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Message: <blockquote data-quote="evildmguy" data-source="post: 516024" data-attributes="member: 6092">FireflyMistwell: I do agree that Firefly does seem to have done a good job of not having a main character.  (Perhaps the ship?)  They have had very good stories dealing with all of the characters.Having said that . . .takyris:  I don't agree that Firefly is a low tech future.  This is highly subjective but having been reading some other settings, I think this will make sense.Assumptions:  They travel between stars.  Weapons are not laser type.  They have computers.  They have genetic manipulation.  They have some form of ESP or telepathy or -cognition.  In general, with the exception of weapons, technology seems to have advanced.  (And perhaps we just aren't seeing how weapons have advanced.)  Therefore, they have to have some sort of "hyperdrive" or "gate" technology.  Since ships don't seem to be restricted, they must be able to go from star to star on their own, which implies the former.  That alone is significant tech.  (Otherwise, it would be years to travel the distances they have traveled.)  Computers - When they have shown them, the computer are quite sophisticated.  Capable of touch screen, portable.  While we do have most of that now, we can probably infer that their computers are better.  (Moore's law)River, the sister, is evidence of genetic manipulation as well as some sort of psionic ability.  So, this is quick (for me) but I think that it at least makes an okay argument about how Firefly does have the technology there, but the creators are just not dealing with it.  Also, there have been hints of much bigger things but they haven't been dealt with yet.  Really, the best SciFi is about the characters and people and not the science.  Or, at least, not centered on the science.  Babylon 5 had science and some shows were very heavy with it, but most of the show was about the characters and the events they lived through.  The other problem with converting shows, besides the main character syndrome as takyris pointed out, is that the shows usually go for drama in a completely different way than what RPGs allow.  Not all, but most.  For example, how many times (although I am specifically thinking of the Firefly episode) have we seen it where someone is dying from a fatal wound but still manages to make it long enough to save the day?  It makes for very good drama, especially when it isn't the main character.  The problem is, that I have yet to see a d20 system that would allow a GM to simulate this.  If you have hit points, or wound points, you can act, with little or no penalty.  If I am wrong and there is such a system out there, let me know.edg</blockquote>

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