Enpeze Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Space 1889 would be great setting. But one thing I didnt like has been the adventures which I considered a little bit premature and childish. (at least those I read) I would rather preferred to have adventures which involved the spirit and complex moral implications of the victorian society than another "kill a mad scientist and his giant steam machines" ala "wild wild west". (the cheesy movie with w. smith) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaira Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 To be honest I've nothing against killing the mad scientist and his evil steam machines, but my problem with Space 1889 scenarios were that they were so linear - terribly so, IMHO. The background was great, although a few clarifications would have been nice (ie what do Martians actually look like - there appeared to be several different versions of each type of Martian, depending on artist), but it was the railroading of the scenarios that meant you basically couldn't run them as written, but rather you had to strip-mine them for sourcebook ideas. No bad thing, I guess most of us do that. But, yeah - something dealing with the Victorian aspect of the setting would have been great - you're right, the printed scenarios were rather... um... basic... Of course, with Interplanetary, I'm expecting to have to traipse half way across the red planet with my trusty sidekick umpteen-legged space dog and unfeasibly long range kill pistol to rescue the hapless but well endowed maiden from the clutches of the Mad Evil Brain-Extracting Scientist any number of times... Or was that the other way round? Quote "The Worm Within" - the first novel for The Chronicles of Future Earth, coming 2013 from Chaosium, Inc. Website: http://sarahnewtonwriter.com | Twitter: @SarahJNewton | Facebook: TheChroniclesOfFutureEarth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason D Posted December 16, 2007 Author Share Posted December 16, 2007 Just to be clear, this is the planetary romance genre (also known as sword-and-planet). Planetary romance, by almost every definition, doesn't include stuff like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, or Space 1889. Differences are that usually in planetary romance: - the voyage to the other planets is usually of little importance or significance - very little attention is paid to the scientific plausibility of the setting - the emphasis is on swashbuckling adventure and high melodrama - the protagonist(s) usually have no choice but to go native - often, the protagonist(s) become more at home in the alien environment than on Earth There's no reason GMs and players can't add those elements into the book I'm writing, or emphasize the aspects that are there, but I want to be clear on what I'm writing to prevent people from thinking it'll be something else. More loincloths and jeweled battle-harnesses than redcoats and Sharps rifles... if that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badcat Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Oh, yeah. Now you have my attention. Leigh Brackett, Otis Adelbert Kline, Robert E. Howard as well as ERB...I'd buy that in BRP, oh yes indeed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightshade Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Yeah, in a planetary romance all the space travel method is is a way to get them into the situation; its often not even available any more once they're there (though sometimes getting back to it is the point in the story). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the Bromgrev Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Ok, I think I'm getting my brain to reluctantly get to grips with the concept now. So, is the intent of the book to provide a detailed-enough-for-play setting (the solar system) or more of a framework from which to design one's own background? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 'Planetary Romance' was what I cut my SF teeth on way back when... reading ERB's Pellucidar and Mars series... As I recall they never really explain how John Carter ended up on Mars... it had somewhat occult overtones... it definitely wasn't a spaceship. Much as I'd like to see a bonafide Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon setting come to life I think I'm more excited about Interplanetary... Moorcock's Kane stories and Lin Carter's Green Star stories oughtta fit well under this tent also... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Don't rule out spaceships entirely. ERB's own Carson of Venus series (Pirates of Venus, 1932) had the hero launching himself heavanward in a bona fide rocketship. In the later John Carter of Mars novels (Skeleton Men of Jupiter), Martian airships became capable of interplanetary travel. And ERB's The Moon Maid features antigravity ships capable of reaching the moon. And while Burroughs' focus is on nubile alien princesses rather than gee-whiz gadgetry, his series do introduce some nifty hardware: radium guns, antigravity ships, battleship-mounted disintegrator cannon, longevity serums, flying harnesses. The Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon newspaper strips (especially the latter) inhabited the same niche in popular culture. Once he crashed on Mongo, Gordon was more concerned with rescuing Dale Arden, avoiding the unwanted affections of various unscrupulous nubile alien princesses, and swashbuckling adventure against an encyclopedia's worth of [fill-in-the-blank]-men than he was understanding the wonders of the galaxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason D Posted December 17, 2007 Author Share Posted December 17, 2007 So, is the intent of the book to provide a detailed-enough-for-play setting (the solar system) or more of a framework from which to design one's own background? As noted in the outline that started this thread, there is a background. Each of the planets of this solar system will get several pages of description. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason D Posted December 17, 2007 Author Share Posted December 17, 2007 Don't rule out spaceships entirely. ERB's own Carson of Venus series (Pirates of Venus, 1932) had the hero launching himself heavanward in a bona fide rocketship. In the later John Carter of Mars novels (Skeleton Men of Jupiter), Martian airships became capable of interplanetary travel. And ERB's The Moon Maid features antigravity ships capable of reaching the moon. And while Burroughs' focus is on nubile alien princesses rather than gee-whiz gadgetry, his series do introduce some nifty hardware: radium guns, antigravity ships, battleship-mounted disintegrator cannon, longevity serums, flying harnesses. Read my outline above. Weird tech, space vehicles, and vehicular combat are a part of the sourcebook. I'm just trying to clarify that the thrust of this book is planetary romance, not space opera. Though there are some areas that both cover, Interplanetary isn't about a doughty core of lantern-jawed heroes rocketing across the solar system to defend Earth from alien death rays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatBear Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 It sounds great Jason. I've wanted to do BRP Barsoom for about 25 years and never got around to it. Adamant Entertainment's MARS was a good effort but being d20 I'll never play it. RE: John Carter Shaped Hole in RPG hobby. Many people me included have tried to talk to ERB Inc. about the license. TSR actually did a TARZAN RPG but it didn't go anywhere. ERB Inc. are not really interested in dealing with small time RPG publishers. You have to start talking in the millions before they'll give you the time of day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I'm glad it isn't a licensed version of ERB's settings... that frees it up a lot, content wise, and keeps anyone from having to pay exhorbitant licensing fees. If this really comes off it's gonna be pretty darn great... I've already got a minds-eye full of swashbuckling sabre fights on skyships zipping over alien ruins and strange jungles full of dinosaurs... with some half-naked green princess eagerly waiting rescue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rurik Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 ...with some half-naked green princess eagerly waiting rescue. Yes! Whoever half imprisioned those green princesses in clothes was dastardly indeed. Not to fear though, they shall soon be freed! Seriously though, this sounds like a fun setting and I am looking forward to it. Quote Help kill a Trollkin here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Yeah, I can't say I've read any examples of the genre that weren't overtly sexist... I'm sure that can be overcome without too much trouble, but I still want to rescue a green princess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatBear Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 In the descriptions of Mars, Jason, you should be sure to note the unusually high Princess population. While we're waiting on DBRP and JD sourbook, anybody interested in this genre really should check out Gareth-Michael Skarka/Adamant's MARS RPG of Planetary Romance. It is D20 and I'm firmly of the opinion that d20 sucks. But he did a great job threading the maze to create a Mars that feels like Barsoom and other pulp Red Planets, but doesn't require the ERB stamp of approval. It would be very cool if there could be some kind of arrangement to produce dual stat BRP/d20 adventures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kloster Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I'm glad it isn't a licensed version of ERB's settings... that frees it up a lot, content wise, and keeps anyone from having to pay exhorbitant licensing fees. If this really comes off it's gonna be pretty darn great... I've already got a minds-eye full of swashbuckling sabre fights on skyships zipping over alien ruins and strange jungles full of dinosaurs... with some half-naked green princess eagerly waiting rescue. Why 'half' naked? :innocent: Runequestement votre, Kloster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aycorn Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Yeah, I can't say I've read any examples of the genre that weren't overtly sexist... I'm sure that can be overcome without too much trouble, but I still want to rescue a green princess... Try the now-obscure 70's DC comic "Starfire" - with a hero(ine) who was not only female but Asian (interestingly enough). Of course, she did wear skintight clothing that showed off her assets. But then she also ran around skewering green bad guys with a sabre, so, y'know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badcat Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Some examples of the genre went beyond 'sexist'. The Gor series, by John Norman for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tal Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Why 'half' naked? :innocent: Runequestement votre, Kloster Cause the jewelry counts as clothing! Jason, Will there be any horror elements? Quote 141/420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kloster Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Cause the jewelry counts as clothing! ... In that case, the elfquest rule of armored jewels should apply. Runequestement votre, Kloster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Why 'half' naked? :innocent: Runequestement votre, Kloster Well, actually... IIRC just about EVERYONE in those stories was half-naked... men, women, giant 4-armed martians... the only ones I remember sometimes being clothed were usually evil cultists... most often bent on doing bad things to the afore mentioned half-naked green princess. yeah... more princesses than Disneyland... mind you, there were a whole lotta princes too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badcat Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Anyone else remember the Otis Adelbert Kline novels? One of the Burroughs-type planetary romance novelists...'Prince of Peril', 'Planet of Peril', 'Port of Peril', 'Swords of Mars', 'Outlaws of Mars'. He did a Tarzan knock-off too. For some reason I liked his stuff more than ERB. That isn't saying much because a lot of the stuff I liked then I can't stand now. Just wondering if anyone else had fond memories of this writer. Some of the stuff in his books would fit right in with a 'planetary romance' supplement. Sort of a fully auto needle thrower gun, powder that ignites when it touches water, etc. Lots of princesses with no clothes, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Well, to be fair, a lot of that was the sign of the times. "Fantasy Romances" were escapists literature in the true sense, including escape from the rather stick society conventions of the time. People had different beliefs back then. Almost anything written from that long ago is sexist and racist by todays standards, even if it was not meant to be so, or even viewed as such back then. Plus sex sells, and we are talking about the industry that coined the phase "bondage cover". Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drohem Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 This was perpetuated in the original Star Trek series with Captain James T. Kirk. Quote BRP Ze 32/420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarulf Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 This sounds like the game I've been waiting for for some 30 years or so. I want my four-armed friend with gun and sword and green-skinned princess in silky veils and tiara. I want ruins of ancient cities built from cyclopean stones and toppled pillars half-covered in creeping vines of poisonous flowers, used by the priests of the Ivory Eidolon to make Dream Wine. So, you can put me down for a copy too :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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