Topic: Humans vs Aliens

[markc]

 It might suprise you to find out in a poll I did for a new campaign that humans vs. humans wone out in human vs. alien. 90% all of thoes polled said they wanted to play in a game that was like Fire Fly or something close to it. Aliens were ok but they did not want them to be the main focus right away.

 Are others in your groups like this? And do you think this is why quite a few people still like the SM2 setting? Or others like it such as Dune and BSG?

Thanks
MDC
   

[David Johansen]

I think the problem is that on some level there's just no way to do an alien that someone won't call stupid or silly or irrelevant or pointless.

You get camps that complain that the aliens all resemble animals and camps that complain that the aliens are too far out there for any possible interaction and camps that complain that they haven't seen an alien so they can't be realistic.

I think a big part of it goes back to the concept of refusing anthromorphization which is the scientific denial that animals experience suffering when we test things on them.

[ironmaul]

Although I've never run or played in a sci-fi game, I personaly feel I would go for the Serenity (Firefly) type genre. Yes, I don't mind aliens but perhaps they can complicate things more than they have too? I know nothing of SM2, I just have SM:P and the aliens in that are stupid! (no disrespect there Rob). But of course it's all down to each individual and what floats thier boat, starship or whatever

[RandalThor]

The thing is is that aliens are, well, alien. It is hard to make them "real" at all without them looking a bit silly. Heck, even in fantasy games I tend to stick with playing humans.

I much prefer the aliens to be the new, scary badguys that have just been encountered and have to be dealt with. Y'know the characters just hate it when they go to deal with these space pirates and they turn out to be an alien advance-guard/scouting unit, that is just out gathering info on these "humans" so they can learn to defeat them.

Of course, the ultimate culmination of the story could be not to fight and defeat them, but to learn to co-exist with them, that we have things in common. [Like it could go the way of Enemy Mine, which is a great movie.]

But, for the most part, the characters are all humans (or transhumans, alterant replicants, etc.....).

[Marc R]

A lot of this has to do with fantasy vs Sci-Fi is the feel I get from my group.

Aliens in sci fi should be at most star trek. . .wrinkle forhead, pointy ears, red eyes. . .etc etc.

Creatures that are casual in fantasy raise all sorts of objections in sci-fi . . .for some reason, sci-fi players seem to find aliens funny or absurd, but non human races in fantasy they just accept. . .I can't explain it, but I have seen it.

[yammahoper]

I prefer human versus human.

Aliens are typically poorly done, like playing elves, gnomes and other sillyness in fantasy settings.

I do like playing AI, droids and androids.  They also make great villians.

lynn

[Thom @ ICE]

It all depends on the setting for me...
Star Wars type - humanoid aliens work
Starship Troopers - Aliens vs. Bugs YES! - Skinnies NO!
Farscape Stuff - Tried it and did not like it... too many aliens for me

I guess overall, I prefer Humans with the enemy being Aliens... Us vs. Them kind of thing.  I like the definitive foe.

[Wōdwulf Seaxaning]

I like either kind be it Dune & Firefly to Star Wars & Star Trek.I've never been a fan of most Sci-Fi RPG aliens especially the generic one in ALL SM editions.If done right Aliens work, if not they suck n' ruin the setting.I personally like WH40K & hope to play Dark Heresy eventually.

[jolt]

I admit, I've always liked lots of aliens but I agree it's easy to mess up the design of an alien.  I like settings like Farscape, Star Wars and Alan Dean Foster's "Humanx Commonwealth" setting (even though some of the books are just really bad).  Financial considerations often make humans seem more prominent in film and TV but I love the cosmopolitan feel of humans and aliens together.

Though it was only a world setting, I liked the alieness of the some of the races in Skyrealms of Jorune.

jolt