[ATE] What makes you interested?

[Arith Winterfell]

As I'm currently working on the idea of a post-apocalyptic fantasy campaign it struck me as interesting what attracts me to the After the End's genre. This in turn leads me to want to ask the GURPS community, what is it about ATE as a genre that interests you?

To me its not so much the mutations, radiation, and the like, but rather the sense of wonder and awe associated with experiencing the ruins of what came before. Plus the opportunity to explore the ideas of transformed societies and interesting social issues and situations arising in the ruins of the future.

To some degree taking a fantasy route makes this a little harder for me as there is something I think deeply connective about setting things in a future Earth where one can experience the ruins of today's world and reflect on the kind of transformation the world has undergone from now to the new world that resulted from the End. I think its these elements that make it a powerful tool for science fiction in exploring both issues and the experience of awe.

So what interests you as a player or GM about playing in an ATE setting?

[tshiggins]

The thing I want to do, the most, is the thing most post-apocalyptic games never let me do.

I want to build a new society.

[panton41]

I found Twilight: 2000 at an impressionable age and then the miniseries of Stephen King's The Stand and the film version of David Brin's The Postman came out soon after. When I thought I was recovering from that in my twenties Jericho happened.

I like more realistic takes on a post-apocalyptic setting, which AtE isn't exactly the best for, but oh well.

[evileeyore]

Two things:

Survival. In my opinion not enough games have a survival aspect to them. And I don't mean "survive combat", I mean day to day, feed, shelter, and meet your basics needs types survival. Even scaving in a ruined city.

Less emphasis on combat, far more emphasis on non-combat skills.

[Rockwolf66]

In my teenage years I used to read a lot of 80s pulp post Apocalyptic fiction. In the early 2000s a friend of mine introduced me to twilight 2000.

I've always been the outdoors type and Some of the people I know are experts when it comes to surviving dangerous situations. I myself have lived through major earthquakes that devastated small towns.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Arith Winterfell

... what is it about ATE as a genre that interests you?

Not much, actually. As with zombies, I fail to grasp the appeal. I've bought AtE1 and will buy AtE2 for the rules material, much of which is useful for other kinds of survival situations, but I haven't any intention of running a post-apocalypse game.

[GodBeastX]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Two things:

Survival. In my opinion not enough games have a survival aspect to them. And I don't mean "survive combat", I mean day to day, feed, shelter, and meet your basics needs types survival. Even scaving in a ruined city.

Less emphasis on combat, far more emphasis on non-combat skills.

^ This sums me up more or less.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Not much, actually. As with zombies, I fail to grasp the appeal. I've bought AtE1 and will buy AtE2 for the rules material, much of which is useful for other kinds of survival situations, but I haven't any intention of running a post-apocalypse game.

The genre as a whole doesn't interest me either, though I really expect some nice rules to come out this...

But most of that is because I don't like the way the genre takes the concept. When I look at my games I'm quite fond of running games after society has collapsed, I just don't like the spin everyone else puts on it (zombies and radioactive mutations no thank you!).

I'll probably use it for reign of steel, and science fiction featuring ruined cities. I also suspect I'll use it for disaster worlds in IW. Oh, and I enjoy 'survival' games, so I'm looking forward to things I can use in low tech hunter gather games as well.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

The thing I want to do, the most, is the thing most post-apocalyptic games never let me do.

I want to build a new society.

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Two things:

Survival. In my opinion not enough games have a survival aspect to them. And I don't mean "survive combat", I mean day to day, feed, shelter, and meet your basics needs types survival. Even scaving in a ruined city.

Less emphasis on combat, far more emphasis on non-combat skills.

Both of these. I am really hoping there are " build up a settlement/society" rules in AtE2, or a future supplement, as well as better/simpler/more streamlined "survival fiction" emulation rules than we currently have. Plus I generally like the genre fiction quite a bit.

[brianfb]

The walking dead has really captured it well for me. Its all about holding onto your humanity in an impossibly harsh setting. Who will stay civil and who will turn into a murdering, raping, thief once resources are scarce and there are no external consequences for misbehaving.