Just curious - how many space travel games actually use space-based locations? Like a group of O'Neill colonies somewhere.
Or is everything always planet-based?
It always seems to me that Traveller games tend to have very little space-based colonies.
Quote from: BillDowns;825963Just curious - how many space travel games actually use space-based locations? Like a group of O'Neill colonies somewhere.
Or is everything always planet-based?
It always seems to me that Traveller games tend to have very little space-based colonies.
StarCluster has both. I'm currently working on a setting for it called
Stationers and Merchanters that is inspired by on Cherryh's Alliance/Union series where the vast majority of colonies are actually space rather than planet based.
Classic Traveller. Zero-G and low-G is covered in the game rules.
WEG D6 Star Wars (and I'd guess all the other incarnations) has various asteroid bases and space stations. The artificial gravity available in Star Wars tends to minimize some of the differences between space based and ground based locations though.
Star Trek (any version) has various orbital bases, colony ships, space stations, hollow asteroids, etc. But like Star Wars the artificial gravity minimizes the differences between locations.
High Colonies was focused on the intrigues amongst the many space stations left in our system after some disaster leaves Earth uninhabitable... I don't recall if there was any facility for dirtside adventures at all.
Lot's of Eclipse Phase takes place in space stations, hollowed out asteroids and even a "scum barge" flotilla of older spaceships, habitats and other flotsam.
Of course Babylon 5 and Deep Space 9. :-)
Jovian Chronicles used O'Neil cylinders and asteroid bases, ships with gravity rings etc...
Quote from: Bren;825973Classic Traveller. Zero-G and low-G is covered in the game rules.
I know it's in the rules, but in the published adventures, only 2 or 3 out of 19 are based on a space station or colony, which is my point. And over on CoTI, it's almost always planet-based adventures or ship-based adventures that are discussed. Rarely is a space station or colony mentioned.
Quote from: flyingmice;825969StarCluster has both. I'm currently working on a setting for it called Stationers and Merchanters that is inspired by on Cherryh's Alliance/Union series where the vast majority of colonies are actually space rather than planet based.
Good Luck on that. Sounds interesting.
If you haven't already - and I bet you already have - Heinlein's
Citizen of the Galaxy has some interesting ideas that can be mined.
Quote from: BillDowns;825987I know it's in the rules, but in the published adventures, only 2 or 3 out of 19 are based on a space station or colony, which is my point. And over on CoTI, it's almost always planet-based adventures or ship-based adventures that are discussed. Rarely is a space station or colony mentioned.
I think there are a lot more than 19 published adventures for Traveller. I don't know the ratio, but having only 15% of the locations as space based wouldn't be too surprising.
You asked "how many space travel games actually use space-based locations"? If you are looking for space travel games that exclusively or predominantly use space based locations, then Babylon 5 is probably the closest one I'm aware of for a published RPG.
Quote from: BillDowns;825988Good Luck on that. Sounds interesting.
If you haven't already - and I bet you already have - Heinlein's Citizen of the Galaxy has some interesting ideas that can be mined.
I agree! I have everything Heinlein ever wrote. :D
-clash
Quote from: BillDowns;825987I know it's in the rules, but in the published adventures, only 2 or 3 out of 19 are based on a space station or colony, which is my point. And over on CoTI, it's almost always planet-based adventures or ship-based adventures that are discussed. Rarely is a space station or colony mentioned.
There are a Hell of a lot more than 19 published adventures out. If you just want to limit yourself to Classic Traveller, there are still all of the adventures in the Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society magazines. I know of several that take place on space stations or asteroid stations.
I think you are just not looking hard enough.
Other games with space colonies include 2300AD, Mekton II, Mekton Zeta, Jovian Chronicles, Cyberpunk 2013, Cyberpunk 2020, d6 Star Wars, and just about any other SFRPG with space travel in it.
Quote from: Bren;825990You asked "how many space travel games actually use space-based locations"? If you are looking for space travel games that exclusively or predominantly use space based locations, then Babylon 5 is probably the closest one I'm aware of for a published RPG.
I would agree. Traveller has a number of adventures that are partially or wholly set on ships, but there are very few space colonies in Traveller.
Besides the Babylon 5 RPG, two other options come to mind:
Freemarket is a transhumanist RPG set on Freemarket Station, a toroid space habitat near Saturn.
The Cyberpunk RPG had two supplements for space setting: Near Orbit and Deep Space.
No mention of the SS Warden from Metamorphosis Alpha?
Quote from: BillDowns;825963Just curious - how many space travel games actually use space-based locations? Like a group of O'Neill colonies somewhere.
Or is everything always planet-based?
It always seems to me that Traveller games tend to have very little space-based colonies.
Traveller is not a space city universe as such. But there's no reason why space cities can't be adventured on anyway. Mongoose does have a yellow titled book for space stations. But they are the smaller variety.
Aside from the occasional research station (and even many of those not orbital) and the High Ports, I don't really remember any other space stations/colonies in our games back in the day. We did have more than a few REALLY BIG STARSHIPS, however (many pre-Jump generational ships) so that's similar.
I think the thing about Traveller is that there were 10,000 worlds, so why bother with stations/colonies?
Traveller has lots of habitable worlds, so space habitats aren't "front and center" because planets are more interesting to most people. Any world with a decent starport (class A or B) will probably have an extensive orbital facility, though.
Has anyone mentioned GURPS Transhuman Space yet? That setting has space habitats of just about every description: zero G space platforms, rotating habitats of various shapes and sizes, several types of asteroid habitats, and even exotica such as dyson trees.
Quote from: Xavier Onassiss;826052Has anyone mentioned GURPS Transhuman Space yet? That setting has space habitats of just about every description: zero G space platforms, rotating habitats of various shapes and sizes, several types of asteroid habitats, and even exotica such as dyson trees.
No point to mentioning it since, outside of Traveller's universe, there is Ringworld.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;826070No point to mentioning it since, outside of Traveller's universe, there is Ringworld.
What? Why would the existence of Ringworld mean there's no point to mentioning GURPS Transhuman Space?
Quote from: Skarg;826135What? Why would the existence of Ringworld mean there's no point to mentioning GURPS Transhuman Space?
No idea. Ringworld has fuck-all to do with THS.
Quote from: Xavier Onassiss;826137No idea. Ringworld has fuck-all to do with THS.
And Ringworld (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringworld_(role-playing_game)) was covered in Basic Role Playing. Had its own source book and everything.
Quote from: Bren;826144And Ringworld (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringworld_(role-playing_game)) was covered in Basic Role Playing. Had its own source book and everything.
Ringworld and the Ringworld Companion. Got 'em! Gems!
-clash
Quote from: flyingmice;826148Ringworld and the Ringworld Companion. Got 'em! Gems!
-clash
I haven't seen those books in years. Have they been reprinted?
Without getting too ruleswonky but doing a great job of capturing the feel and danger of it - I thought Cyberpunks 'Deep Space' and 'Near Orbit' were damn fine books that covered some good basics about what it's like with relatively low-tech bases.
Quote from: Xavier Onassiss;826151I haven't seen those books in years. Have they been reprinted?
Nope. I got them when they came out initially. I am
old, Xavier! :D
-clash
On about the name note, anybody got a list of space colony/station types?
Quote from: flyingmice;826159Nope. I got them when they came out initially. I am old, Xavier! :D
-clash
Join the club. I could have bought them when they came out, but I didn't grab 'em at the time. Now I'm old and... regretful. :banghead:
I use space stations often in my Traveller games.
Quote from: dsivis;826167On about the name note, anybody got a list of space colony/station types?
I don't have one yet, but now that you mention it, that sounds like an interesting project....
Quote from: dsivis;826167On about the name note, anybody got a list of space colony/station types?
If you don't mind it being a little outdated, find yourself a copy of T.A. Heppenheimer's
Colonies in Space. Excellent book, a very good primer for getting all of the basics down.
For more detailed information, find SP-413 and SP-428 on the NASA website and download them. Both are very dense with information.
In between the above suggestions is ASTEN, a PDF of a proposed modular space colony done by a very intelligent high school student on his own initiative. Quite accessible and a good read.
Quote from: jeff37923;826286If you don't mind it being a little outdated, find yourself a copy of T.A. Heppenheimer's Colonies in Space. Excellent book, a very good primer for getting all of the basics down.
For more detailed information, find SP-413 and SP-428 on the NASA website and download them. Both are very dense with information.
In between the above suggestions is ASTEN, a PDF of a proposed modular space colony done by a very intelligent high school student on his own initiative. Quite accessible and a good read.
Funny that you mention that. I did the
International Space Settlement Design Competition in High School...
http://www.spaceset.org/
Quote from: flyingmice;825994I agree! I have everything Heinlein ever wrote. :D
-clash
Even his shopping lists? What an obsessive!
Quote from: Matt;826413Even his shopping lists? What an obsessive!
They are FRAMED, Matt! :D
Quote from: Matt;826413Even his shopping lists? What an obsessive!
Dude! There is a whole new level to
Stranger in a Strange Land if you read his shopping lists!
OK, I'm just gonna file that under "Things Man (and Woman) was not meant to know...." :eek: