Space 1889?

Bloody Stupid Johnson · October 11, 2013, 07:04:38 PM

So...anyone played Space 1889? Opinions?

How does it compare to, say, Spelljammer?

David Johansen · October 11, 2013, 08:20:34 PM

1889 is a totally different animal than Spelljammer. It's the Victorian idea of the solar system through the lense of British colonialism.

Spell Jammer is too over the top for D&D. Space 1889 is too civilized for most player characters. We've played a bit of it this last year. I've played an American Baseball player and a crusading Doctor from Nova Scotia.

Omega · October 11, 2013, 08:41:51 PM

Aside from flying ships they dont share much in common. Alot of the 1889 action is planetbound. Whereas alot of SJ action is spaceborne.

The 1889 PC game is totally planetbound whereas the Spelljammer PC is more about ship-to-ship and boarding actions.

Marleycat · October 11, 2013, 09:44:01 PM

It more Sherlock Holmes with a spaceship rather than Sherlock Holmes in space or Space Dnd with a Victorian veneer like Spacejammer.

JeremyR · October 11, 2013, 11:41:43 PM

It's more of a "Scientific Romance", sort of Jules Verne more than the Sword & Planet of ERB.

Not at all like Spelljammer, which was mostly in space, instead it mostly focuses on Mars.

Omega · October 12, 2013, 12:01:48 AM

It does have some elements of the Barsoom series though. But it has touches from many different sources and some original too.

JeremyR · October 12, 2013, 12:32:55 AM

Yeah, it certainly borrows a lot from ERB in how Mars is laid out (in terms of its inhabitants and culture), though Mars was a very popular subject before him.

I'd say it also owes a lot to Edison's Conquest of Mars, though in this Britain has a more prominent role

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison%27s_Conquest_of_Mars

RPGPundit · October 14, 2013, 12:11:15 AM

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;698571So...anyone played Space 1889? Opinions?

How does it compare to, say, Spelljammer?

Totally different, as has already been said. The original Space:1889 was fucking awesome. I loved it.

Shawn Driscoll · October 15, 2013, 07:07:27 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;699062Totally different, as has already been said. The original Space:1889 was fucking awesome. I loved it.

RPGPundit, did you happen to play Twilight: 2000 around that time? If so, do you remember liking the game system better for one setting over the other?

Phillip · October 15, 2013, 08:08:16 AM

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;699553RPGPundit, did you happen to play Twilight: 2000 around that time? If so, do you remember liking the game system better for one setting over the other?

Weren't they totally different? S:1889 is all d6, but I recall the original T: 2000 using % (rolls being based on multiples of ratings depending on task difficulty).

Shawn Driscoll · October 15, 2013, 09:56:13 AM

Quote from: Phillip;699564Weren't they totally different? S:1889 is all d6, but I recall the original T: 2000 using % (rolls being based on multiples of ratings depending on task difficulty).

I don't remember if Space: 1889 used the GDW rules that were later called in-house rules. I do remember seeing both games on store shelves at the same time. I'll Wiki its system.

Vonn · October 15, 2013, 10:01:25 AM

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;698571So...anyone played Space 1889? Opinions?

How does it compare to, say, Spelljammer?

I quite enjoyed the setting, but the rules were mediocre at best. When Castle Falkenstein came out I thought about using those rules for Space 1889; unfortunately I have never done that, although it shouldn't pose too big a problem...
As others have said: it's quite different from Spelljammer; it's Victorian planetary romance vs D&D fantasy in space.
And, yeah, we played T2000 in that periode as well...though the systems weren't related as far as I remember.

David Johansen · October 15, 2013, 10:10:28 AM

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;699606I don't remember if Space: 1889 used the GDW rules that were later called in-house rules. I do remember seeing both games on store shelves at the same time. I'll Wiki its system.

It's more of a d6 dice pool engine IRRC.

artikid · October 15, 2013, 10:21:58 AM

Space 1889 is AUs away from Spelljammer.
S1889 and T2000 had different systems, I disliked both game systems but T2000's more so than S1889's whom had at least a certain simplicity that made it extra easy to catch on and play.
I'm very curious about the new Space 1889, because after all I liked it very much warts and all.

Ronin · October 15, 2013, 06:37:35 PM

Quote from: Phillip;699564Weren't they totally different? S:1889 is all d6, but I recall the original T: 2000 using % (rolls being based on multiples of ratings depending on task difficulty).

You are correct. They are different systems. Twilight 2000 (2.0, 2.2), 2300 AD, and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs share the same system.