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: Altered Carbon RPG KS  (Read 1640 times)

Alderaan Crumbs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 784
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« on: February 04, 2020, 11:46:11 AM »
For those interested...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/huntersbooks/altered-carbon-the-role-playing-game

It's got a QS that I skimmed and it looks cool, but I would need to play it to be sure, obviously.

And at the risk of derailing my own thread...

https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/altered-carbon-rpg-in-kickstarter.858537/

Not surprising.
Playing: With myself.
Running: Away from bees.
Reading: My signature.

Ghostmaker

  • Chlorine trifluoride
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4013
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2020, 11:55:40 AM »
But why? This seems like the sort of thing you could run with Eclipse Phase. I see the system is inspired by Savage Worlds, though, which is a plus.

I'll keep an eye on it, though with hitting their funding level five times over I don't think they're going to have problems bringing it to market unless they totally screw up.

nope

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • n
  • Posts: 993
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2020, 11:58:59 AM »
Altered Carbon's authors' blog article which is causing the hissyfit over at TBP (worth the read):

https://www.richardkmorgan.com/2020/01/the-trouble-with-twitter-2-2020-vision/

Anyway, yeah, I don't see any particular reason to buy this RPG personally speaking. Altered Carbon's setting seems fairly limited/generic (to be fair I haven't read the books though, just seen the show) and even if I wanted to, it would be pretty easy to run in many other systems.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2020, 12:48:11 PM by Antiquation! »

Alderaan Crumbs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 784
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2020, 12:29:26 PM »
Why? Because people enjoy the setting. EP may not be for some, especially given its politics.
Playing: With myself.
Running: Away from bees.
Reading: My signature.

nope

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • n
  • Posts: 993
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2020, 12:31:43 PM »
Quote from: Alderaan Crumbs;1120950
Why? Because people enjoy the setting. EP may not be for some, especially given its politics.

I would probably run an Altered Carbon game before I ran Eclipse Phase. Not because of politics, just because it's a little too "out there" for me and I struggle to imagine how to actually use the setting.

Orphan81

  • Angry Videogame Nerd
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 782
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2020, 01:17:33 PM »
I'd just use Savage Worlds... they even have a setting which covers everything you need, "Nova Praxis", or for that matter... Stars Without Number and it's Transhuman rules...

New systems created entirely for a specific Licensed property appeal to me less and less these days.
1. Some of you culture warriors are so committed to the bit you'll throw out any nuance or common sense in fear it's 'giving in' to the other side.

2. I'm a married homeowner with a career and a child. I won life. You can't insult me.

3. I work in a Prison, your tough guy act is boring.

Alderaan Crumbs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 784
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2020, 01:29:26 PM »
If people like it, great. If not, that's no skin off my nose. I don’t think I would suggest ditching a favored system that handles it.

Quote from: Antiquation!;1120951
I would probably run an Altered Carbon game before I ran Eclipse Phase. Not because of politics, just because it's a little too "out there" for me and I struggle to imagine how to actually use the setting.

Agreed. I'm not a fan of its politics but it’s the level of transhumanism that makes me think it's not a good fit for AC.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2020, 01:35:03 PM by Alderaan Crumbs »
Playing: With myself.
Running: Away from bees.
Reading: My signature.

Innocent Smith

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • I
  • Posts: 54
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2020, 12:04:25 PM »
Quote from: Alderaan Crumbs;1120961
I'm not a fan of its politics but it's the level of transhumanism that makes me think it's not a good fit for AC.


I think it's a distinction without difference in a way. Transhumanism, especially the really out there stuff, has an affinity with certain political ideologies/fantasies.

Valatar

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • V
  • Posts: 337
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2020, 04:16:59 PM »
Quote from: areallifetrex;1121058
I think it's a distinction without difference in a way. Transhumanism, especially the really out there stuff, has an affinity with certain political ideologies/fantasies.


Eclipse Phase went too far for me in providing such weird options that I just saw no rational reason somebody would opt to upload their brain into a space monkey so they could throw feces on the moon or whatever.  Transhuman works like Ghost in the Shell and Altered Carbon at least mostly presented people exchanging their humanity for a tangible benefit, and those who were doing weird shit were enacting a fetish or something else that was at least comprehensible.  Yes, if we reach a transhuman future there will be nutjobs who want to upload themselves into a windchime or whatever crazy thing, but it's going to be the province of individuals, not mass production for the public at large.

It also misstepped for me in portraying the people who weren't cool with AIs and transhumanism as evil, given that in their own setting the AIs murdered like 99% of humanity.  I think their position was a touch more prudent than it was being made out in the books, which basically treated them as backwards bumpkins.

Ratman_tf

  • Alt-Reich Shitlord
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8330
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2020, 04:32:54 PM »
As an aside, is the TV show any good? There's so much... stuff on streaming networks it's hard to sift through them all.
The notion of an exclusionary and hostile RPG community is a fever dream of zealots who view all social dynamics through a narrow keyhole of structural oppression.
-Haffrung

nope

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • n
  • Posts: 993
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2020, 05:04:00 PM »
Quote from: Ratman_tf;1121127
As an aside, is the TV show any good? There's so much... stuff on streaming networks it's hard to sift through them all.

IMO parts of it were pretty cool and there are some nifty ideas scattered throughout, but it was a little lackluster in execution. Worth it if you're bored and looking for something cybernoir-ish I'd wager.

Snowman0147

  • Now Even More Frosty
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3085
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2020, 06:46:04 PM »
I am not touching it.  If I want cyberpunk I have Shadowrun Anarchy, Stars Without Number, Savage Worlds, and a I can just as easily make something up using my own system.

SavageSchemer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 389
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2020, 06:57:24 PM »
Quote from: Antiquation!;1120944
Altered Carbon's authors' blog article which is causing the hissyfit over at TBP (worth the read):

https://www.richardkmorgan.com/2020/01/the-trouble-with-twitter-2-2020-vision/

Anyway, yeah, I don't see any particular reason to buy this RPG personally speaking. Altered Carbon's setting seems fairly limited/generic (to be fair I haven't read the books though, just seen the show) and even if I wanted to, it would be pretty easy to run in many other systems.


Ok. I already liked his books, but reading that blog entry made my respect for the man go up by at least an order of magnitude. That is what you call speaking truth to power.
The more clichéd my group plays their characters, the better. I don't want Deep Drama™ and Real Acting™ in the precious few hours away from my family and job. I want cheap thrills, constant action, involved-but-not-super-complex plots, and cheesy but lovable characters.
From "Play worlds, not rules"

Shawn Driscoll

  • Role-Play Purist
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2928
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2020, 12:20:12 AM »
Quote from: Alderaan Crumbs;1120940
For those interested...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/huntersbooks/altered-carbon-the-role-playing-game

It's got a QS that I skimmed and it looks cool, but I would need to play it to be sure, obviously.

And at the risk of derailing my own thread...

https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/altered-carbon-rpg-in-kickstarter.858537/

Not surprising.

Ugh. It's roll-under.

Kidding.

HappyDaze

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • H
  • Posts: 5337
Altered Carbon RPG KS
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2020, 10:21:12 AM »
Quote from: Ratman_tf;1121127
As an aside, is the TV show any good? There's so much... stuff on streaming networks it's hard to sift through them all.


The first episode is terrible, the second is only a little better, but it does pick up from there if you push through.