Why no Star Trek CRPG?
Simon Appleton
an article in the latest PC Strategy Games magazine lamenting the
proliferation and dubious quality of Star Trek computer games, I
wondered why there is no Star Trek CRPG? There are scores of Star Trek
computer games, but none of them a classical CRPG of the type discussed
here (eg none like Fallout). It seems strange, because the plots seem so
conducive to role-playing - each episode is like a "quest"; the world is
quite rich and quite developed; and the varied roles of Federation
crewmen seem perfect for a party based game. Many years ago, I did buy a
PnP Star Trek module based on the "Devil in the Dark" episode and it
looked like great fun.
Simon
FredQ
without it turning out to be sort of generic. Of course, the closest thing
to what you are talking about is Star Flight or Star Control 2. Both of
these games had huge universes and the in Starflight, you did roll up a
crew. It amazes me that these successful game designs were never really
expanded upon.
"Simon Appleton" <simon.a...@nottingham.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:3A9A5F9E...@nottingham.ac.uk...
Law
> I would think that it would be difficult to create a non linear sci fi game
> without it turning out to be sort of generic. Of course, the closest thing
> to what you are talking about is Star Flight or Star Control 2. Both of
> these games had huge universes and the in Starflight, you did roll up a
> crew. It amazes me that these successful game designs were never really
> expanded upon.
sad to say SF CPRG is really rare , look back from mid-late 80s to early 90s
SF CRPG are not that rare at all. don't know what go wrong since than.
not too sure what kind of game Star control 2 should fit to may be action ,
Adventure , RPG ? ? may be a bit of all. that kind of space explore / trade
game even rarer (if not totally disappear) . i really like to see more that
kind of game.
--
Professionals are predictable, it's the amateurs that are dangerous
Adam Russell
Will: "Not again!"
p_conrad
Starflight 1 and 2
Star Control 2 (and 3, I guess)
Sentinel Worlds: Future Magic
Hard Nova
Planet's Edge
Megatraveler 1 + 2
Buck Rogers: 1 + 2
There were others that didn't involve space travel, so I'm not putting
them in the list. Pretty much all of these date back to the last time
RPGs were popular. Perhaps it's time for this kind of game to make a
comeback.
PBC
m.m.m.m.m.m.m....What was my e-mail address?
tomato
Simon Appleton wrote in message <3A9A5F9E...@nottingham.ac.uk>...
Chris
news:RUtm6.39542$3%5.31...@e420r-sjo3.usenetserver.com...
> Captain: "Fire at will."
> Will: "Not again!"
I've never understood the whole concept of "Fire At Will" used in a starship
setting...
There's only a few weapons. It's not like you have a dozen security troops
aiming their phasers out the portholes... although this of course paints an
interesting mental picture to any good trekkie... :)
I don't think there's a lot to roleplay in the startrek setting we see on
the television show.
Get up.
Eat breakfast.
Shower.
Go to bridge.
Save universe.
Nap.
Snack.
Trip to head.
Develop lifesaving cure for some bizzare disease.
Dinner.
After dinner replicated port.
After dinner replicated cigar.
Go to bed.
Even with all that, most of it is cut out in the show...
What might be interesting is role-playing more based on what's been hinted
at in a few episodes, and in several of the movies.
For example, go to the acadmey, join the starfleet infantry, fly of the
distant planets to for some reason wage a ground war against aliens who
wield powerful orbiting starships. ("Resistance is futile." *Bam* "Ow. You
punched us Your uniqness will be assimilated into the collective." *Bam*
"Stop punching us. Resistance is futile." *Bam* *Thud*).
Chris
Remove .nospam to reply.
Miles Lippincott
>an article in the latest PC Strategy Games magazine lamenting the
>proliferation and dubious quality of Star Trek computer games, I
>wondered why there is no Star Trek CRPG?
There were some very good "Space Quest" style Star Trek CRPG's back in the
80's. However, I think you have to look at the early '90's Next Generation
RPG that was a huge bust to see part of the reason why no one has tried it
since. At the same time, the strange partioned status of the Star Trek
license (Activision, Interplay, etc.) probably hurts as well. Finally, the
popularity of Star Trek in the last few years (Voyager, the last movie) has
declined.
Miles
Jeremy Reaban
>There are scores of Star Trek
>computer games, but none of them a classical CRPG of the type
discussed
>here (eg none like Fallout). It seems strange, because the plots seem
so
>conducive to role-playing - each episode is like a "quest"; the world
is
>quite rich and quite developed; and the varied roles of Federation
>crewmen seem perfect for a party based game.
Well, the first couple of Interplay ST adventure games actually did
this. You had Kirk, McCoy, Spock & a couple of redshirts (who would
tend to end up dead, like in the original series).
The trouble with making a ST CRPG is that most CRPGs tend to have a
lot of combat in them. And I'm not sure how that would work with ST.
Combat in ST is basically really deadly 1 hit by a phaser & your dead
or stunned.
Maddog
<snip>
> license (Activision, Interplay, etc.) probably hurts as well. Finally, the
> popularity of Star Trek in the last few years (Voyager, the last movie) has
> declined.
>
> Miles
And this decline is something I just don't understand. Both Deep Space 9
and Voyager are superior to Next Generations in every respect.
Voyager is IMO the best of the lot. Janeway is no pussy wimp like
Piccard was and as for the story - the Voyager crew has it a lot tougher
than the Enterprise crew ever did. In addition the characters are more
interesting, the stories are more interesting and even though I'm sure
they'll make it back to Earth I'll be darned if I can figure out how.
No - I just don't get why Star Trek's popularity has declined. Maybe
it's just getting too long in the tooth?
Maddog
--
"If absolute power corrupts absolutely, where does that leave God?"
George Deacon
Jason McCullough
Is this post a parody or not? Anyone? I *can* see a seriously
disturbed person saying the
"Breasts-Of-Nine-Lesbianism-Mystical-Miinorities-Incantation-Spirit-Guide
of the Week" shows are better than TNG, but I can't imagine someone
stating "I don't see why Star Trek's popularity has declined" with a
straight face. Hmm.
Jason McCullough
blortkar...@yahoo.com
Remove "blort" from the front of my email address to contact me.
Dibbler
news:9d2m9t8jistlt3g4l...@4ax.com...
Apparently you haven't seen the "DND Movie??" thread from a couple of days
ago.
Law
>
> There were others that didn't involve space travel, so I'm not putting
> them in the list. Pretty much all of these date back to the last time
> RPGs were popular. Perhaps it's time for this kind of game to make a
> comeback.
to bad those game come out so long ago, we can see more SF RPG,
BTW care to name more SF RPG (not just space travel )which come out before Fallout
?
Law
> I don't think there's a lot to roleplay in the startrek setting we see on
> the television show.
>
> Get up.
> Eat breakfast.
> Shower.
> Go to bridge.
> Save universe.
> Nap.
> Snack.
> Trip to head.
> Develop lifesaving cure for some bizzare disease.
> Dinner.
> After dinner replicated port.
> After dinner replicated cigar.
> Go to bed.
>
> Even with all that, most of it is cut out in the show...
LOL never think of ST this way.
OTOH do all action/adventure story are like that, specially the saving
universe/world bit
FredQ
like that. It used an engine similar to Bards tale. It was pretty crappy.
The only memorable thing about it was that it came in an box shaped like a
pentagon or an octagon. I cant remember. Any one else remember this game??
Fred
"Law" <la...@usa.net> wrote in message news:3A9B1D1D...@usa.net...
Maddog
>
>
> Is this post a parody or not? Anyone? I *can* see a seriously
> disturbed person saying the
> "Breasts-Of-Nine-Lesbianism-Mystical-Miinorities-Incantation-Spirit-Guide
> of the Week" shows are better than TNG, but I can't imagine someone
> stating "I don't see why Star Trek's popularity has declined" with a
> straight face. Hmm.
>
> Jason McCullough
> blortkar...@yahoo.com
> Remove "blort" from the front of my email address to contact me.
Star Trek The Next Generation was politicaly correct crap. The
characters were all holier than thou preachy wimps. Kirk rolled over in
his grave every time that talk 'em down I couldn't possibly shoot the
poor misguided non-federation fools who are against us Piccard walked
onto the bridge - what a waste of a starship. Why they even made a robot
Science Officer. No wonder Spock left Starfleet.
Give me Janeway any day - Captain Kirk would have been proud of her.
Law
> Sure, I'm using http://www.theunderdogs.org as a memory assist:
i feel kinda of depress after browse through the games in underdog. because there are
so many different variety in setting and gameplay in all kind of game not just RPG.
but recent year most of the 'new' game all we got are just the same old same old game
setting /gameplay over & over again. SIGH.............
come on i want variety Damn it.
FredQ
"Maddog" <nu...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:3A9C242C...@nowhere.net...
p_conrad
could cobble together in a year, they could afford to take risks and
make some really wacky games. Not all of them were good, but a
surprisingly large amount of them were.
Now with these multi-million dollar productions, most companies won't
dare to make a risky product. Even if it gives them the shot at
mega-hit game, it makes better business sense to do a Diablo clone and
settle for the guaranteed mediocre sales you get by doing that.
Buy shareware whenever it even is in the vein of what you like. If
you can keep the little guy afloat long enough, maybe some day you'll
see that really cool creative game you always wanted. The trade-off
is that you have to sacrifice the production values. Still,
low-budget movies get made and screened, there's no reason to think
that a powerful gaming underground won't eventually emerge.
On Wed, 28 Feb 2001 11:11:26 +1100, Law <la...@usa.net> wrote:
>p_conrad wrote:
>
>> Sure, I'm using http://www.theunderdogs.org as a memory assist:
>
>i feel kinda of depress after browse through the games in underdog. because there are
>so many different variety in setting and gameplay in all kind of game not just RPG.
>
>but recent year most of the 'new' game all we got are just the same old same old game
>setting /gameplay over & over again. SIGH.............
>
>come on i want variety Damn it.
PBC
Michael
>and Voyager are superior to Next Generations in every respect.
>
>Voyager is IMO the best of the lot.
It's all a matter of taste, I suppose, but I do hope you realize you're in a
minority here. Voyager caused me to abandon the Star Trek franchise totally.
They may have some interesting characters, but their adventures weren't
remotely interesting for the most part. It got off to a slow start, but I came
to like DSN a lot. Garrok was my favorite.
With all of this talk of Star Trek computer games, are you all aware of the
upcoming Away Team? The game looks very promising and if it's done well we
could expect all kinds of expansions for it which might include everyone's
favorite characters.
Chris
news:20010303125421...@ng-cu1.aol.com...
> It's all a matter of taste, I suppose, but I do hope you realize you're in
a
> minority here. Voyager caused me to abandon the Star Trek franchise
totally.
> They may have some interesting characters, but their adventures weren't
> remotely interesting for the most part. It got off to a slow start, but I
came
> to like DSN a lot. Garrok was my favorite.
Some time ago (Around the time of the start of Voyager, and about half-way
through DSN), startrek went from being the "Wagon Train to the Stars" to
being "Days of our lives" in space... I still watch it when there's nothing
else on (A common occurance), but I don't watch as much, or for the same
reason as before.
--
Chris
Remove .nospam to reply.
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Maddog
>
> >And this decline is something I just don't understand. Both Deep Space 9
> >and Voyager are superior to Next Generations in every respect.
> >
> >Voyager is IMO the best of the lot.
>
> It's all a matter of taste, I suppose, but I do hope you realize you're in a
> minority here.
Yes <sigh> I do realize I'm in the minority of folks who consider DSN
and Voyager superior to TNG.
> Voyager caused me to abandon the Star Trek franchise totally.
> They may have some interesting characters, but their adventures weren't
> remotely interesting for the most part. It got off to a slow start, but I came
> to like DSN a lot. Garrok was my favorite.
What I liked about DSN and still like about Voyager is that it is an
ongoing story - each episode relates to the next - more so in DSN than
Voyager to be sure. TNG was just a politically correct parody of the
original Star Trek and totally insipid, boring and a pretty stupid
prediction of a Utopian future.
Obviously DSN and Voyager take place in the same universe but they don't
throw it in your face like TGN did.
>
> With all of this talk of Star Trek computer games, are you all aware of the
> upcoming Away Team? The game looks very promising and if it's done well we
> could expect all kinds of expansions for it which might include everyone's
> favorite characters.
I've heard of Away Team - could you expound further?
--
Maddog
======
Michael
>> upcoming Away Team? The game looks very promising and if it's done well we
>> could expect all kinds of expansions for it which might include everyone's
>> favorite characters.
>
>I've heard of Away Team - could you expound further?
I'm no expert on it. I just saw an ad in a magazine. It looks like you take
away teams on missions, much like a zillion other squad-based games. I would
assume that the characters can improve over time and you can customize the Away
Team depending on the mission. I forgot which company is putting it out or I'd
give you a link.
Soundcage
>I forgot which company is putting it out or I'd
>give you a link.
Here's the link to the Away Team site:
Andreas Baus
>>I've heard of Away Team - could you expound further?
> I'm no expert on it. I just saw an ad in a magazine. It looks like you take
> away teams on missions, much like a zillion other squad-based games. I would
> assume that the characters can improve over time and you can customize the Away
> Team depending on the mission. I forgot which company is putting it out or I'd
> give you a link.
Sounds kinda like XCom in a ST setting...
--
----
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[Insert joke here.] ----
--
an...@studcs.uni-sb.de (Andreas Baus)
Soundcage
>Sounds kinda like XCom in a ST setting...
>
Sounds to me like a concept for a Series 5 which Paramount rejected.
Michael
No, you don't have that kind of resource management or a tech tree or anything
like that. I'd liken it more to Rainbow Six.
Andreas Baus
Um... that depends... I assumed (dunno why) ist was some kind of turnbased
strategy game. But actually I have no idea - it might as well be 1st person
- then it might indeed be more like R6...