VIDEO: Oblivion - best of the drone scenes

I loved Oblivion. I know it's not everyone's cup of Romulan Ale, but it was a great "small" scifi flick (tight cast, compact in scope). It owed more to Wall-E, Planet of the Apes, and 2001 A Space Odyessey, than Star Wars and the like.



Here's a cut of the drone scenes from the film. The art and sound design for these killer robo-bubbles was quite slick. They'd make perfect Big Bro villians for any game. Maybe even cool PCs if one was captured and reprogrammed. They're sort of like floating ED-209s from Robocop.

Also, it's fun to watch them bully Tom Cruise who's lot in life is to fix them.

Video and Renderings of Antarctica Sans Ice

All right GMs, here's a map of the best available rendering of Antartica, sans ice sheet. You can thank the British Antarctica Survey and NASA for these wonderful videos and images. Click pics below to enlarge.

Oblique rendering by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Top view/enhanced color imaging maps by BAS

So you no longer have an excuse not to run that Marvel Savage Land or ruined-Earth-of-the-distant-future campaign you've been secretly working on.

Yeah, that one.

Via Wired.

FROM THE ZONES 4 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

Xenothalent™ Artificial Biologic Immuno Response Engine from Blommkampe Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

These cute little nanobot buggers are what
make Xenothelent possible. Ah, the
 miracle of technology!

Heading into a warzone filled with xeno-derived toxins and environmental biohazards? Consider getting a booster of Xenothalent™, the most adaptive artificial immune system on the market today!

You need only stick yourself with the handy, 30 centimeter needle directly into your abdomen to administer your booster shot. In mere seconds you'll be up-and-at-em, ready to take on any biohazardous environment with nary a symptom (see below for possible side effects).

Health Benefits of Xenothalent™

• Immune to alien pathogens for up to 1 year
• Melanin in skin turns blue when pathogens are present in atmosphere, color shade corresponds to parts-per-million in the air
• Blood brain barrier develops resistance to mental attacks, reducing any damage by half
• Increased healing factor (2 Hit Points per round)

Specimen shown at 3 meters in diameter!

WARNING: Early research findings indicate that due to the experimental nature of Xenothalent™  the following conditions (1d12) may occur 4 rounds after inoculation:

• 1) Xenothalent™ breaks down into poisonous byproduct (Save Vs. Poison)
• 2) Host experiences mutagenic transformation into biologic anomaly, taking on properties based on whatever hazard was encountered
• 3) Inoculated individual's own immune system is sent into overdrive, Physique/Strength increases by 2d6+1 points and begins to run down to normal at -1 point per round afterward*
• 4) Antibodies mutate and burst out of host and grow to 1d4+1 meters in diameter, bent on eradicating "intruders"
• 5-11) Immune system works as intended, fighting off any diseases, pathogens, environmental biohazards during session (see Health Benefits above)
• 12) Booster fails completely, no benefit gained, no side effects

*One in 100 individuals (roll 00 on percentile dice) who are inoculated with Xenothalent™ system that encounter "overdrive side effects" are left with permanent Physique/Strength attribute changes, however Intelligence drops by 4 points.

Retail price: 3,000cr, system in packs of 12 syringes
Discount price: 500cr, comes in 12 syringe pack, some may have been opened/tampered with


Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

FROM THE ZONES 3 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

Parry Shield™ Adaptive Deflection Screen Generator™ from Gurney Space Defense Conglomerated

Alien tech recovered: Personal-sized solid-energy emitter recovered after firefight with extraterrestrials.

Engineered into: Pretty much the same thing but with a lot more power added. Green Lantern's energy ring or a Holtzman field generator refitted for your vehicle or spacecraft.

Are you constantly getting flanked by your enemies in space combat? Tired of catching laserfire on your back quarter during dogfights? Oh, the pedantry of having to "come about" to face your foes

Throw those manual deflector screen controllers away!

during ship-to-ship combat--just because your shields happen to be stronger at the bow than the aft!

Now you can modulate your shields AUTOMATICALLY without the need to allocate power from other shipboard systems. Gurney Space Defense's latest offering, the ADSG Parry Shield™, manifests a solid wall of energy between you and harms' way that deflects all matter and energy-based attacks! Where does it go? Who cares, as long as it's not rending your ship into atomic dust!

Powered by that miracle product DynaQuark™, the generator both powers and computes the neccessary defensive placement and power output to protect your vessel.

WARNING: Should two objects with active Parry Shield fields come in contact they will both be instantaneously vaporized.

Two test subjects fist bump moments before being vaporized during trials for a personal-sized version of Parry Shield™.

WARNING: Under the Space Consumer Act of 2360, we are legally obligated to inform you of the following potential mishaps that may occur during operation of your Parry Shield™ module (1d20 for every round shield is active):

• 1) Upon activation, shield completely sheers away hull plating, leaving starship totally transparent as a cutaway diagram, with only the Parry Shield left in place to protect against losing atmosphere/outside threats
• 2) Shield doesn't turn on, but instead, power plant begins meltdown cycle with complete overload occurring in (1d8+1) rounds
• 3-17) Parry Shield operation is perfectly normal, deflecting 1d10+10% of any enemy fire.
• 18) Parry Shield works only in opposite mode, parrying at the exact wrong time--shield is up when you fire from your ship, deflecting damage back at you--and shield is down when enemy fires upon you
• 19) Shield frequency out of phase, vibrations cause unbearable "warble" sound; will cause hearing loss of all passengers for rest of the session if not powered off in 1d4+1 rounds. Note: If #2 (above) has already been rolled, Parry Shield cannot be turned off
• 20) When ship lands, Parry Shield cannot be turned off for 1d6 rounds, trapping crew inside

Retail price + installation: 15,000cr, system comes plug-n-power-up ready, includes six pack of DynaQuark
Discount price: 11,500cr, system comes unassembled and requires someone with expertise in starship repair, level 6 or higher and 2 weeks in drydock

Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

FROM THE ZONES 2 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

Voice-activated Auto-Ration Delivery System, a.k.a. PHLORP™

Alien tech recovered: Nanite-based, bio-gel printing device. Recovered inside extraterrestrial craft medical laboratory and/or mess hall.

Engineered into: Mostly accurate, all-purpose, industrial-grade nutritional system.

So you've woken up from cryo-sleep and slipped on your own biofluids--what's the first thing you look for? Breakfast! Insert credits, speak your portion size, (e.g., "one bowl" or "two cups") and The GLORP spurts out a glob of nano-organic sludge onto your serving tray. It appears as grey-blue, grey-green, or pink (Roll 1d6: 6 = it's full-on red in color. You should ask for a refund and discontinue use immediately).

PHLORP™ prior to being loaded into auto-ration printer

Named for the sound the sludge makes when it hits your plate, just speak aloud your desired dish and your food will blossom into it's nearest grade-school equivalent right before your very eyes!

• Asked for sirloin? Salisbury steak it is! 
• Make-your-own-pizza? How about garlic cheese bread with a side of ketchup! 
• Dreamed up a banana split? Banana pudding with chocolate swirls--MMMMmmm! (We think it's chocolate....).

Don't be afraid though, PHLORP is a highly efficient and stable platform for nutritional and disbursement and absorption. Once extruded, the nanoparticles detect what nutrients you need for the day as soon as it hits your lips and synthesizes the appropriate proteins, vitamins, and minerals with the necessary fiber-to-grinder ratio to keep things moving. Just don't count on your dish to wow the senses.

This is Steven. He heard what you said. He wants you to apologize immediately.

WARNING: Occassionaly, PHLORP outputs a substance that refuses to auto-morph into any nutritional substance (1d12) but will instead artifically reconstitute into what could be classified as a "lifeform". In such cases, if consumer should (Result know only to GM):

• 1) Back away slowly, never turning back on PHLORP (Fireball, 2d6 damage, 10 meter diameter)
• 2) Try to talk your way out of situation, maybe pay it a compliment (If successfull, becomes consumer's familiar, but reeks to high heaven of rotten fish)
• 3) Stab with utensil (Utensil is imbued with indesctructible coating for 2d6 rounds, will not harm PHLORP; also, PHLORP angered)
• 4) Put in microwave for fired upon with energy weapons (PHLORP will grow in size 3d10 meters, absorbs/consumes all in it's path, seems upset when mocked)
• 5) Fired upon with convential weapons (PHLORP appreciates your attempt at humor, becomes caustic sludge [2d6+1 damage] that moves at 2d4 spaces per round)
• 6) Attacked with sonic weapon (PHLORP shatters into 4d8 pieces, becomes less friendly)
• 7) Targeted by psionics (PHLORP communicates on 5-year-old level, throws tantrum, re-roll 1d6 above results)
• 8) Yell at it (re-roll 1-6 on 1d6, modify result by +1dX; i.e., if you rolled fireball, it's now 3d6+2 damage)
• 9-12) PHLORP does not mutate, is perfectly edible, add 1d4+1 to your Hit Points for the rest of the session (not a permanent bonus)

WARNING: Some mutation may occur. Consult your mission physician in case of spontaneous genetic malformation. Side effects include, but are not limited to (1d6): monstrous devolution, rabid zombification, radioactive lycanthropy, instantanous appearance of vestigial limbs, and scabies.

Retail price + installation: 1,500cr
Discount price: 990cr minus spice rack replicator, food smells like week-old refried beans

Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

FROM THE ZONES 1 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

REM NarcoPod™ from The DreamSkil Institute

Alien tech recovered: Wireless psionic discharge module. Discovered amongst what appear's to be the torture chamber of a crashed alien craft.

Engineered into: REM-cycle re-education unit combined with long duration spaceflight sleep container, cartridge-based video game system.

Chet's had no game when it came to displaying sick skills in disc golf--but then he found NarcoPod!

Need something to do on those looooong outer-rim excursions? You've got nothing but time on your hands on those deep space sojourns into the black so why not cool your heels--and your neurons--in this state-of-the-art, single-occupant, skill-building hypersleep unit.

Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced skills in a variety of fields are available under the following matrix:

• Dexterity/Agility-based skills - advance 1 level - 1 month
• Intelligence-based skills - advance 2 levels - 1 month
• Charisma, Wisdom/Presence-based skills - advance 1 level - 1.5 months

Strength/Physique and Constitution-based skills not eligible. Check with your local ruling space authority to see if restrictions apply. Skills programs can be downloaded via interstellar WiFi service to DRM-laden, proprietary cartridges. Skill cartridges are sold separately (see pricing below). The NarcoPod™ can only add or improve one skill at a time.

WARNING: Check to make sure carts are properly seated before operating. Due to unforeseen circumstances in development funding, modifications to the skill cartridge interface were made using re-purposed aftermarket entertainment modules.

Dammit Jerry, I told you not to pound a Red Bull before hypersleep!

SIDE EFFECTS: The following side effects have been found to occur in 1d12 individuals once they awake from hypersleep.

• 1) Skills atrophy after 1d6 rounds
• 2) Sleeper suffer unexplained handicap of -2 for 2d4 rounds when using skill
• 3) Skills gain unexpected bonus of +3 for 1d4 rounds or if more than one bed is in use on a trip, 4) skills are given to the person sleeping in an adjacent pod
• 5) Psychic storm occurs, sleeper loses control of conscious self for 1d4 rounds and attacks friendly crew members with mental blast which lowers any Intelligence or Presence rolls for team by -1 for rest of game
• 6) Dreams intrude on reality, roll for 1d6+1 number of random monsters created from sleeper's consciousness
• 7) NarcoPod copies consciousness of sleeper, using it to overwrite ship's artificial intelligence persona, synthezoid individuals, or onboard robotic staff, with malcontented version
• 8-12) Nothing...nothing at all--really!

BONUS: Unit comes with one free gallon of bio-coolant for icing your hopeless meatsack!

Retail price + installation: 3,150cr
Discount price: 2,900cr, skills
Skill cartridges: 2,200cr ea., some restrictions may apply

Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

Community Setting Project: FROM THE ZONES!

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Exonauts pal and Radstronaut John Till over at FateSF is leading the charge for new cross-blog extravaganza called FROM THE ZONE. This is an OSR community project to create material for a post-apocalyptic setting inspired in part by the Andrei Tarkovsky film Stalker (1979). 

If you've never heard of the film, he's written a great primer and set up some participation guidelines. This is open to anyone and you don't need a blog to participate. It looks to be a blast so put on your thinking caps and get writing! 

From FateSF:

FROM THE ZONE is a cross-blog project about the Zones. Here are the details:

1. Write something about the Zones for the system of your choice. Describe a specific Zone, or an artifact, or a location within the Zone, a strange threat or phenomenon found in the Zone, a Zone scenario, a table of encounters, a Stalker character class, or something else.
2. This project is cross-system. Write for a system you love. I'll be writing for Fate Core/FAE, but you may want to write for a different system, such as Labyrinth Lord/Mutant Future, X-plorers, Diaspora, Stars Without Numbers, WaRP, Open D6,  or something else. System-neutral is also fine!
3. Post your content to your own blog. You own whatever you write and post to your own blog.
4. If you don't have a blog you can write a document in Google docs. 
5. Download the Hereticwerks Zones logo; use it in your blog post or Google doc! We will post the link to download the logo HERE as soon as it is up and ready.
6. Leave a comment in the comments section of this post (see below) with a link to your blog post or Google doc. 
7. We will create a table with all the links and a brief/title description of each item here at FATE SF. 

We'll start the table collecting the links as Thursday's FATE SF post. This will be an ongoing project, so share a link to your blog post or Google doc whenever it is ready.

Mars Attacks Kickstarter launches--is already funded!

Holy extraterrestrials! I've been keeping tabs on this awesome miniatures game for Mars Attacks from UK-based Mantic Games, patiently biding my time.

It looks like it's not only kicked off this morning on Kickstarter--as of noon, central time it's now fully funded and cutting a brutal swath into the stretch goals!


This touches all the right nerd buttons:

• Alien skull-faced Martians!
• Miniatures galore!
• Post apocalyptic Earth terrain!

Throw in a bunch of extras like some spunky humans with baseball bats and you had me at "Ack! Ack!"


UPDATE: They've posted a video demonstrating gameplay:

Relive 80s neon-punk with Metaman

METAMAN from Boombros on Vimeo.

Another cyberpunk-themed goodie. Between this and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon--AND JB's World War Borg project--I'm this close to starting a cheesy cyborg project. Even have a Pintrest board of appropriate visuals set to go.

So--Gamma World? Mutant Future? Or new X-plorers setting?

GAAAAH!

MUST FOCUS ON RAD ASTRA.....CANNOT LOOK WAY FROM SHINY CHROME NOSTALGIA.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon THE MOVIE

The Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon video game knows what I love: 80s cheese? CHECK! Awesome synthesizer music by Power Glove? CHECK! Ridiculous dialogue? CHECK!

And now they've gone and made a faux trailer for an FC3BD movie (NSFW w/o headphones):




WHERE IS THE KICKSTARTER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

Here's the trailer for the game staring Michael Biehn (yes, that guy!) which is also NSFW:




And posters, which I am dying to annoy my wife with by plastering all over the outside of our home:

And the awesome Power Glove soundtrack that threw me into an 80s tailspin from which I've yet to recover:



TEH AWESOME IS TOO MUCH.

More art from Signal Noise and a big fat wet thank you to Superpunch for introducing me to my next obsession.

Totally rad boombox comercial

I remember this one--but who would have guessed it was for General Electric?

Via Boing Boing

VIDEO: "Oblivion" trailer - post-apoc future, action flick

So here's a Tom Cruise film I'd only heard a few whispers about until now. I'd nearly written it off it had been so long since I'd seen anything, but now this trailer pops up and I have to say it looks intriguing. Especially since there's not a huge cast.

Anyway, looking forward to hearing more. Here's the synopsis, via io9:

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man's confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.
Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack's mission is nearly complete.
Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

Here's the poster: