Musings on Sci Fi Campaigns/Adventures

[Dannyalcatraz]

Would Red Dwarf fit that - last human survivor on a derelict ship with a robot a hologram and an evolved cat?

It does, and I edited that in while you were posting!

 

[Micah Sweet]

By this standard, quest based fantasy isn't "fun", which seems a pretty broad claim for something that probably takes up much of the hobby.

I think the idea that only sandboxes are true RPGs is not thought through, and at best shows a narrowness of view.

I don't think sandbox is the only good way to play, but it is by far my favorite way, and thus the "best" for me.

 

[Thomas Shey]

One rare setting I’ve seen in various sci-fi stories, TV shows & movies that I don’t think has been mentioned so far is the Abandoned Vessel/Derelict.

I’m not talking about the party encountering one, I’m talking about the party being on one. The starship or space station or even Dyson Sphere is not controlled by anyone alive, and it’s possible there’s nobody onboard aware they’re even traveling in space.

The Starlost* is one series that used this conceit; Stargate: Universe did it more recently. Red Dwarf gave it a comedic spin. The Ark touched on this, but it’s not quite the central conceit- the ship is under control, but is severely damaged. Doctor Who, Star Trek and other shows had episodes where they encountered societies like this. Dark City plays with this, too.




*

The "confused generation ship" trope goes back to Bob Heinlein and "Orphans of the Sky". First take on it in RPGs was quite early (Metamorphosis Alpha) though that version was very wahoo.

I'm a little surprised there hasn't been a major TV attempt at it since the Starlost; its well suited and has some advantages in budget that I could see.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I don't think sandbox is the only good way to play, but it is by far my favorite way, and thus the "best" for me.

Yeah, but you aren't making claims about what works for most of the hobby, or that sandboxes are most of what's out there.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Space 1999 is a variant on this too. It may not technically be a derelict, but they are travelling through space in something they can’t control, surviving whenever they encounter until they can get off.

The difference there is they have an organized structure and control over their core environment; its mostly what's outside of that that's a brand new problem all the time. Its more like a weird variation of the "lost ship" story such as occurred with Star Trek: Voyager.

 

[bloodtide]

The Starlost

Wow, now this is an unknown obscure show.

I only saw it as our old UHF channel 67 Com TV, did a Sunday night Sci-fi with Star Trek, Lost in Space, Land of the Giants.....and Starlost.

 

[dragoner]

One rare setting I’ve seen in various sci-fi stories, TV shows & movies that I don’t think has been mentioned so far is the Abandoned Vessel/Derelict.

I’m not talking about the party encountering one, I’m talking about the party being on one. The starship or space station or even Dyson Sphere is not controlled by anyone alive, and it’s possible there’s nobody onboard aware they’re even traveling in space.

The Starlost* is one series that used this conceit; Stargate: Universe did it more recently. Red Dwarf gave it a comedic spin. The Ark touched on this, but it’s not quite the central conceit- the ship is under control, but is severely damaged. Doctor Who, Star Trek and other shows had episodes where they encountered societies like this. Dark City plays with this, too.




*

This could start out with Metamorphosis Alpha, with them on the warden, though the Starlost ship looks like the Valley Forge from Silent Running, reconfigured. I think that would be a good game. Back in the early 80's we ran a game that was part D&D, Gamma World, and Traveller; basically the empire such as from Dune had fallen, and it rulled over a bunch of parallel dimensions from Heinlein's Number of the Beast.

Classic Doctor Who is a gold mine of plot ideas.

Yeah, low key; which is another thing people want in games some like epic adventures, saving the universe, others more cozy, average person style.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Wow, now this is an unknown obscure show.

I only saw it as our old UHF channel 67 Com TV, did a Sunday night Sci-fi with Star Trek, Lost in Space, Land of the Giants.....and Starlost.

Well…there’s at least one YT channel:

Starlost TV

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

m.youtube.com

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The difference there is they have an organized structure and control over their core environment; it’s mostly what's outside of that that's a brand new problem all the time. It’s more like a weird variation of the "lost ship" story such as occurred with Star Trek: Voyager.

I think it’s a hybrid.

But yeah, Stargate: Universe was closer, and Red Dwarf was definitely one.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I think it’s a hybrid.

There's an argument; at least the Voyager could mostly choose where they were going.

But yeah, Stargate: Universe was closer, and Red Dwarf was definitely one.

I can only go by reputation in either case.