Quote from: PseudoephedrineI dislike uncontentious claims of moral superiority without good arguments supporting them (the "space elf" syndrome). I also dislike the "Planet of Hats", where every member of an intelligent species has certain personality traits. I hate legitimate prophecies in a world without magic, which another poster brought up first, though that's not confined to sci-fi. And I dislike licensed properties.

Hmm, can't say i agree re licensced properties. I dislike badly done Lps, sure, but I coulod like a welldone one, and hope some are, like honor harrington.

Licensed properties just don't interest me. They always seem like they're trying to recreate the experience of reading or watching the original product and never quite succeeding. Since they can't do it, I'd rather just have a new experience with a new world that I can more fully determine the shape of.

Quote from: PseudoephedrineLicensed properties just don't interest me. They always seem like they're trying to recreate the experience of reading or watching the original product and never quite succeeding. Since they can't do it, I'd rather just have a new experience with a new world that I can more fully determine the shape of.

LPs do have some problems, I agree. Let me give you an example: When asked how fast a starfury fighter traveller in babylon 5, the series creator, strackzynski, said with a straight face "They travel at the speed of plot".

Now I can just imagine JMS in his office and his secretary pages him, saying "Sir, there's a man here about the B5 rpg. He says that "speed of plot" just won't cut it for a game statistic. What should I tell him?"

Hmm - this is quite an education. Seems like whatever I do I'll piss someone off.



-clash

Quote from: Dominus NoxWell, I think that small mecha, like battlesuits or even heavy gears, might work.

30-40' hight stuff, forget it.

I have to agree with you on this.  Things like the battle suits out of the old Exo-Squad cartoon would have uses.  Also the Dreadnoughts from Warhammer 40K are seeable.  Plus Masamune Shirow does a lot of art for 'Landmate' battle armor that are also beliavable to some extent.

Those are the examples I can think of right now.

Quote from: flyingmiceHmm - this is quite an education. Seems like whatever I do I'll piss someone off.

Fuck 'em all, clash.  Set a real challenge for yourself.  Make a game that will piss everyone off.

!i!

[Edit:  Wait.  Is there already a game that pisses everyone off?  One that combines every element we've already mentioned?  Teleportation, fighter squads, pseudo-scientific magic, mecha, near-instantaneous interplanetary travel, zipper-costumed aliens, bumpy-headed humans, etc.  Sounds more than a bit like -- dare I say it? -- Exalted.  Wrong genre, but right on the money -- something for everyone to hate.]

The problem with liscenced properties is that a story has very different needs than a game.  Most stories only detail the world around the protagonists and everything else is very thin if mentioned at all.  Roleplaying games need comprehensive, coherent settings that can be driven by player choice and random chance, where stories are all about plot advancement.

What do I hate in sf?  Inconsistancy...I can live with bad science...I can live with guys in dog suits, heck the Tulgar from Spacemaster Privateers are about the only alien race I ever actually wanted to play...I can live with 2d maps and ship battles...but boy do I hate it when things that happened two weeks ago are swept under the rug in the name of plot advancement.

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaFuck 'em all, clash.  Set a real challenge for yourself.  Make a game that will piss everyone off.

!i!

I think I did.

-clash

Don´t forget there´s a lot of jaded gamers here. I´d rather not listen to them.

If it makes you go "WoW!" chances are that it does so for other people too.

Quote from: flyingmiceHmm - this is quite an education. Seems like whatever I do I'll piss someone off.



-clash

Well if your next avatar is not connected with your Great Game* setting...

*Which has nothin' really to do with this discussion

Regards,
David R

Quote from: David RWell if your next avatar is not connected with your Great Game* setting...

*Which has nothin' really to do with this discussion

Regards,
David R

Hehe! Soon come, as they say in Jamaica!

-clash

Yes, its called RIFTS.

Quote from: Ian Absentia[Edit:  Wait.  Is there already a game that pisses everyone off?  One that combines every element we've already mentioned?  Teleportation, fighter squads, pseudo-scientific magic, mecha, near-instantaneous interplanetary travel, zipper-costumed aliens, bumpy-headed humans, etc.  Sounds more than a bit like -- dare I say it? -- Exalted.  Wrong genre, but right on the money -- something for everyone to hate.]

Quote from: RockViperYes, its called RIFTS.

Everything that makes it so, so wrong as SF, makes it so, so fun a game to play.

I agree plasma swords, cat girls, and giant robots :combust:

Quote from: JamesVEverything that makes it so, so wrong as SF, makes it so, so fun a game to play.

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaExplain please.

This is a multi-layered thing.  I shall separate for clarity.

Big Picture: I am opposed to conceptions of the universe that argue against humanity's ability to learn how it works and thereby take increasingly greater control over it.  

Playability: A game where humans are not performing useful work is a game where there are no playable adventure scenarios, and thus is useless for RPGs.  (So no AIs controling things that PCs ought to be controlling, etc.)

(Not Related: I also don't like other genres wearing SF drag.  If I can strip out the SF elements of a story and still have it work, then it's not SF and thus must be kicked to the curb as it doesn't belong.)