One of my current favour games is the great Etherscope but it's not a game I see mentioned a lot at all. Is there much love out there for it?
Personally I think it's a great combination of grittiness, heroism and all the good bits of steampunk.But it never get's talked about very much. So who out there like Etherscop? Tell us about cool stuff that has happened in your games or characters you've come up with. I'd really like to hear about it.
Thanks
Frank
Games get talked about for a number of reasons. Etherscope from Escape Ventures doesn't get talked about because the company earned a reputation very early it its career. "Control freaks" is one of the politer terms. They came on the scene, made noise, then faded away when the community told them to sod off and stop acting like they were God's gift to RPGs.
It is said that you can't piss off all the people all the time. Escape Ventures came pretty damn close.
Except that Etherscope is written by Malladins Gate Press (http://www.malladinsgate.com/) and marketed/published by Goodman Games (http://www.goodman-games.com/WW17620preview.php)...
I do, on an unrelated note, find it somewhat ironic that Franklin loves Etherscope (as do I, great setting/game) and yet is ragging on the Collective Endeavour over on Pundit's forum. I can only assume that he doesn't realise that one of CE's founders writes adventure modules for Etherscope and is good friends with the authors, Nigel and Ben, and has worked on some of the other Etherscope suppliments put out by them.
Quote from: FranklinOne of my current favour games is the great Etherscope but it's not a game I see mentioned a lot at all. Is there much love out there for it?
Personally I think it's a great combination of grittiness, heroism and all the good bits of steampunk.But it never get's talked about very much. So who out there like Etherscop? Tell us about cool stuff that has happened in your games or characters you've come up with. I'd really like to hear about it.
Thanks
Frank
I haven't played Etherscope yet, but I got fairly intimate with the setting (ooh, that sounded naughty) when editing The Lemurian Candidate, an Etherscope adventure that was nominated for an Ennie at last year's GenCon.
I can't say enough about the setting or TLC. It puts a twist on modern day game-play, incorporating aspects of the supernatural/alt-science that I found very enjoyable to read and which I think would be fantastic to play.
The only issue I kept coming up against was that I really wanted to play it in a Victorian steampunk type setting, rather than the "recent past" era it was written in. Has anyone else ran up against this?
~jess~
//www.jesshartley.com
Quote from: Geoff HallExcept that Etherscope is written by Malladins Gate Press (http://www.malladinsgate.com/) and marketed/published by Goodman Games (http://www.goodman-games.com/WW17620preview.php)...
I do, on an unrelated note, find it somewhat ironic that Franklin loves Etherscope (as do I, great setting/game) and yet is ragging on the Collective Endeavour over on Pundit's forum. I can only assume that he doesn't realise that one of CE's founders writes adventure modules for Etherscope and is good friends with the authors, Nigel and Ben, and has worked on some of the other Etherscope suppliments put out by them.
Yes, that is the Etherscope I'm talking about. I did not know that about one of the CE guys designing stuff for Etherscope. Well, at leats that is one good thing that is coming out of that.
Thanks
Frank
Quote from: JessHartleyThe only issue I kept coming up against was that I really wanted to play it in a Victorian steampunk type setting, rather than the "recent past" era it was written in. Has anyone else ran up against this?
I actually rather enjoy the 1980's default setting, bringing Victoriana into the (warped and twisted) modern day! It's certainly good fun to play in as a setting (I'm in Andrew's weekly online game) and one of the better OGL games that I've seen.
I have a decided fondness of TLC myself, although mechanically proofing the NPCs nearly did my head in.
Quote from: JessHartleyI haven't played Etherscope yet, but I got fairly intimate with the setting (ooh, that sounded naughty) when editing The Lemurian Candidate, an Etherscope adventure that was nominated for an Ennie at last year's GenCon.
I can't say enough about the setting or TLC. It puts a twist on modern day game-play, incorporating aspects of the supernatural/alt-science that I found very enjoyable to read and which I think would be fantastic to play.
The only issue I kept coming up against was that I really wanted to play it in a Victorian steampunk type setting, rather than the "recent past" era it was written in. Has anyone else ran up against this?
~jess~
//www.jesshartley.com
I've not had that problem, no. I have tended to run it with a very Victorian style anyway, I sometimes flick through the Chthulhu by Gaslight books for ideas for the game.
I think the recent past era and 1984 references work very well to provide a great setting for playing games in. if you have had this problems, how have you managed to overcome it?
Thanks
Frank
Quote from: FranklinYes, that is the Etherscope I'm talking about. I did not know that about one of the CE guys designing stuff for Etherscope. Well, at leats that is one good thing that is coming out of that.
Thanks
Frank
Check out Andrew Kenrick's website for Steam power Publishing (http://www.steampowerpublishing.co.uk/) for something on the Lemurian Candidate if you feel so inclinded.
Quote from: Geoff HallI actually rather enjoy the 1980's default setting...
Eh? Tell me more, for I am, of a sudden, intrigued.
Would any of you care to give a brief summary of what Etherscope is about? This one has passed me by..
RPGpundit
This pretty well sums it up:
QuoteEnter Etherspace
In 1876, Harold Wallace discovered something that changed the world: Etherspace. The might of Victorian industry drove forward, breaking down the frontiers of technology. Steam engines became smaller, weapons became more powerful, and cybernaughtics replaced limbs lost in bloody imperial wars. Then mankind learned to step into Etherspace itself.
Cyberpunk Victoriana
Now it's 1984. In this alternative world of out-of-control technology, Etherspace is the new frontier. Punk scope riders fight evil industrialists while occult investigators war against Etherspace demons. Mysterious System Agents lurk in the shadows as treasure hunters raid Lemurean ruins for lost secrets. Jack in, scope up, and get ready, because the options for an Etherscope game are endless!
Etherscope is a complete OGL role playing game containing everything you need to create a character, play an adventure, start a campaign, and explore Etherspace!
Ack, don't ask me to think, I'm at work! ;)
I'll start off with the blurb from the Goodman games website:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enter Etherspace
In 1876, Harold Wallace discovered something that changed the world: Etherspace. The might of Victorian industry drove forward, breaking down the frontiers of technology. Steam engines became smaller, weapons became more powerful, and cybernaughtics replaced limbs lost in bloody imperial wars. Then mankind learned to step into Etherspace itself.
Cyberpunk Victoriana
Now it's 1984. In this alternative world of out-of-control technology, Etherspace is the new frontier. Punk scope riders fight evil industrialists while occult investigators war against Etherspace demons. Mysterious System Agents lurk in the shadows as treasure hunters raid Lemurean ruins for lost secrets. Jack in, scope up, and get ready, because the options for an Etherscope game are endless!
Etherscope is a complete OGL role playing game containing everything you need to create a character, play an adventure, start a campaign, and explore Etherspace!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, Etherspace probably needs some explanation I guess. Think of a giant, wild, untamed and formless cyberspace world. Then take it and make sections of it slightly Matrix-esque with domains in the form of rooms, factories, administration towers, etc. until you have cities within the wilderness. These domains form the Etherscope, the place where you can jack in (either via an actual jack in your neck like the matrix or via drug use (scope tabs as they're called.) Of course this is only one aspect of the setting but the discovery of Etherscape is the core driver of the setting. It changed the political landscape, altered the sequence of world events and reshaped history.
The major world powers are now the British Empire, the Third Reich and America. Technology is radically different, ultra-efficient steam engines using Etherspace give a victorian steampunk feel to the game, as do the default outfits, etc. which are, essentially, updated Victorian. In addition to this you have the Etherscope cyberspace aspects of the setting.
There is also a strong occult flavour (although I believe that is brought out more in some of the suppliments) with the Fae (from ancient Lemuria) being a playable race. Indeed the fate of the ancient Lemurians ties in directly with Etherspace and its true nature.
There is a strong revolutionary feel to the game as well with Scope Riders surfing the Etherscope and hacking government and industrial domains, independance movements in the north of England, secret wars between the CIA and MI5 on the streets of the Great Metropolis (and massive conglomoration of Liverpool, Manchester and all of the towns around them) and counter-culture empahsised throughout. The ethos is very much 70's/80's punk in that aspect of the game.
It can be a very grim, dark and gritty setting (and character death isn't that hard to achieve; low hitpoints and really nasty ethertech weapons see to that) but it can also be pulpy, high action stuff. It depends how you want to play it and what aspects of the setting you want to emphasis. Do you go for the political power struggles between the new, rich, industrialists and the old families? Do you explore ancient ruins and the secrets of Lemuria in the heart of Africa? Do you take the fight to the government on the scope and in the streets of the Great Metropolis? Do you fight for King and Country in foriegn lands? Do you engage in the power struggles of the crime syndicates? There's a lot of ways to go with this game and I haven't even mentioned the Eugenics League and the different varieties of human that their experiments have produced (Alpha through Beta (normal humans) right the way to Epsilons.)
Quote from: Geoff HallExcept that Etherscope is written by Malladins Gate Press (http://www.malladinsgate.com/) and marketed/published by Goodman Games (http://www.goodman-games.com/WW17620preview.php)...
I do, on an unrelated note, find it somewhat ironic that Franklin loves Etherscope (as do I, great setting/game) and yet is ragging on the Collective Endeavour over on Pundit's forum. I can only assume that he doesn't realise that one of CE's founders writes adventure modules for Etherscope and is good friends with the authors, Nigel and Ben, and has worked on some of the other Etherscope suppliments put out by them.
Not the first game with that title. :)
Quote from: mythusmageNot the first game with that title. :)
So it would seem :D
I'm a fan of Etherscope. I ran a one-shot of it, using the True20 system. Worked pretty well.
Quote from: RPGPunditWould any of you care to give a brief summary of what Etherscope is about? This one has passed me by..
Here's a review:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=2886110