What about a new sci-fi setting?

**trechriron** · 09-30-2009, 05:17 PM

Adding a poll for some broader opinions. (just like the Fantasy thread)

What sci-fi tropes are you tired of seeing in sci-fi settings?

What things would you LIKE to see in a new sci-fi setting?

I appreciate your opinions!

RULES: Please don't suggest another system or setting that fits any of the wants here. I really want to see what people here WANT as I am doing research for my own possible work.

Thanks!

**cliff** · 09-30-2009, 05:26 PM

I love grit in my sci-fi. The harder the sci-fi, the happier I am.

Something that would be quite different would be to not take the usual FTL shortcuts and instead take a lot of inspiration from Vernor Vinge's books... time dilation allows the characters to survive and the effects of near-light-speed travel gives the GM a lot of room to control the situation without his players feeling railroaded.

I'm generally into crunchy bits, but I must acknowledge that GOOD sci-fi stories are about human interaction and story, and not the technology. It might be interesting to see a good narrative ruleset that focuses on the needs of sci-fi storytelling. I am not qualified to even suggest how to do such a thing, but some of the narrative rulesets I've seen have certainly been very interesting. I think the right group could do very well with the collaborative fiction nature of it.

I could come up with more ideas given time to think, but I'm supposed to be working right now so I'm going to let it go at this for the moment being.

**Slipstream** · 09-30-2009, 08:17 PM

I'm there with cliff on all he said.

I myself am working on a project that I believe will be original... to a point. But indeed I am influenced, and in whatever form I end up publishing this (independently for sure)... the influence will not be shy. I believe its okay to borrow as long as it isn't blatant. Storytelling is about the people, the characters. The surrounding elements add to the richness. There are elements of Star Wars, Firefly, and Battlestar that I detest... but the stuff I love? I may mesh and create something all my own. Good thread.

**Arch Lich Thoth-Amon** · 09-30-2009, 09:44 PM

I voted #1, but would have voted for #2 as well if given the choice.

I'm going to ponder your questions and get back to you with some answers. Thought provoking stuff.

Here's a great science fiction pic to help get the creative juices flowing.

http://alxa.ru/file/wallpaper/the_rise_of_a_planet.jpg

**Slipstream** · 10-01-2009, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Arch Lich Thoth-Amon

http://alxa.ru/file/wallpaper/the_rise_of_a_planet.jpg

I can't imagine what kind of climatic effects having two planets so close to each other like that would be. Insane to be able to watch a hurricane on one planet from another... or a nuclear... okay I'm shutting up because I'm giving you guys my ideas :P

**fmitchell** · 10-01-2009, 12:12 PM

I've also thought of how to make a SF game work without FTL. I've concluded that campaigns would a) limit themselves to one star system, or b) make interstellar travel a one-way trip (barring scenarios like Halderman's Forever War).

The species that travel from star to star would almost have to live in a post-scarcity economy, given the huge expense of star travel vs. manufacturing locally ... but post-scarcity economies don't lend themselves to adventure. One solution I've adopted is that humanity hitches rides with aliens who travel from star to star, but Iain Banks's Culture novels present another possibility: citizens of an idyllic post-scarcity economy roughing it on less advanced worlds, or the denizens of those worlds being played by an insanely advanced culture.

In general, I'm all for escaping the standard starships & aliens universe. For example, genres like retro-futures (e.g. Space 1889) and planetary adventure (e.g. Barsoom) tend to be under-represented. Cyberpunk is passe, but a near-future extrapolation of modern times might catch on. I'd also like to see a semi-plausible post-apocalyptic setting (not Gamma World).

**cliff** · 10-01-2009, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by fmitchell

I've also thought of how to make a SF game work without FTL. I've concluded that campaigns would a) limit themselves to one star system, or b) make interstellar travel a one-way trip (barring scenarios like Halderman's Forever War).

The way Vinge handles it in some of his books is pretty interesting. "A Deepness in the Sky" has a lot of it about space traders without FTL, I highly recommend giving it a read if you haven't already. It is a pretty unique treatment of the idea.

Originally Posted by fmitchell

I'd also like to see a semi-plausible post-apocalyptic setting (not Gamma World).

I always do love me some post-apocalypse.

**tesral** · 10-02-2009, 07:15 AM

Asimov's Foundation books. An entirely human Galaxy.

Buck Godot: A just plain cute comic by Phil Foglio. His concept of The Law is interesting.

Dragonriders of Pern has not been done as a RPG. There are possibilities there. Yes, it is SF not Fantasy. Anne Mccaffery's whole universe is under explored from an RPG perspective. The Brain ships, Crystalsinger Federated Telepath and Teleport, it's all the same setting.

**cliff** · 10-02-2009, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by tesral

Dragonriders of Pern has not been done as a RPG. There are possibilities there. Yes, it is SF not Fantasy.

This is true to a limited sense, but not in the shape of the stories themselves. Fantasy and Science Fiction tend to explore different ideas, and I personally always found DRoP to be Fantasy wearing a Science Fiction overcoat.

Of course, that's just my opinion - I could be wrong. ;-)

I would like to add that I do not mean for this to suggest that I disagree with making an ass-kicking DRoP RPG, just the genre of it. In this PARTICULAR case, I will disagree with this not because of setting or genre, but rather licensing. Indie game developers take too much risk licensing existing IP.

**Hoitash** · 10-02-2009, 10:01 PM

I think an RPG based on Resistance: Fall of Man would be cool.

It depends on how you difen sci-fi also, I think. Dungeons in Dragons in space? Wait, that sounds cool, too. I better write that down...

**tesral** · 10-02-2009, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by cliff

This is true to a limited sense, but not in the shape of the stories themselves. Fantasy and Science Fiction tend to explore different ideas, and I personally always found DRoP to be Fantasy wearing a Science Fiction overcoat.
Of course, that's just my opinion - I could be wrong. ;-)

Well dragons are generic alterations of the fire lizards. The Humans got there by spacecraft and every indication exists that it's the same universe as her Crystalsinger and Brain ship novels.

There is always the old body new clothes approach. Dragonriders wouldn't take too well to that, it's pretty much what it is, but something like the Foundation books could be genericized.

**kkriegg** · 10-03-2009, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Slipstream

I can't imagine what kind of climatic effects having two planets so close to each other like that would be. Insane to be able to watch a hurricane on one planet from another... or a nuclear... okay I'm shutting up because I'm giving you guys my ideas :P

It could just be a fairly far away gas giant being viewed from a life supporting Earth-sized moon. Doesn't really look that way in the picture, but I always thought a setting like that would be cool.

**trechriron** · 10-03-2009, 01:03 PM

Serenity/Fire Fly universe is a huge solar system with piles of terraformed planets and moons.

I guess my inquiry was more in the -

What would you like to see in a setting?

AND What are you tired of seeing in sci-fi settings?

**NathanLuna** · 10-07-2009, 11:23 AM

FTL drives like StarTreks warp, and Star Wars hyperdrive i dislike.
Jump gate/jump drives are more fun. the Babylon 5 method looks good to me jump gates/drives let you in to hyperspace but its tricky, you can get lost, you can't have a fire fight there, and it means smaller ships need to use gates making it easyer for the GM to control without rail roading. it also avoids crap like time dilation and relativity (spelling?).

**Hoitash** · 10-07-2009, 12:22 PM

I use wormholes in my writing.

Artificial ones, like Stargate. Think of it as like a magnetic train, with the wormhole as the rail. It's also one of the most plausible forms of FTL, although I'm also fond of the Battlestar Galactica method of beinding space/time (I think Wing Commander used that, too.)

Jump Gates do have their appeal, though.