D&D 5E Why not Alternity? (Or, will or how might WotC do SF?)

[Reynard]

The idea that "d20 won't do sci-fi" is just silly, short sighted and demonstrably wrong. We have multiple published examples of it working just fine over the course of the last 20 years, and innumerable private anecdotal examples from folks' home campaigns.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The idea that "d20 won't do sci-fi" is just silly, short sighted and demonstrably wrong. We have multiple published examples of it working just fine over the course of the last 20 years, and innumerable private anecdotal examples from folks' home campaigns.

"Won't do" is not the same as "can't do".

 

[Reynard]

"Won't do" is not the same as "can't do".

How so?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

How so?

Will not = lack of will.

Can not = lack of ability.

 

[Reynard]

Will not = lack of will.

Can not = lack of ability.

I don't see how that makes sense in context of what I said. My point was that people who say d20 is unfit for sci-fi games are wrong, and "can vs will" doesn't fit into the argument.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I don't see how that makes sense in context of what I said. My point was that people who say d20 is unfit for sci-fi games are wrong, and "can vs will" doesn't fit into the argument.

it is not an impossibility but it is the question of if anyone sets out to do it, or if there is a desire for it.

 

[Umbran]

you do know planetary romance is like john carter and not about dating really?

Yeah, but a lot of planetary romance is about social interactions with new and weird cultures, politics, and the like.

Frank Herbert's Dune should qualify as a planetary romance, for example. As does Robert Silverberg's Majipoor series, Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld, and C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. Most of which are dominated by social interaction, not combat.

So, the point about D&D not having the mechanical chops still holds.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Yeah, but a lot of planetary romance is about social interactions with new and weird cultures, politics, and the like.

Frank Herbert's Dune should qualify as a planetary romance, for example. As does Robert Silverberg's Majipoor series, Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld, and C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. Most of which are dominated by social interaction, not combat.

So, the point about D&D not having the mechanical chops still holds.

but given people going towards less binary forces with more grey and less urge to just walk in and murder everything means sooner or later we will be needing such mechanics I may not know how to build them but they will sooner or later form.

plus it has also had books described as sword and planet so it sounds like an excellent thing to build in d&d if done well.
assuming I would be able to make anything well, which I am less certain of.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't see how that makes sense in context of what I said. My point was that people who say d20 is unfit for sci-fi games are wrong.

Yes they are. But the reason WotC (unfortunatly) won't do it has nothing to do with them not being capable of doing it.

 

[Reynard]

it is not an impossibility but it is the question of if anyone sets out to do it, or if there is a desire for it.

People have been doing it successfully for 20 years now, and there are at least two solid 5E implementations available right now. If WotC chose to do it, it would not be difficult for them and would probably be successful. Moreover, given we know they are making a sci-fi CRPG, I think it is very likely that they will bring out a tabletop version/tie-in simultaneously.