pming
Legend
Hiya.
Ok, when I used the term "Steampunk" I was referring to the general feel/asthetic and idea of "...it's kinda like technology, but with magic...". Iron Kingdoms isn't "Steampunk" by some folks definition here, because, well, there isn't really much "steam technology". Everything powered is done via magic and magic runes that will typically be described as housing some sort of 'demi-elemental' that, when combined with some combustible material for it, produce energy that is then harnessed/used to do whatever (be it a 'jackhammer', or a 'steamjack', or anything else). The settings "feel" is dark, gloomy, with the sounds of clanking metal, screaching pistons, and whiring gears isn't out of place. People dress in a certain way (victorion'esqe I'd say), and so the whole 'steampunk' vibe comes through. I guess "crude, loud, dirty tech" is what I'm getting at.
I was going for "Steampunk" in the way it looks. A lot of things look "steampunk'ish" to me in Eberron. Not all, but enough that it makes an impact. If I want something with "trains" or "airships", and "walking constructs", I'll play IK. When I see pics of a lightning train in Eberron, I don't picture it arriving at the station and the station smelling, sounding and looking like a mag-lev train from Japan...I picture it smelling, sounding, and looking like a coal-powered iron-horse arriving during a dark and rainy night, at a station smelling of soot, oil and hot metal, and the air filled with the sounds of scraping metal against metal and the high-pitched crackle-and-pop of electricity from a jacobs ladder. In other words..."steampunkish".
I'm sure that if someone really knew their Eberron and I could play in their game, I might fully enjoy Eberron's differences. But I'm mostly (always) the DM. I prefer it to playing, but like to play every once and a while to 'take a break and recharge'. And I'm just not up to learning yet another D&D setting...at least not one that I see as having a very similar "window dressing". Hence...I'll stick with IK.
Ravnica? Just not interested. If someone tells me of some inventive awesomeness it has for determining "all the city stuff" on-the-fly while DM'ing it (e.g., a city block's worth of buildings, streets, alleyways, purpose, people, etc) that is at least as good as Vornheim...then maybe I'll look into it. Otherwise I'll pass.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
Ok, when I used the term "Steampunk" I was referring to the general feel/asthetic and idea of "...it's kinda like technology, but with magic...". Iron Kingdoms isn't "Steampunk" by some folks definition here, because, well, there isn't really much "steam technology". Everything powered is done via magic and magic runes that will typically be described as housing some sort of 'demi-elemental' that, when combined with some combustible material for it, produce energy that is then harnessed/used to do whatever (be it a 'jackhammer', or a 'steamjack', or anything else). The settings "feel" is dark, gloomy, with the sounds of clanking metal, screaching pistons, and whiring gears isn't out of place. People dress in a certain way (victorion'esqe I'd say), and so the whole 'steampunk' vibe comes through. I guess "crude, loud, dirty tech" is what I'm getting at.
I was going for "Steampunk" in the way it looks. A lot of things look "steampunk'ish" to me in Eberron. Not all, but enough that it makes an impact. If I want something with "trains" or "airships", and "walking constructs", I'll play IK. When I see pics of a lightning train in Eberron, I don't picture it arriving at the station and the station smelling, sounding and looking like a mag-lev train from Japan...I picture it smelling, sounding, and looking like a coal-powered iron-horse arriving during a dark and rainy night, at a station smelling of soot, oil and hot metal, and the air filled with the sounds of scraping metal against metal and the high-pitched crackle-and-pop of electricity from a jacobs ladder. In other words..."steampunkish".
I'm sure that if someone really knew their Eberron and I could play in their game, I might fully enjoy Eberron's differences. But I'm mostly (always) the DM. I prefer it to playing, but like to play every once and a while to 'take a break and recharge'. And I'm just not up to learning yet another D&D setting...at least not one that I see as having a very similar "window dressing". Hence...I'll stick with IK.
Ravnica? Just not interested. If someone tells me of some inventive awesomeness it has for determining "all the city stuff" on-the-fly while DM'ing it (e.g., a city block's worth of buildings, streets, alleyways, purpose, people, etc) that is at least as good as Vornheim...then maybe I'll look into it. Otherwise I'll pass.
^_^
Paul L. Ming