(Mongoose) Starship Troopers! RPG, miniatures and graphic novels!

[BryonD]

sigh

Add one check mark to the turned WAY off column

If there was one thing that Heinlein absolutely was NOT, it was ambiguous about his politics. So, without seeing one word of the actual product the publishers have already told me they don't remotely understand the founding principles.

Oh well.

My advice, for the negligible amount it is worth, forget the book exists. The movie went out of its way to change the meaning anyway. So any effort to "blend" them is a hopeless effort. Make a nice "things go boom" game and just forget that any thought was ever behind it.

 

[BryonD]

How exactly is this "big", though?

AFAIK, the movie was a flop. According to Box Office Mojo, it cost $105 million to make, but only grossed $55 million. That's a net loss worse than Ishtar, though it's not even close to Pluto Nash or Cuthroat Island standards.

And based on this discussion, it sounds like you're not really paying attention to the book.

No offense, but I'm a bit tired of Europeans interpretations of US politics. It gets awfully old.

:: Tips Hat ::

 

[jaldaen]

Considering the definition of the two words, I'm not sure how anyone who's read the book could argue that the gov't of Starship Troopers is totalitarian or fascist.

The ST government was clearly described as a Democracy, albeit one with limited citizenship, much like Athens.

ST is unfairly labeled as both because it is guilty of glorifying military service and limiting citizenship to those that had previously served in the military. Not those in service, but veterans.

What about a stratocracy? ;-)

 

[TroyXavier]

Well, I don't really care about SS Troopers, but I hope it does well for Mongoose. Just don't let it interrupt Lone Wolf

 

[Whimsical]

Sounds awesome, but I have to ask you one thing. Can you please arm the bugs. One of the things that annoy the hell out of me about the movie (and then the Roughneck Chronicles) is that the bugs are not armed with anything other than claws for the most part. In the book the workers were unarmed, but the warriors were suppose to make up for the workers. I would suggest to take the normal 'warrior' bug from the movie/RNC make them the workers and make an armed version of them, perhaps with a lighter version of the tanker bug weapons. Same with the wasp type bug, I would suggest arming it with a toned down version of the plasma bug weapon.



Salcor

And I'm going to have to ask that you keep the bugs the way they are portrayed in the movie and TV show. I'm am soooo tired of human-like "aliens". Like there is only one way that life can evolve and a humanoid (whether in physicality or in way of thinking) is the ultimate destiny of any life that starts on any other planet. I prefer the idea that there are other ways than technology for life forms to become intersteller. I hate the idea that aliens using humanlike technology is the ONLY way to match or supass humans. So, please keep the aliens alien.

 

[s/LaSH]

I like. I'm not concerned about the sociopolitical commentary; that might be why I loved the TV show. I'll be keeping an eye out for this...

As for the bugs and their armament? The speciation system is quite fine as it stands in the TV show. In addition to tankers and plasma bugs (some small enough to target aircraft), you've got spiderbugs and ripplers (for those unfamiliar with ripplers, they're flying bugs that can 'fire' acidic spines in lethal showers), and a whole host of lethal close-combat types (Klendathu acid swamp bugs, rippler queens, royal guard, water tigers, the fearsome infiltration bugs, and the titanic transport and ice bugs, just to mention a few). Bugs are melee specialists, but their biotech is quite alien and advanced. I like it that way.

Skinnies have to be in there, of course. The Colonel from Roughnecks had cool, unique armour.

I must confess, of course, that the book's powered armour will always have a place in my heart. Any book where the first paragraph or so reads 'I jumped ten miles and nuked an industrial complex' (it's been a while, can't remember it all that clearly) is going to appeal to me.

In conclusion, I think the decision of 'the best bits' is good. All I really need is stats for ripplers. Sociopolitics I can do myself, and probably won't even bother. That's not what the franchise means to me.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I well and truly hated the movie.

I really and truly enjoyed the book.

I really and truly had fun with the TV show.

I may very well get the game.

*Bursts into song*

No, they've got no time for glory in the Infantry.
No, they've got no use for praises loudly sung,
But in every soldier's heart in all the Infantry
Shines the name, shines the name of Rodger Young.

Shines the name--Rodger Young!
Fought and died for the men he marched among.
To the everlasting glory of the Infantry
Lives the story of Private Rodger Young.

The Ballad of Rodger Young, the ship in Heinlen's book was named for him...

The Auld Grump

 

[Darrin Drader]

Well, I'm just happy for the Babylon 5 license. As long as Mongoose keeps making the B5 books, I'll keep buying them.

 

[Pagan priest]

The bugs nuked Buenos Aires. From the other side of the galaxy, they nuked Buenos Aires. No matter how many sub-species they have, none of them will ever be able to blow a nuclear warhead out their @ss and send it across the galaxy. They are not anyting even remotely humanoid, they are bugs, but they are intellegent, tool using bugs. They had weapons, they had starships, they had nukes. They even had a treaty with the Skinnies, in the beginning.

As far as that whole totalitarian/facist thing, all I can say is that anyone who makes that comment needs to actually read the book. If they claim that they have, then they need to read it again, and this time they need to actually look at those little ink spots on the pages... the ones called "words"...

The movie had some good points. The inclusion of women is something that I think R. A. H. would have approved of, (just read his later works... lots of strong female characters). The lack of power armor was a mistake by the director (can't spell his name right, so I won't try ). The lack of effective weaponry was just dumb on the director's part. Each trooper should be able to kill numerous bugs, all on his little lonesome.

 

[Pagan priest]

What scale will the figures be? I've seen references to 15mm and 28mm, but no actual word from those who know...