Septimus

mhensley · May 19, 2007, 08:04:33 PM

If anyone is interested in the new D6 sci-fi game by Bill Coffin, WEG has it up for preorder now. Check out the announcement here-

http://www.westendgames.com/forum/upload/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2083

David Johansen · May 19, 2007, 10:26:52 PM

It seems to me that there's a real sf surge lately. I wonder if it's seen as an under supported niche or if people really are getting into it. I'm hoping for the later.

RPGPundit · May 20, 2007, 05:03:30 AM

Quote from: David JohansenIt seems to me that there's a real sf surge lately. I wonder if it's seen as an under supported niche or if people really are getting into it. I'm hoping for the later.

I'm not sure its either... "Overhyped fad" might be the more likely explanation.

Note: Not SF RPGs in general, just the crop that have shown up lately, I mean. The point being that there's already RPGs to fill pretty well every Niche of SF roleplay. Not saying there couldn't be any new games for this genre, but its likely most of these games will be nothing but blips on the radar.

RPGPundit

J Arcane · May 20, 2007, 05:04:29 AM

Quote from: David JohansenIt seems to me that there's a real sf surge lately. I wonder if it's seen as an under supported niche or if people really are getting into it. I'm hoping for the later.

Well, I think it just plain IS an undersupported niche, at least on a large scale level.

Creators don't tend to look at the small fry, they jsut look at the top. And at the top, the closest thing we have to a mainstream, top-selling SF game right now, is a sourcebook for D20 Modern. Not exactly much to shout about.

Palladium/Rifts is dying off. Shadowrun is basically just another niche publication. And neither of these really count as sci-fi anyway, they don't scratch the same itch.

So all the small fry fill the void with lots of little products.

Drew · May 20, 2007, 05:06:42 AM

Quote from: J ArcaneWell, I think it just plain IS an undersupported niche, at least on a large scale level.

Creators don't tend to look at the small fry, they jsut look at the top. And at the top, the closest thing we have to a mainstream, top-selling SF game right now, is a sourcebook for D20 Modern. Not exactly much to shout about.

Palladium/Rifts is dying off. Shadowrun is basically just another niche publication. And neither of these really count as sci-fi anyway, they don't scratch the same itch.

So all the small fry fill the void with lots of little products.

Next year sees the release of the first Warhammer 40k RPG book. That may shake things up a little.

J Arcane · May 20, 2007, 05:11:13 AM

Quote from: DrewNext year sees the release of the first Warhammer 40k RPG book. That may shake things up a little.

I doubt it.

GW won't give it the publicity it needs, the present design of the game is being aimed at a hardcore niche style of play (I get to be some inqusitor's manservant, WTF?) that doesn't even necessarily appeal to existing WFRP players, it's being sold in an incomplete form spread out over multiple books unnecessarily, each with very delayed release scheduling, and on top of all of that, it's not really sci-fi either, anymore than Shadowrun and Rifts are, if not less.

Drew · May 20, 2007, 05:18:34 AM

Quote from: J ArcaneI doubt it.

GW won't give it the publicity it needs, the present design of the game is being aimed at a hardcore niche style of play (I get to be some inqusitor's manservant, WTF?) that doesn't even necessarily appeal to existing WFRP players, it's being sold in an incomplete form spread out over multiple books unnecessarily, each with very delayed release scheduling, and on top of all of that, it's not really sci-fi either, anymore than Shadowrun and Rifts are, if not less.

I agree with the GW publicity angle, but it will be a highly visible, glossy product with plenty of support released by the same people who are doing very well with WFRP at the moment. Also, the idea is that you play agents of the Inquisitor, not manservants.

I'd also say that it's definitely sci-fi, albeit one that includes fantastical elements and a baroque motif.

Time will tell if it's a hit or not, but judging by the success of WFRP I think it has a fair chance of attracting a decent following.

J Arcane · May 20, 2007, 05:24:03 AM

QuoteI agree with the GW publicity angle, but it will be a highly visible, glossy product with plenty of support released by the same people who are doing very well with WFRP at the moment. Also, the idea is that you play agents of the Inquisitor, not manservants.

You're still playing some dude's bitch. Basically serving at the whim of a GMPC.

You're forgetting the part where the Empire doesn't exactly have a very fluid power structure. It's not an episode of M*A*S*H. There are no Hawkeye Pierces in the world of 40k.

Military structures can be potentially problematic for the standard RPG group power structure as it is, but taking the commanding officer and handing him over to the GM? That's pure bullshit.

Drew · May 20, 2007, 05:37:03 AM

Quote from: J ArcaneYou're still playing some dude's bitch. Basically serving at the whim of a GMPC.

You're forgetting the part where the Empire doesn't exactly have a very fluid power structure. It's not an episode of M*A*S*H. There are no Hawkeye Pierces in the world of 40k.

Military structures can be potentially problematic for the standard RPG group power structure as it is, but taking the commanding officer and handing him over to the GM? That's pure bullshit.

I'm interested to see how they handle that. If it's a case of the Inquisitor sending his agents planetside for a year to root out heresy and investigate chaotic taint, then no problem. If play defaults to him looming over their shoulders barking orders the whole time then we have a problem.

BI/Green Ronin seem to know what they're doing for the most part with GW licenses. I'll be very surprised if there isn't considerable latitude for player characters to drive the plot.

grubman · May 20, 2007, 08:16:30 AM

Quote from: mhensleyIf anyone is interested in the new D6 sci-fi game by Bill Coffin, WEG has it up for preorder now. Check out the announcement here-

http://www.westendgames.com/forum/upload/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2083

Interested? Yes

Is Bill Coffin cool? Yes

Has the D6 system always had potentian? Yes

Will I get it? Probably not. Over the years I've found that Sci Fi falls into one of two catagories for me, Star Wars and everything else (kitchen sink Sci Fi inspired by comics, movies, TV shows, and books). If I'm not playing Star Wars, I just as soon play Star Frontiers or Savage Worlds and play in my own (undefined) universe, where I can tell the type of stories I really want to.

Since I've given up buying RPG books simply to stay on top of the hobby, check it out, or impulse buy, I'll most likely stay away from all niche games and setting specific games unless something really strikes a cord with me.

mhensley · May 20, 2007, 09:29:49 AM

Quote from: David JohansenIt seems to me that there's a real sf surge lately. I wonder if it's seen as an under supported niche or if people really are getting into it. I'm hoping for the later.

What games are part of the surge you speak of? I usually don't pay much attention to sci-fi rpgs so a lot of it goes under my radar. The last sci-fi game I bought was serenity.

David Johansen · May 20, 2007, 09:35:38 AM

I've always felt that narrow settings have narrow sales opportunities. Yet sf games really seem to like crawling down the funnel. GURPS is one of the few to really try and do it all even if a lot of broken stuff crawled in while doing so.

Actually, Ultra Tech for 4e might be the closest thing to sf geek porn ever published, but we're still waiting for vehicle design...sigh

David Johansen · May 20, 2007, 09:37:18 AM

Quote from: mhensleyWhat games are part of the surge you speak of? I usually don't pay much attention to sci-fi rpgs so a lot of it goes under my radar. The last sci-fi game I bought was serenity.

Septimus
Honour Harrington
Traveller 5
Starwars Saga
Classic Battle Tech Total Warfare

grubman · May 20, 2007, 09:41:50 AM

Quote from: David JohansenI've always felt that narrow settings have narrow sales opportunities. Yet sf games really seem to like crawling down the funnel.

Probably because it's very difficult to present a "generic" Sci Fi game system. Even the most "generic" system usually takes a great deal of work on the part of the (serious) GM to adapt it to a certain setting or feel.

Everything beyond Traveller, Star Frontiers, and Star Wars tends to be niche (IMHO), and of limited use to me.

joewolz · May 20, 2007, 09:50:38 AM

I won't be buying it. I'm not a big fan of sci-fi roleplaying. I've rarely done it, and never had any appreciable amount of fun with it. I hope Blue Planet will change that, but even then I didn't buy it until it was on über-sale.

I am not spending $50 on a game for which I don't have the system, either.