The look of your SF game

[tkdco2]

One of the things I seem to have trouble conveying to my players is how things appear in my games. How do buildings and spacecraft look? What are people wearing? After all, Star Wars and Star Trek look quite different from each other. My game, being set in the near future, wouldn't resemble either one.

I was watching 2001: A Space Odyssey the other day and pretty much everything clicked. Clavius Station and the Discovery One would be perfect for my game, as would the space station. Other visuals would include Babylon 5, as O'Neill Cylinders do exist in my game. The uniforms look good too. Military spacecraft would be similar to B5, and the 2000s Galactica series; shipboard life would to some extent be similar to the latter.

How do your SF games look like?

[Vile Traveller]

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

[battlebrotherbob]

It depends. I like the gritty look myself. I got a ton of Traveller:2300 stuff recently. I'm looking at 2001 for the corporate look. The big players on politics and business. The everyday worker view is Outland. That is also what my Traveller Universe looks like BTW. With White Star I'm thinking of stealing whole cloth 40K.

[Finarvyn]

While I enjoy watching Star Trek, I think that the Star Wars or Traveller "gritty" look is more realistic and therefore is more like the way my SciFi RPG universe appears.

[snorri]

I allmost never play SciFi. I had allmost no knowledge about Star Trek, but my GF is raising my knowledge about it.
Last time I masterized SciFi, it was an adapation of A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity in space, with homebrew system and 3 girls as players. It went a bit comical, but we had a lot of fun.

[kesher]

Only you, snorri...

[tkdco2]

I've been a really big fan of the Cold Navy line of miniatures. Although I use miniatures from other companies for my space combat games, I use the Terran ships for my NATO forces, and the Mauridian ships for my Sino-Soviet forces.

[tkdco2]

My current campaign is a near-future, hard SF game, so I try to keep things fairly realistic. My next one will be more space operatic, but gritty, with film noir undertones.

[Malcadon]

A neat thing about sci-fi is how varied the look and style can be within the genre, and how one can mix them within a single setting. For example, in Firefly, there are planets with opulent crystal towers and lots of fancy tech within the Alliance worlds, while it is the old west in the frontier worlds.

The look and feel of my sci-fi games are based on what I'm playing:

With Star Frontiers, I made it look like the spandex future of Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica. I try to keep the setting as Hard Sci-Fi as possible, but I find that I have to throw in some softer elements or tone-down the tech to make things playable — if the high-tech toys are doing all the work, its no fun for the PCs, nor if they make the game too complex. Since learning about the Alien Worlds proto-rules, and never being a fan of the Sathar (I just ignore them), I have added the S'sessu as a playable race. Without those allegory "Red Menace" alien worms in play, the setting is more focused on political radicals, intrigue and megacorps trying to screw everyone over. Although, I ran some games that takes place in the early history of the setting I call Age of Adventure that has a Forbidden Planet vibe about it. (Oddly enough, the old Alpha Dawn basic rules works well on its own to convey a retro sci-if feel.)

Talk about retro, I ran a homebrew game called The Thrilling Adventures of the Cosmic Enforcers that plays like old Buck Rogers/Flash Gorden serials. Its your old-school sci-fi that awards players for using cheesy tropes and clichés, that bookends the games with Batman-styled cliffhangers. I even narrate the game with an old-school radio newscaster vice. I would tell your more, but... "OUR HEROES ARE CAUGHT IN DR. SINISTER'S GRAPPLE RAY AND IS PUSHING THEM INTO A CRASH COURSE INTO THE RING OF SATURN! IS THIS THE END FOR OUR HEROES!? BE HERE NEXT WEEK TO FIND OUT, IN THE NEXT THRILLING ADVENTURES OF THE COSMIC ENFORCERS!!"

I like my cyberpunk settings to to be pure '80s William Gibson with some '90s cyberpunk anime thrown in — no Shadowrun fantasy fusion in my games — and d@mn do I pile on the '80s glam!

I still play Succession War Era Battletech, although, I'm trying to retool the setting to by own tease. Its a lot to note all the changes, but the general vibe is that Succession Wars never ended and it all looks like the rundown, backwater Periphery States of the canon setting, where centuries of endless warfare knocked humanity back to a state of near-barbarism. I expunge the Earth-like cultures (e.g. Draconis Combine = Feudal Japan) found in the canon setting, as I want future worlds to develop whole new cultures over time. The default setting looks a lot like Robot Jox, but after watching Fang of the Sun Dougram, I wanted to have that gritty old-school Real Robot anime look that fits vary well in the Succession Wars.

I am also working on a Nercomunda/Confrontation-inspired setting with a mix of BLAME!! (a beautifully illustrated Japanese manga). Nercomunda in itself is a mix of cyberpunk, mad max and westerns (with a noticeable Judge Dredd influence), all with a grim techno-gothic look about it, were gangs fight to control the resources of a massive technological mega-dungeon.

[Vile Traveller]

Sept 26, 2015 4:33:12 GMT -6 Malcadon said:

I still play Succession War Era Battletech, although, I'm trying to retool the setting to by own tease. Its a lot to note all the changes, but the general vibe is that Succession Wars never ended and it all looks like the rundown, backwater Periphery States of the canon setting, where centuries of endless warfare knocked humanity back to a state of near-barbarism. I expunge the Earth-like cultures (e.g. Draconis Combine = Feudal Japan) found in the canon setting, as I want future worlds to develop whole new cultures over time. The default setting looks a lot like Robot Jox, but after watching Fang of the Sun Dougram, I wanted to have that gritty old-school Real Robot anime look that fits vary well in the Succession Wars.

Have you ever watched Xabungle? It's my new favourite apocalyptic big robot setting.

[kesher]

I always go straight to the Alien movies and Outlander (Sean Connery). I've actually had conversations about how Outlander looks it was designed by guys who had played a lot of Traveller...

[Malcadon]

Sept 26, 2015 5:42:08 GMT -6 Vile Traveller said:

Have you ever watched Xabungle? It's my new favourite apocalyptic big robot setting.

Why yes, I'm familiar with it. Thanks to the internet, I been able to catch up on Armored Trooper VOTOMS, and I have finally been able to watch Dougram. I'm still watching Dougram -- being dyslexic, it takes me forever to get though subs -- and I have been planing on watching Xabungle when I get finished with that series. After that, I need to catch up on Legend of the Galactic Heroes. (I totally lost my place in the series. )

To anyone out there who likes giant robots, gritty war and/or post apocalypses fiction, political intrigue and hard sci-fi elements, but absolutely hate all that annoying Dragonball Z-like anime, then check out old-school Japanimation -- they have great, rich settings you'll want to run your games in!

[idrahil]

I prefer gritty/pulp like Buck Rogers although I do prefer spaceships to be like the "new" Battlestar Galactica. I dunno, I'm just not a fan of sleek "Apple Ipod" type of sci-fi. Does that make sense?

I have never played Traveller but the art in the classic books is really cool and the sort I like. Also the B&W art in the Star Wars West End games is great too. Always pretty gritty.

[ritt]

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone.

Ice Pirates.

Galaxy of Terror.

The grittier episodes of the Gil Gerard Buck Rodgers.

Very early 80's. Chunky. Dune buggies and motorcycles, lots of desert planets.

[tkdco2]

I've been on a science fantasy kick lately, so I decided to resurrect an idea I had in college but never tried out. I shamelessly stole from different settings and shows and put them together.

One of the features in my campaign would be floating cities, like Shadow World's Eidolon. Sky ships like those in the picture are also there. Not every city floats, but much of the stuff on the ground is wilderness filled with savages and monsters.

There are knights in this setting, armed with energy swords (yes, those are lightsabers) and riding robotic horses. There are also other soldiers such as crossbowmen and pikemen. The crossbowmen's weapons are similar to Wookie bowcasters, and the pikemen's weapons are pike versions of the lightsabers.

Note: This isn't Star Wars, and there is no Force in my game. The knights don't have the mystical abilities that the Jedi and Sith have. I'm just stealing the weapons for my own use. Also, while the color of the sword shows the chivalric order the knight belongs to, it's not an indicator of alignment. So someone with a red sword isn't necessarily be a bad guy, although he may be.

I was thinking of adding Hank's bow from the D&D cartoon, but my campaign originally had elves and orcs, as well as other demihumans and humanoids. I'm thinking of dropping them.

The horses come from the Legends of the Galaxy Rangers cartoon. They can talk, just like the cartoon. A significant difference is that they have retractable wings that allow them to fly. That way, the knights need not book passage aboard a sky ship to travel to a floating city.

[Torreny]

I've always been particular for Syd Mead's visions of the future, seasoned with oddments of other things. Naturally, given how clean his aesthetics were, as someone showing something new should, I like introducing the old and worn out used-future to that as well. Furthermore, Frank Herbert's, and others, such as Isaac Asimov's writing further inspires themes, objects and concepts.

Music plays a large part in my thought process when it comes to this genre as well. Vangelis (Alpha, Ballad, Dervish D, Bladerunner's soundtrack, etc.), Alien's soundtrack, and Ozric Tentacles (Aramanu, Arborescence, Crackerblocks, Mysticum Arabicola, Sultana Detrii, Sunhair, Tidal Convergence) are close companions.

[tkdco2]

I've experimented with music, with little success. Changing sound tracks can disrupt the game, and players are sometimes distracted by the music. Still, they are good sources of inspiration.

[Malcadon]

May 8, 2016 3:46:58 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

I've experimented with music, with little success. Changing sound tracks can disrupt the game, and players are sometimes distracted by the music. Still, they are good sources of inspiration.

Yeah, it is really tricky to pull off. There are two way I know how to pull it off.

In most cases, it is better to play a song at the beginning of the game, kinda like a theme song to a TV show. It would help set the players mood to what the adventure is about, and get them jazzed (or relaxed) for the game. And just like a theme song, you could even throw in a narration. Music during game play, on tho other hand, is way more tricky. If anything, it would have to follow one of the most basic rules of cinematography: The best musical scores are ones that fit a scene so well, you never notice unless its abruptly cut off or someone brings it up. Basically, a set of "soundtrack" songs that are low, ambient and subtle with no discernible lyrics. This is even more tricky, as it requires the DM to be methodical with execution.

[tkdco2]

The space battle shown in the TV series The Expanse comes closest to the space combat in my game. The factions are different, but the weapons (missiles/torpedos, railguns, machine guns) are the same. Here's a clip of the battle.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpfCkkKP9eE

Edit: The first clip didn't include a scene that showed the power of the railgun. Here's the scene that wasn't in the first link. Warning: The ending is pretty gruesome.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq0xETavaN0

[everyfan]

I usually picture as Star Wars '77, but whenever I watch Star Blazer/Space Battleship Yamato, I think about how surprisingly it fits into CT's world

[tkdco2]

Some deckplans based on the Expanse series:

woolshedwargamer.com/2016/10/24/the-expanse-hyena-road-a-utility-space-vehicle/

[tkdco2]

Here's a photo I did a few years ago using a couple of miniatures and a photo of Mars.




This was for my hard SF game. This scenario has a slightly goofy story, however.

"High above the Martian city of New Havana, the USS Kennedy and the RFS Kruschev stand off, missiles aimed at each other...."

[Malcadon]

Oct 23, 2016 22:52:33 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

Some deckplans based on th Expanse series:

If you like the ship layouts form the Expanse, you should check out TSR's Star Frontiers: Knight Hawks Adventures, and Dream Pod 9's Jovian Chronicles. The former is easier to get into, as the rules are easier and the rulebooks are free due to the "remastered" books floating around online. The later has a lot of game books to it, but it features a lot of realistic ship designs and technology (they also have a lot of anime art and mecha, but that can be ignored without braking, or otherwise taking anything away, form the game), and the setting goes into great detail about life in space (from long-term effects of low-gee on the body, to the social and economics situations that arise when living in a space station). (Its a shame the company is a shadow of their former selves.)

l also highly recommend a website for *hard* sci-fi enthusiasts called Atomic Rockets (aka Project Rho). (Go to the bottom of the page to find the table of contents) You will find a TON of useful information over there! And they absolutely love the Expanse.

[tkdco2]

I'm quite familiar with the Atomic Rockets website. The owner of the site used to be quite active in the Hero Games forums. He definitely helped me flesh out my hard SF game.

Thanks for reminding me about the Knight Hawks books. I do have a copy, but I haven't looked at them lately.

[tkdco2]

My sword & planet game can be found in the links in this thread. Let me know if you have trouble with the links. I can download an attachment.

[Malcadon]

Oct 24, 2016 2:35:44 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

My sword & planet game can be found in the links in this thread. Let me know if you have trouble with the links. I can download an attachment.

Yeah, I got me own swords & planet setting that is in development hell.

[tkdco2]

I feel your pain, Malcadon. Most of my settings end up there. That's why I've taken to solo gaming.

[raisin]

I don't always run Sci-Fi games, but when I do, you can expect Alien's level of tech and architectural design (that sounds like a good word, I hope it's a real one). There are at least one the following:
-Xenomorphs of the horrific and sneaky variety, think Ridley Scott or Fincher more than Cameron.
-Floating derelict in space rich in natural hazards such as radiations, holes in the hull, automated defenses and other "normal" abominations.
-Parasitic zombies from space, think System Shock
-Dangerous but somewhat reasonable rampant AIs, think Marathon more than System Shock
-Grey goo, if I'm in the mood
-And space pirates that try to kick you out of your own air vents to steal your stuff

Since I'm really terrible with scale, things are always inside the solar system, with month long travels between planets, asteroids and space stations. The world doesn't have the aesthetics of, but retains the tropes and typical situations of revisionnist westerns. Space is ultimately untamable, but it won't stop anyone from trying. Expect old guns, banjos, guitars, harmonicas and hard cash.

[tkdco2]

The lighter side of the game:

Lightsaber-joust by Carlos Ortiz, on Flickr

[premmy]

I'm planning a sci-fi campaign in the non-immediate future which I want to be a whole lot of this:



and quite a decent bit of this:



with a seasoning of this: