that is a marriage made in heaven!

Who can we write to about it?

Edited May 23, 2010 by TrippyHippy
adding extra thoughts

[rust]

Who can we write to about it?

From what I have heard, RedBrick is in the process of writing a new edition of Blue Planet, al-

though they have recently postponed the decision about whether and how to publish it to later

this year, but I doubt that they would be willing to use another system after having discussed

the necessary changes of the old system with the fans.

[TrippyHippy]

Well, I'm not sure what level of discussion they have had on the matter with fans or otherwise - but flatly, I can't see the point of putting out another edition unless it's designed to appeal to a particular market. Lets face it, the last two editions were not commercial successes. If they publish a new version with a ready-made market established by a particular system - it's more likely to sell in my view.

Beyond that, I think it would a missed opportunity for purely gaming reasons.