tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post4501732793154033044..comments2024-03-19T07:56:00.031-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: Starships & SpacemenJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-5392131824090546882010-09-01T23:09:16.042-04:002010-09-01T23:09:16.042-04:00Ah.. you found it, James. Compare with your earlie...Ah.. you found it, James. Compare with your earlier "In 1980, Fantasy Games Unlimited released its own entry into the genre, Space Opera." <br />Which was, in effect, the crux of the reason for its quietly vanishing into the night. Too much effort had been invested into Space Opera from an early date, whereas S&S was a case of "let's just put it out there" without much thought to longer term support. Rather a pity to be honest as your comparison between S&S and OD&D is an apt one...<br /><br />@Anthony<br />> Given my experience of FGU games comes mostly through C&S, that genuinely surprises me. <br /><br />*lol*. FGU published material covering a pretty wide range of approaches rather than enforcing any particular house style (of complexity). "C&S" was complex /before/ it arrived at FGU.irbyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12215185881501392755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-11253681118677936852010-09-01T22:15:25.565-04:002010-09-01T22:15:25.565-04:00I've had a copy of this since before it was co...I've had a copy of this since before it was cool to appreciate old-fashioned games, and would really like to give it a go someday. Its not so much a game system as one would be recognized today as some organized notes showing how one guy used OD&D as a starting point to run a space opera game in which Star Trek was only the largest influence. The encounter tables include sandworms after all, and the Zangid suicide ships are modeled after TIE fighters. What I really like is the game has clear direction to it; it lays out explicitly what kind of things make up an adventure, then lays out how to prepare and handle those things. As much as I respect Traveller, I don't think it's quite as good on that kind of follow-through.E.T.Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10839361427618049936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-85257477223579929502010-09-01T21:54:47.023-04:002010-09-01T21:54:47.023-04:00Beware the Videni suicide ships!
[Admittedly we e...Beware the Videni suicide ships!<br /><br />[Admittedly we encountered them in someone's (non-standard) <i>Traveller</i> campaign, but they did leave an impression. Literally.]<br /><br />Admittedly I found <i>Space Opera</i> more suitable for a Trek style game. At least, until FASA put out their version. Even if the rules were full of typos and errors. And characters had 14 prime characteristics.Reverance Pavanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217657347160811310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-81187875014698487452010-09-01T18:12:46.944-04:002010-09-01T18:12:46.944-04:00"Released in 1977, at the end of my second gr...<i>"Released in 1977, at the end of my second grade year,..."</i><br /><br />That was my first year of college. Excuse while I go check into the Home, now...<br /><br /><i>"Instead, S&S is a very simple, straightforward game..."</i><br /><br />Given my experience of FGU games comes mostly through C&S, that genuinely surprises me.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-81695442082952270132010-09-01T16:05:56.114-04:002010-09-01T16:05:56.114-04:00IME 'pastiche' consistently beats 'can...<i>IME 'pastiche' consistently beats 'canon' when it comes to role-playability.</i><br /><br>I agree. A friend of mine was fond of saying that "bad literature makes for good roleplaying" and I've found him to be right.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-2330956247512643082010-09-01T15:18:10.007-04:002010-09-01T15:18:10.007-04:00What's really interesting is how Goblinoid Gam...What's really interesting is how Goblinoid Games was planning to integrate Starships&Spacemen with Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future, creating a really free-wheeling set of rules to handle some really off-the-wall scenarios...like in the old days...I hope they see that plan through. It would be very, very cool.netherwerkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08361800925618339097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-85413642232655515422010-09-01T14:13:59.695-04:002010-09-01T14:13:59.695-04:00IME 'pastiche' consistently beats 'can...IME 'pastiche' consistently beats 'canon' when it comes to role-playability. In canon Trek, Captain Kirk is the Hero. In pastiche Trek, YOU are the Hero! :)<br /><br />I think this is even true of literature. I get more RPG-useable ideas from frankly rather cruddy Marvel Conan comics than from REH's darkly sophisticated original modernist works. I get even more ideas from crude Conan pastiches like Raven and Thongar.<br /><br />The one really classy writer I find I can easily make use of is Fritz Leiber.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-31596723016458488162010-09-01T09:41:34.907-04:002010-09-01T09:41:34.907-04:00We played a bunch of Starships & Spacemen back...We played a bunch of Starships & Spacemen back when it first came out, and I picked up the PDF for nostalgia's sake. I doubt I'd want to run it again, mostly because I like making up my own games now, but I'd probably return to it before I picked up Traveller again.Joshua Macyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10838733328132877699noreply@blogger.com