A few questions for a new Traveller campaign.

[rust]

Though just once (and getting very tangential) I'd like to see something based on Indian mythology ... there's a huge amount of great stuff to borrow from there, and it's scarcely been touched by western media.

This is true, but I once tried to design a spacefaring "Indian" culture and
had to give up because India has too many very different regional cultu-
res, and the plan to "combine" them into one single culture just did not
work - the result always turned out to be more of a caricature of India
than a plausible culture.

Right now I am working on a small (non-SF) campaign based upon the
Tibetan culture, as a single and comparatively uniform culture is much
easier to "translate" into a roleplaying game.

 

[BP]

EDG - Sci-Fi incorporating Indian mythology? - 8)

rust - certainly must agree that the varieties of 'Indian' culture would present quite a challenge - but that's part of the appeal! And after you finish your Tibetan culture campaign - maybe you'll want incorporate it into your Traveller settings...

For 'realistic' Sci-Fi - my favorites have to be 2001 and 2010 - especially the ships... but as entertainment - I'd have to say FireFly (and Serenity), Riddick and The Fifth Element, etc. beat them hands down...

GamerDude - ya - I've never watched the animated movie myself - so not much of a Trilogy. And I missed out on the Riddick movies for a long time because the original covers didn't appeal to me and I couldn't picture Vin Diesel in a Sci-Fi (stupid biases - and maybe I should watch the animated movie...).

 

[GamerDude]

This may surprise you, but I don't expect all my SF to be realistic or possible. I like Riddick the way it is.

after all your complaining, slamming people on "science in games must be realistic" and such and pushing your "very realistic" world/system generating stuff... this is a total surprise and out of character for you.

I'm not complaining or criticizing you, it's just like you've done a 180 degree turn about from your positions when you first started posting here.

Congrats.

 

[Charakan]

This may surprise you, but I don't expect all my SF to be realistic or possible. I like Riddick the way it is.

after all your complaining, slamming people on "science in games must be realistic" and such and pushing your "very realistic" world/system generating stuff... this is a total surprise and out of character for you.

I'm not complaining or criticizing you, it's just like you've done a 180 degree turn about from your positions when you first started posting here.

Congrats.

I think (I could be wrong) that EDG likes to engage in intellectual fencing matches with the denizens of these and other Traveller boards and likes to use his deep knowledge of science as his weapon of choice.

 

[EDG]

This may surprise you, but I don't expect all my SF to be realistic or possible. I like Riddick the way it is.

after all your complaining, slamming people on "science in games must be realistic" and such and pushing your "very realistic" world/system generating stuff... this is a total surprise and out of character for you.

Then that shows how little you know or understand me. Not surprising, given that you've always seemed more interested in taking cheap shots at me and not actually reading what I say.

I'm not complaining or criticizing you, it's just like you've done a 180 degree turn about from your positions when you first started posting here.

I haven't at all. All I have ever done here is point out what is realistic and what isn't, and tried to educate people about what the realistic option would be. I haven't tried to "push" my realistic world generation on anyone, and I've never insisted that science in games must be realistic either. But again, since you never bother actually reading what I say, I'm not surprised that you think otherwise.

 

[EDG]

I think (I could be wrong) that EDG likes to engage in intellectual fencing matches with the denizens of these and other Traveller boards and likes to use his deep knowledge of science as his weapon of choice.

You're wrong. My only motive is to discuss things with people - yes, I have a 'deep knowledge of science' but I only use that to tell people how things would actually work in reality. But if people want to take that and leap to their own conclusions about me, question my motives, assert that I'm out to destroy all that they hold dear or to "force realism on them", or paint me as the Devil then that's entirely down to them.

 

[Charakan]

I think (I could be wrong) that EDG likes to engage in intellectual fencing matches with the denizens of these and other Traveller boards and likes to use his deep knowledge of science as his weapon of choice.

You're wrong. My only motive is to discuss things with people - yes, I have a 'deep knowledge of science' but I only use that to tell people how things would actually work in reality. But if people want to take that and leap to their own conclusions about me, question my motives, assert that I'm out to destroy all that they hold dear or to "force realism on them", or paint me as the Devil then that's entirely down to them.

Perhaps the words "intellectual fencing match" was a poor choice of words and discussion would have been better. I never thought you were trying to force realism on anyone, just using it as a point of view.

The words may have implied that I was reading you as thinking you are superior and pushing other board members to think you are that way for that I apologise. Not thinking before I open my mouth (or start typing) has always been one of my weaknesses.

I like a healthy dose of (I was going to use realistic in my SF) but I think a better choice would be believable so serenity gets on my wick for instance with its dodgy planetary system.

I still think a good discusssion is an intellectual fencing match, just one where you not really trying to score points or win.

 

[EDG]

I like a healthy dose of (I was going to use realistic in my SF) but I think a better choice would be believable so serenity gets on my wick for instance with its dodgy planetary system.

See, Firefly's another one that I really like, despite the planetary system. I also like Space 1999 too (which gets a lot of flak due to the whole "bah, you can't blow the moon out of orbit" argument). And I like Star Wars, and a bit of Star Trek.

I prefer a realistic setting, but I certainly don't exclusively like those and nothing else.

I still think a good discusssion is an intellectual fencing match, just one where you not really trying to score points or win.

There's back and forth, sure. What I don't like is when people attempt to use sarcasm or get personal with it.

 

[Charakan]

I loved Space 1999 when I was a kid, I still watch the re-runs sometimes when there on ITV 4 when I go to my GFs (I choose not to own a TV I just buy anything I want to watch on DVD).

I enjoy watching Serenity (my GFs son brought it round for me to watch thinking it would be up my street) its just that the planetary system gets on my nerves which is strange because I can totally suspend my disbelief in magic when I read/play fantasy games.

 

[EDG]

I enjoy watching Serenity (my GFs son brought it round for me to watch thinking it would be up my street) its just that the planetary system gets on my nerves which is strange because I can totally suspend my disbelief in magic when I read/play fantasy games.

It's never been an issue for me because we've never really seen the whole system - it's just been shown as a bunch of planets that the ship goes to (I know it's been presented as a big multiple system with zillions of planets and moons, but... meh, whatever ).

Also, there was no Season 2 of Space 1999, not listening, lalalala.

 

[Charakan]

I visited your website earlier on EDG so I take it from that Continuum supplement you did for Mage that you also liked Sapphire and Steel, that was a great show, used to really creep me out when I was a kid - wonder if you can get it on DVD.

You have an interesting name by the way.

 

[EDG]

I visited your website earlier on EDG so I take it from that Continuum supplement you did for Mage that you also liked Sapphire and Steel, that was a great show, used to really creep me out when I was a kid - wonder if you can get it on DVD.

Yep . And yes, it is available on DVD (at least, it's been released on DVD, dunno if it's still around now, but it's out there somewhere). It's still a great show .

You have an interesting name by the way.

If you're referring to the EDG name, you can blame one of my friends at university for it

 

[Charakan]

Actually I was referring to EDG and your real forename. Thanks for the heads up on Sapphire and Steel I'll look into purchasing some.

Is the commute from Jupiter orbit a bit of a pain every day? .

 

[GamerDude]

Then that shows how little you know or understand me. Not surprising, given that you've always seemed more interested in taking cheap shots at me and not actually reading what I say.

I was being nice, only I never learn.

Congrats, I surrender and you win.

 

[EDG]

I was being nice, only I never learn.

If you were being nice, you wouldn't have started taking potshots at me in your sig (and without any provocation at all for that matter, but then you never seemed to need any before to start on me either).

 

[nightlamp]

One other thing, aside from Dune, which I'm all over already, can anyone think of examples of, well, for lack of a better term, "space Arabs"?

The Fading Suns supplement Star Crusadehas a lot of information on the quasi-Arabic Kurgan Caliphate.

 

[Tyrant]

Fading Suns is a great source of info. Good call. I happen to own Star Crusade. Actually, I've printed out the system/planetary maps from both Star Crusade and Lost Worlds, as well as those from the Noble Fiefs supplements. I'm using them all as the systems in my Traveller game.

Man I miss playing the Emperor of the Fading Suns PC game.
Buggy as hell, but sooo much fun : )