I enjoy Clavell's books, and I have sometimes toyed with this idea for an RPG. For most people, what immediately comes to mind with Clavell is Shogun, which is great, but I don't think that's his most "typical" work, at least not in every way. Clavell's books, in addition to being about westerners in Asia featuring loads of adventure and beautiful ladies, often have an emphasis on the intricacies of trade. I believe this would be something relatively new in RPGs, but I am not sure if it should be included as a "mini-game" within the game, or perhaps not handled in any special way at all. I don't think I would recommend that the PCs try to out-compete each other though. Most likely, they would all be members of the "Noble House", perhaps as traders with China and Japan in the 1800s. What do you think?

I remember seeing a Kickstarter similar to your idea. Don't know if it made goal or not.

Quote from: Trond;1041964I enjoy Clavell's books, and I have sometimes toyed with this idea for an RPG. For most people, what immediately comes to mind with Clavell is Shogun, which is great, but I don't think that's his most "typical" work, at least not in every way. Clavell's books, in addition to being about westerners in Asia featuring loads of adventure and beautiful ladies, often have an emphasis on the intricacies of trade. I believe this would be something relatively new in RPGs, but I am not sure if it should be included as a "mini-game" within the game, or perhaps not handled in any special way at all. I don't think I would recommend that the PCs try to out-compete each other though. Most likely, they would all be members of the "Noble House", perhaps as traders with China and Japan in the 1800s. What do you think?

Already Done. Bob Charrette and Paul Hume with Phoenix Games published a little LBB game back in 1978 called Bushido. It was released earlier the same year that Shogun starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune was first broadcast as a miniseries on NBC. In 1981 Fantasy Games Unlimited published the 3rd edition, with a new larger box, as the original box was in black and white and the original map was a simple four color affair, black, white, red, and tan.

The FGU boxed set version is still available now on Ebay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bushido-Rulesbooks-I-and-II-with-Map-Fantasy-Games-Unlimited-Inc-1981/142816830202?hash=item21408be2fa:g:PsUAAOSwQQBbEJ6r

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bushido-FGU-rpg-box-set-Fantasy-Games-RARE/372314121560?hash=item56afa6a558:g:bAUAAOSw6ShZR01c

I have the Phoenix Game 2nd edition first printing books (there were two of them) from 1980, however am missing the large map of japan as well as the original box.

Quote from: GameDaddy;1041976Already Done. Bob Charrette and Paul Hume with Phoenix Games published a little LBB game back in 1978 called Bushido. It was released earlier the same year that Shogun starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune was first broadcast as a miniseries on NBC. In 1981 Fantasy Games Unlimited published the 3rd edition, with a new larger box, as the original box was in black and white and the original map was a simple four color affair, black, white, red, and tan.

The FGU boxed set version is still available now on Ebay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bushido-Rulesbooks-I-and-II-with-Map-Fantasy-Games-Unlimited-Inc-1981/142816830202?hash=item21408be2fa:g:PsUAAOSwQQBbEJ6r

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bushido-FGU-rpg-box-set-Fantasy-Games-RARE/372314121560?hash=item56afa6a558:g:bAUAAOSw6ShZR01c

I have the Phoenix Game 2nd edition first printing books (there were two of them) from 1980, however am missing the large map of japan as well as the original box.

Wow did not know that. Is it any good?

However, that's not quite what I am talking about. There are plenty of games set in Japan after all. My idea was something much closer to "Tai-Pan" or (if set in more modern times) "Noble House".

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;1041974I remember seeing a Kickstarter similar to your idea. Don't know if it made goal or not.

Any idea what the name of that project might have been?

Quote from: Trond;1042006Wow did not know that. Is it any good?

However, that's not quite what I am talking about. There are plenty of games set in Japan after all. My idea was something much closer to "Tai-Pan" or (if set in more modern times) "Noble House".

Bushido is excellent. Can run any game with it up until the late 1800's specifically focusing on Japan with very little adjustment. Including China would be interesting, I don't know of an RPG game that focuses on the Boxer Rebellion era and thereafter in China. I could adapt Bushido for that with considerable work. d20 Past might also work for a Noble House game. I could also adapt Spycraft as well, although I pretty much would have to custom write an adventure or module for China. Same deal with Fudge/Fate. I could run a Terra Incognita Fudge Noble House game with just a bit of work.

There is one game designer I know, more familiar with RPGs about China. I'll ask here and on G+, he might know of a game that would suit the bill perfectly for that. paging @BedrockBrendan ...

Quote from: Trond;1041964I enjoy Clavell's books, and I have sometimes toyed with this idea for an RPG. For most people, what immediately comes to mind with Clavell is Shogun, which is great, but I don't think that's his most "typical" work, at least not in every way. Clavell's books, in addition to being about westerners in Asia featuring loads of adventure and beautiful ladies, often have an emphasis on the intricacies of trade. I believe this would be something relatively new in RPGs, but I am not sure if it should be included as a "mini-game" within the game, or perhaps not handled in any special way at all. I don't think I would recommend that the PCs try to out-compete each other though. Most likely, they would all be members of the "Noble House", perhaps as traders with China and Japan in the 1800s. What do you think?

I think "Volant".

Quote from: Trond;1041964I enjoy Clavell's books, and I have sometimes toyed with this idea for an RPG. For most people, what immediately comes to mind with Clavell is Shogun, which is great, but I don't think that's his most "typical" work, at least not in every way.

There are loads of Japan focused books for existing games, including every iteration of GURPS and Runequest.

Shogun is very loosely based on a real person in Japanese history (as are the Japanese characters).

If you want a very interesting and dangerous time with trading, check out the Scorsese directed Silence, a movie based on the book by Shusaku Endo. The Shogun at the time mistrusted foreign influences and declared Christianity an outlaw religion.

I ran a Bushido game a long time ago and it does a good job. But if you have a favorite system, chances are they have a solution.

Quote from: AsenRG;1042075I think "Volant".

? I don't get it.

It does sound like a really interesting idea. I'm not aware of anything trade focused except for Star Trader. Then again, I think that the events of novels like Noble House were as much, if not more, about the intrigue than the trade itself.

Apparently Clavell believes he owns the word Shogun and sued a game company over it. So no. His stuff interests me none at all.

As for RPGs. It can be done with the aforementioned Bushido or even AD&D's Oriental Adventures.

Quote from: Omega;1042122Apparently Clavell believes he owns the word Shogun and sued a game company over it. So no. His stuff interests me none at all.

As for RPGs. It can be done with the aforementioned Bushido or even AD&D's Oriental Adventures.

The man died decades ago. I don't think AD&D would work very well for what I had in mind.

Quote from: ArrozConLeche;1042120It does sound like a really interesting idea. I'm not aware of anything trade focused except for Star Trader. Then again, I think that the events of novels like Noble House were as much, if not more, about the intrigue than the trade itself.

Oh yes, although a lot of that did spin off from the trading and runs on the bank and smuggling etc. etc. Again, not sure if I need any special rules for it, but I am just thinking out loud here.

Quote from: Trond;1042184Oh yes, although a lot of that did spin off from the trading and runs on the bank and smuggling etc. etc. Again, not sure if I need any special rules for it, but I am just thinking out loud here.

Trading simulation rules are there, at least for sci-fi games. With some tweaking, I don't know why they couldn't work reasonably well for D&D. From what I've seen, they tend to focus the game on the journey between posts and its dangers, though.

Doesn't ACKS have some rules for building and running economies too?

For the intrigue that surrounds all that trade stuff in the novels, though, you'd have to roleplay it. Would this be a player vs player type of thing or would they all be in one house? For the former, maybe some ideas from Amber RPG could be stolen to build a situation.

Quote from: GameDaddy;1042068Bushido is excellent. Can run any game with it up until the late 1800's specifically focusing on Japan with very little adjustment. Including China would be interesting, I don't know of an RPG game that focuses on the Boxer Rebellion era and thereafter in China. I could adapt Bushido for that with considerable work. d20 Past might also work for a Noble House game. I could also adapt Spycraft as well, although I pretty much would have to custom write an adventure or module for China. Same deal with Fudge/Fate. I could run a Terra Incognita Fudge Noble House game with just a bit of work.

There is one game designer I know, more familiar with RPGs about China. I'll ask here and on G+, he might know of a game that would suit the bill perfectly for that. paging @BedrockBrendan ...

I haven't read Tai-Pan, but I've read Shogun and seen the Shogun miniseries. If Tai-Pan is anything like it, I think you are better off just going with your preferred system for campaigns with large amounts of intrigue, RP and politics. For the history bit, I think you are better off getting some books on the Opium Wars, British Hong Kong and the Qing Dynasty, than relying on an RPG sourcebook.