09-18-2017, 04:08 AM | #31 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
Maybe an overall frame with the different sub-genres localized, like in Reign of Steel?
Evil Space Empire over here, Well-meaning but clueless Federation over there, Noble sorta-democratic Space Empire there, Chaotic warlord planets that way, Incomprehensible Energy Beings the other way, etc?
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09-18-2017, 07:30 AM | #32 | ||||||
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
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a) This isn't satisfied by a single generation ship that never leaves space, or setting things in a floating city. Space Opera demands a variety of exotic environments and cultures. You need odd people who live in bizarre ways, and a number of different ones, and strange environments, to primeval forests to wind swept deserts to enormous cities and space vessels. b) Ultra tech is not specific enough. Space opera generally implies FTL, artificial gravity, psionics, and force-fields. It also requires a setting where modern culture humans are normal. You can have cyborgs, AI's, Virtual Reality, and cloning tanks, but most people came from their mother's womb and were raised in meat-space. These things can be raised to make aliens exotic or to make Characters special, but the reference society doesn't rely on having them. Getting the tech right for space opera is important. c) and d) stands as is. Quote:
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But what would you put in it? I agree that it would go well with action, but what does the book need that action doesn't have?
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09-18-2017, 09:13 AM | #33 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
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Strange New Worlds/Space Explorers goes along with Humanity's initial expansion into space. Defenders of Civilization/Space Patrol in The Rise of the Empire part of the future history. Scoundrels in Space is set as the Empire descends into Decadence. Something like pure Military SF could be After the Fall. This could also segregate TL and frequency of aliens with both increasing as the timeline advances..
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Fred Brackin |
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09-18-2017, 10:30 AM | #34 | ||||
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
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Which is not to say that I don't think the Space Opera boxed set shouldn't have rules for all these common techs - I think it definitely should! But I'd be cautious about listing a set of techs and saying "only stories with these are Space Opera". Quote:
Technology can have some broad societal-level impacts, though. Genetically engineering whole planetary populations (your Heavy/Light Worlders, aquatic humans, etc.) has a place in space opera, I'd say, and there are things like the holodecks of Star Trek that certainly have a cultural impact. |
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09-18-2017, 11:02 AM | #35 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
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09-18-2017, 11:27 AM | #36 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
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Ask a bunch of people who don't hang around RPG or science fiction message boards what they think of when they hear the phrase "space opera." That's what it should be about. Let's assume they have a general understanding of the term and know that it's not about large sopranos wearing horned helmets belting out arias in outer space. |
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09-18-2017, 12:26 PM | #37 |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
Ah, I'd been wondering what Kromm was working on as a sequel to GURPS: Cabaret Chicks on Ice
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09-18-2017, 05:05 PM | #38 |
Doctor of GURPS Ballistics
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Lakeville, MN
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
I enjoyed the heck out of the 2300AD setting, and would love to see a company like SJG (or, hmmm. . . ) take it and run.
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09-18-2017, 07:22 PM | #39 | |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
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Other than that, we don't need an entire product line. We certainly don't want a setting of any kind; that's not how SJGames does its worked example series. One Action book would provide rules for recreating everything from Star Wars to Star Trek to Foundation to Blade Runner to The Expanse to Starship Troopers to Dune.
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09-18-2017, 07:22 PM | #40 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: Spitballing a Space Opera Boxed Set
Doooo iiiiiiiiit!
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Tags |
boxed sets, sci fi, space opera |
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