 November 29, 2008 - 9:26am | Once we have the name, mechanics, layout concept, and core races, we
need a place for the races to exist. That means we need a new frontier
map and we need to fill it with cool places with enough detail and
structure that it comes to life. 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
 December 1, 2008 - 4:35pm | I agree, that maybe leaving a open door for Earth involvement, or cross-over for those gamers who would like to tie in adventures that involve our humble home. Probably the less said, the better, so that gamers could make their own decision to include Earth either as a point of origin, a parallel universe, a distant cousin, nemisis (muhuhahahaha), or visitors to our Frontier universe (far-scape esque) |
 December 1, 2008 - 5:57pm | I can see it now hahahaha.... Windows2545, still giving me a blue screen of death. Only it'll be on my implanted biocomp while standing on the planet Talos III. :P And, still, I think I prefer Windows 2545 to Cleopatra 2525. :D "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 December 1, 2008 - 8:07pm | The game Homeworld I think had a storyline that Earth Humans went out into space and some colonized the world you start at in the game. Eventually a dig found the earth artefacts and a map to this lost homeworld and you spend the game getting back to it. Similar to the mentioned BSG, only twist being that they know it exists and where it is, it is just a hell of journey to get there. Personally, I would leave Earth out either as destroyed or never even heard of. There is always the option of introducing it later (if not destroyed) or even just making a mini-campaign for a diversion. "I reject your reality and substitute my own."
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 December 2, 2008 - 7:49am |
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 December 2, 2008 - 9:29am | With total respect to w00t's campaign concept, his response prompts me to point out, as I did elsewhere (forgot where), that we can and should try to make the default setting details substantially different from the original game offerings. That being said, there is certainly nothing that would prevent individuals from using any and all of the original setting materials in their own games. I know that I probably will use it myself. I like the core races from SF, and I like the campaign details that are already there. I will use Vrusk, and I will even call them by their original name, just as I will use Sathar, the old map, and Streel Corporation. Its all great stuff, and I know that most folks will use this material as is. However, I would like the campaign material we craft here be able to stand on its own, with substantial quality and permanence... without trying to copy those aspects. Just because we are doing new things does not make all the older stuff disappear. But, in order to ensure, without doubt, that we are crafting a project that can exist beyond any changes in attitude by the owners of the SF IP, we must make things substantially different, especially in the areas beyond the game-play mechanics. We cannot simply be on the side of 'being able to win against copyright issues' but to not have to fight that fight at all... because the fight itself is a losing proposition. So, back on Setting considerations directly, we seem to have a general disposition that for the core material to be human oriented with consideration for augmented or altered forms, no Earth connection known, FTL roughly 1 lightyear per day (how exactly not determined), no 'warp dimension' or alternate reality when it comes to that travel.... ...so some holes that need thought: the antagonist race or culture, or one of the underlying problems faced by our core race/culture. more tech issues including computers, data, communications, robotics, power generation/storage. ideas to alter exisiting weaponry and other equipment, so that our setting material seems different from the old stuff. We could eliminate certain things like BSG did, defaulting to more realistic (by our terms) weaponry... Rail Guns, Bullets, etc. are more realistic. Does anyone else see gaping holes in our development considerations? <insert witty comment here> |
December 2, 2008 - 10:02am | I can't disagree with anything anyone's saying - except for the FTL discussion going on in its own thread where I point out how I'd like to handle the wormhole thingie to allow for racial origin points... We just need to make the character generation in the player's book human-centric with a section that reads something like "Your character is normally human, but if the Referee allows, you may select any player-character race from the Setting book being used." I like not mentioning Earth because that would be a campaign-specific choice. Individual campaigns may vary, and different Setting Books will be a definite future supplement option. 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
December 2, 2008 - 12:17pm | For an antagonist species, there are many options that will start with, are they currently known? If not, then what is their motivation for appearing or are they already there in a hidden/spy form? If they are, do they co-exist in the same area or are they from a different star cluster, region, galaxy? What is their goal? Pick any of the various empires who simply wanted to own everything they could see, or something more evil that just wants the total enslavement or murder of Humans. Has there been a past conflict or conflicts? Who won? Why was there a war, who was involved? I like the idea of an enemy being fought off in the distant past, they have become stories to frighten children, then you hear about things on the border systems and eventually an all out attack. This is a similar story as in B5 regarding the Shadows, but it is a good backdrop in my opinion. "I reject your reality and substitute my own."
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December 2, 2008 - 4:36pm |
Going against the stream here: How about we make the core setting Human-only(but lots of neato alien ruins and artifacts), with a single one-page linear square map with plenty of stars, only a relative handful of which have been explored, with first contact yet to occur. No wormholes(or rectal tears or whatever the hell you want to call 'em), no Vortex, no alien races each in their own little playpens. FTL tech: You accelerate to a given speed, power's built up for the generator to do its magic and send the ship into FTL...the effect what's called the Void, it's not neccessary an alternate dimension. Kinda like the originial game. We're reinventing the wheel, not the whole damn car.... "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 December 2, 2008 - 5:01pm | I'm with you Will on the FTL stuff. I like the mechanics of the system the way it is. There really isn't a need to change it, just rename a few things and explain it a bit differently. I like your idea for the 'core' setting as well. We can always add in the other things later if we want. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
December 2, 2008 - 5:13pm | Cool, Tom, 'cause, it just seems to me that we're overthinking this just a tad. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
December 2, 2008 - 5:36pm | Then the setting book is like a half a page? lol... j/k But why go with such a minimalist setting instead of giving it as much depth as SFAD had? 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
December 2, 2008 - 5:49pm | But, the originial game book only devoted a relatively small amount of space to the setting, if memory serves. Yet, it seemed like so much more. Folks, we can do the setting like Larry and I both suggested, and not step all over anyone's precious IP. GDW did it with 2300AD ffs, 50 light year map, frontier feel, international intrigue, war, alien menaces, the whole nine, and we're a great deal more creative than Chadwick, Wiseman and the other morons who killed GDW dead in the first place. The Vortex and the neat tidy "each alien race in its own playpen," plus rabbit holes all over half the galaxy...that's the overthink, and the more overthink we do, the more this will collapse of its own weight. That's my two cents. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
December 2, 2008 - 5:58pm | But, the originial game book only devoted a relatively small amount of space to the setting, if memory serves. Holy crap, Will - please be a lil nicer, ok? It's just a collection of ideas, nothing concrete... your opinion is just as valid as everyone else's, right?Yet, it seemed like so much more. Folks, we can do the setting like Larry and I both suggested, and not step all over anyone's precious IP. GDW did it with 2300AD ffs, 50 light year map, frontier feel, international intrigue, war, alien menaces, the whole nine, and we're a great deal more creative than Chadwick, Wiseman and the other morons who killed GDW dead in the first place. The Vortex and the neat tidy "each alien race in its own playpen," plus rabbit holes all over half the galaxy...that's the overthink, and the more overthink we do, the more this will collapse of its own weight. That's my two cents. 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
December 2, 2008 - 6:16pm | But, the originial game book only devoted a relatively small amount of space to the setting, if memory serves. Holy crap, Will - please be a lil nicer, ok? It's just a collection of ideas, nothing concrete... your opinion is just as valid as everyone else's, right?Yet, it seemed like so much more. Folks, we can do the setting like Larry and I both suggested, and not step all over anyone's precious IP. GDW did it with 2300AD ffs, 50 light year map, frontier feel, international intrigue, war, alien menaces, the whole nine, and we're a great deal more creative than Chadwick, Wiseman and the other morons who killed GDW dead in the first place. The Vortex and the neat tidy "each alien race in its own playpen," plus rabbit holes all over half the galaxy...that's the overthink, and the more overthink we do, the more this will collapse of its own weight. That's my two cents. I'd like to think so, yes. 'Nuff said. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
December 2, 2008 - 7:11pm | Having an origin area for each of the races isn't a bad idea, but I wouldn't so much pigeon hole them into just one area. They will probably have some points of intersection and some blurred boundaries. Not to mention the occassional border dispute is always a good plot device |
December 2, 2008 - 7:16pm | Well reguardless of what kind of FTL we agree on, there will have to be something along the lines of FTL or near light speed travel in order for anyone to get anywhere in the frontier within a lifetime. Using the SF but just renaming it is fine with me, but I would like to see it simplified or cleaned up a little. |
 December 3, 2008 - 2:25pm | Well, when it comes to a proposed campaign project, in my campaign - The Terran Federation - Earth is just as alien as the other worlds. The Great Catastrophe annihalates the humans on the planet, practically. Less than 1 million survive. The High and Extra-Solar colonies will quarrantine the world. When the last of the plagues run their course, the No-Landings policy will be lifted and it will be repopulated. Check out the Terran Federation project for more details... Grendel T. Troll Registered Linux User #299419 "Nobody remembers what you say. A few might remember what you do, but EVERYONE remembers how you make them feel." ~ Anonymous |
December 3, 2008 - 4:04pm | Did that used to be your Star Opera project, Grendel? "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
December 3, 2008 - 5:17pm | Yes, it was. I am making changes to it. Mainly rewriting certain sections to comply to FS. Grendel T. Troll Registered Linux User #299419 "Nobody remembers what you say. A few might remember what you do, but EVERYONE remembers how you make them feel." ~ Anonymous |
December 3, 2008 - 5:18pm | Awesome work, BTW. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
December 3, 2008 - 5:32pm | Yes, it was. I am making changes to it. Mainly rewriting certain sections to comply to FS. Grendel_T_Troll does great writing with a lot of depth. I've thoroughly hoped he'd get involved and develop a setting book. Once he has it done, we should all help with getting art and maps together to help him however he needs!3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
December 3, 2008 - 7:45pm | Grendel_T_Troll does great writing with a lot of depth. I've thoroughly hoped he'd get involved and develop a setting book. Once he has it done, we should all help with getting art and maps together to help him however he needs! Awww, thanks! Anyways, I am going to make The Terran Federation comply with the FS core rules as much as humanly possible. I am also working on new races as well... Grendel T. Troll Registered Linux User #299419 "Nobody remembers what you say. A few might remember what you do, but EVERYONE remembers how you make them feel." ~ Anonymous |
December 4, 2008 - 12:22am | I just uploaded the first draft of the starmap for the core setting. Hopefully someone with more space knowledge will help me fill in some gaps... I made three different colors/types of stars and both singular and binary versions - plus threw in a neutron star... some nebulae, and traderoutes. When you download it and open it, keep in mind that if it opens in your browser you'll be able to zoom in on it to see it in all the detail it was created with. 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
