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Old 07-11-2017, 10:30 AM   #1
Randover
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Default [Spaceships] GM needs help learning

So its summer time and I got to "borrow" gurps spaceships series 1-3 from a friend who owns them. Since I did my share of spaceopera settings and campaigns and I am close to trekie I would like to use this oportunity to wind up some way for spaceships to have bigger roles in my future project.

So far I tried using some amazing spreadsheets (from this forum folk) and doing some (few) ships. It is hard. I am pretty sure that in I invest enough effort the system seems almost intuitional. But with the limited time and the need to have a lots of stuff in my head. (Many games I GM start as improvisation.)

It there some easier way how to manage spaceships? In past my players didn't tinker with there craft even if they did I had simply eyeballed the result. But this way is extremly limited in possible inspiration and inovation on my part.

1. For example is there some large deposit of Star wars and star trek ships avaible? Since this is my most favorited reference point.

2. I could persuade my friend to buy suplement or two, if it contains fullblown setting with ships and stuff. Toolboxes are fine, but if you are trying some new angles you need solid ground to build up from.

3. Is it worth the effort? Did your players enjoy extra detail and spaceship development possibilities, spacebattles? (My last spacebattle was fiasco, players weren't familiar with possibilities and saw it as dull - yes some had realy bad day, some were lazy but did you ever roleplayed epic fleet versus fleet battle?)

4. I am still doing it sooner or later. So what can help my players enjoy and understant some research and devolopment together with spaceships?
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Old 07-11-2017, 10:49 AM   #2
johndallman
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: [Spaceships] GM needs help learning

Here's a thread which has the fictional inspirations for the example ships in the Spaceships volumes. You've got versions of a lot of Star Trek and Star Wars ships already, under different names.
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Old 07-11-2017, 10:55 AM   #3
Phantasm
 
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Default Re: [Spaceships] GM needs help learning

I believe one of the example ships in Spaceships 3 is the Enterprise with the serial numbers filed off. IDHMBWM, so I can't say for certainty which one.

In addition, I have a PDF of ships from my own space opera setting, a few of which are expies of other settings' ships.

Of particular note is the "Amazon-class Runabout" on p. 9; it's intended as an expy of the Danube-class from ST:TNG/DS9, though lacking the transporter capability (which is easy enough to integrate; replace one of the Cargo Hold modules from the middle section with a Matter Transporter).

Other expies in the document:

SF-2 Gnat (pp. 2-3): Wing Commander Privateer, Talon light fighter
SF-5 Oni (pp. 3-4): Wing Commander Privateer, Demon mercenary fighter
SF-7 Intruder (pp. 4-5): Star Wars, Y-Wing.
SF-17 Dragonfly (pp. 5-6): Wing Commander Prophecy, Wasp interceptor
SB-19 Vindicator (pp.7-8): Wing Commander IV, Longbow bomber
STL-33 Personnel Shuttle (p. 10): Star Wars Return of the Jedi, Lambda-class shuttle
ATR-9 Assault Shuttle (pp. 10-11): Star Wars X-Wing series games, Gamma-class ATR-6 assault transport
E-10 SWACS (p. 12): not really an expy, but an E-2 AWACS for space
Type A, A1, and F Cargo Containers (pp. 13-14): Star Wars X-Wing series games, various cargo containers
Zodiac-class Fast Courier (pp. 14-15): Wing Commander Privateer, Tarsus-class scout ship
Nebula-class Light Merchantman (pp. 15-16): Wing Commander Privateer, Galaxy-class freighter
Endeavor-class Tramp Freighter (p. 16): Star Wars, YT-1300 freighter/Millennium Falcon
Botany Bay-class Sleeper Ship (p. 18): Star Trek (original series), Khan's ship
Rising Star-class Passenger Liner (pp. 19-20): Battlestar Galactica (classic), eponymous ship
Santa Maria-class Bulk Freighter (p. 20): Star Wars X-Wing series games, BFF-1 bulk freighter
Andromeda-class carrier (p. 36, unfinished): Battlestar Galatica, Colonial Battlestar

Sorry I don't have more Star Trek ships at hand, but that wasn't as big a concern when making my setting. You might be able to convert some of my other warships into Klingon, Romulan, or Cardassian vessels, though.
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Old 07-11-2017, 10:57 AM   #4
Ulzgoroth
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Default Re: [Spaceships] GM needs help learning

There's no Spaceships supplement that contains a full-blown setting. There might be some setting books that use Spaceships...I think Vorkosigan Saga does, not sure if any others do.

I consider Spaceships an interesting toy but severely compromised by the defects in the combat section, which is at least rather broken and maybe even invalid-as-written if you stare hard enough. From one thread I don't think the playtesters actually played that by the published text in at least one important respect. I would never recommend trying to use that part of it without radical re-writing.

The design portion has some issues (some of the numbers are meant to be real-ish, some are not by orders of magnitude, and the text won't give any indication which is which - which among things produces a 'non-superscience' unlimited free energy build) but is basically straightforward and workable. Using it for ship design and space travel seems fairly okay.
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