So, what is the best period for an rpg in which the PCs are the crew of a tramp freighter, selling dodgy cargos around the South China seas?
The ones that spring to mind are as follows:
1920s, it's just a cool time and you have Chinese warlords, White Russians, Shanghai, all kinds of coolness.
1930s, as above but with nazis, possibly a point against actually.
1970s, modern but still kind of low tech, not much by way of computers or satelites or whatnots. The Cold War, tinpot dictatorships in Africa, war and terrorism abound...
Now, higher tech but not much of it penetrates that lifestyle I suspect. Tensions with China, tinpot dictatorships in Africa (though less of them than the '70s I suspect), war and terrorism abound...
What do you think? Which works best and why?
And for the curious, yes, I was rereading this thread: http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3016 and I refer you to this excellent PDF by Green Tongue for those of you who've forgotten it http://home.earthlink.net/~djackson24/TrampSteamer.PDF
Finally, would your answer change if the PCs had a small plane instead of a ship?
I'd go with the 1930's, but I don't know how much of a Nazi presence you're going to find in the South China Sea at that time- especially in the early part of the decade.
I'd put it in the 1920s if I wanted it pulpy, and in the present if I wanted it grittily realistic with all sorts of moral questions and such.
Forgot to ask, assuming only existing or easily adapted systems, what would you use and would it change by period?
Obvious choices to me seem to be Savage Worlds for the 20s or 30s, or CoC but that might be too unforgiving and too focussed on academics.
Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes for the 1970s maybe?
Not sure for modern day. UA? Though not sure obsessions are really relevant.
Other suggestions? Tone would be gritty to low (as in not early superheros, more Sam Spade than the Shadow) pulp as it were.
i'd go with the 70's. plenty of potential for mayhem, not so much reliance on high tech. plus i'd be comfortable running that era.
with enough period notes, i'd try the 20's too.
system-wise, either BRP / re-worked CoC (more action, less academe) or adapted traveller. don't know how MSPE works as i've no experience with it (unfortunately).
What about the '40s, just after WWII? You've got all these sailors and pilots coming back into civilian life, many at loose ends. There are also all kinds of places still left in chaos and Nazi submarine crews hiding out in Mozambique (or whatever the hell it was called back then).
I stole all this from a pretty good bande-dessinée called, appropriately, Tramp (http://www.bedeo.fr/index.php/bedeo/data/series/tramp). It's got some great ideas. I feel like you speak French, Balbinus, but I can't remember where I got that impression.
I'd love to run or play a game on a tramp freighter. So many ways you could go with it. Doc Holaday did an episode of the Gaming Ether (old time radio and gaming) where he talks about high seas adventures. There are a few episodes that involve freighters, including The Beast and SSSan Pedro that may have some good ideas and atmosphere.
My preference is "Between the Wars". There are plenty of things going on, so ideas should be easy to come up with. (and of course Savage Worlds ;) )
=
Whatever period allows for the PCs to get lost in a fog bank and come out near a strange, rocky island with odd skull-like formations sticking out.
Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Whatever period allows for the PCs to get lost in a fog bank and come out near a strange, rocky island with odd skull-like formations sticking out.
done up in the 70s, with a heavy blaxploitation and disco element? comedy gold! :haw:
For me? A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
Seriously. Star Wars. Run it in the Tales of the Jedi/KOTOR era, and there is nothing you can't do. There's no history nuts claiming that such-n-such can't happen because in '45 the axis/allies did thing X, and there aren't any SW canon nazis claiming the same stuff. The PCs can be BIG DAMN HEROES and not screw the world up, or just do the struggling to make ends meet thing as per everyone's preferences. :D
Quote from: ScoundrelFor me? A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
Seriously. Star Wars. Run it in the Tales of the Jedi/KOTOR era, and there is nothing you can't do. There's no history nuts claiming that such-n-such can't happen because in '45 the axis/allies did thing X, and there aren't any SW canon nazis claiming the same stuff. The PCs can be BIG DAMN HEROES and not screw the world up, or just do the struggling to make ends meet thing as per everyone's preferences. :D
I second this recommendation.
But then again, history buffs who can't allow themselves to have fun within a game belong in a special Hell, thinks I.
Could you run STAR WARS in a pseudo-1930s paralell timeline??
Sort of like that movie version of Shakespeare's Richard III that was set in late 30s/early 40s England by its trappings.
Have an analog of Luke that winds up in a huge adventure with his crazy old Uncle who is veteran of the "Geat War" (WW I paralell) and he winds up on a tramp freighter that has a rogue/scoundrel captain with a foreign or exotic first officer/spare mechanic.
- Ed C.
Quote from: KoltarCould you run STAR WARS in a pseudo-1930s paralell timeline??
Sort of like that movie version of Shakespeare's Richard III that was set in late 30s/early 40s England by its trappings.
Have an analog of Luke that winds up in a huge adventure with his crazy old Uncle who is veteran of the "Geat War" (WW I paralell) and he winds up on a tramp freighter that has a rogue/scoundrel captain with a foreign or exotic first officer/spare mechanic.
- Ed C.
Yea and verily, thou dost rock. :D
Seriously that would be a blast.
The "DEathStar" might be some kinbd of weird science/pulp-style huge dreadnaught or battleship.
- OR -
How about the 1930s of the CRIMSON SKIES world??
We know about the fractured United States and the skies above it - but what about the oceans and the rest of the world ??
That might play out like an extreme version of the 1930s portrayed in SKY CAPTAIN and THE WORLD OF TOMORROW.
- Ed C.
For anyone who isn't familiar with Crimson Skies :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimson_Skies
I ran a very short game of what you speak. (Hopefulley we will come back to it. But that unfortunatly remains to be seen.) I ran it in the 1930's with a tramp freighter. No nazi's either. I was going to have the players deal with the japanese army/navy at one point but we never got there. But they did fight pygmies and carnivous apes! :D
I think the 30's would work well if the players were using a small plane as well. I can totally invision a "Tales of the Gold Monkey" thing. And that makes me smile.:)
maybe late 40's early 50's> lot's of "Cold war" intrigue going on. Independence movements, gun running, refugees, secret test bases, etc.
for inspiration on tramp steamer adventures try Louis L'Amour's Ponga Jim Mayo series-
Have a look at this site:
http://www.louislamourgreatadventure.com/ClassicAdventure.htm
they even have the deck plans for a tramp steamer there:
http://www.louislamourgreatadventure.com/PongaJimMerchantMarine3.htm
Quote from: The Evil DMfor inspiration on tramp steamer adventures try Louis L'Amour's Ponga Jim Mayo series-
Have a look at this site:
http://www.louislamourgreatadventure.com/ClassicAdventure.htm
Holy crap, Evil! I don't "get" that site, but it is awesome! Full of material and inspiration:
(http://www.louislamourgreatadventure.com/images/RoadToAmurang-WhereWouldYou.jpg)
I mean, enough said!
But is the site a synopsis of the adventures with all kinds of other audiovisual material or is it the actual stories? If not, where can I find the stories? Used book stores? Currently in-print volumes?
I woulda said "Star Wars" as well, but I kinda thought El Balbinador was shooting for historical.
But if he's not limiting suggestions...
(http://starwars.cside.ne.jp/gif/weg40027.gif)
Quote from: walkerpHoly crap, Evil! I don't "get" that site, but it is awesome! Full of material and inspiration:
(http://www.louislamourgreatadventure.com/images/RoadToAmurang-WhereWouldYou.jpg)
I mean, enough said!
But is the site a synopsis of the adventures with all kinds of other audiovisual material or is it the actual stories? If not, where can I find the stories? Used book stores? Currently in-print volumes?
used book stores is where I would start to save a few bucks. go to the western section and look for Louis L'Amour's books. then look for the titles
West from Singapore:Book Description
He's a two-fisted American adventurer and veteran of a hundred waterfront brawls. He's "Ponga Jim" Mayo, and he minds his own business and leaves international intrigue to others. But, as master of his own tramp freighter, trouble seeks him out as he navigates the treacherous East Indian seas from Borneo to Singapore. Never one to back away from danger, Jim straps on his colt automatic and takes the helm of the Semiramis, ready to battle pirates and spies, dope peddlers and gunrunners and whoever else dares to challenge his command...and God help the man who crosses Jim Mayo. http://www.amazon.com/West-Singapore-Louis-LAmour/dp/0553263536/ref=pd_sim_b_shvl_title_1/105-0935219-1670810
Night over the SolomonsBook Description
They're freelance pilots and full-time troubleshooters for democracy. They're men like Steven Cowan, Mike Thorne, and Turk Madden who face danger every day of their lives and fight like tigers for what they believe in. With the world on the brink of war, they're on the front lines, wherever there's action. From the dangerous South Seas islands, to steaming South American jungles, to the other islands of Japan, you'll find these man ready to fight the enemies of freedom--in a battle to the death.http://www.amazon.com/Night-Over-Solomons-Louis-LAmour/dp/0553266020/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/105-0935219-1670810
And don't forget that Robert E. Howard also wrote a whole series of "Boxing Stories" featuring merchant sailors who travelled the Far East and South Seas.
Boxing stories by Robert E Howard:
Book DescriptionAlthough he is best known as the creator of Conan the Barbarian and as a writer of historical fiction and fantasy, Robert E. Howard was both a successful author of popular boxing stories and an avid amateur boxer himself. The sixteen stories and three poems collected in this volume show the full range of his talents for action, humor, and fistic philosophy.
Ten of the stories feature the sailor Steve Costigan, a lovable, hard-fisted, and innocent semipro pugilist, who takes on dastardly villains in exotic ports of call. Howard's brilliant blue-collar humor belies his preoccupation with the real-life issues near and dear to his heart—death, honor, pride, and a man's love for his dog
Other stories are more dramatic and somber, including "Iron Men," which Howard called "the best fight story I ever wrote—in many ways the best story of any kind I ever wrote." Severely edited and truncated for its original publication in 1930 in Fight Stories magazine, the tale has never been published in its original form—until now. It appears here, completely restored from Howard's original typescript, in an authoritative version that Howard fans everywhere will appreciate.
In these stories Howard created a realistic, richly populated boxing universe, with intertwining characters and histories that carry on from tale to tale. With them he takes his place in a tradition of American boxing writers but always with a uniquely Howardian twist, a gritty brooding atmosphere, and a reserve of humor that captures the often brutal ambiance of the 1930s.http://www.amazon.com/Boxing-Stories-Works-Robert-Howard/dp/0803273525/ref=sr_1_1/105-0935219-1670810?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193159991&sr=1-1
West From Singapore. I'm on it. Thanks for that.
(got the Costigan stories. They are great.)
The Costigan tales are indeed brilliant, but I'll be picking up some Louis L'Amour.
Quote from: BalbinusSo, what is the best period for an rpg in which the PCs are the crew of a tramp freighter, selling dodgy cargos around the South China seas?
The ones that spring to mind are as follows:
1920s, it's just a cool time and you have Chinese warlords, White Russians, Shanghai, all kinds of coolness.
1930s, as above but with nazis, possibly a point against actually.
1970s, modern but still kind of low tech, not much by way of computers or satelites or whatnots. The Cold War, tinpot dictatorships in Africa, war and terrorism abound...
Now, higher tech but not much of it penetrates that lifestyle I suspect. Tensions with China, tinpot dictatorships in Africa (though less of them than the '70s I suspect), war and terrorism abound...
What do you think? Which works best and why?
Every one of the time periods you mention has much to offer and could provide hours of enjoyment for players. One thing you should ask is which time period do you think will most appeal to the players, some will want the more classic time periods (20s & 30s), some will want more modern (70s +). One time period you leave out that I think is great is the late 40s through the early 50s. There are lots of ships readily available (all those Liberty and Victory ships now on the market), you can have searches for Nazis trying to hide, the gigantic expansion of WWII surplus arms being shipped everywhere, the start of the Cold War, just loads of fun.
If I were to rate them in the order I and my players would like, it would be - 1)20s - 2)30s - 3) Current day - 4)40s/50s - 5)60s/70s. But I could run and play any of the times.
Here's a few sites that have some information that you might find of use.
On the Hog Islanders ships
http://smmlonline.com/articles/hogislanders/hogislanders.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hog_Islander
On the Freedom Freighters and other ships (the entire site is good).
http://iancoombe.tripod.com/id50.html
Now, as to what system to use, it depends on your players and their likes, but I'd go with one of the following 1)BRP, 2)Gurps, 3)Savage Worlds.
QuoteAnd for the curious, yes, I was rereading this thread: http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3016 and I refer you to this excellent PDF by Green Tongue for those of you who've forgotten it http://home.earthlink.net/~djackson24/TrampSteamer.PDF
Excellent thread, and the one that brought me to The RPG Site. There is a lot of good information and links there as I am sure you are well aware, though many of the links are more for a modern day setting, which is something that you should consider, as the thread shows, there is a lot of adventure on the high seas available even now.
QuoteFinally, would your answer change if the PCs had a small plane instead of a ship?
Yes, one of the things that must be strongly considered is WHAT plane the players would have access to, and here the time period makes a big difference. Something to think on is the ranges and capacity of the planes available. Many of the pre WWII planes simply don't have the capacity to 1)go long distances, 2)still carry a sizable cargo, 3)have a good capacity for people (basically the same as #2), and 4)be readily and easily available.
Using planes I would change the order to the following 1)40s/50s, 2)60s/70s, 3)Current day, 4)30s, and 5)20s. You really need those post WWII planes on the market to make it viable. As to system, I wouldn't change my order given above.
You could tell two stories about the same boat. A post WWI crew, stunned by what they saw in the war, but looking brightly to the future has pulpy 20s adventures on a new boat. Later, a cynical post WWII crew has noir adventures on a weary, well-worn boat.
Hey, stu2000, that's nice.
Rico and Suave.
Quote from: SionEwigYes, one of the things that must be strongly considered is WHAT plane the players would have access to, and here the time period makes a big difference. Something to think on is the ranges and capacity of the planes available. Many of the pre WWII planes simply don't have the capacity to 1)go long distances, 2)still carry a sizable cargo, 3)have a good capacity for people (basically the same as #2), and 4)be readily and easily available.
Using planes I would change the order to the following 1)40s/50s, 2)60s/70s, 3)Current day, 4)30s, and 5)20s. You really need those post WWII planes on the market to make it viable. As to system, I wouldn't change my order given above.
I'd suggest using some sort of Flying Boat for post WWII stuff. This Site (http://www.vectorsite.net/avmars.html) has a lot of cool info on a couple types.