This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Five Parsecs from Home  (Read 4433 times)

Greentongue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1609
Five Parsecs from Home
« on: May 27, 2021, 01:11:45 PM »
Anyone else giving this a try. Seems like a streamlined RPG in the old school way.
Mostly a D6 system but functional certainly.
While intended to be played with miniatures, so was D&D and look where that lead.
May not replace Traveller but looks good for improv Sci-Fi.

hedgehobbit

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1287
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2021, 09:39:57 PM »
A friend of mine has played the original version. It's not really an RPG. More like a miniatures skirmish game where you fight random AI bad guys. Plus a campaign system where your crew gains XP. Think of it as a solo version of Necromunda. There is a whole series of games using the same system.

There's a fantasy version called Five Leagues from Home and a post-apoc version called Five Klicks from the Zone (or something like that).
« Last Edit: May 27, 2021, 10:06:41 PM by hedgehobbit »

Greentongue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1609
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2021, 01:23:36 PM »
"Not really an RPG." Seems to be a frequent response these days. :D

I'm hoping that as a Solo / Multiplayer game it could still be fun with or without other players.

Greentongue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1609
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2021, 07:12:37 PM »
What do you really need rules for except life & death combat. Everything else can pretty much be adjudicated by reasonable people.

Greentongue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1609
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2021, 01:35:57 PM »
Starport Scum looks like the RPG version of 5P.
The video "Star Dogs" might be a Live Action version of Starport Scum.
I say that because 5P tends to have a bigger party and there are only 4 people on the Start Dogs crew.

GrayMete

  • Newbie
  • *
  • G
  • Posts: 1
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2021, 12:40:03 AM »
Starport Scum looks like the RPG version of 5P.  mcdvoice
The video "Star Dogs" might be a Live Action version of Starport Scum.
I say that because 5P tends to have a bigger party and there are only 4 people on the Start Dogs crew.

What do you really need rules for except life & death combat. Everything else can pretty much be adjudicated by reasonable people.

Spinachcat

  • Toxic SocioCat
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • S
  • Posts: 14805
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2021, 04:02:28 AM »
Post a link to the game. Interested to see any reviews.

I'm always up for a RPG skirmish hybrid.

Greentongue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1609
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2021, 01:05:43 PM »
Five Parsecs From Home Review: Adventure Wargaming Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNT9_wbexx0




caldrail

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 59
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2021, 06:23:16 PM »
What constitutes a role playing game? I ask because the previous posts underliena  tendency to classify rule sets acording to some sort of perceived conformity. I'm not trying to criticise, I just think it's important to realise that however rigid and bespoke the rules might be, every game is individualistic because it relies on storytelling rather than being a game (or at least in my view it shouldl). I was accused of being 'arbitrary' on another website because I made decisions for the purposes of the campaign. It is true I regard rules in RPG's as necessary evils, and there have been plenty of disagreements with players who quoted from the rulebook when I made a decision that they didn't like.

I remember that very first 40K volume. Can't even remember the name of it now, it was sort of a wargame with enough bits in it to use for roleplay - this was before a formal 40K RPG was even touted.  I own a set of rules for 1/300 WW2 armoured warfare. A wargame, unashamedly. But you could use it as a base for WW2 roleplay if you wanted. That was the point. The rules serve a purpose, not to define the game.

Okay, I'll go back to sleep :D

Greentongue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1609
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2021, 08:35:08 AM »
I'm not sure if the question was specifically directed towards me but, to me it is the emergent story created from the interactions of characters, that have been defined with some characteristics and skills, reacting to situations they find themselves in, at the direction of a player.

As far as 5P, you have characters that can react, to dice driven events, how a player decides. This creates an ongoing story that can be engaging.

King Tyranno

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 291
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2021, 07:52:22 AM »
It's just solo Necromunda. It's a fine game to play. But it isn't an RPG. It isn't even advertised as one. That's like calling 40k an RPG because you can create custom characters and interpret their actions in character. You're still playing a wargame.

caldrail

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 59
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2021, 03:04:00 PM »
The original 40k was a hybrid system. It was not designed as a wargame as such though it became one once GW found there was enough interest to support the project and the figure releases. The RPG side of things was discarded until it made a comeback as a purpose designed set of rules as Dark Reign.

hedgehobbit

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1287
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2021, 04:34:11 PM »
The original 40k was a hybrid system.

You can say that about the first edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, a game that had player characters, XP, gold, and even randomly generated social status. But by the time Rogue Trader showed up, GW had dropped almost all of that. The only RPG-ish element in the first edition of 40K had was a post-battle injury chart which was only used for campaigns. And their campaigns were described simply as "fighting a series of battles" and "learning to conserve your forces". No role-playing element there.

Rogue Trader came out one year after Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, so GW had already decided that RPGs and Wargames where two separate things.
« Last Edit: October 31, 2021, 04:38:01 PM by hedgehobbit »

caldrail

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 59
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2021, 06:25:21 PM »
I remember the scenario chart which was biased toward personal encounters. We'll agree to disagree I think.

King Tyranno

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 291
Re: Five Parsecs from Home
« Reply #14 on: November 01, 2021, 08:54:21 AM »
The original 40k was a hybrid system. It was not designed as a wargame as such though it became one once GW found there was enough interest to support the project and the figure releases. The RPG side of things was discarded until it made a comeback as a purpose designed set of rules as Dark Reign.

First of all, I played Rogue Trader. No one played it as RPG. We all just sort of tried to follow the rules such as it were. And hoped by the end we had played an actual game. Which to be honest, Rogue Trader wasn't.  It was a bizarre and messy book made to fling shit at a wall to see what stuck. Which is why you had statted characters like Obiwan Sherlock Clouseau. They didn't give a shit. By second edition WARHAMMER 40K was established as a wargame. It was never seen as anything else. Five Parcecs from Home describes itself as a skirmish level wargame similar to Necromunda. So I have no idea why you're splitting hairs with me over that.
Also for fuck's sake it's Dark Heresy not Dark Reign. No idea where you got that from.