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Author Topic: 'Clean Slate' STAR TREK Universe gaming; Ed's GURPS: Star Trek Campaign  (Read 6619 times)

Werekoala

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« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2011, 11:27:59 AM »
Re: integration - I only saw Abram's Trek once, but I don't recall any non-humans on board the Enterprize aside from Spock, but I could be wrong. Certainly there weren't any on the bridge crew. Even if there were, it's still pretty obvious that both Starfleet Academy and the crew of the Enterprise were 80-90% or more human.

I think that at the time period when the Federation is just getting started (around the time period you're talking about) that homogenous ship crews would be fairly common since most of the members of the Federation would have had their own fleets prior to entry, I would think. Think of it in terms that the shows present themselves; Spock is the first and only Vulcan in Star Fleet, in both TOS and the movie. In TNG, Worf was the first and only Klingon. Someone always has to be first, and there will always be a time before a fully integrated crew would exist on every ship. Ascribing that thinking to racism is stupid and counterproductive.

It would sorta be like a NATO military unit that was composed of a mix of nationalities, rather than 99% from one nation with 1% observers, maybe. If nothing else, communications problems would preclude such a mix early-on.

You are, of course, free to do as you see fit, I'm just throwing out my Cr.02.
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J Arcane

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« Reply #16 on: October 12, 2011, 11:35:55 AM »
Quote from: Cranewings;484662
Daniel, I think you need to reclaim the idea that the weapons are all powerful. It is an idea that comes and goes from trek. I think Abrams put it back, both with the power of the super weapon and the strength of the mining ship.

If someone shoots a torpedo at a city in Abrams trek, it should take out the country with it.


Eh.  The Narada's laser was explicitly more powerful than what was available at the time.

The rest of the weapons were refreshingly underpowered.  No phasers vaporizing people this time.
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David R

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« Reply #17 on: October 12, 2011, 12:07:05 PM »
Quote from: Koltar;484697

DON'T mention 'replicators' or other 24th century terminology. In this era the ship has cooks or chefs, quartermasters, laundry services, and a materials fabrication department.


I like this. I like the idea of meals being prepared and clothes cleaned and mended etc. Life onboard a ship.

Regards,
David R

Koltar

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« Reply #18 on: October 12, 2011, 12:22:23 PM »
Quote from: Werekoala;484735
Re: integration - I only saw Abram's Trek once, but I don't recall any non-humans on board the Enterprize aside from Spock, but I could be wrong. Certainly there weren't any on the bridge crew. Even if there were, it's still pretty obvious that both Starfleet Academy and the crew of the Enterprise were 80-90% or more human.

Non-humans seen onboard the Enterprise besides Spock:
An Orion woman in the deleted scenes disc.
An unusual looking alien woman seen very quickly on the Bridge.
In the ending scene - Scotty's little friend named 'Keenzer' from anb unnamed alien race.

SO, thats at least three non-humans or non-terrans.

There are probably more...or there was meant to be more. Its likely time and budget limited how many aliens they could show in Starfleet uniform.


Quote

I think that at the time period when the Federation is just getting started (around the time period you're talking about) that homogenous ship crews would be fairly commo..........


Actually the 'Federation' has been around for close to 100 years at this point. The writers of the movie scrtipt said that everything that happened in the series "Enterprise" DID happen (for the most part). That means the Federation was started in 2161, the movie's back half takes place in 2258. My game has been going on long enough that we are now adventuring in February of 2259.

Quote
You are, of course, free to do as you see fit, I'm just throwing out my Cr.02.


Your input is fine. In the past your comments have been generally helpful with my past campaigns anmd games when I've chatted about them.  I like to see RPG campaigns as similiar to better versions of TV shows or movies - except with a much larger or unlimited production budget and an attempt at better writing and a higher percentage of fun-swashbuckling.

- Ed C.
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James Gillen

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« Reply #19 on: October 12, 2011, 03:18:39 PM »
Quote from: daniel_ream;484546
I find your ideas intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Seriously, though, I would like to see more from this campaign as it develops.  Before Abrams' Trek was released, I tried to start a Star Trek campaign using LUGtrek with the proviso that we would be playing a more mature Trek with more modern, "realistic" sensibilities, set around the TMP era.

It never flew, because anyone interested just would not let go of the whole "but it's not Trek if you don't have..." whine.

Surprisingly, instead of being strung up on the nearest lamppost for eliminating all existing continuity Abrams seems to have been embraced by the fans, so I might have a shot at this now and I'd like to see how yours runs.


If I ever run Trek, in any system, I wanna do the Abramsverse precisely to keep that Original Series feel while dropping all (well most) of the backstory that all the grognards will know better than I do.

Quote


(The biggest challenge I can see for myself is getting that big screen epic movie feel in the sessions, since TOS was basically staged and scripted like a Greek morality play and TNG was The Love Boat in space).


Picard = Captain Steubing
Troi = Julie, Your Cruise Director
Data = Gopher, Your Yeoman Purser
Geordie = Isaac, Your Bartender

...I can see it.

JG
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daniel_ream

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« Reply #20 on: October 12, 2011, 03:54:12 PM »
Quote from: James Gillen;484802

Picard = Captain Steubing
Troi = Julie, Your Cruise Director
Data = Gopher, Your Yeoman Purser
Geordie = Isaac, Your Bartender

...I can see it.


LOL Well, I meant more that once the cast budget started racking up and they realized they had a lot of middle aged female viewers, they started doing nothing but shipbound relationship plots.  But yeah, the physical correspondences are uncanny (I'd swap out Guinan for Geordie, though...)
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Koltar

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« Reply #21 on: October 12, 2011, 11:27:45 PM »
This is my Info briefing for our 2nd game session of the campaign:
___   ___   ___   ___

STARDATE 2258.230         August 18, 2258

Alpha Corvalla III

A people or race that calls itself the P’Chenqa (Puh-Chenka) has contacted the Federation using an older clearance code.

______        ______        ______        _______
The Message is as follows:

“Hello There Big Hello to Federation of Many Peoples!  We Might Wish or Like you to join us your Federation.  Please to eat and come talk to us and our Faces.”
_______       ______       ______       ______       ______       ______    

The USS Cochise NCC-530 is being assigned to make first contact and determine how this previously unknown race was able to access no longer used Federation Subspace channels.

Has there been a cultural contamination because of Prime Directive violation?

If so, is it repairable?

Can the cultural contamination be corrected?

How technologically advanced are the P’Chenqa?

Could these “ P’Chenqa “ possibly become citizens of the Federation?

For reference purposes:

2258 August 18         =      2258.230

2258 Thursday August 19: National Aviation Day
2258 AUGU 19      =      2258.231

2258 AUG 20            =      2258.232

2258 Aug 21         =      2258.233

AUGUST 22, 2258         =      2258.234

August 23, 2258      =      2258.235

___   ___   ___   ___   ___   ___   ___

So yeah - it was a Prime Directive dilemma situation. I didn't convert any book or previously published Star Trek Adventure. The whole planet, alien race and situation were 95% created by me.

The P'Chenqa were sort of humanoid in appearance. They had two arms, two legs, head in the usual place. They also had a light coating of fur on their bodies that was in various shades of gray or brown.

This fur shading was usually darker on the ones known as P'Chena Tenk.

I am going to keep posting cut & paste versions of my player handouts that I use to start the game sessions. If any of you want to know how the gtame sessions ended - jog my memory on which scenario starter you are curious about.


- Ed C.
The return of 'You can't take the Sky From me!'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUn-eN8mkDw&feature=rec-fresh+div

This is what a really cool FANTASY RPG should be like :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WnjVUBDbs

Still here, still alive, at least Seven years now...

James Gillen

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« Reply #22 on: October 13, 2011, 02:59:25 AM »
Quote from: daniel_ream;484807
LOL Well, I meant more that once the cast budget started racking up and they realized they had a lot of middle aged female viewers, they started doing nothing but shipbound relationship plots.  But yeah, the physical correspondences are uncanny (I'd swap out Guinan for Geordie, though...)


Oh yeah.  But Guinan was a later addition to the cast, so hey.

JG
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-Be very very careful with any argument that calls for hurting specific people right now in order to theoretically help abstract people later.
-Daztur

PaladinCA

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« Reply #23 on: October 13, 2011, 02:04:55 PM »
This whole Star Trek TNG is "The Love Boat" makes no sense whatsoever.

About the only commonality is that both captains are bald. That's it.

crkrueger

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« Reply #24 on: October 13, 2011, 05:13:07 PM »
Quote from: Werekoala;484735
Re: integration - I only saw Abram's Trek once, but I don't recall any non-humans on board the Enterprize aside from Spock, but I could be wrong. Certainly there weren't any on the bridge crew. Even if there were, it's still pretty obvious that both Starfleet Academy and the crew of the Enterprise were 80-90% or more human.
I don't remember the Starfleet Academy scenes, of the movie but of the "founding races" of the Federation, the Tellarites tend towards less Starfleet members due to private starfaring economic concerns, and the Vulcans and Andorians tended towards species-specific ships, the Vulcans due to their telepathic abilities and viewing of other species as illogical, rude and violent, and the Andorians due to the sometimes violent peculiarities of their culture.  Also the Vulcans and Andorians have home climates different from the human norm in both temperature and humidity.
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crkrueger

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« Reply #25 on: October 13, 2011, 05:13:44 PM »
Quote from: PaladinCA;484957
This whole Star Trek TNG is "The Love Boat" makes no sense whatsoever.

About the only commonality is that both captains are bald. That's it.
They both have black bartenders.  :D  Issac was Guinan not Jordi.
Even the the "cutting edge" storygamers for all their talk of narrative, plot, and drama are fucking obsessed with the god damned rules they use. - Estar

Yes, Sean Connery's thumb does indeed do megadamage. - Spinachcat

Isuldur is a badass because he stopped Sauron with a broken sword, but Iluvatar is the badass because he stopped Sauron with a hobbit. -Malleus Arianorum

"Tangency Edition" D&D would have no classes or races, but 17 genders to choose from. -TristramEvans

Koltar

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« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2011, 06:44:17 PM »
So what.
It doesn't matter

 ALL 24th Century or 'TNG" references are mostly irrelevent for my campaign.

Also, just about ALL 'canon' that takes place after the year 2234 or so with the differences piling up or accelerating around 2255.

Perfect Example: back in the summer a new player to group asked me a question right before we were to start playing. Most of the group was there.

He said:
"I have to ask - where's Khan?"

I said  "There is no 'Khan', or rather there was - but he is a historical figure or footnote to this version of the universe."

I went on to briefly explain that Khan's ship the Botany Bay was encountered in 2267 (when 'Space Seed' supposedly took place) and these adventures take place in early 2259. That means that no one in Starfleet has enbcountered that drifting ship yet. Khan doesn't matter - as far as GMs and players know he and his crew are still asleep. Kirk might never encounter him in the new timeline's version of things.

This new player heard all of that and said "Damn, things are different."


YEP.... Things are different, but it's still STAR TREK.

 Everything is familiar, but very Different.

The universe is new again.

Still lots of stuff to explore and bump into.
Lots of battles yet to happen - or to happen much differently than they might have otherwise.


- Ed C.
The return of 'You can't take the Sky From me!'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUn-eN8mkDw&feature=rec-fresh+div

This is what a really cool FANTASY RPG should be like :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WnjVUBDbs

Still here, still alive, at least Seven years now...

daniel_ream

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« Reply #27 on: October 14, 2011, 12:23:07 AM »
Quote from: Koltar;484987

YEP.... Things are different, but it's still STAR TREK.
 Everything is familiar, but very Different.
The universe is new again.


I've done this with other licensed properties that were heavily tied to the canon characters (like Star Trek and X-Files) and whenever someone brought up the "what about (canon character X)" question I always replied "That was someone else's story.  This is about making our own stories."

That hasn't worked for Star Trek so far; the Trek fans around here seem really attached to their canon.  I'm hoping the Abramsverse will help.
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Koltar

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« Reply #28 on: October 14, 2011, 02:23:33 AM »
Found proof that there were other 'aliens' on 'non-0humans' onboard the Enterprise in the last movie besides Spock.

Scan this page:

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Unnamed_USS_Enterprise_personnel_(alternate_reality)

You will notice at least 4 non-human Starfleet crewmembers. The very unusual one with big dark grey head - but nice eyes stuck out in my memory. She was stationed on the bridge at the science station in the back and middle, between the two turbo lifts.

Picture of her, if this works:



Don't know the name of her race yet....

On the deleted scenes disc there was also this character:


They had to cut her scene - because it was a payoff or punchline to a sub-plot with Kirk that got cut for time reasons.

- Ed C.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2011, 03:49:24 AM by Koltar »
The return of 'You can't take the Sky From me!'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUn-eN8mkDw&feature=rec-fresh+div

This is what a really cool FANTASY RPG should be like :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WnjVUBDbs

Still here, still alive, at least Seven years now...

James Gillen

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« Reply #29 on: October 14, 2011, 02:43:26 AM »
Quote from: daniel_ream;485014
I've done this with other licensed properties that were heavily tied to the canon characters (like Star Trek and X-Files) and whenever someone brought up the "what about (canon character X)" question I always replied "That was someone else's story.  This is about making our own stories."

That hasn't worked for Star Trek so far; the Trek fans around here seem really attached to their canon.  I'm hoping the Abramsverse will help.


That was my point, yeah.

JG
-My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line and kiss my ass.
 -Christopher Hitchens
-Be very very careful with any argument that calls for hurting specific people right now in order to theoretically help abstract people later.
-Daztur