Contact

[AnimeSniper]

Helping a first GM from my group come up with the usual outcomes of when the human species ventured forth into the unknown cold vastness of the galaxies and have encountered their first or maybe second alien species. So far she hasn't decided on the where our party meets the aliens.
This is what we have so far and thus need some expanding on them;

Peaceful Contact- First Contact with the new race is peaceful.
Third Party Introduction- A known race introduces humanity to another race. Resulting interactions can be peaceful or hostile with the known race withdrawing from any hostilities between humans and the new race.

Hostile Contact- First contact for one reason or another results in Hostilities between the two race.
Opened Trade- Trade Negotiations are done with a limit to what is exchanged.
Cultural Exchange- Members of each race are chosen to exchange and experience the others culture.

 

[cmad1977]

Humans react with fear and panic. Attempt to destroy the other before they take our jeorbs,


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Bayushi Seikuro]

I enjoyed Babylon 5, and it's world building, addressing how humans made contact with different species etc.
The Vorlons, and Shadows, had been manipulating human evolution forever; the Centauri, on their declined, tried at first to convince Earth it was a lost 'colony' since we generally looked the same; the Narn were just weapon dealers...

And absolutely EVERY alien warned the humans to have no contact with the Minbari, if they valued their lives.

 

[Cybertec]

I also prefer the detailing, or world building of the Alien races in a game process called: Truth, Lie and Mystery
To use this tool you create information, much like the whispers and insinuations of the Babylon 5 races, with three simple sentences by which other races know about the race in question. One of the sentences has to be a truthful fact. Another sentence is a blatant lie or popular misconception. And the final third bit of info is a "Known" mystery about the race.

You don't have to let the players know which line is the truth, the lie and so forth, if you don't want to. It helps to flesh out the racial cultures, by creating seeds of thought and background hooks for the players to grasp or explore.

As it's a Future game, will you be using some or all of the Star Frontiers and Star Drive Alien races in your game? They are already in the books, and have alot of printed backstory and history from their respective Sci-Fi games. You can use, alter,

 

[AnimeSniper]

at Cybertec I will try to find decently priced copies of the mentioned books and what are your thought on the WOIN Building a Universe mentioned here http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?484746-It-s-Time-To-Build-Your-Universe!

 

[MechaPilot]

People seem to have an instinctual aversion/revulsion of certain things. I've always asserted that if we ever encountered aliens, they had better not be bug or snake people, because we will hate/fear them on base instinct.

 

[Morrus]

People seem to have an instinctual aversion/revulsion of certain things. I've always asserted that if we ever encountered aliens, they had better not be bug or snake people, because we will hate/fear them on base instinct.

People don't like things different to them. At a weak level, that's mocking people who talk differently to you. At a strong level, that's things like arachnophobia - complete repulsion or fear. Spiders are a great example, because they are *so* alien to us - that's why they're so commonly cause fear or repulsion. A dog is more dangerous, but mammals are like us. Put 8 legs on it and a hundred eyes, and make it skitter around the floor, and we're in repulsion-land.

So yeah. Insectoid aliens will present a tough psychological challenge.

 

[AnimeSniper]

At Morrus you just reminded me of my attempts, well notes really, on a xeno-species of spider like aliens which used the old D&D 3.5e Monster Manual Spider and the xeno template from D20 Future... now where are they

 

[Morrus]

At Morrus

If you use the actual @ symbol, it actually notifies people, [MENTION=6842548]AnimeSniper[/MENTION] - you don't have to type "At".

 

[AnimeSniper]

Oops on @

Forgot that little shortcut and found my handwritten notes and now I have to find the word doc notes.

I remember briefly letting a GM of our group playtest some small variations, newly born hatchlings, aboard a derelict cruiser analogue and it went fairly well