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

[cjbowser]

Who can we write to about it?

RedBrick is also working on a 3rd edition of Fading Suns that will have a revamped, more "modern" system.

[Atgxtg]

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 ...

Assuming you are taking about my spacecraft and vehicle design rules, I would , but the playtesters didn't provide much feedback, so it is hard to complete it. I still think that the concept was sound, but that it needs some tweaking to get the numbers to work out where they should. I'd be willing to show what I have done so far.

[rust]

...but the playtesters didn't provide much feedback, so it is hard to complete it.

Guilty, Your Honour, and no valid excuse, except that I was lured into historical settings

and away from spaceships and vehicles ...

But I think what you have is good enough to show and to use the input from this forum

to improve it and complete it.

[Atgxtg]

Guilty, Your Honour, and no valid excuse, except that I was lured into historical settings

and away from spaceships and vehicles ...

I'm not blaming anyone for not providing feedback, I'm just trying to explain why I haven't been able to improve my design rules based on the (nearly non-existent) feedback.

But I think what you have is good enough to show and to use the input from this forum

to improve it and complete it.

I could make a thread and post some of the spaceship design notes, and make the 1 page design sheet available to the masses. I haven't yet partly so I could polish it up before hand, but mostly because the lack of feedback I got from the playtesters made me feel somewhat embarrassed about my notes. I had gotten the impression that the playtesters had thought it sucked, and rather than risk hurting my feeling (ha! more like risk my wrath!!) they just ignored the subject and pretended it never happened.

[Solardog]

A BRP version of Project Vanguard.

Link:Project Vanguard

Nice setting, the players are kosmonaut commando archaeologists.

[rpgstarwizard]

actually there are many ship creation systems, Trav and trav derived, Ftl2448, etc I think trying tocreate one system to represent a space ship is futile. Ships can be simply created using a proportion dynamics. Motive power, for in system travel, a out system system, life support etc.

[rpgstarwizard]

I have mourned often that Other Suns didnt really have a better exposure to the masses. It could be easily simplified. So I decided heck with it and started running on and off a BRP game based on it, different races though. I started translating various races from my other scifi settings to BRP and group is slowly coming around to try a campaign.

[Atgxtg]

actually there are many ship creation systems, Trav and trav derived, Ftl2448, etc I think trying tocreate one system to represent a space ship is futile. Ships can be simply created using a proportion dynamics. Motive power, for in system travel, a out system system, life support etc.

That is why the system I was working on was scalable and could be customized to fit a specific setting via "plugins". Ships were built by allocating a percentage of the ship to different systems. By changing the "plugin" you could adjust the efficiency of the system to better reflect a particular setting.

[seneschal]

UFO has been mentioned as a good license fit for BRP. Another would be Blake's Seven, another British show. Again, despite the cool starships and AI computers, the focus is on the human action. Not a lot of whiz-bang gadgets to stat up.

Edited May 28, 2010 by seneschal

[Atgxtg]

UFO has been mentioned as a good license fit for BRP. Another would be Blake's Seven, another British show. Again, despite the cool starships and AI computers, the focus is on the human action. Not a lot of whiz-bang gadgets to stat up.

Generally, any old Sci-Fi series is a good BRP candidate. The reason being that the older shows had to focus on plot, character development, story and "human action" simply because they couldn't afford to tell the story in another manner. That dovetails perfectly with an RPG's "player centered" adventures. Most SF series forcued on one ship/base/item, and the people who use it.

I think the only difficult settings to fit are other RPG settings. Traveller, for example. Reason being that most SF RPGs tend to have lots of tech stuff that would need to be converted to fully cover the setting.

[Dredj]

It seems like everyone is in agreement that BRP is a gritty system that would make for good, hard SF. I'm looking into Eclipse Phase, right now, and it seems like the perfect match for everything I ever wanted to play in a SF setting. However, it's really just a compilation of cyber punk and other transhumanist material with political intrigue and mysterious aliens thrown in. The system is a percentile system that shouldn't be too hard to convert to BRP.

I also like retro SF. But Spaceship Zero fits that perfectly as well. The sad thing is it looks like a product that should've come from Chaosium, but was made for Green Ronin.

The thing about SF is it seems like somebody already "did that idea." And even if you have a setting, who says anyone wants to play in it? It really does seem to boil down to rules for ships and plausible ways for PCs to get around the universe. I think a toolbox approach might be best. But other companies have done that as well.

I like the idea of licensing to Heavy Metal magazine and doing what Starblazer did for Starblazer magazine. But you'd have to alter BRPs rules for more over-the-top action. However, I'm generally more interested in games and anything else that have a more adult edge to them, anyway.

Maybe looking at pulp and SF writers from other cultures?

Maybe instead of going hard SF; a supplement could look at ultra cheesy SF?

Therefore, I think the reason why Chaosium doesn't have an established SF setting is because all the best ideas seem to be taken, already.

I'd really like to see something based on this: http://www.wetanz.com/holics/index.php?catid=4 http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Grordbort-Presents-Scientific-Adventure/dp/1595824634/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275009969&sr=1-2 But there would be some political correctness issues involved.

[SDLeary]

Anyone know Miller? If so, and he can be convinced, my vote would be for 2300 A.D.

SDLeary

[Trifletraxor]

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

Feels that way. CR is a great setting, can't understand why Chaosium haven't shown more interest in it.

SGL.

[TrippyHippy]

Cthulhu Rising is more Earth-based Transhumanist sci-fi than 'Aliens meets Cthulhu' (which is vaguely a conflict of terms, as both are 'aliens'). Once Men is more 'Cthulhu in space'.

However, I'm more interested in a sci-fi setting that's it's own beast, rather than a CoC supplement.

[Conrad]

Feels that way. CR is a great setting, can't understand why Chaosium haven't shown more interest in it.

SGL.

Perhaps because it is a bit too much like the setting in the Aliens movies for comfort and Chaosium don't want to be on the receiving end of legal action?

'Aliens meets Cthulhu' (which is vaguely a conflict of terms, as both are 'aliens').

It isn't a conflict of terms when referring to the Aliens movies/setting meets the Cthulhu mythos, which is what I meant when I used the term "Cthulhu meets Aliens.":P

Edited May 28, 2010 by Conrad

[MurfinMS]

UFO has been mentioned as a good license fit for BRP. Another would be Blake's Seven, another British show. Again, despite the cool starships and AI computers, the focus is on the human action. Not a lot of whiz-bang gadgets to stat up.

Yah, I've liked "Blake's 7" ever since I first saw it on public TV (KCET) some 25 years or more back. And concesquently have been waiting for region 1 DVD to appear...

Anyhow, yes, while having some very cool geegaws, the show was heavily character driven, I think because it *had* to be, given the BBC's less-than-stellar special effects

-Ken-

_______________________________________________________

"Ugh! Lousy History Channel. Always World War Two.

Never about pirates or cavemen.They're history too, damn it!"

[Andy French---Mission Hill]

[Atgxtg]

Yah, I've liked "Blake's 7" ever since I first saw it on public TV (KCET) some 25 years or more back. And concesquently have been waiting for region 1 DVD to appear...

If you got a good DVD player and/or the right software, you can order a region 2 DVD from the UK and play it on you US DVD player.

I've done that with some series. I used to order all my Doctor Who DVDs from Amazon UK when I was boycotting Warner Brothers.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

UFO has been mentioned as a good license fit for BRP. Another would be Blake's Seven, another British show. Again, despite the cool starships and AI computers, the focus is on the human action. Not a lot of whiz-bang gadgets to stat up.

Not a lot, but just the right amount: Check out the Sevencyclopedia. Some may be a bit tricky, due to the strange combination of ultra-tech and retro-tech inherent in a 70s/80s SF setting, but that's all part of the fun. Big computer rooms vs. IMIPAK, for example.

Blakes 7 would be the best-ever, bees-knees, absolutely perfect setting for BRP. Pity the licence will never be available. There was a fan-produced B7 game using a D100 system (possibly RuneQuest-derived), but I'm not sure if it's still available.

[NickMiddleton]

Blakes 7 would be the best-ever, bees-knees, absolutely perfect setting for BRP. Pity the licence will never be available. There was a fan-produced B7 game using a D100 system (possibly RuneQuest-derived), but I'm not sure if it's still available.

There was some talk that Horizon's (the B7 fan club) were told to STOP selling it a few years back because the RPG license had been picked up by someone - there were a few cryptic posts at RPGNet and the like, but like the new TV / film versions, nothing came of it.

www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12260.phtml

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12835.phtml

The current rights holder has done some interesting stuff with new audio dramas, but alas as yet they've not succeeded in bringing the property back to TV - http://www.blakes7.com/

Cheers,

Nick

[AndrewMorton]

I used to play Ringworld years ago - it was a great game. It's a shame they can't bring it back. I've read a all of Larry Nivens books and could probably come up with a good 'home brew' Known Space supplement - if I had time. It would have to be for personal use only because of the copyright issues.

I think the Culture would make a good game setting, as would Hamilton's Commonwealth.

I know they are not Si-fi but China Mievilles Bas Lag books would be a killer steampunk game. Or what about a Traction cities BRP conversion.

[Jason D]

I know they are not Si-fi but China Mievilles Bas Lag books would be a killer steampunk game.

Adamant Publishing is working on a game for this setting.

[Dredj]

Weren't people working on a SF setting for BRP over a year ago? I say we start that up again.

[rpgstarwizard]

Ringworld is/was Great game system. Have it high on my shelf. The problem is getting a system that clicks.So many people want to copy,Imean mimic popular movies and such. Creating a system that chimes with the people is what is important. Let alone the basic parts of the setting. Another big problem is creating something that satisfies alot of people. I have been slowly trabslating stuff from either my old BRP style settings or other systems to BRP. I have posted some.

[rpgstarwizard]

Atgxtg, Is it here and downloadable would like to gander at it. I enjoy ship stuff, I actually enjoyed traveller, long ago, and Space opera, etc, I even have created a couple for FTL 2448,

Edited June 1, 2010 by rpgstarwizard
addidng info

[Dredj]

Ringworld is/was Great game system. Have it high on my shelf. The problem is getting a system that clicks.So many people want to copy,Imean mimic popular movies and such. Creating a system that chimes with the people is what is important. Let alone the basic parts of the setting. Another big problem is creating something that satisfies alot of people. I have been slowly trabslating stuff from either my old BRP style settings or other systems to BRP. I have posted some.

I was thinking of a toolkit approach. Basically what works in movies and popular novels, throw into the system.