Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > Roleplaying in General

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-18-2009, 01:34 AM   #31
Agemegos
 
Agemegos's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
Default Re: Flat Black

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
The Smith sticks out all over
That's not good.
__________________

Decay is inherent in all composite things.
Nod head. Get treat.
Agemegos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2009, 04:58 PM   #32
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Re: Some links

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brett View Post
In case we want to wenture out of the forums, of course, there's the Flat Black site; the WaBCaG site (which includes a much more up-to-date version of the weapons and vehicles) and the Flat Black forums.
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2009, 08:42 AM   #33
Peter Knutsen
Banned
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Europe
Default Re: Flat Black

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
It should have been relatively obvious that I was using a philosophical concept of 'human', not a biological one.
In RPG terms, there really ought to always be two specpes templates. One for the biology of the species, and one for the culture. That would allow easy player-chosen combinations such as a Aslan raised by Humans, or a Dwarf raised by Goblins.

(Excepting those RPGs where species "templates" already deal exclusively - and explicitly - with the biology.)
Peter Knutsen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2009, 02:17 AM   #34
Agemegos
 
Agemegos's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
Default Re: Flat Black

Sirpudding put me on to John Barnes' Thousand Cultures series. I just finished A Million Open Doors and am starting on The Merchant of Souls, and I have to say that there seems to be a lot in this setting that is fundamentally similar to FLAT BLACK. There are differences, of course, But if I had read this stuff before 1989 I would have to say that it influenced FLAT BLACK.
__________________

Decay is inherent in all composite things.
Nod head. Get treat.
Agemegos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2009, 09:47 AM   #35
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Flat Black

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brett View Post
Sirpudding put me on to John Barnes' Thousand Cultures series. I just finished A Million Open Doors and am starting on The Merchant of Souls, and I have to say that there seems to be a lot in this setting that is fundamentally similar to FLAT BLACK. There are differences, of course, But if I had read this stuff before 1989 I would have to say that it influenced FLAT BLACK.
I think these books are Barnes's best, both because they're founded in some fairly sophisticated economic thinking, and because the third volume suddenly yanks the rug out from under the apparent world of the first two and shows you that the setting is not what you thought it was . . . and then the fourth book does that AGAIN to the setting as it appeared in the third book. Even the rather weird caricature of libertarianism in A Million Open Doors is an *interesting* weird caricature, not a straw man caricature.

Bill Stoddard
whswhs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2009, 11:59 AM   #36
sir_pudding
Wielder of Smart Pants
 
sir_pudding's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
Default Re: Flat Black

Not only do I think Earth Made of Glass is Barnes' best novel, I think it's one of the best novels I have ever read.

Brett, shouldn't you be reading that first. IIRC Merchant of Souls is the third book.
sir_pudding is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2009, 06:20 PM   #37
Agemegos
 
Agemegos's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
Default Re: Flat Black

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Not only do I think Earth Made of Glass is Barnes' best novel, I think it's one of the best novels I have ever read.

Brett, shouldn't you be reading that first. IIRC Merchant of Souls is the third book.
I haven't been able to get Earth Made of Glass, and the others have to be back at the library on the 3rd of September.

I am enjoying the account of psychoengineering in the boarding schools of Nou Occitan.
__________________

Decay is inherent in all composite things.
Nod head. Get treat.
Agemegos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2009, 06:25 PM   #38
Agemegos
 
Agemegos's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
Default Re: Flat Black

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
I think these books are Barnes's best, both because they're founded in some fairly sophisticated economic thinking
I was less than impressed with the sketch of the macroeconomics of first contact in A Million Open Doors. It only seemed to make sense if I assumed specie currency, whereas the utils described seemed to be a fiat currency.
Quote:
Even the rather weird caricature of libertarianism in A Million Open Doors is an *interesting* weird caricature, not a straw man caricature.
It helped that it was presented as a crackpot's version of a free market system, not as the free market.
__________________

Decay is inherent in all composite things.
Nod head. Get treat.
Agemegos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2009, 08:51 PM   #39
martinl
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Default Re: Flat Black

Barnes is an interesting author, and I agree that this series is his best.

If you dig up his other stuff, keep in mind that he often seems like several different authors. In fact, in the ancient days of Usenet, some wag proposed
Pete's Law: "Avoid Barnes books if they involve sodomy."
martinl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-15-2010, 05:24 AM   #40
Agemegos
 
Agemegos's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
Default Re: Flat Black

This discussion in General Chatter is relevant.
Agemegos is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
flat black, planetary romance, sci-fi

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.