Scoop on D20 Future

[shadowlight]

Actually, I hope it's not a ton.

I'm hoping they revisit MECHA CRUSADE (from Poly mag) and Star Frontier (IP formerly owned by TSR).

I agree. Though I do like Alternity/Star*Drive, I'd like to see some treatment of the Star Frontiers material ever from WotC!

 

[RodneyThompson]

Well, I didn't mean for it to be some great revelation. Yeah, of course some Alternity stuff is making it into the line. See the Menace Manual, for example.

 

[Von Ether]

Well, I didn't mean for it to be some great revelation. Yeah, of course some Alternity stuff is making it into the line. See the Menace Manual, for example.

I don't think this is a "great revelation," I just think that WotC underestimated the draw of using SF stuff with d20 Modern.

 

[Ranger REG]

I honestly don't think they're underestimating that element. They're being very conservative and don't want to have conflict in the products they're selling. Case in point, Wizards publishing another sci-fi game that will compete with Star Wars.

But I think they're realizing that not all sci-fi gamers are Star Wars gamers.

Besides, from what I've heard recently, Moridin is nearly completed writing his appointed portion of the book.

 

[Von Ether]

I'll go with the non-compete idea to a degree, but when they plan 2 fantasy and 2 scifi settings and then we end up with a fully fleshed fantasy setting and a toolkit book that wasn't even on the schedule when D20 Modern came out, I still lean towards the idea that they really underestimated their SF market for d20 Modern.

 

[RodneyThompson]

Besides, from what I've heard recently, Moridin is nearly completed writing his appointed portion of the book.

Yep. Been done for a couple of weeks now.

 

[Wraithdrit]

So, Moridin. We know you can't really say much about the content of the book, so I'll ask in a really obtuse way...

Basically I am jonesing to start up a d20 future game, and want to make my own campaign setting with space travel, limited aliens, possibly some monsters thrown in, cool guns, etc. Think Aliens genre with a bit of Dark*Matter thrown in.

So the question is will this book have a lot to add to d20 modern for me? Are we going to see multiple tech levels or just a single generic future tech level? Are there going to be plenty of options and ideas that we can discard or is it going to be more of a set campaign setting that just modifies modern?

Thanks!

 

[Von Ether]

Are we going to see multiple tech levels or just a single generic future tech level? Are there going to be plenty of options and ideas that we can discard or is it going to be more of a set campaign setting that just modifies modern?

I'm just a customer, but the impression I am getting is that d20 Future is going to be a "toolbox," i.e. lots of crunchy bits and essays on different alternatives (such as the major types of FTL that one sees in fiction) that one could use in a d20 Future campaign. So in this set up the GM has to decide what he likes and tell players "no" to the rest.

On a personal note, I don't know if I am a fan of assigning tech levels to toys. Simply in the fact that players are going to believe that they can get "X" toy because the GM is using other items at that tech level in his game. While Space Opera works well by throwing in the kitchen sink, a lot of SF focuses on the idea of introducing only one new technology and extrapolating its effects on culture.

Let's say that in someone's SF tech rpg book, the author said that if you could build a house out of bio technology, then you could do the same with nanotechnology and that you could create a sheet of plastic material that would pop into the shape of a chair when electricity was applied to it.

For example, in the RPG Trinity while you have biotech houses, the former nanotech research lab on the moon had to be abandoned as well as the research, and no one has even thought of the "instant plastic chair" mostly because bio tech's doing the job.

LOL! In thinking out loud, I guess the best solution, tech levels ornot, is not let my players read the book.

 

[Wraithdrit]

Well, any player that thinks that would also think "Well I'm level x I should be able to get x magic item instantly."

To which I say, "Bad PLAYER! No biscuit!" then squirt them with my handy water bottle. <--Something Awful reference... (heh)

Anyways... I used tech levels in the generic sense of varying degrees of technology. I want a hard scifi game with bullets and not laser guns. I need varying tech!

I hope you are right about it being a toolbox. Thats exactly what I need.

Its funny about you mentioning the take one thing and extropolate it idea, its kinda what my whole campaign is based on, expect I am taking all aspects of current life and turning em up.

Examples:

WTO vs the world. UN, bah... the real power is where the money is... trade blocks (like the EU) crop up everywhere, etc.

Technology. Information age introduced us to mass information mining. So take that to the next level. Genetic codes act as locks for everything from guns to doors. Cop gets shot, loses his weapon, bad guy picks it up and doesn't match the genetic code of the cop, so the gun doesn't fire.

Cellular technology. Put it in everything. Guns have cellular tech in them that notifies the police when they are fired.

Heh... I could go on... but I think you get the point.

 

[Von Ether]

To which I say, "Bad PLAYER! No biscuit!" then squirt them with my handy water bottle. <--Something Awful reference... (heh)

Don't you mean Something Postitive? http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp12012003.shtml