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Old 11-04-2009, 08:52 AM   #66
Phoenix42
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mainz, Germany
Default Re: How is GURPS Alpha Centauri.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Molokh View Post
Actually, the problem with Hive is that they aren't described in enough detail in the original 'supplement' (i.e. Alpha Centauri 1.0). They might look like utilitarians, but there's more to them.
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Definitely. They're also nihilists, and wow do they act on it. Morgan is a utilitarian, I would venture, because he always acts according to (his) benefit, but does not completely disavow ethical conceptions of right and wrong per se. But Yang is just beyond that. A utilitarian says that right and wrong depend on the situation, a nihilist says there are no right and wrong, only that which is punished and that which is not. I think that the quotations by Yang say most about the Hive leanings ("what do I care for your suffering?..."). They sound so logical, so obvious and clear-cut, but taken to their full extent, they're completely sociopathic. You gotta admire that :)

There is quite a bit of description, especially when it comes to Yang's personality, in the "beginning" story in the Alpha Centauri file. Takes ages to read, and some of it's over the top, but you really get a feel for Yang, Lal and Zakharov. In fact, it is very interesting to play out the Unity voyage as it is described in that document with all its disasters as a prequel adventure to an Alpha Centauri Planetfall campaign. We did it in our group and it really got a nice feel going.
Has anybody else tried a Unity adventure? I'd be interested to hear how it worked for other groups and constellations.

P.S.: Is having the characters actually play the leaders and then lead the faction actually viable as roleplaying? Because I always had the feel that it would only lead to endless planning and simulation sessions, and not so much actual characterplay as such.
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