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Post by Finarvyn on May 26, 2019 8:44:22 GMT -6
Yes, the classic from the 1970's. I saw it back in the day, and rewatched it yesterday. I know that there are several movies in the franchise (Aliens, Alien3, Alien Resurrection) and two prequels, but I've only seen the original.
I've become interested in Alien because of the new RPG being developed by the same folks who did Tales from the Loop. Also I've decided to track down the Alien novel, written by Alan Dean Foster, which I think I owned back in the day.
So, a couple of questions:
(1) What do you think of Alien? The original, the other movies, whatever.
(2) What would you have characters do in an Alien RPG?
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Post by sixdemonbag on May 26, 2019 10:27:06 GMT -6
Alien and Aliens are both classics. However, the original has Jones, so it will always be my favorite:
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Post by Finarvyn on May 26, 2019 10:28:34 GMT -6
Side note: if you really liked the original and you like video games? Check out Alien:Isolation (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Mac). Basically, you're on a space station fighting an alien infestation with improvised weapons. It's a lot of fun and very tense. I have practically zero interest in video games (I have poor vision and thus bad hand-eye coordination) but this sounds like it would make an awesome RPG scenario. I like the "improvised weapons" concept. ---------- EDIT: I see that Piper deleted his post. I hope it wasn't a result of what I said.
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Post by sixdemonbag on May 26, 2019 12:18:40 GMT -6
Jones appears in Aliens, too! Haha yes, that's true. Jonesy gets to retire to Ripley's apartment for his bravery and fearlessness in service of the Nostromo, lol.
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Post by makofan on May 26, 2019 14:12:21 GMT -6
Traveller is basically the Alien RPG (or could be if you play it that way). Alien ranks #2 on my list of greatest sci-fi films (after Blade Runner)
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Post by Greyharp on May 28, 2019 0:34:16 GMT -6
I think Alien was my first grown-up sci-fi experience. Fell in love instantly. It's lost none of its appeal for me and I don't find it dated, unlike other classic sci-fi's of the late 70s. The 40th anniversary saw me dust off the dvds and over the last week I've watched the four Alien movies and the two Aliens vs Predator films. Will probably watch the two prequels next. If you haven't seen them the six short movies released for the anniversary are worth a watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za0jUxBPQTw&list=PLraFbwCoisJApbIN0n2WRyliwHo2nSU3o&index=1Regarding roleplaying, I like the idea of a bug hunt. PCs are alien hunters sent in to search and destroy. Distress beacon on a distant planet, communication lost with a long haul freighter, in go the party to investigate.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2019 13:29:12 GMT -6
I have practically zero interest in video games (I have poor vision and thus bad hand-eye coordination) but this sounds like it would make an awesome RPG scenario. I like the "improvised weapons" concept. I'll second the recommendation for the Alien Isolation game. It's not a twitch shooter by any means. You'll spend most of your time sneaking around and hiding under table. It also does a great job fleshing out the look and feel of the Alien aesthetic. Even if you don't want to play the game, get on YouTube at watch one of the many Let's Plays of the game. Here's one I found with no commentary. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pvaw3tqgaw
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Post by Finarvyn on May 31, 2019 20:31:56 GMT -6
Watched Alien for the first time in years. Enjoyed it. Bought a DVD copy of Aliens and am watching it. Halfway through and am enjoying it, too. I can't believe that I've missed out on this for so long.
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Post by Vile Traveller on May 31, 2019 22:36:16 GMT -6
Watched Alien for the first time in years. Enjoyed it. Bought a DVD copy of Aliens and am watching it. Halfway through and am enjoying it, too. I can't believe that I've missed out on this for so long. I envy you. I saw Aliens 7 times in the cinema when it came out. Totally changed our whole Traveller game. Incredibly influential movie for me.
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flightcommander
Level 6 Magician
"I become drunk as circumstances dictate."
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Post by flightcommander on Jun 1, 2019 0:35:01 GMT -6
If I was going to do an _Alien_ thing now, I'd wrap it in something else so the players would be expecting a slightly different setup. Not sure it would work for an extended campaign. Examples:
* A _Traveller_-esque setting where the characters are assigned to recover a scout ship in decaying orbit around a gas giant. In the Science Lab one of the characters finds ... * A _Firefly_-esque setting with a focus on a group of beloved characters doing odd jobs to supplement tramp freight hauling. During a routine inspection of the Cargo Hold during jump, one of the characters is startled to find ... * A _Merc_-like setting where the characters are operating in Cambodia circa 1970. Discovering a subterranean complex beneath a heretofore unknown ancient temple complex, they soon discover ... * A large band of Conquistadores land on the Yucatan Peninsula in search of riches. They find obvious signs of human settlement, but few people. The characters are suspicious of the Priest who accompanies them, who they suspect of pursuing a secret agenda ...
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Post by murquhart72 on Jul 27, 2019 12:18:49 GMT -6
Don't forget TSR's Bughunters campaign for the Amazing Engine RPG.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2020 15:59:26 GMT -6
The original two Alien movies are both timeless classics, but for different reasons.
Alien is a haunted house movie in space. Between the two it's my favorite. Unlike the action thriller sequel, this is a movie about a group of ordinary people (basically truckers in space, to borrow a common phrase) dealing with something that's way above their pay grade. You have elements of a dystopian future wherein a mega-corporation with no accountability runs the show, and the sick feeling these people are expendable. You have the spooky elements like the derelict space ship on the barren moon, and the shady science officer who turns out to be an unfeeling machine who only admires the other unfeeling machine that is the alien lifeform. You also have the idea of "used future" that George Lucas pioneered two years earlier and which apparently impressed Ridley Scott very much, hence we see dust, rust, wear and tear in the Nostromo. We see coffee stains in the cup. That's a nice touch. I've always appreciated that.
To that end, my conception of an Alien tabletop game is actually more like Call of Cthulhu than Traveller. You could use Traveller rules and do things perfectly fine, but I feel like there's a real eldritch horror element to this story. There's ancient things that are not explained and powers moving behind the scenes that care not for Human life. This could easily be a location swap for something like The Mountains Of Madness or The Color Out Of Space. Ripley does not triumph in the end. She merely survives, but her sanity will likely never fully recover. (I'm not even gonna talk about the emotional trauma she experiences as the sequels roll on. I'll admit I am an Alien 3 fan and see it as a remake of the themes expressed in the first movie, but with extra layers of complexity. It's an inferior film but your mileage may vary. I have no opinions on anything after that which are worth sharing.)
So, that's the story as I see it. These people are more like CoC Investigators than traditional sci fi heroes ala Traveller and the like. They're very fragile, trapped in a horrific environment that swallows them up one by one, and at best can hope to survive with some of their sanity intact. That's how I'd do an Alien rpg. Focus strongly on the survival horror motif of the first movie. Light is a precious resource. A sudden sound can make your heart skip a beat. Turning a corner, you might mistake some piece of pipe for the creature and fire your weapon in a panic, giving away your location. Maybe your goal isn't to "win" but to get to an escape pod in time, navigating a huge space station or ship that's already overrun with the creatures, or perhaps you're being hunted by one persistent foe who never fully comes out into the open. Or maybe two. Maybe the Android survived and is helping the creature hunt you. Maybe a short cut to the escape pod is suddenly sealed off and you realize someone in the control room is corralling you closer to the lair of the beast.
Just some ideas. Maybe I ought to run this scenario! I'm getting excited thinking about it.
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