From the ashes will rise a new Hivemind.

[Relique du Madde]

I don't know why I'm thinking out alot of the logistics behind the setting rather then just creating NPCs and writing like 5 pages worth of notes (like I did when I ran Salton City) then starting the game. It seems like this "project/setting" diserves a butload of information and thought. Like it needs to be more.

Also, at the same time, I've been thinking about just creating a skelital framework for it on enworld (as a rogues gallery post) and opening it up to expansion via having it become a shared world (especially if it's ran using M&M).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Like for instance, I've been refining some ideas I've been having for a while and been hitting the same problems both rules and setting wise.

Things pretty much come down to:

1. How to run Fantasy/Western Steam Punk without making too much patches to the gaping holes in d20 M/F/P or Saga Edition. Would people actually play M&M Fantasy Steampunk, and if not, would it just be better to run a pulp-super hero game using some of those ideas I had?

My rule of thumb is that unless I have a particularly pressing reason to use a particular system- more players familiar with X RPG; Z RPG handles a certain mechanic that will be in use a LOT extremely well- any genre-bending game I run will be in the most flexible system I can convince people to play that I'm comfortable running.

My default choice would be HERO. But if I've got players who hate it, I'll ask about M&M. In one game group, the main choice would have been GURPS.

2. Alternate Earth or a totally new world? If I use an alternate earth, what lead to the changes taking place? Why use a totally new world?

Almost by definition, any RPG set on Earth will be an Alternate Earth. The key question is how much variation is necessary to support the campaign.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Almost by definition, any RPG set on Earth will be an Alternate Earth. The key question is how much variation is necessary to support the campaign.

Well yeah. The amount of variation I'm thinking about is along the lines of this:
1. That is magic and the supernatural always having always existed to some degree and is common knowledge.
2. Map changes. Well, to a degree this could be easy, but then again it could be the most difficult aspect of tweaking earth (since it also reaches into history and politics).

For instance, New Hope City replaces Long Beach California and it adsorbed several of the nearby towns (including San Pedro). At the same time, Los Angeles failed to annex much of the LA Basin, and ends up being land locked. As a result, the freeway set up would change to reflect the decrease in Los Angeles' importance and LAX would be moved. Now, the big question is, what happened during the LA Water-Wars? That actually is a big important question since LA essentially screwed over much of the South-West and central California as they tried to suck up as much water using their influence and oil-based power.

When I was thinking about Steampunk, one thought that crossed my mind was what if different human cultures didn't have the tendency towards national unification and consolidation? In this case, America would have been a Confederacy, but what about Europe? Would the Europeans have fought the Napoleonic wars or even WWI and WWII? If WWI and WWII happened, would Europe eventually ended up with the current map? In a way, I thought this would make a more interesting idea/setting then the standard super-hero-comic version of earth. However, its also very hard to contemplate.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

One starting place you might consider is checking out the work of Harry Turtledove, a master of Alt. History.

Others would include SM Stirling and Kurt Giambastiani, or the Charlie Jade series.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I haven't really had any strange dreams lately...

That is a very cute pic.

I finished Mass Effect 2 last night. Frickin' awesome. In fact so awesome I immediately started playing it again with a new character but aiming to play in a different way, just because I wanted to experience it again.

Kind of like how sometimes you leave a movie and you're wondering about just queuing up and going back in to see it again.

Plus, I'm doing proper blogging again (see link in sig) although we'll have to see how long this spate lasts! I'm going to have to make a rule that I must blog at least 3 times a week, or it'll get abandoned.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

I have a Mexican Coke, it is pretty good.

I also picked up Libris Mortis at a used book store today.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

When I try to create stuff for a campaign to run as a pbp the main worried I have are that it will die or no one would be interested.

Yeah, I have the same problem. I want to start up a Dragonlance PBP but I am worried that not many people will be interested. Not to mention I do not have my DL 3.5 books with me right now, and will not for a while.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Mexican Coke!?!?! And you're not sharing? Bastard!

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Mexican Coke!?!?! And you're not sharing? Bastard!

I have another one but it is for me.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Sharing with yourself doesn't count.