06-07-2017, 11:13 AM | #21 |
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: near Seattle WA USA
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
It might be interesting to invite Michael Andre-Driussi into this discussion, since he did such a good job on other aspects of the literary origins of Traveller. He has written for SJ Games, by the way (specifically GURPS New Sun), so he may even have a SJ Games forum account already.
Additionally, there are some Traveller pioneers who could offer their own histories if they were asked at the right time -- for example, if Marc Miller turned up at a game convention Q&A. Sadly, the most accessible Traveller pioneer is gone. Loren probably could have told us a lot if we had asked him while he was alive; he probably could have written a great JTAS article about it too. One possible literary explanation for Traveller psionics, particularly suppression, is inversion of literary examples, rather than copying. There are a fair number of examples of psionic aristocracy -- notably the Darkover series, which dates back to the 1950s -- and it's not ridiculous to imagine designers looking at a source and saying, "Let's do the opposite of this." |
06-07-2017, 12:24 PM | #22 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
Quote:
__________________
"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison |
|
06-07-2017, 12:58 PM | #23 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
Odd John by Olaf Stapledon.
|
06-07-2017, 12:59 PM | #24 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
Quote:
__________________
Fred Brackin |
|
06-07-2017, 09:25 PM | #25 | |
Computer Scientist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
Quote:
Perhaps it is influenced by Wyndham's THE CHRYSALIDS (1955), where mutants are literally, religiously persecuted in Newf, regularly produce a telepathic minority, and are supported by an advanced, hidden enclave of fellow talents. Last edited by jeff_wilson; 06-07-2017 at 10:01 PM. |
|
06-07-2017, 09:58 PM | #26 |
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
Didn't Marc Miller say somewhere that the limitations on psi were entirely for game balance purposes?
|
06-08-2017, 06:42 AM | #27 |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: near Houston
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
I think a simple mechanic allowing someone to attempt to resist psionic influence -- which CT lacks -- would have been a much cleaner solution to game balance.
__________________
A generous and sadistic GM, Brandon Cope GURPS 3e stuff: http://copeab.tripod.com |
06-08-2017, 10:40 AM | #28 | ||
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: traveller
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
Quote:
Quote:
I have to modify this: in his White Dwarf #23 interview, Marc Miller said, "Movies and television particularly affected me." |
||
06-08-2017, 02:38 PM | #29 |
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
|
06-08-2017, 07:42 PM | #30 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
|
Re: Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?
Quote:
You've go to pick and choose your star Trek even. Cyrano Jpnes and Harry Mudd, the odd mining colony and space station might be it.
__________________
Fred Brackin |
|
Tags |
old school, psionics |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|