tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384548895562991472.post4529315305012603717..comments2023-10-16T10:26:56.414-05:00Comments on EXONAUTS!: Here's my homebrew Space Opera idea starters...Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997164906328234122noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384548895562991472.post-35124561236551218682014-12-18T08:51:28.405-06:002014-12-18T08:51:28.405-06:00Oooh, I like the inheritance idea too. I'm als...Oooh, I like the inheritance idea too. I'm also reading the Pendragon rules for the first time, which could tie in with Space Opera quite nicely.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116795932377593506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384548895562991472.post-49048913040749091402014-12-18T00:14:28.906-06:002014-12-18T00:14:28.906-06:00Yes, I agree, slapping an alien or robot in there ...Yes, I agree, slapping an alien or robot in there for the sake of it, doesn't do much to elevate the story/experience. I try to make them as relevant to the situation as possible because I want those elements to be enjoyed for their inherent flair. Excellent points B.A.!Jay Exonautshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11336829684749993354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384548895562991472.post-72067845836338811252014-12-17T22:27:21.581-06:002014-12-17T22:27:21.581-06:00My rule for most Space Opera/Space Adventure Sci-F...My rule for most Space Opera/Space Adventure Sci-Fi games when it comes to ARMs is something I got, then extrapolated, from the GMing section of West End Games' Star Wars D6.<br /><br />To paraphrase, "Why use a Human when you could use an interesting alien or droid?"<br /><br />This is a good thing to keep in mind, IF you're running Star Wars or a similar Space Fantasy/Space Opera setting.<br /><br />If your setting leans more toward Hard SF/Space Opera, like Traveller, I would alter that to, "Why use an alien or robot when a Human would do just fine. Now, if you have a good REASON to use an alien or robot, DEFINITELY use an alien or a robot."<br /><br />I like my aliens to seem alien, even if it's a species the PCs would be familiar with. When used, you want that alien to be distinct and memorable. Don't use an alien just to use an alien.<br /><br />With robots, use of them says something about the place the PCs are in. Are these beat-up, second hand machines jury-rigged for the harsh climate and rough terrain? Are they state of the art, chromed and shiny robots that indicate the locals are upper class, and wealthy? Robots can be so common you hardly notice them, or stand out so much the PCs will be saying, "A robot?! What's this thing doing all the way out here?"Adam Dicksteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384548895562991472.post-2550588987657801322014-12-17T22:18:00.615-06:002014-12-17T22:18:00.615-06:00Very cool Brett! I love the idea of the inheritanc...Very cool Brett! I love the idea of the inheritance table!Jay Exonautshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11336829684749993354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384548895562991472.post-43108893407617375692014-12-17T18:50:22.717-06:002014-12-17T18:50:22.717-06:00These are great recommendations. I'll keep the...These are great recommendations. I'll keep them in mind for space opera, but also, the same principles can be applied to other genres, such as sword and sorcery.<br /><br />My favorite current TV shows are almost all team-based. NCIS, Castle, Person of Interest, Scorpion, and Hawaii-5-0. Many from the past were as well: Leverage, Firefly, A-Team which you already photo referenced, Mission: Impossible, etc. <br /><br />I usually run games at cons, so I pre-generate all the characters with an eye for how they fit into a team. For me, 4-5 players is my personal GMing sweet spot, too.<br /><br />Coming from a classic Traveller point of view, I never dealt with the RMs of ARM as set pieces, only aliens. But as in dungeon design, the monster trope you choose (all goblinoids, a dragon and minions, a kingdom of undead dwarves, what have you) has a big effect. <br /><br />For whatever genre you play, two destinations is always a good idea. <br /><br />Big baddies rock. My idea is to use them as overarching long-term plot lines, kind of like the meta-plots of shows like Buffy, where a villian appears throughout a season to be vanquished in the season finale. <br /><br />For the last couple years at my con games, I've created customized random tables for the occasion. In my last con game running Tekumel, I had everyone roll on a random equipment/inheritance table, which included things like personal slaves, millenia-old artifacts of the ancients, fiefdoms, and inexplicable objects such as 'a silvery disk of very thin material 4 inches in diameter'. I knew what most of them were, but even the players familiar with Tekumel might not recognize all of them. Brett Slocumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09240226222507995367noreply@blogger.com