Topic: Non-Space Opera Sci-Fi settings?

[Wōdwulf Seaxaning]

Whether you run SpaM2 or SpaM:P , what Non-Space Opera settings (Including Cyberpunk) have you used ? What are your influences? I'm especially curious of what Jimisue has done .

[JimiSue]

Well hopefully you will soon see some more - there should be a set of scenarios going up in the download section soon (I finally had the time to complete the maps this weekend - sorry they are still hand-drawn, but at least they are neater than the ones I used to run the thing through play tests!).

I've played quite a few future-set games over the years. Aside from Space Master, there have been Star Wars, Cyberspace, Cyberpunk, Paranoia, Serenity, Traveller, Babylon 5 and Dragonstar are the ones that spring to mind (have done a near-future Fireborn but it was like 2 years in the future, and also done Bubblegum Crisis which being anime is sort of future, but also probably doesn't count!). I don't think in any of them have been real space operas though.

The closest I've come to full on space opera have been a couple of games in Spacemaster - in one I played a Transhuman 5 Armsman revenging the murder of her family by Colosian agents (succeeded at level 36 by crashing a battlecruiser into their planet and then swanning off to become a galactic action movie megastar, principally on the strength of filming some of the combats along the way, computer enhancing them to remove armour, and hiring an awesome scriptwriter and director to string them together - "Such realistic effects!"), another where I played one of a pair of Kashmere agents in which I played a teep, and a slightly darker toned one in which I played an anarchist and wanted terrorist who got caught up in the League of Merchants. Most of the other games were more cyberpunky in flavour, and that is what I tried to go for in the scenarios.

Please don't be put off by the fact that the very initial germination of the idea was from the wonderful (!) movie Freejack (yes, the one with Mick Jagger and Emilio Estefez in) - the inspiration part was solely down to a very stratified and corporate society and the movie has no further impact on the setting! Future scenarios continuing from where they left off may yet take the players into space - it depends how my play test group want to go really, as I have two potential adventure pathways they could follow.

[Thom @ ICE]

Well hopefully you will soon see some more - there should be a set of scenarios going up in the download section soon (I finally had the time to complete the maps this weekend - sorry they are still hand-drawn, but at least they are neater than the ones I used to run the thing through play tests!).

Files are now uploaded..... 
I set them up in a category - Drake Campaign - under the Spacemaster heading in the Vault.
http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=cat790

Enjoy!

[JimiSue]

Oh, forgot to add - I've also been playing EVE Online for 6 years now, if that counts

[Wōdwulf Seaxaning]

Can't wait to see them..BTW nuthin wrong with hand drawn maps. I've played Cyberpunk 2020 , a brief game of Firefly/Serenity using the Unisystem & I've run cyberspace back in my late teens to early twenties.Always wanted to play Star Wars . Bubble Gum Crisis does count..I liked the anime but never played the Fuzion based RPG. Have you played Heavy Gear or Tribe 8 Jimisue? I've always wanted to but never had the chance..I lost my HG books in a move, I was going to convert them to SM2.

Interesting Space Opera characters , they sound fun to play. I miss playing Sci Fi , especially Cyberpunk games. My main GM runs RM2/Classic , why the other does nWoD & Unisystem. Don't worry I won't be put off by you using Free Jack as inspiration for your adventures/setting. I really enjoyed the movie. If I ran a PA game it'd be inspired by Battle Angel Alita  (Manga & Anime) , Salute the Juggers , Doomsday , Road Warriors & Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome using SM2/Cyberspace.

Well hopefully you will soon see some more - there should be a set of scenarios going up in the download section soon (I finally had the time to complete the maps this weekend - sorry they are still hand-drawn, but at least they are neater than the ones I used to run the thing through play tests!).

I've played quite a few future-set games over the years. Aside from Space Master, there have been Star Wars, Cyberspace, Cyberpunk, Paranoia, Serenity, Traveller, Babylon 5 and Dragonstar are the ones that spring to mind (have done a near-future Fireborn but it was like 2 years in the future, and also done Bubblegum Crisis which being anime is sort of future, but also probably doesn't count!). I don't think in any of them have been real space operas though.

The closest I've come to full on space opera have been a couple of games in Spacemaster - in one I played a Transhuman 5 Armsman revenging the murder of her family by Colosian agents (succeeded at level 36 by crashing a battlecruiser into their planet and then swanning off to become a galactic action movie megastar, principally on the strength of filming some of the combats along the way, computer enhancing them to remove armour, and hiring an awesome scriptwriter and director to string them together - "Such realistic effects!"), another where I played one of a pair of Kashmere agents in which I played a teep, and a slightly darker toned one in which I played an anarchist and wanted terrorist who got caught up in the League of Merchants. Most of the other games were more cyberpunky in flavour, and that is what I tried to go for in the scenarios.

Please don't be put off by the fact that the very initial germination of the idea was from the wonderful (!) movie Freejack (yes, the one with Mick Jagger and Emilio Estefez in) - the inspiration part was solely down to a very stratified and corporate society and the movie has no further impact on the setting! Future scenarios continuing from where they left off may yet take the players into space - it depends how my play test group want to go really, as I have two potential adventure pathways they could follow.

[markc]

Can't wait to see them..BTW nuthin wrong with hand drawn maps. I've played Cyberpunk 2020 , a brief game of Firefly/Serenity using the Unisystem & I've run cyberspace back in my late teens to early twenties.Always wanted to play Star Wars . Bubble Gum Crisis does count..I liked the anime but never played the Fuzion based RPG. Have you played Heavy Gear or Tribe 8 Jimisue? I've always wanted to but never had the chance..I lost my HG books in a move, I was going to convert them to SM2.

Interesting Space Opera characters , they sound fun to play. I miss playing Sci Fi , especially Cyberpunk games. My main GM runs RM2/Classic , why the other does nWoD & Unisystem. Don't worry I won't be put off by you using Free Jack as inspiration for your adventures/setting. I really enjoyed the movie. If I ran a PA game it'd be inspired by Battle Angel Alita  (Manga & Anime) , Salute the Juggers , Doomsday , Road Warriors & Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome using SM2/Cyberspace.

 I have a few HG books as well as some Jovian Chronicles books that I picked up used because I liked the artwork and had won some $ at a MtG (Cardboard Crack) tournament. I think they have some great material that can be used with SM2 or SM:P with some adaption.
MDC   

[RandalThor]

The closest I've come to full on space opera have been a couple of games in Spacemaster - in one I played a Transhuman 5 Armsman revenging the murder of her family by Colosian agents (succeeded at level 36 by crashing a battlecruiser into their planet and then swanning off to become a galactic action movie megastar, principally on the strength of filming some of the combats along the way, computer enhancing them to remove armour, and hiring an awesome scriptwriter and director to string them together - "Such realistic effects!")

With the movie, Acts of Valor coming out, it seems as though someone else had that idea. (Sort of.)

Also sounds like the prosecutors at your trial would have an easy job because of you. he he

[JimiSue]

Also sounds like the prosecutors at your trial would have an easy job because of you. he he

Well, she was Devonian and they are basically at war with House Colos. Besides, the footage she used for the film was while they were "infiltrating" a Colosian secret military base - "What do you mean there 1200 soldiers here?" *player looks worriedly at character sheet* "I don't have that many bullets with me. I'm going to have to do some of this hand to hand." - so they couldn't really do anything without exposing that they were up to no good. Yes I know, logic flimsier than tissue paper, but it's roleplying, sometimes you have to suspend disbelief at the law as well