Cthulhu Rising as official Chaosium settings for BRP?

[Simlasa]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

I think a bigger problem is that I haven't observed people have a lot of agreement on what translates as "hard" SF in the past.

yep... never gonna happen... one man's hyperspace/AI/wormhole/anti-grav is another man's pixie dust/magic wand/unicorn/bag-o-holding... that's why some people say 'firm' vs. 'hard'... though there's probably not much agreement there either. Maybe just call it all 'space opera' and just get on with it...

[badcat]

Well, I looked at the Cthulu Rising site this morning and I have to say I am impressed, I liked it and I usually don't go for sci-fi. Maybe it should be Chaosium's go-to sci-fi setting...you could delete the Mythos and still have a very good background. The rules for missiles looked very good, and the star systems looked like a good mix for a 'diaspora' era setting. All positives, from what I could see. Would I buy it? I am honestly not sure about that, but I would be more likely to than Traveller or any of the other popular sci-fi rpgs. If it makes me consider it I'd say it might be a fairly good draw for hard core sci-fi fans. Without the Mythos, they would need a good alien bestiary/creation system, of course. Now I am thinking about statting out the Aliens and the Predators.

[Nightshade]

Originally Posted by Simlasa

yep... never gonna happen... one man's hyperspace/AI/wormhole/anti-grav is another man's pixie dust/magic wand/unicorn/bag-o-holding... that's why some people say 'firm' vs. 'hard'... though there's probably not much agreement there either. Maybe just call it all 'space opera' and just get on with it...

I suspect, however, that would be inadequate to satisfy Joseph.

[Simlasa]

Some people like 'hard' sf for the flavor it brings... it tends to be gritty and kind of dark (from what I've seen).
Others like it because they can 'believe' it...
Where does the 'science' end and the 'fiction' start?
I think the people who need it to be believable are a source of misery for themselves... it's the same tail chasing that seems to go on with weapon stats... believability vs. playability vs. believability... everyone is going to draw the line someplace different.

Something like Stephenson's 'Diamond Age' setting would suit me fine... not because I thought it was particularly believable/unbelievable but because it had some cool adventure hooks and was strange/alien/exotic enough to spark my imagination.

I say START with what's fun, and work backward from there...

[badcat]

You know what Cthulu Rising reminded me of? Strange, but some of Andre Norton's stuff. Like the stories about scouting out new worlds. At any rate, something about it just looks right, and fun, as you say. Even with the Cthulu element.

[Joseph Paul]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

I suspect, however, that would be inadequate to satisfy Joseph.

But you don't have to satisfy me- you only have to satisfy enough people to keep Chaosium -and BRP- a going concern.

So Simlasa is detail always a bad thing? When does detail detract from the flavor? When is it stifling? If we have a fascist setting is it enough to say that it is a fascist setting? Is it to much to give details on how that society and government works? What should get detailed and what get glossed over and why?

As for fun what do you, personally, think the fun stuff is?

[Joseph Paul]

Originally Posted by badcat

You know what Cthulu Rising reminded me of? Strange, but some of Andre Norton's stuff. Like the stories about scouting out new worlds. At any rate, something about it just looks right, and fun, as you say. Even with the Cthulu element.

Exploration could be very fun.

[Simlasa]

Originally Posted by Joseph Paul

But you don't have to satisfy me- you only have to satisfy enough people to keep Chaosium -and BRP- a going concern.

So Simlasa is detail always a bad thing? When does detail detract from the flavor? When is it stifling? If we have a fascist setting is it enough to say that it is a fascist setting? Is it to much to give details on how that society and government works? What should get detailed and what get glossed over and why?

As for fun what do you, personally, think the fun stuff is?

Never said detail is bad, I like detail... it just isn't, inherently, fun... it might be fun... might not...
If you want to write up a complete and lengthy treatise on the languages of your fantasy setting that's fine, but I don't think it belongs in an introduction to the setting...

A basic guide to the governments, yes, especially if the characters will be involved in politics to any degree.

I think the setting needs to be presented in a big picture kind of way, that hits the high points... and stresses the kind of adventures the setting was designed to encourage...

My idea of the fun parts are the different cultures that might be present... and bit's of folklore/customs that reflect how the people think... detailing the really novel aspects of the setting that people might not grok right away.

[Enpeze]

Originally Posted by Joseph Paul

So Simlasa is detail always a bad thing? When does detail detract from the flavor? When is it stifling? If we have a fascist setting is it enough to say that it is a fascist setting? Is it to much to give details on how that society and government works? What should get detailed and what get glossed over and why?

As for fun what do you, personally, think the fun stuff is?

I differentiate between detail in the rules and a detailed setting. While I dont like the first, the second I welcome.

[Trifletraxor]

Just sent an email to Chaosium about CR for BRP. We'll see what they say.

SGL.