I'm still slowly building forward on Derelict Delvers. A little here and a little there adds up.  This thread has three things I want to talk about.

P.L.O.T Device
     Let me be honest. I love spaceships that swoop, fire thrusters in blazing contrails, and generally don't act a lot like real vehicles in space. I call this the "Star Wars" effect. I like realism too, but for some games and works the idea of pulp rocketships just works. This is where Derelict Delvers fits. Non-hard SF with rocketshaped and Delta-Wing craft that jet through space.  Now "Rocket shaped" may still be somewhat large and have multiple decks, its a vague nod at rocket shape that I'm after not simply repeats of ancient ground based missiles for people.

In order to facilitate play, Derelict Delvers ships top speeds are going to be based on pilot skills. A good pilot can push his ship faster, maneuver around gravity wells, and so on. Thus we have the P.L.O.T Device. The Para-Luminal Oscillating Thruster Device. (In previous editions of Derelict Delvers this was called the Para-Luminal Over-Thruster, but this has been changed for Derelict Delvers Delta, aka the 4th Edition or 3D iteration of the game.)

A PLOT device has a variable faster than light speed that relies on the pilots plotting, his fly by stick abilities, and his instinct. This is why pilots are useful in play in and out of the Delving experience.

Visualization
     I'm trying to get information together and get art for the game. It's approaching solid playtest form and that means that I want to get the look going.
I have been sketching some preliminary ideas for how it is supposed to look. Mostly just weapons and spaceships and a face or two here for inspiration. The look is definitely "retro" which hearkens the game back to its roots. (None of this faux-cyberpunk style of 3rd edition, Derelict Delvers.)

Instead we look to its inspirations--the pulp sci fi magazines like Wierd Tales, Amazing stories, and so on and so forth. We have ornate beam guns and beamblades, of brass, tubes, crystals and glass. We have bubble helmets and uniform like spacesuits that are relatively little heavier than ordinary clothing. We also will have bug-eyed monsters. (Not to be confused with Insectoid lifeforms.)

I'm aiming for a very pulp-sci fi feel. Robots that are monstrous and terrible, but humanoid and have insidious goals to wipe out life. (or maybe just kidnap the women folk of humanoid species.)

Playtesting
     I'm just a hair away from playtesting the basic rules. This includes combat, skill checks and delving situations. It does not include spaceflight or space combat (which won't be too different but for the tools used.) I need to finish up with a few more threats and get all of the Medic's Medkit abilities and Espers Psychic Augmentation Device's capabilities describe. I do have what they do in a little chart that describes the basics but I need to pad that with some explanations. (Especially to cover multi-slotting.)

I love idea of retro pulp art and retro tech.   Give me some rayguns!

I like your idea of Pilot Skill = Speed of Ship.   Heck, that was true for the Age of Sail and obviously true within Star Wars.   But P.L.O.T. Device sounds too cheesy.

Have you seen the remastered DVD for Forbidden Planet?  If not, rent it.  The cleanup of the F/X and color was well done.

BTW, make sure to include a reading and viewing list in DD.   I picked up The Moon Maid by Edgar Rice Burroughs last week and I never heard of it before.  I miss RPGs that expanded my reading horizons.

Quote from: Spinachcat;297273I love idea of retro pulp art and retro tech.   Give me some rayguns!

I like your idea of Pilot Skill = Speed of Ship.   Heck, that was true for the Age of Sail and obviously true within Star Wars.   But P.L.O.T. Device sounds too cheesy.

Have you seen the remastered DVD for Forbidden Planet?  If not, rent it.  The cleanup of the F/X and color was well done.

BTW, make sure to include a reading and viewing list in DD.   I picked up The Moon Maid by Edgar Rice Burroughs last week and I never heard of it before.  I miss RPGs that expanded my reading horizons.

Well, I like PLOT device. It's not meant to be 100% serious though, but I'll work on it.

In general I've been considering a lot of reading material to include but most of it was short stories, so I'll ask around for suggestions as well.