Mercurius
Legend
In the revised edition thread I brought up the idea of WotC expanding into science fiction after the 50th anniversary, so in 2025 and beyond, and mentioned Alternity which, for some reason, I always forget about. I think it is because the late 90s were one of the longer fallow periods in my gaming career, when I didn't play for several years (my interest was re-perked when I heard about 3E and discovered a little website called "Eric Noah's 3E News" way back in 1999).
So I missed Alternity, at least when it came out. I did discover it a few years later but while I never played it, I was impressed with how it handled SF with a proto-3E rules set and liked the way it offered different science fiction settings (Star Drive = space opera, Gamma World = post-apocalyptic, Dark Matter = paranormal modern).
Alternity formed the basis for the later d20 Modern and Future games, although I also can't really comment on those, as I didn't play them. But I mention Alternity because I prefer the aesthetic of it; "Alternity" is catchier and more evocative than "d20 Modern" and "d20 Future."
Anyhow, I suggested that after the anniversary in 2024, presumably with revised core rulebooks, that WotC should start the second decade of 5E ("Phase Two") with a broader, more diverse approach to D&D. I'm guessing that over the next few years (2021-23) they will complete "Phase One" by fleshing out the classic D&D game in the form of 5E books, including coverage of the planes and the last of the modern classics, Dark Sun (and possibly Dragonlance, but I think it less likely than the other two). Meaning, "Phase One" is about fleshing out the possibilities of D&D proper, while "Phase Two" would continue that stream, but broaden it, offering a wider range of gaming possibilities, both within fantasy D&D, but also (potentially) non-fantasy gaming. Or that's what I'd like to see, at least!
So what do you think about reviving Alternity, at least as the basic template of a SF game by WotC? Could it be popular? It seems that translating the popularity of D&D to science fiction is a never-fully-realized holy grail of RPGs. Starfinder seems popular enough to keep publishing, but I'm guessing it isn't nearly as popular as Pathfinder. But just because it has never been done, doesn't mean it isn't possible, and of course a SF game doesn't have to be as popular as D&D (it likely never will be) for it to be a success. By "success" I mean ongoing publication, at least beyond a few years - which is what seems to always happen.
On the other hand, WotC might think that the market is already covered, with Fria Ligan's various SF games (Tales from the Loop, Coriolis, Mutant, Alien, etc), Starfinder, Numenera, etc. On the other hand, WotC has something that none of those companies have: a 50 million strong audience who would be more prone to try "D&D in space" or "D&D in a post-apocalyptic America" than something they've never even heard of.
What say you? Do you see WotC expanding beyond fantasy D&D? If so, when and how?
So I missed Alternity, at least when it came out. I did discover it a few years later but while I never played it, I was impressed with how it handled SF with a proto-3E rules set and liked the way it offered different science fiction settings (Star Drive = space opera, Gamma World = post-apocalyptic, Dark Matter = paranormal modern).
Alternity formed the basis for the later d20 Modern and Future games, although I also can't really comment on those, as I didn't play them. But I mention Alternity because I prefer the aesthetic of it; "Alternity" is catchier and more evocative than "d20 Modern" and "d20 Future."
Anyhow, I suggested that after the anniversary in 2024, presumably with revised core rulebooks, that WotC should start the second decade of 5E ("Phase Two") with a broader, more diverse approach to D&D. I'm guessing that over the next few years (2021-23) they will complete "Phase One" by fleshing out the classic D&D game in the form of 5E books, including coverage of the planes and the last of the modern classics, Dark Sun (and possibly Dragonlance, but I think it less likely than the other two). Meaning, "Phase One" is about fleshing out the possibilities of D&D proper, while "Phase Two" would continue that stream, but broaden it, offering a wider range of gaming possibilities, both within fantasy D&D, but also (potentially) non-fantasy gaming. Or that's what I'd like to see, at least!
So what do you think about reviving Alternity, at least as the basic template of a SF game by WotC? Could it be popular? It seems that translating the popularity of D&D to science fiction is a never-fully-realized holy grail of RPGs. Starfinder seems popular enough to keep publishing, but I'm guessing it isn't nearly as popular as Pathfinder. But just because it has never been done, doesn't mean it isn't possible, and of course a SF game doesn't have to be as popular as D&D (it likely never will be) for it to be a success. By "success" I mean ongoing publication, at least beyond a few years - which is what seems to always happen.
On the other hand, WotC might think that the market is already covered, with Fria Ligan's various SF games (Tales from the Loop, Coriolis, Mutant, Alien, etc), Starfinder, Numenera, etc. On the other hand, WotC has something that none of those companies have: a 50 million strong audience who would be more prone to try "D&D in space" or "D&D in a post-apocalyptic America" than something they've never even heard of.
What say you? Do you see WotC expanding beyond fantasy D&D? If so, when and how?
