Every genre covered?
Aaron Day
already been covered; Sci-Fi (hard and soft, near and far future),
Supers (Light and dark), Modern (Horror, cyberpunk, spy and action),
Fantasy (High and Low), Pirates/Renaissance (fantasy, historic, horror,
furry), Asian (historic and fantasy). There have even been games about
caveman and gods. The only things that I can think of that haven't been
covered by at least three games are:
Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
Is there anything new left to game?
Aaron
GMSkarka
in print now):
Pulp Adventure (30s Doc Savage and the Shadow-type stuff)
Napoleolic Wars (RPGs, not wargame)
Steampunk
The last two made me think about the fact that Alternate History is a wide-open
genre, simply because of the number of options that you can excercise.
Gareth-Michael Skarka
administrator, RPGFreelance
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/RPGFreelance
Knight37
>I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
>already been covered;
[SNIP]
>Is there anything new left to game?
You didn't mention these genres:
American Civil War (a few games touch it)
American Wild West (lots of games touch it)
Horror (lots of games touch it)
Modern-Day Espionage (a few games)
Modern-Day War (few games)
Tabloids (a few games, amazingly enough)
Modern-Day Conspiracy (like Illuminati or Over the Edge)
Multi-Genre (lots of games do this)
But, yes, I'd have to agree that practically every genre has at least a
sourcebook if not a full game devoted to it. The main way to innovate now
is to mix genres to form a unique blend, or to do exceptionally well with
an established genre.
Knight37
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com * The Internet's Discussion Network *
* The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free! *
Rezcat
GMSkarka <gmsk...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19991020125838...@ng-cg1.aol.com>...
> Genres still not currently being done (some have been done in the past,
but not
> in print now):
>
> Pulp Adventure (30s Doc Savage and the Shadow-type stuff)
Apparently, White Wolf has another Trinity past game coming soon that will
deal with this time period, should be neat. And yeah, this genre has been
done in the past by HERO and I think a couple others
> Napoleolic Wars (RPGs, not wargame)
True, none that I can ever remember
> Steampunk
Technically, Deadlands uses elements of this. ( I know it's primarily a
"horror" game, but it does touch upon this subject ;) )
Aaron Pound
> Aaron Day wrote:
> >
> > I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
> > already been covered; Sci-Fi (hard and soft, near and far future),
> > Supers (Light and dark), Modern (Horror, cyberpunk, spy and action),
> > Fantasy (High and Low), Pirates/Renaissance (fantasy, historic, horror,
> > furry), Asian (historic and fantasy). There have even been games about
> > caveman and gods. The only things that I can think of that haven't been
> > covered by at least three games are:
> >
> > Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
GURPS: Greece. Its been done and is currently available
> > Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
> >
> > Is there anything new left to game?
>
> Regency Romances?
>
> Egypt and the Eastern Med before the fall of Knossos or during the reign
> of Akenaten?
GURPS: Egypt, currently available.
> Central American during the heyday of the pre-Columbian civilisations?
GURPS: Aztecs? (Its been done but I don't know if it covers what you are
looking for).
> Yankees, le Francaise, and the Eastern Woodlands Indians
> (leatherstocking stuff).
>
> Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
GURPS: Middle Ages I, currently out of print, but findable.
Aaron J. Pound, Esquire
Blackberry
Aaron says...
>
>I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
>already been covered; Sci-Fi (hard and soft, near and far future),
>Supers (Light and dark), Modern (Horror, cyberpunk, spy and action),
>Fantasy (High and Low), Pirates/Renaissance (fantasy, historic, horror,
>furry), Asian (historic and fantasy). There have even been games about
>caveman and gods. The only things that I can think of that haven't been
>covered by at least three games are:
>
>Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
The African Kingdoms are rather unplumbed as far as I know. There was a Hero
system supplement for Ancient Greece and I believe one for Rolemaster a long
time ago.
>Is there anything new left to game?
What about the various styles of Romance? Harlequin, Soap Opera, etc.
Early cultures around the world -- Minoa, Phoenicia, Babylon; Tibet/Shangri-La;
Aztec, Inca, Maya
--------------------
"It's enough to make you wonder sometimes if you're on the right planet."
-- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Brian -- le...@europa.com -- http://www.europa.com/~lepus
Jeremy Reaban
Aaron Day wrote in message ...
<snip>
>. The only things that I can think of that haven't been
>covered by at least three games are:
>
>Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
>Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
TSR's covered both of those with it's 'Hollow World' setting. Not exactly
those cultures, but ones very similar to them. Along with the Aztecs,
Olmecs, Mongols, 'Cavemen', Native Amercians, India, Neaderthals, etc. And
EGG's 'Aerth' setting for DJ had a very interesting africa/egypt.
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
>The only things that I can think of that haven't been
>covered by at least three games are:
>
>Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
ICE made a Classic Greece supplement for Rolemaster and Hero System.
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
klau...@get2net.dk
http://hjem.get2net.dk/Klaudius
The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, Moves on
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
>Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
ICE did a Robin Hood sourcebook. I'd say that counts as non-fantasy
medieval.
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
>
>Have you read 'Bridge of Birds', by Barry Hughart (Corgi Books 1986,
>ISBN 0-552-12646-2). It makes a campaign set in T'ang China sound
>interesting. I also read an historical novel about the rebellion of
En
>Lu-shan about 750 AD which seemed eminently gamable, but I have
>forgotten the title and author.
Isn't Swords of the Middle Kingdom set in a similar pseudo-historical
China?
Klaus Æ. Mogensen
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
>
>Pulp Adventure (30s Doc Savage and the Shadow-type stuff)
Danger International from Hero Games.
>Steampunk
Space 1889, Forgotten Futures.
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
Joseph Teller
>Genres still not currently being done (some have been done in the past, but not
>in print now):
>
>Pulp Adventure (30s Doc Savage and the Shadow-type stuff)
>
>Napoleolic Wars (RPGs, not wargame)
>
>Steampunk
Steampunk and Pulp games can be found for free on the Internet. If
you're not finding them, then drop on by my site and you'll find
listings:
Joseph Teller joet...@mindspring.com
"Put Some Fantasy Back In Your Life!"
The Fantasy Library
http://www.fantasylibrary.com
Aaron Day
>
> Brett Evill wrote:
> >
> >Have you read 'Bridge of Birds', by Barry Hughart (Corgi Books 1986,
> >ISBN 0-552-12646-2). It makes a campaign set in T'ang China sound
> >interesting. I also read an historical novel about the rebellion of
> En
> >Lu-shan about 750 AD which seemed eminently gamable, but I have
> >forgotten the title and author.
>
> Isn't Swords of the Middle Kingdom set in a similar pseudo-historical
> China?
Not really. Its closer to Fantasy. Like L5R's Rokugen.
Aaron
Bruce Baugh
>I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
>already been covered;
Romance? Courtroom drama? Bedroom farce? Most of the most popular genres
in fiction are poorly tapped, if at all, in gaming.
--
Bruce Baugh / bruce...@sff.net
"I have joyously shut myself up in the solitary domain where the mask
holds sway, wholly made up of violence, light and brilliance."
- James Ensor
Blackberry
>
>In article <F7530C2DD97C0BF2.B6AC8ABD...@lp.airnews.net>,
>aa...@cambertx.com wrote:
>
>>I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
>>already been covered;
>
>Romance? Courtroom drama? Bedroom farce? Most of the most popular genres
>in fiction are poorly tapped, if at all, in gaming.
How about Tom-Clancy-level technical fiction? I can't think of a game system
that has detailed that much about technology and its use.
How about psychological study/drama, like Sybil or Eyes Wide Shut?
Reimer Behrends
[...]
> ICE did a Robin Hood sourcebook. I'd say that counts as non-fantasy
> medieval.
Definitely (even though it has some optional stuff on integrating
magic). It's also an excellent source book about medieval England, and I
use it a lot for Ars Magica games.
Reimer Behrends
Frank J. Perricone
> Steampunk
GURPS Steampunk is being written right now. (Not by me, I'm sad to say.)
Mostly written and already available to anyone who wants to stop by is
Edison's Optics, steampunk for Prism, at
http://www.sover.net/~hawthorn/Prism/s1-1889.html. (It's just rules
adaptations and notes, not a world background; you can use it with either
Space:1889 or your own steampunk background.)
--
* Frank J. Perricone * hawt...@sover.net * http://www.sover.net/~hawthorn
Prism: http://www.sover.net/~hawthorn/Prism/
Just because we aren't all the same doesn't mean we have nothing in common
Just because we have something in common doesn't mean we're all the same
Frank J. Perricone
<klau...@get2net.dk> wrote:
> Brett Evill wrote:
> >Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
>
> ICE did a Robin Hood sourcebook. I'd say that counts as non-fantasy
> medieval.
GURPS also has a Robin Hood book.
ed
the day of Thu, 21 Oct 1999 02:36:19 +1000:
>Have you read 'Bridge of Birds', by Barry Hughart (Corgi Books 1986,
>ISBN 0-552-12646-2). It makes a campaign set in T'ang China sound
>interesting. I also read an historical novel about the rebellion of En
>Lu-shan about 750 AD which seemed eminently gamable, but I have
>forgotten the title and author.
>
>Regards,
The Chinese "Water Margin of Lang Shang Po" series has been made into an
RPG by Paul Mason, published on the Web
ed
--
edh...@equus.demon.co.uk | Dragons Rescued | _////
http://www.equus.demon.co.uk/ | Maidens Slain | o_/o ///
For devilbunnies, Diplomacy, RPGs, | Quests P.O.A. | __\ ///__
Science-Fiction and other stuff | | <*>
ed
Wed, 20 Oct 1999 17:24:16 GMT:
>> Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
>
You could always take the magick out of C&S and set it in historical
times
Aaron Pound
> The noble Aaron Pound <ajp...@bellatlantic.net> spake on the day of
> Wed, 20 Oct 1999 17:24:16 GMT:
>
> >> Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
> >
>
> You could always take the magick out of C&S and set it in historical
> times
The portion you quoted was not mine. I responded to the portion you
quoted with the statement that GURPS: Middle Ages I was a published
setting placed in the non-fantasy medieval environment.
Aaron J. Pound, Esquire
Doug Berry
<klau...@get2net.dk> channeled Elvis who passed this on:
>GMSkarka wrote:
>>
>>Pulp Adventure (30s Doc Savage and the Shadow-type stuff)
>Danger International from Hero Games.
He did specifiy that these had been done in the past, but were
not currently being supported.
--
Douglas E. Berry grid...@mindspring.com
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/
"We are GURPS. You will be assimilated. We will add
your distinctive setting and background to our own. |
Resistance is futile."
Doug Berry
<aa...@cambertx.com> channeled Elvis who passed this on:
>Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
GURPS has both Greek and Egytian sourcebooks.
>Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
Nothing directly on the topic, but RuneQuest's Glorantha setting
had a large southern continent settled by Africanesque tribal
groups.
Doug Berry
<b.e...@tyndale.apana.snipthis.org.au> channeled Elvis who
passed this on:
>Regency Romances?
7th Sea comes close to that.. more Elizabethen, but the same
feel.
>Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
Use Harn without the magic.
Doug Berry
channeled Elvis who passed this on:
>How about Tom-Clancy-level technical fiction? I can't think of a game >system that has detailed that much about technology and its use.
Millennium's End
Neel Krishnaswami
>China?
No, it's set in Jet Li's _Kung Fu Cult Master_.
(For the record, I consider this a good thing. The half of my gaming
group that hadn't seen it saw it last week, and it just about doubled
the interest level in playing _Swords of the Middle Kingdom_.)
Neel
pblock
> > Aaron Day wrote:
> > >
> > > I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
> > > already been covered
Only if you limit yourself to adventure-style games. I once voice an idea
for a sit-com RPG
Seinfeld the RPG, I called it. There's a genre not covered yet.
TFOS comes close, but that was more like Toon than a more conventional
sit-com.
Brett Evill
>
> I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
> Supers (Light and dark), Modern (Horror, cyberpunk, spy and action),
> Fantasy (High and Low), Pirates/Renaissance (fantasy, historic, horror,
> furry), Asian (historic and fantasy). There have even been games about
> covered by at least three games are:
>
>
Regency Romances?
Egypt and the Eastern Med before the fall of Knossos or during the reign
of Akenaten?
Central American during the heyday of the pre-Columbian civilisations?
Yankees, le Francaise, and the Eastern Woodlands Indians
Brett Evill
>
> Aaron Day wrote:
> >
> > I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
> > already been covered; Sci-Fi (hard and soft, near and far future),
> > Supers (Light and dark), Modern (Horror, cyberpunk, spy and action),
> > Fantasy (High and Low), Pirates/Renaissance (fantasy, historic, horror,
> > furry), Asian (historic and fantasy). There have even been games about
> > caveman and gods. The only things that I can think of that haven't been
> > covered by at least three games are:
> >
> > Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
> > Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
> >
> > Is there anything new left to game?
Have you read 'Bridge of Birds', by Barry Hughart (Corgi Books 1986,
ISBN 0-552-12646-2). It makes a campaign set in T'ang China sound
interesting. I also read an historical novel about the rebellion of En
Lu-shan about 750 AD which seemed eminently gamable, but I have
forgotten the title and author.
Regards,
Brett Evill
PJS
>
>
>GMSkarka <gmsk...@aol.com> wrote in article
><19991020125838...@ng-cg1.aol.com>...
>> Genres still not currently being done (some have been done in the past,
>but not
>> in print now):
>>
>> Pulp Adventure (30s Doc Savage and the Shadow-type stuff)
>
>deal with this time period, should be neat. And yeah, this genre has been
>done in the past by HERO and I think a couple others
>
>
>> Napoleolic Wars (RPGs, not wargame)
>
-------------
Privateers and Gentlemen? Or was that a bit too early? I remember it was set
in the late 18th century, after most Pirate games, but did it go on as far
as 1805?
---
Puritanism - the haunting fear that someone, somewhere
may be happy.
- H.L. Mencken
PJS
>On Wed, 20 Oct 1999 22:33:04 +0200, "Klaus Æ. Mogensen"
><klau...@get2net.dk> wrote:
>
>> Brett Evill wrote:
>> >Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
>>
>> ICE did a Robin Hood sourcebook. I'd say that counts as non-fantasy
>> medieval.
>
>GURPS also has a Robin Hood book.
...and someone did a RPG of the Crusades, years ago.
PJS
Bruce Baugh wrote in message <7ul733$21k...@enews.newsguy.com>...
>In article
<F7530C2DD97C0BF2.B6AC8ABD...@lp.airnews.net>,
aa...@cambertx.com wrote:
>
>>I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
>>already been covered;
>
>in fiction are poorly tapped, if at all, in gaming.
There have been games set in schools, and games where the PCs are football
(soccer) players . . . I'm sure there was a soap opera one as well . . .
John Kim
in reply to Aaron Day. In general, I think that genres outside of
fantasy and sci-fi are extremely poorly covered by RPG's.
There are certainly exceptions, but simply having a game
(or unsupported supplement, in many cases) which is remotely in the
area doesn't count as being adequately "covered". In particular,
many examples were of solitary GURPS worldbooks (or ICE's genre
books, AD&D historical campaign books, etc.) that are unsupported.
I would not say that a lone book "covers" a prolific genre.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Non-fantasy or SF RPG's are pretty rare, especially when
compared to the prolific production of mysteries and romances in
fiction. The only currently-produced non-F/SF game I can think
of is _Millenium's End_ (by Chameleon Eclectic) which is in the
"techno-thriller" genre, with an emphasis on terrorism and
counter-terrorism.
In the past we have had a bit of modern action/espionage:
_Top Secret_, _James Bond_, and _Danger, International_. For
pulp there was _Daredevils_, _Justice, Inc._, and _Gangbusters_.
However, I think the only games which covered mysteries significantly
were _Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes_, and perhaps _Daredevils_.
SD Anderson
>> The only things that I can think of that haven't been
>> covered by at least three games are:
>> Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
>> Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
> The African Kingdoms are rather unplumbed as far as I know.
> There was a Hero system supplement for Ancient Greece and I
> believe one for Rolemaster a long time ago.
GURPS has both ancient Greece and Egyptian Sourcebooks, WoD
deals with Osiris, Set, Isis and Horus in Vampire and Mummy
books.
OTOH I don't think anyone has done the Mormon account of the
civilization the book of Mormon says flourished in America at the
time Jesus lived.
SD Anderson
> least a sourcebook if not a full game devoted to it. The main
> way to innovate now is to mix genres to form a unique blend, or
> to do exceptionally well with an established genre.
John Grisham style courtroom dramas are not covered very well
by any system I know of. Yes I can make such a campaign with a
number of existing systems but have nothing akin to game aids for
such a setting.
SD Anderson
> How about Tom-Clancy-level technical fiction? I can't think of
> a game system that has detailed that much about technology and
> its use.
GURPS Special Ops and/or GURPS Espionage.
SD Anderson
> Egypt and the Eastern Med before the fall of Knossos or during
> the reign of Akenaten?
> Central American during the heyday of the pre-Columbian
> civilisations?
GURPS Aztecs
SD Anderson
> In particular, many examples were of solitary GURPS worldbooks
> (or ICE's genre books, AD&D historical campaign books, etc.)
> that are unsupported. I would not say that a lone book
> "covers" a prolific genre.
If a source book plus it's basic game permits me to make a
campaign in that setting/genre, the setting/genre is covered.
You can argue about 'quality of coverage' but that the
sourcebook covers the genre is proven beyond reasonable dispute
by the existence of that campaign.
SD Anderson
> Napoleolic Wars (RPGs, not wargame)
Given the A&E Hornblower movies, and the sales of books by
Patrick O'Brien and Dewey Lambdin, this area seems to have a
waxing interest. The 3rd Edition of GURPS Swashbucklers is
coming out, and 7th Sea's rules could be applied to 1798 Earth if
you drop magic out and change the map.
SD Anderson
>> Central American during the heyday of the pre-Columbian
>> civilisations?
> GURPS: Aztecs? (Its been done but I don't know if it covers
> what you are looking for).
If it does not cover what he is looking for it specifcally
does cover what he asked for. The Aztecs were a Central American
pre-Columbian civilization. It doesn't do the Mayan and Inca (or
other tribes) too well though. Incidentally, when I took a
course in Archaeology all those years ago, the Professor pointed
out that the Aztecs were doomed even if Europeans never showed.
One of the tribes they smacked around for centuries had just
discovered how to produce Iron.
SD Anderson
>>GURPS also has a Robin Hood book.
Well they have a book with "Robin Hood" as it's title. It's
far less about Sherwood forest and Nottingham than a series of
settings adapted to the Robin Hood 'Rebel Outlaw' motif.
DocCross
>
>
No, Justice Inc. from Hero Games:)
Doc Cross
Official Roleplaying Gamer of the New Millenium
Insert witty or profound saying here
M.S. Caldwell
grid...@mindspring.com (Doug Berry) writes:
> On 20 Oct 1999 13:10:38 -0700, Blackberry <le...@europa.com>
> channeled Elvis who passed this on:
>
>
Or first Edition CORPS just ignore the supernatural and conspiracy bits.
Cheers
Mark
Mark Caldwell
Connect Centre, Dept. of Computer Science, University Liverpool.
Ben K. Krauskopf
<F7530C2DD97C0BF2.B6AC8ABD...@lp.airnews.net>,
aa...@cambertx.com wrote:
> I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
Oh yeah. Lots of stuff hasn't been covered. Others have done a good
job of mentioning many genres, but there are several earth cultures
that have not been covered, or at least not covered well.
* Indian (subcontinent, not North America)
* Polynesian (RPG on Easter Island anyone?)
* Persian (everyone alwasy seems to assume they are Arabs)
* Byzantine
* Medieval Russia
* MANY of the earlier cultures (like Minoan, Phoenician, Mesopotamia,
etc.)
* African cultures beyond Egypt (as several have mentioned)
* Native *North* American (Aztecs get lots of coverage, but not much
gets done for the North Americans outside of the western Genre or
modern games (don't some of the cyberpunk games have a NA resurgance?
Lots of potential with the Iriquois, Cherokee, Plains tribes, Northwest
coast cultures, etc.)
* Asian Steppe cultures (Mongols and Huns or go back even further to
the Kurgans. This genre is better covered than most, but is still
spotty.)
* what I call "Dawn of Agriculture" games. I usually think about
these right after the Discovery channel or TLC runs some show
about 'Iceman' or some other early culture. Basically, it deals with
early cultures right at the beginning of agricultural civilization (at
least for the area) when technology is still low (stone or copper) and
anything over a half-day's walk away is howling wilderness. (There's
lots of 'Caveman' games and lots of games set after the advent of
cities and larger organized civilizations, but nothing seems to be set
in the transition.)
Some of these get some coverage, but it's usually spotty at best.
(Can you tell someone has recently been looking for ideas for a new
campaign?)
--
Ben Krauskopf
ben...@texas.net
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Klaus Ole Kristiansen
>Aaron Day wrote:
>>The only things that I can think of that haven't been
>>covered by at least three games are:
>>
>>Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
>ICE made a Classic Greece supplement for Rolemaster and Hero System.
No, it was Mythic Greece. Herakles' Greece, not Pericles' Greece.
They did Egypt too.
Klaus O K
Vos MC,0876208
There's another genre that could be a lot of fun in RPGs but hasn't
been covered yet. It hasn't even been covered by fiction, to my
knowledge, so maybe it doesn't count, but I'd like to share this
anyway.
The Wild East.
That's the name I encountered for it recently, in a pop science mag.
It refers to central Asia, the area around the Caspian Sea and eastward
to the western border of China. It contains former Soviet republics
like Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and southern Kazakhstan and
southern Russia (including Chechenya), as well as Afghanistan,
Pakistan and northern Iran.
In this area, the last big reservoirs of our rapidly dwinling oil
supplies are located, and they're bound to become really important
within two decades or so. As you've probably noticed, most of the
countries in that region aren't very stable, ranging from restrictive
to anarchistic. There are local warlords looking for an opportunity
to carve out a nation for themselves, there are presidents of newly
independent countries who intend to become a new royal family, there's
hordes of soldiers/mercenaries from previous wars looking for work,
there's Usama Bin Laden who's hiding out in Afghanistan and attracting
a lot of unwanted attention, so the Taliban want to get rid of him
so they can get their share of oil dollars, but they can't just drop
him, because he's officially their muslem brother, there's Pakistan
with an atomic bomb and a violent disagreement with India (although
the recent coup might prevent further escalation (or not)), there's
the CIA having been involved for several decades in all sorts of shady
business, there's Iran and Iraq with unknown weaponry and unknown
futures, Turkey wants to get in, though the pipelines will have to go
through Kurd territory, Russia is on the verge of anarchy, has lots of
weapons and scientists, but needs money, and wants the oil too,
the Chechenes want their share of the oil flowing through the pipes
through their territory, and I bet there's trainloads of big crimelords
looking for easy money too. And the big multinational oil comanies
are on their way.
This is a game of big stakes, lots of money, and little rules. Sounds
like a great setting for RPGs, whether the players be CIA agents,
troubleshooters from a big oil company or a local subsidiary, rebels
in a small dictatorship, freedom fighters looking for independence,
mercenaries, vassals of a warlord or crimelord, or a group of volunteers
for the Red Cross or a similar NGO who get cut off from the outside
world and get involved in all sorts of dirty games.
Maybe time for a new GURPS sourcebook on this?
ttfn,
mcv. <><
Ross W. Maker
>
> Oh yeah. Lots of stuff hasn't been covered. Others have done a good
> job of mentioning many genres, but there are several earth cultures
> that have not been covered, or at least not covered well.
>
> * Medieval Russia
Rus comes to mind.
> * African cultures beyond Egypt (as several have mentioned)
> * Native *North* American (Aztecs get lots of coverage, but not much
> gets done for the North Americans outside of the western Genre or
> modern games (don't some of the cyberpunk games have a NA resurgance?
> Lots of potential with the Iriquois, Cherokee, Plains tribes, Northwest
> coast cultures, etc.)
> * Asian Steppe cultures (Mongols and Huns or go back even further to
> the Kurgans. This genre is better covered than most, but is still
> spotty.)
> * what I call "Dawn of Agriculture" games. I usually think about
> these right after the Discovery channel or TLC runs some show
> about 'Iceman' or some other early culture. Basically, it deals with
> early cultures right at the beginning of agricultural civilization (at
> least for the area) when technology is still low (stone or copper) and
> anything over a half-day's walk away is howling wilderness. (There's
> lots of 'Caveman' games and lots of games set after the advent of
> cities and larger organized civilizations, but nothing seems to be set
> in the transition.)
The problem with doing pre-literate traditional cultures is that they
are VERY restrictive in their social rules (and social roles). Anybody
who breaks the rules is either killed out of hand or exiled (read:
declared dead). And being outside of any band/clan/tribe meant that the
exiled person was fair game for anybody, not to mention the fact that he
was likely to starve to death.
Agriculture or herding has to be well-established before there is enough
surplus production to support Adventurers. And does anybody want to
role-play being a subsistance farmer? If so, why isn't the Serf
character more popular in medieval-based games?
RWM
John Kim
I guess this is to some degree just semantics of what one
calls "covered". However, I don't really follow your logic. I
can (and frequently have) made a campaign in a given setting/genre
without any sourcebook at all. For example, I played in a
time travel game using the GURPS system long before _GURPS Time
Travel_ came out. So was time-travel as a genre covered even
before anything was published on it? Isn't the fact that the
campaign was run "proof" that time travel was covered.
For that matter, what amount of material is neccessary
to "cover" a prolific genre? Would a 16-page booklet cover, say,
Chinese legend? Perhaps not. But would you say that _GURPS China_,
which tries to cover all of China from ancient to modern, covers
all genres set/written in China in a 96-page sourcebook?
Knight37
Ok... There's probably not very many E.R. roleplaying games either. But how
exactly can you do an RPG about these kinds of things and hold any interest
for the players? I personally see none, but I'm not a Grisham fan...
Knight37
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com * The Internet's Discussion Network *
* The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free! *
Knight37
> OTOH I don't think anyone has done the Mormon account of the
>civilization the book of Mormon says flourished in America at the
>time Jesus lived.
Ok, so who's going to write GURPS Mormons?
Knight37
>Only if you limit yourself to adventure-style games. I once voice an idea
>for a sit-com RPG
>
>Seinfeld the RPG, I called it. There's a genre not covered yet.
Why do you need a published RPG if you want to role-play Seinfeld? You
don't NEED rules, and if you want source material, just watch old episodes.
What kinds of things would you put into a Seinfeld RPG sourcebook?
Furthermore, who actually wants to play in this kind of game? I'd like a
show of hands in this group, who would really devote a night every two
weeks to play Seinfeld the RPG? I mean, if that's what you want to do with
your free time, why not just WATCH SEINFELD?!
James Nicoll
Rachel Kronick <rach...@ms35.hinet.net> wrote:
>
>Also, there's a Chinese historical fantasy-based free RPG system on the
>Web, /Outlaws of the Water Margin/ (based on one of the classic Chinese
>novels) at http://www.tcp-ip.or.jp/~panurge/outlaws.htm. I haven't
>checked it out much, but it at least looks serious.
I've played. Lots of fun. We were the minions of a judge.
--
"You know, it's getting more and more like _Blade Runner_ down
here."
A customer commenting on downtown Kitchener
James Nicoll
Knight37 <knig...@gamespotmail.com> wrote:
>10225...@CompuServe.COM (SD Anderson) wrote:
>
>> OTOH I don't think anyone has done the Mormon account of the
>>civilization the book of Mormon says flourished in America at the
>>time Jesus lived.
>
>Ok, so who's going to write GURPS Mormons?
The angel Moroni? You'll need special glasses to -read-
GURPS Mormon, of course.
S Cordner
> covered by at least three games are:
> Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
> Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
These are settings and not genres. Both settings could be taken care of
by a fantasy genre (with or without magic, as you please).
Frank J. Perricone
wrote:
> Why do you need a published RPG if you want to role-play Seinfeld? You
> don't NEED rules, and if you want source material, just watch old episodes.
> What kinds of things would you put into a Seinfeld RPG sourcebook?
>
> Furthermore, who actually wants to play in this kind of game? I'd like a
> show of hands in this group, who would really devote a night every two
> weeks to play Seinfeld the RPG? I mean, if that's what you want to do with
> your free time, why not just WATCH SEINFELD?!
You're not going to get a lot of hands in here, but that just proves you're
talking to the wrong audience. Search the web -- plenty of people are
roleplaying their favorite sitcoms, soaps, etc. (only they don't use rules
or GMs and rarely call it roleplaying). They'd probably ask you why you
don't use your free time watching Conan or Star Trek or something.
--
* Frank J. Perricone * hawt...@sover.net * http://www.sover.net/~hawthorn
Prism: http://www.sover.net/~hawthorn/Prism/
Just because we aren't all the same doesn't mean we have nothing in common
Just because we have something in common doesn't mean we're all the same
Steve Miller
<< Ok, so who's going to write GURPS Mormons? >>
I'm gonna be laughed out of the newsgroup for this, but many moons ago I
actually looked into doing a "Book of Mormon" RPG because it was a better read
than many sword-n-sorcery books I've read.
But then the devil took hold of me again, and I did NUELOW "Horndogs!" instead.
Steve Miller
Writer of Stuff
Absurdity, n. A statement of belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own
opinion.
--Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's
Dictionary"
Rachel Kronick
Brett Evill wrote:
>
> Brett Evill wrote:
> >
> > Aaron Day wrote:
> > >
> > > I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
> > > already been covered; Sci-Fi (hard and soft, near and far future),
> > > Supers (Light and dark), Modern (Horror, cyberpunk, spy and action),
> > > Fantasy (High and Low), Pirates/Renaissance (fantasy, historic, horror,
> > > furry), Asian (historic and fantasy). There have even been games about
> > > caveman and gods. The only things that I can think of that haven't been
> > > covered by at least three games are:
> > >
> > > Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
> > > Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
> > >
> > > Is there anything new left to game?
>
> Have you read 'Bridge of Birds', by Barry Hughart (Corgi Books 1986,
> ISBN 0-552-12646-2). It makes a campaign set in T'ang China sound
> interesting. I also read an historical novel about the rebellion of
> En Lu-shan about 750 AD which seemed eminently gamable, but I have
^^^^^^^^^^
Sorry, the annoying Chinese bit of me demands that I correct that
transliteration: it should be An Lu-shan. Sorry. No flamage intended,
only correction.
Actually, I've seen a new M:TG CCG based on the Three Kingdoms period
(after the fall of the Han Dynasty, c. 220-350 AD). Has anyone in the
'West' heard about this?
Also, there's a Chinese historical fantasy-based free RPG system on the
Web, /Outlaws of the Water Margin/ (based on one of the classic Chinese
novels) at http://www.tcp-ip.or.jp/~panurge/outlaws.htm. I haven't
checked it out much, but it at least looks serious.
-- Rachel Kronick
<http://www.geocities.com/jiawen6>
> forgotten the title and author.
>
> Regards,
>
> Brett Evill
Rachel Kronick
Doug Berry wrote:
>
> On Thu, 21 Oct 1999 02:29:18 +1000, Brett Evill
> <b.e...@tyndale.apana.snipthis.org.au> channeled Elvis who
> passed this on:
>
> >Regency Romances?
>
> 7th Sea comes close to that.. more Elizabethen, but the same
> feel.
>
> >Non-fantasy mediaeval settings?
>
> Use Harn without the magic.
Actually, Columbia Games produced a sourcebook for Medieval England,
with no magic, which had at least as much detail as their regular Harn
stuff. The book was called /Lionheart/. I don't know if it's still
available. It didn't have any system information, but HarnMaster is
pretty easy to do sans magic.
-- Rachel Kronick
<http://www.geocities.com/jiawen6>
>
> --
>
> Douglas E. Berry grid...@mindspring.com
> http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/
>
> "We are GURPS. You will be assimilated. We will add
> your distinctive setting and background to our own. |
> Resistance is futile."
Peter Knutsen
Aaron Day wrote:
> caveman and gods. The only things that I can think of that haven't been
> covered by at least three games are:
>
> Ancient Greek/Egyptian (unless you count Xena)
There's GURPS supplements for both Greece and Egypt.
> Africa during its Golden age (Mali, Kush, Songhay)
I seem to recall that there's some kind of AD&D material for African
campaigns, maybe in some old Dragon issues I once read (specialty
priests for some African gods, or something).
> Is there anything new left to game?
As far as I know, every genre has been covered, but there's lots of
room left, because any genre can be looked at from different angles.
> Aaron
--
Peter Knutsen
SD Anderson
> I'm gonna be laughed out of the newsgroup for this, but many
> moons ago I actually looked into doing a "Book of Mormon" RPG
> because it was a better read than many sword-n-sorcery books
> I've read.
The main reason I suggested it up thread was because I'd had a
couple of neighbors who in the throes of missionary passion
loaned me the book. My immediate thoughts were "This would make
a good campaign setting" and "If you thought the uproar over
Fantasy games was loud before!"
SD Anderson
> I guess this is to some degree just semantics of what
> one calls "covered". However, I don't really follow your
> logic. I can (and frequently have) made a campaign in a given
> setting/genre without any sourcebook at all. For example, I
> played in a time travel game using the GURPS system long before
> _GURPS Time Travel_ came out. So was time-travel as a genre
> covered even before anything was published on it? Isn't the
> fact that the campaign was run "proof" that time travel was
> covered.
In one case it was 'covered' by homework done by John Kim. In
the other, it was covered by published material for the game.
The issue at hand is *whether a game covers a genre*. Homebrewed
rules patch over what a game doesn't cover. Coverage equals
sufficient game provided materials to at least minimally produce
a playable game in the setting. Beyond that the issue moves from
coverage to *quality* of coverage.
Nana Yaw Ofori
> Ben K. Krauskopf wrote:
> >
> > Oh yeah. Lots of stuff hasn't been covered. Others have done a good
> > job of mentioning many genres, but there are several earth cultures
> > that have not been covered, or at least not covered well.
> >
> > <snip>
> > * Medieval Russia
>
> Rus comes to mind.
As does GURPS Russia.
John Kim
for a game to "cover" a genre. As I mentioned before, this is
probably partly a matter of semantics. My main point is that
"coverage" of a genre is a completely arbitrary line.
SD Anderson <10225...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>John Kim wrote:
>> I can (and frequently have) made a campaign in a given setting/genre
>> without any sourcebook at all. For example, I played in a time
>> travel game using the GURPS system long before _GURPS Time Travel_
>> came out. So was time-travel as a genre covered even before
>> anything was published on it?
>
>In one case it was 'covered' by homework done by John Kim. In
>the other, it was covered by published material for the game.
>The issue at hand is *whether a game covers a genre*. Homebrewed
>rules patch over what a game doesn't cover. Coverage equals
>sufficient game provided materials to at least minimally produce
>a playable game in the setting.
At least in my experience, a GM *always* needs to write her
own original material in order to run a campaign in a given genre.
This includes creating characters and inventing background, but
also sometimes rules extensions. Of course, original material
isn't needed if you are playing a pre-made adventure. Perhaps
that is what you mean.
By your criteria, it seems, if any pre-made adventure can be
run in a given genre, that genre is "covered". So fantasy was
"covered" when the first D&D adventure was available, and sci-fi
was "covered" with _Metamorphasis Alpha_.
-*-*-*-
In short, I consider this criterion rather pointless. To
be meaningful, "coverage" needs to include more than just being
able to produce a minimally playable game without any original
input. In fact, I would argue that the better "covered" genres
*encourage* the GM to do homework and produce original material.
philippe TROMEUR
2 RPGs about Ancient Egypt ("Nil" ; "La Vallée des Rois")
a Rednecks-go-to-the-beach RPG ("Raôul")
Some games about Piracy in the 17th century ("Boucaniers" and "Capitaine
Vaudou" were published some 10 years ago)
a Cop game ("Berlin XVIII") and a satirical one ("Advanced Bernard & Jean")
an historical (and slightly mystical) game about Knights Templars and
Assassins ("Miles Christi")
a game were you play anthropophagous, monstrous and really stupid alien
invaders ("Alienoïds")
2 games inspired from the works of american writers : "Lyonesse" (from J.
Vance) "Thoan" (from P. J. Farmer)
2 really original French games were adapted to US gamers : "Nephilim" and
"In Nomine Satanis / Magna Veritas". I know there may be a new translation
in some months : "Polaris", a kind of deep sea "space"-opera, in a world
were the surface world has become a radioactive nightmare.
We also have our share of "ordinary" settings, some of them with a twist,
such as "Rêve de Dragon", a fantasy setting dreamed by Dragons, where the
"Hauts Rêvants" (high dreamers = mages) have to dream a travel through
mystical lands to cast a spell.
some advertising :
I'm currently putting on the web ( http://pht.i.am/ )
M I L : a game about Tabloïd Middle-Ages (a mix of AD&D, X-files and In
Nomine, in French only and unfinished) using the Story bones / Story Engine
System from Hubris Games
René : a game about romantism and despair ( Wuthering Height Roleplay, the
summary / adaptation for British readers, can be found at
http://www.multimania.com/dagon/whrpg.htm )
Eric Tolle
> >Seinfeld the RPG, I called it. There's a genre not covered yet.
>
> Why do you need a published RPG if you want to role-play Seinfeld? You
> don't NEED rules, and if you want source material, just watch old episodes.
Why do you need a published RPG to role-play Star Trek? You don't
NEED rules, and if you want source material, just watch old episodes.
> Furthermore, who actually wants to play in this kind of game? I'd like a
> show of hands in this group, who would really devote a night every two
> weeks to play Seinfeld the RPG? I mean, if that's what you want to do with
Unquestionably nobody, as the idea is silly. But you know what's
sillier? I hear some fools proposed a "Middle Earth" RPG. I mean
honestly, who would want to devote a night every two weeks to play
Lord of the Rings the RPG when they can spend their free time reading
the novels?
(Answer: yes, damn it, there _are_ people who I would love to have
run a Seinfeld game- or any other. How about "Iron Chef: the RPG?"
--
Eric Tolle sch...@silcom.com
Information does not want to be free. Information wants to be
folded, spindled, mutilated, and used to make funky children's
party hats.
Eric Tolle
>
> 10225...@CompuServe.COM (SD Anderson) wrote:
> > John Grisham style courtroom dramas are not covered very well
> >by any system I know of. Yes I can make such a campaign with a
> >number of existing systems but have nothing akin to game aids for
> >such a setting.
>
> Ok... There's probably not very many E.R. roleplaying games either. But how
> exactly can you do an RPG about these kinds of things and hold any interest
> for the players? I personally see none, but I'm not a Grisham fan...
I agree. And do you know what's even sillier? I hear someone wanted
to do an RPG for Star Trek of All things. I'm sure that you'll agree
that it's difficult to see any way to do an RPG for that series that
would hold any interest for players...
Translation: it's a matter of the fan base for the product, not the
product itself.
Eric Tolle
>
> In article <F7530C2DD97C0BF2.B6AC8ABD...@lp.airnews.net>, aa...@cambertx.com wrote:
>
> >I was thinking. Just about every possible game genre and theme has
> >already been covered;
>
> in fiction are poorly tapped, if at all, in gaming.
I think there's a good reason for that. And it has nothing to do
with science fiction and fantasy fans being more creative,
intelligent, or having a node in their forebrain that makes them
good RPGer material.
Primarily I think it's because the creators of the original RPGs were
SF&F fans and oriented their games toward that genre, attracting
other SF&F fans, who made more games...in other words, it simply
evolved so that RPGs and SF&F fans have a common pool of "material"
in the form of fans.
Additionally I think RPGs may appeal to some people who have issues
with alienation and control- a characteristic shared by a number of
SF&F fans, and possibly to a lessor extent with other genres. I'm
not saying this would be the case of all gamers, or even a majority,
but a sizable percentage.
Eric Tolle
>
> Aaron Day wrote:
>
> > Is there anything new left to game?
>
> As far as I know, every genre has been covered, but there's lots of
> room left, because any genre can be looked at from different angles.
How about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
"Emergency!"? How about Sitcoms?
Phillip Ames
>Aaron Day wrote:
>
>Central American during the heyday of the pre-Columbian civilisations?
>
Pre Columbian America is coming out for White Wolf's Werewolf line.
Phil
Phillip Ames
>In article <7ul733$21k...@enews.newsguy.com>, bruce...@sff.net says...
>>
>>In article <F7530C2DD97C0BF2.B6AC8ABD...@lp.airnews.net>,
>>aa...@cambertx.com wrote:
>>
>
>How about psychological study/drama, like Sybil or Eyes Wide Shut?
>
Powerkill.
RobStoll
>So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG?
>How about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
>"Emergency!"?
There was an RPG based on the TV Series "Dallas," released, I believe, by TSR.
Robert
Steven Howard
at 06:53 PM, Eric Tolle <sch...@silcom.com> said:
>Peter Knutsen wrote:
>>
>> As far as I know, every genre has been covered, but there's lots of
>> room left, because any genre can be looked at from different angles.
>
>Really? So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG? How
>about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
>"Emergency!"? How about Sitcoms?
There seems to be a good deal of confusion amongst the participants in
this thread as to what the word "genre" means.
========
Steven Howard
mrb...@earthlink.net
"What's a nice word for euphemism?"
Frank J. Perricone
> (Answer: yes, damn it, there _are_ people who I would love to have
> run a Seinfeld game- or any other. How about "Iron Chef: the RPG?"
I'm told there seriously already is a CRPG.
Frank J. Perricone
wrote:
> >Really? So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG? How
> >about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
> >"Emergency!"? How about Sitcoms?
>
> There seems to be a good deal of confusion amongst the participants in
> this thread as to what the word "genre" means.
Not surprising, since there's a good deal of confusion amongst the world in
general about it. Despite its generic meaning, lots of "artistes" will use
it deprecatingly to refer to all adventure fiction genres collectively,
thus excluding them from "serious" pursuits (writing, filmmaking,
what-have-you). So like most words, what it means depends on who you ask.
Perhaps you'd care to suggest a different word to use for these things
we're listing? They're not settings, and they're not something blandly
broad like "categories".
Peter Meilinger
: On Fri, 22 Oct 1999 18:36:07 -0700, Eric Tolle <sch...@silcom.com> wrote:
: > (Answer: yes, damn it, there _are_ people who I would love to have
: > run a Seinfeld game- or any other. How about "Iron Chef: the RPG?"
: I'm told there seriously already is a CRPG.
Does that mean Computer RPG? For Iron Chef? Hell, I'll buy it!
Pete
Frank J. Perricone
> : > (Answer: yes, damn it, there _are_ people who I would love to have
> : > run a Seinfeld game- or any other. How about "Iron Chef: the RPG?"
>
> : I'm told there seriously already is a CRPG.
>
> Does that mean Computer RPG? For Iron Chef? Hell, I'll buy it!
Yes. It's part of Star Ocean 2 for the Playstation. "CRPG" might be
stretching it though, even given how skimpy the requirements are for a
computer game to be called "roleplaying". I've never seen it, but I've
heard tale of it.
Steven Howard
>Perhaps you'd care to suggest a different word to use for these things
>we're listing? They're not settings, and they're not something blandly
>broad like "categories".
That's the problem. Most people *are* talking about settings.
Pre-Columbian America is a setting. Classical Greece is a setting. Other
people are talking about genre. Science Fiction is a genre. Historical
Romance is a genre.
Part of the confuson may result from the fact that some genres (Westerns,
for example, or Regency Romance) imply a fairly specific historical and
geographical setting while others do not. Some settings also imply a
certain genre. Almost all stories set in outer space are considered
Science Fiction. Most settings, though, can handle tales from different
genres. One could just as easily set a horror story or a farce in ancient
Rome, for example.
But genre is more than just setting. By identifying a story as belonging
to a certain genre, you're saying that it contains certain elements that
are strongly identified with that genre. These elements might include the
basic plot structure, the types of characters involved, the setting, and
so on. Not every story in every genre necessarily contains all the
"standard" elements of that genre. In fact, the most basic genres can
usually be described in a single sentence. A mystery is about crime.
Science fiction is about the effects of technology. A Gothic is about a
woman who gets a house. (That last one's not mine -- I think Donald
Westlake said it first.)
The thing is, as you say, that there's simply no set list of what is and
isn't considered a genre. We can start with a fairly broad listing by
simply walking through the "genre fiction" shelves at Barnes and Noble:
Mystery, Romance, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Horror, Western,
Adventure. Then within each genre we can identify sub-genres. "Cosies,"
hard-boiled detectives, police procedurals and suspense novels can all be
found in the Mystery section. But in and around these fairly
well-established sub-genres we start to notice other possible groupings.
Are there enough "Mysteries with Recipes" books to consider them a
sub-genre? Are the various mysteries starring and/or purporting to be
co-written by cats similar enough to consider them a distinct sub-genre?
When we leave the "genre" section and move on to "fiction and literature,"
our task is no easier. Is the "coming of age" novel a genre? What about
the "mid life crisis" novel or the roman a clef? And so far, we've only
talked about books and stories. There are also different genres in
theater, movies and television to consider.
Getting back to this thread, it seems we've got two different questions.
One is "Are there unexplored fictional, theatrical or cinematic genres
which could be used well in a role-playing game?" and the other is "Are
there unexplored historical and/or geographic settings which could be used
well in a role-playing game?"
PJS
RobStoll wrote in message <19991023001414...@ng-ci1.aol.com>...
>Eric Tolle wondered:
>
>>So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG?
>>How about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
>>"Emergency!"?
>
TSR.
I thought so!
---
Puritanism - the haunting fear that someone, somewhere
may be happy.
- H.L. Mencken
Matthew Pook
<robs...@aol.com> writes
>Eric Tolle wondered:
>
>>So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG?
>>How about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
>>"Emergency!"?
>
>There was an RPG based on the TV Series "Dallas," released, I believe, by TSR.
>
>
TSR? I am pretty much sure that this was SPI of all companies...
--
Pookie (mat...@hogshead.demon.co.uk)
"Don't take your pineal gland for granted. Pamper it!
Essential Oils! Rubdowns! It could save your ass someday."
- Tlg'manh, Unspeakable Oath 14/15
See http://www.chorazin.org.uk/pookie/
for GURPS: Jorune, Luther Arkwright, 2300AD, Rally Cry!,
Strikeforce Morituri, Xenozoic Tales & Black Kiss
Blackberry
>>
>>>So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG?
>>>How about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
>>>"Emergency!"?
>>
>>There was an RPG based on the TV Series "Dallas," released, I believe, by
>TSR.
>I thought so!
There was a semi-RPG, semi-boardgame of "Dallas" released by SPI in the early
1980's.
--------------------
"It's enough to make you wonder sometimes if you're on the right planet."
-- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Brian -- le...@europa.com -- http://www.europa.com/~lepus
Frank J. Perricone
wrote:
> That's the problem. Most people *are* talking about settings.
> Pre-Columbian America is a setting. Classical Greece is a setting. Other
> people are talking about genre. Science Fiction is a genre. Historical
> Romance is a genre.
Odd, then, that you'd wait for this message to post your diatribe:
>Really? So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG? How
>about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
>"Emergency!"? How about Sitcoms?
Those are genres, not settings.
> Getting back to this thread, it seems we've got two different questions.
> One is "Are there unexplored fictional, theatrical or cinematic genres
> which could be used well in a role-playing game?" and the other is "Are
> there unexplored historical and/or geographic settings which could be used
> well in a role-playing game?"
Those two questions are awfully close to one another in intent, flavor, and
results. I hate to make an accusation, but in this case, the distinction
is pedantry -- it serves to remind people what the meaning of "genre" is
but doesn't really contribute anything else useful to the question.
Klyfix
<10225...@CompuServe.COM> writes:
Well, could one do an RPG in a religion's mythology/lore in a respectful
manner?
I've had some problems with the old "Deities and Demigods" book with its
shoehorning of gods that are still actively worshipped into classes and levels;
I'd not be happy if a game declared that Jesus was a 12th level Cleric and I
can see where followers of those faiths would be displeased. But I don't think
it would be impossible to treat a faith's stories respectfully.
V.S. Greene : kly...@aol.com : Boston, near Arkham...
Eckzylon: http://members.aol.com/klyfix/eckzylon.html
RPG and SF, predictions, philosophy, and other things.
Renovations underway, Aug. 22, 1999
pblock
Steven Howard wrote ...
>Eric Tolle > said:
>
> >Really? So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG? How
> >about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
> >"Emergency!"? How about Sitcoms?
>
> this thread as to what the word "genre" means.
>
Well then, please enlighten us. Are you saying romance, medical drama or
situation comedies aren't genres by definition?
Steve Emsley
It occurred to me a while ago (whilst watching re-runs of "The Sweeney")
that I've never seen a cops RPG, either realistic police procedure or
glamourised TV cop shows.
Am I wrong? I'd quite like to try cop gaming.
ALTERNATIVELY anyone fancy a shared writing project to bang one together
(own use or newsgroup only, not for publication). Mail if anyone wants to
try it out....
Steve Emsley
Yoda DOS: (A)bort or (F)ail...there is no (R)etry.
David Alex Lamb
Steve Emsley <st...@outhere.force9.net> wrote:
>It occurred to me a while ago (whilst watching re-runs of "The Sweeney")
>that I've never seen a cops RPG, either realistic police procedure or
>glamourised TV cop shows.
SJG is still soliciting proposals for a GURPS Cops sourcebook;
http://www.sjgames.com/general/author/capsules.html#Cops
--
"Yo' ideas need to be thinked befo' they are say'd" - Ian Lamb, age 3.5
http://www.cs.queensu.ca/~dalamb/
Sidhain
> >that I've never seen a cops RPG, either realistic police procedure or
> >glamourised TV cop shows.
>
> SJG is still soliciting proposals for a GURPS Cops sourcebook;
> http://www.sjgames.com/general/author/capsules.html#Cops
> --
> "Yo' ideas need to be thinked befo' they are say'd" - Ian Lamb, age 3.5
> http://www.cs.queensu.ca/~dalamb/
And there was one produce in the mid 80's though it's name escapes me "Street Patrol" perhaps?
although it is an RPG it is one of those heavily boardgame style rpg's and is in the bargain bn
of my local game store. I have looked at it and passed over it twice when working on a
realistic espionage campaign for my players.
Bob
>
> Well, could one do an RPG in a religion's mythology/lore in a respectful
> manner?
> I've had some problems with the old "Deities and Demigods" book with its
> shoehorning of gods that are still actively worshipped into classes and levels;
>
> I'd not be happy if a game declared that Jesus was a 12th level Cleric and I
> can see where followers of those faiths would be displeased. But I don't think
> it would be impossible to treat a faith's stories respectfully.
>
The porblem is that most active religions are all somewhat fragmented by
schism. Take Islam for example, you have Sunni and Shi'ite versions. Now
which will you chose to portray (and how) in your system? Be careful!
Rushdie found out that Muslims don't take well to *errors* or any (what
they see as) negative portrayals of their faith, even in fiction.
Christianity is even more splintered. The problem with portraying
actively worshipped religions is which version will you chose, and who
will you piss off in the process...
The only safe way to do something like this is to use a mythology as a
background setting, with all of the conflicts in place, and even then, you
still have to be careful!
It's so much easier to just use (relatively) inactive religions or to
simply create them out of whole cloth.
-Bob
Estne rosa ab quis nomine iustus ut dulcis?
Bob McCann
rmc...@mesastate.edu
Jason Schneiderman
wrote:
> (Answer: yes, damn it, there _are_ people who I would love to have
> run a Seinfeld game- or any other. How about "Iron Chef: the RPG?"
Oh, you laugh.
But after watching the show, my gaming group immediately latched onto
the idea of an adaptation for "Mage: The Ascension." The host would be
a Paradox spirit, see, and the unfortunate character would have to use
some fairly mundane element for as many different magical effects as
he could - glass was proposed, as was alcohol. ("Fuji-san, the challenger
from the Akashic Brotherhood is using the alcohol to clean his blade,
while the Iron Shaman is using it to get rip-roaring drunk and contact
the loa!") The loser would... um, disappear. Forever.
Jason Schneiderman
--
jad...@ma.ultranet.com
"But except in dreams you're never really free...and don't the sun look
angry at me." _Desperadoes_Under_The_Eaves_, Warren Zevon.
Brian Christopher Misiaszek
Sidhain wrote:
> > >It occurred to me a while ago (whilst watching re-runs of "The Sweeney")
> > >that I've never seen a cops RPG, either realistic police procedure or
> > >glamourised TV cop shows.
>
> And there was one produce in the mid 80's though it's name escapes me "Street Patrol" perhaps?
> although it is an RPG it is one of those heavily boardgame style rpg's and is in the bargain bn
> of my local game store. I have looked at it and passed over it twice when working on a
> realistic espionage campaign for my players.
This was CRIME FIGHTER, put out by Task Force Games.
::Brian::
Novembre
<roma...@cybercable.fr> wrote:
>In France (well, French-speaking countries), we have :
>
... a lot of interesting games.
Problem is: is there any chance of finding them on an on-line shop? I
managed to find Polaris, but I'm more attracted by Raoul, Miles
Christi and Lyonesse...
(In particular, some pictures I saw of Raoul reminded me of Reiser's
comics... ^__^)
Die Killfile
>It refers to central Asia, the area around the Caspian Sea and eastward
>to the western border of China. It contains former Soviet republics
>like Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and southern Kazakhstan and
>southern Russia (including Chechenya), as well as Afghanistan,
>Pakistan and northern Iran.
>In this area, the last big reservoirs of our rapidly dwinling oil
>supplies are located,
>This is a game of big stakes, lots of money, and little rules. Sounds
>like a great setting for RPGs, whether the players be CIA agents,
>troubleshooters from a big oil company or a local subsidiary, rebels
>in a small dictatorship, freedom fighters looking for independence,
>mercenaries, vassals of a warlord or crimelord, or a group of volunteers
>for the Red Cross or a similar NGO who get cut off from the outside
>world and get involved in all sorts of dirty games.
>
Actually, this sort of thing was touched upon in Solo of Fortune 2, a
supplement for Cyberpunk 2020, published about 5 years ago.
D. Jorgensen
Alternate Realities Publications
http://world-of-barador.com
Mark Baker
>It occurred to me a while ago (whilst watching re-runs of "The Sweeney")
>that I've never seen a cops RPG, either realistic police procedure or
>glamourised TV cop shows.
>
http://www.lange.demon.co.uk/MSaMV.html
Hogshead press is also working on a card-based RPG covering this genre.
--
Mark Baker
Web Pages: http://www.lange.demon.co.uk/Index.html
Eric Tolle
>
> On Fri, 22 Oct 1999 18:36:07 -0700, Eric Tolle <sch...@silcom.com> wrote:
> > run a Seinfeld game- or any other. How about "Iron Chef: the RPG?"
> I'm told there seriously already is a CRPG.
Now that's neat. I'd definitely buy it if it included recipes.
Eric Tolle
>
> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 09:10:19 -0700, mrb...@earthlink.net (Steven Howard)
> wrote:
>
> > That's the problem. Most people *are* talking about settings.
> > Pre-Columbian America is a setting. Classical Greece is a setting. Other
> > people are talking about genre. Science Fiction is a genre. Historical
> > Romance is a genre.
>
> Odd, then, that you'd wait for this message to post your diatribe:
Though he does have a point in that settings and genres are being
mixed.
>
> >Really? So Harlequin-style romances have been covered in an RPG? How
> >about Soap Opera? Or modern "glamour profession" like "ER" or
> >"Emergency!"? How about Sitcoms?
>
> Those are genres, not settings.
Exactly. And the question was "are there any genres that haven't been
covered".
And incidentally, I wrote the paragraph above, not Steven Howard.
>
> > Getting back to this thread, it seems we've got two different questions.
> > One is "Are there unexplored fictional, theatrical or cinematic genres
> > which could be used well in a role-playing game?" and the other is "Are
> > there unexplored historical and/or geographic settings which could be used
> > well in a role-playing game?"
>
> Those two questions are awfully close to one another in intent, flavor, and
> results. I hate to make an accusation, but in this case, the distinction
In the sense of asking "can we get a game or a supplement out of
this?". A genre would be what happens, and a setting would be where
the events take place. Other then that, both ideas are equally open
to creating RPGs.
Steve Emsley
> I've web-published a 70's cop RPG which can be found at url
> http://www.lange.demon.co.uk/MSaMV.html
I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH!!
Mark's on to a winner with this one. Though I can't imagine running a
campaign with the players in my group this game is perfect for occasional one
offs.
Well done mate. I had about 2 dozen scenario ideas reading through the
rules, which is always a mark of a great RPG. More please!
Steve
Mark Baker
>>
>> I've web-published a 70's cop RPG which can be found at url
>> http://www.lange.demon.co.uk/MSaMV.html
>
>I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH!!
>
>Mark's on to a winner with this one. Though I can't imagine running a
>campaign with the players in my group this game is perfect for occasional one
>offs.
>
on Mean Streets and Mean Villains before. Can I quote you on the web
page as an endorsement?
Steve Emsley
> >I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH!!
> >
> >Mark's on to a winner with this one. Though I can't imagine running a
> >campaign with the players in my group this game is perfect for occasional one
> >offs.
> >
> Wow!!!! <stands back flabergasted> Thanks! I've never had any feedback
> on Mean Streets and Mean Villains before. Can I quote you on the web
> page as an endorsement?
With pleasure matey....
Patrick Boutin
Novembre <novembr...@protec.it> wrote in message
news:3812fe8c...@news.protec.it...
You can try at :
You can find Polaris for about 51$ (canadian)
PM
wrote:
>... a lot of interesting games.
>Problem is: is there any chance of finding them on an on-line shop? I
>managed to find Polaris, but I'm more attracted by Raoul, Miles
>Christi and Lyonesse...
Some french store do mail-order but the cost may be somewhat higher
due to postage. At least one of them, "l'Antre des Dragons" is online.
http://dragons.enfrance.com/
Maybe there are others but I don't usually go this way so I'm not much
aware of 'em
Eric Tolle
>
> In article <38111107...@silcom.com>, Eric Tolle <sch...@silcom.com>
> wrote:
> > (Answer: yes, damn it, there _are_ people who I would love to have
>
> But after watching the show, my gaming group immediately latched onto
> the idea of an adaptation for "Mage: The Ascension." The host would be
Heh. A really twisted version of the "Red Room" from "Twin Peaks"?
But really, the game that screams "Iron Chef" to me is Feng Shui.
like the episode where the two brothers showed up on the show,
Schezuan vs. Cantonese cooking. My friends couldn't refrain from
adding dialogue to the effect of: "Go Little Brother- avenge our dead
father!"; "You have earned the right to use your father's spatula."
And the scenario where the former Chef Japan sent his apprentice up
against the current Chef Japan ("Go my apprentice- for the honor
of our school!"), and showed up in formal kimono...:"So, we meet
again- but this time You are the Iron Chef"- smacked of something out
of a samurai drama or manga.
It was hilarious. Truly one of the most amusing shows to watch on
TV these days.