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

[Leopold]

As long it has SOMETHING of the gov't of both movie and book (if you step back and look at it it's very similar) that allows someone to play something OTHER than a space marine when they are done then it's fine by me.

I mean you get your 2 yr tour and then what? What can you do then? Shoot you can create a whole suppliment on "So your done with your tour? What would you like to do now?" scenarios. You can flesh out and explore the intricies of the governing body and taks without really nailing it on the head to say whichever one it is facist/totalitarian/representive democracy/etc.

Overall, keep the power armor in, keep the bugs as bugs, and keep feeding us more details.

And please Matt, do not, I repeat do not, wimp out on the training manual. Make that a whole section.

 

[arkham618]

So it was a militocracy as well as a democracy but definitely not fascist in any way other than "right wing= fascist". It seems to have been Heinlein's idea of a utopian setup, and of course he's been attacked for it for decades. Note that serving personnel didn't vote, only those who had completed their terms, it's not a militocracy.

Just to be pedantic ( ): The exact term for a military government is a stratocracy (Gr. "rule by the army"). The government depicted in Starship Troopers is best labeled a timocracy (Gr. "rule by the honorable") -- a kind of state described by Plato as being ruled on principles of honor and military glory -- given that the franchise is restricted to ex-servicemen.

 

[S'mon]

Just to be pedantic ( ): The exact term for a military government is a stratocracy (Gr. "rule by the army"). The government depicted in Starship Troopers is best labeled a timocracy (Gr. "rule by the honorable") -- a kind of state described by Plato as being ruled on principles of honor and military glory -- given that the franchise is restricted to ex-servicemen.

Thanks arkham, I must remember that.

I think overall the direction Matthew has indicated for the game looks very promising. The ability to raise questions of moral philosophy in-game in a meaningful context ("Are we right? Who are we, anyway? Are we any better than them?") I find very appealing, even though Matt's own apparent take on the book is a bit odd (you haven't read it for a long time, Matt?). Questioning & debate was very much part of the book. It wasn't part of the movie, but the movie itself was very much in the spirit of other ripostes to Heinlein - Bill the Galactic Hero & The Forever War are good examples.

 

[BryonD]

The Forever War

Also an excellent novel

 

[Teflon Billy]

...Personally I would prefer the type of government in the book. I think everyone should have to earn the right to vote so it would mean something again. It's still a democracy and (apparently) a free society...

If only certain folks get to vote (in this case, Veterans) that's a Republic, if the right to vote must be earned (in this case by becoming a soldier) that is a Meritocratic Republic.

 

[Steve Conan Trustrum]

I've played many games based off of ST, and have always hoped someone would pick it up as an rpg. I'm happy that Mongoose will be undertaking this project and, just so you know, Matt, consider me a consumer for the rpg, minis, and graphic novels.

Good luck!

 

[dsfriii]

Well I like the idea of ST becoming and RPG. Not thrilled my the initial idea of the Earth Gov from Mongoose. But will reserve judgement until the book is done. But I do not know if i'll pick this up. Already buying B5 and if ST is as pricey as B5. I can not afford both. Oh I hope the editing is better in ST than some of the B5 stuff....