Quote from: Sacrosanct;778559On a related note, I was working on my own sci-fi game when the playtest came out.  I had so much fun playing it, that if the OGL allows next year, I will make it 5e compatible rather than my own rules.  Going to take a "campaign setting" approach to it, rather than a stand alone game.

The first thing that crossed my mind was "Holy sh*t, it is LIVING STEEL with a goddamn playable system!"

Quote from: Sacrosanct;778824Funny enough, it was designed to be robots, and not organic players originally.

Cyborg Commando? Gygax would be proud.

If you are wanting to play D&D in SciFi drag, then how is that different from just playing D&D?

Yes, it's totally the same, except for the blasters, the classes, the races (potentially), the magic, the space ships, the planets...

Other than those things, it'd just be D&D

Quote from: Will;778870Yes, it's totally the same, except for the blasters, the classes, the races (potentially), the magic, the space ships, the planets...

Other than those things, it'd just be D&D

So how does the actual play feel different?

(This is one of the criticisms for d20 Star Wars, the system felt just like D&D 3.x with blasters and Jedi.)

Quote from: jeff37923;778882So how does the actual play feel different?

(This is one of the criticisms for d20 Star Wars, the system felt just like D&D 3.x with blasters and Jedi.)

In one way, I think that is the point, it is just another setting, so no need to learn any new rules. Just sit down and play.

Quote from: dragoner;778891In one way, I think that is the point, it is just another setting, so no need to learn any new rules. Just sit down and play.

I won't deny that aspect was one of the better parts of d20 gaming, it just made for a sameness in a lot of the game play.

Quote from: jeff37923;778882So how does the actual play feel different?

(This is one of the criticisms for d20 Star Wars, the system felt just like D&D 3.x with blasters and Jedi.)

Why do I want the actual play to feel different? This kind of boggles me.

I mean, sometimes I want to watch a supernatural horror movie. Sometimes a scifi horror movie.
And they might be essentially the same movie. But sometimes I find it fun to look at spaceships.

Quote from: Will;778903Why do I want the actual play to feel different? This kind of boggles me.

I mean, sometimes I want to watch a supernatural horror movie. Sometimes a scifi horror movie.
And they might be essentially the same movie. But sometimes I find it fun to look at spaceships.

Fair enough. I don't share the view, but that isn't a bad thing.

For myself, I'd want my fantasy to be different from my science fiction otherwise there is no reason to have them be seperate genres besides set dressing and costumes. For games, I'd like there to be different approaches to the RPG and different effects based on the setting. Without enough differentiation, you are left with just a generic RPG experience in my view. I do think that system matters in these cases.

Well, it's interesting, because this is fundamentally another permutation of genre debate.

My view is that much of the debate comes from glossing over the multi-dimensional nature of what 'genre' is.

There's mood, atmosphere, backdrop, setting, props, typical characters, message, pacing, and so on.

So, for example, is Cowboys vs. Aliens a scifi movie or a Western?

The answer is, really... 'yes.'

Because it has different elements of each. I think one reason it did poorly was that a lot of the pacing and story was very much a Western, and I think a number of people weren't really expecting that.

But it had elements and props of Science Fiction, and some of the message (unity) is more in the realm of scifi positivism.

You will have people say 'it's obviously X' because they see certain elements as more significant to defining a genre. And people saying 'it's obviously Y' because they see OTHER elements as more significant.


So the upshot is, 'this isn't right for scifi' depends wildly on what you predicate for scifi.

Quote from: Will;778975Well, it's interesting, because this is fundamentally another permutation of genre debate.

My view is that much of the debate comes from glossing over the multi-dimensional nature of what 'genre' is.

There's mood, atmosphere, backdrop, setting, props, typical characters, message, pacing, and so on.

OK, I grok where you are coming from.

Quote from: Will;778975So, for example, is Cowboys vs. Aliens a scifi movie or a Western?

The answer is, really... 'yes.'

Because it has different elements of each. I think one reason it did poorly was that a lot of the pacing and story was very much a Western, and I think a number of people weren't really expecting that.

But it had elements and props of Science Fiction, and some of the message (unity) is more in the realm of scifi positivism.

You will have people say 'it's obviously X' because they see certain elements as more significant to defining a genre. And people saying 'it's obviously Y' because they see OTHER elements as more significant.


So the upshot is, 'this isn't right for scifi' depends wildly on what you predicate for scifi.

Maybe better examples would be, "Is Shadowrun fantasy or science fiction?" and "Is Expedition to the Barrier Peaks fantasy or science fiction?"

I often bring up Scooby Doo and watch the fireworks.

'IT'S NOT FUCKING HORROR'

Of course it is! Four teenagers in an old van drive around the country hearing voices from their dog and setting up complex, SAW-like traps to catch "bad guys" who are usually bewildered elderly people forced to run around with rubber masks before being "caught".

Yeah, Scooby Doo is horror. Just watching Scrappy Do costs D4 SAN.

Quote from: Will;779026I often bring up Scooby Doo and watch the fireworks.

'IT'S NOT FUCKING HORROR'

No, its horror, just juvenile horror. Kinda like the Goosebumps shows and books.

Quote from: Spinachcat;779042Of course it is! Four teenagers in an old van drive around the country hearing voices from their dog and setting up complex, SAW-like traps to catch "bad guys" who are usually bewildered elderly people forced to run around with rubber masks before being "caught".

Yeah, Scooby Doo is horror. Just watching Scrappy Do costs D4 SAN.

You underestimate the mind-shattering horror that is Scrappy Doo.

d8 SAN loss, easily.