Worlds Beyond

[Conrad]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

I suspect there's a dance of resources that go on here; there are complicating issues with big books, and if it doesn't sell well, you take a bath; with two smaller ones, you're less likely to have both not sell (because someone didn't want to spend money on a big book they weren't going to use half of) and as such you're a little safer.

I like the sound of a book of generic space opera rules ( ship design and combat and world generation) plus a few different backgrounds ( an updated Worlds Beyond plus an updated Future World possibly?). The generic rules would be essential to any of the backgrounds so that all the book was useful to the GM.

[Vile]

Originally Posted by Conrad

I like the sound of a book of generic space opera rules ( ship design and combat and world generation) plus a few different backgrounds ( an updated Worlds Beyond plus an updated Future World possibly?). The generic rules would be essential to any of the backgrounds so that all the book was useful to the GM.

There was talk of such a thing on one of the BRP Yahoo! groups, but then DBRP happened and blew everything else out of the water. If Chaosium were interested in an "SF Toolkit" book of worldgen and shipbuilding (and maybe vehicle design, but I draw the line at having to design my own guns) I would definitely get on board. It's the one area where BRP has never tread, and it would open what few doors remain closed in terms of settings.

[rust]

Generic SF rules for BRP would jump right to the top of my RPG shopping list.

[NickMiddleton]

Originally Posted by Vile

There was talk of such a thing on one of the BRP Yahoo! groups, but then DBRP happened and blew everything else out of the water. If Chaosium were interested in an "SF Toolkit" book of worldgen and shipbuilding (and maybe vehicle design, but I draw the line at having to design my own guns) I would definitely get on board. It's the one area where BRP has never tread, and it would open what few doors remain closed in terms of settings.

Would it though? To quote that disucssion on the BRP group:

Originally Posted by Nick Middleton

I'm not sure I hate it, but I'm doubtful of it's commercial viability. Who has the time to build a universe these days? Why buy BRP Space rather than GURPS Space or d20 Future: and why buy any when in order to run a game I'll need to spend several days in preparation mapping some stars and creating worlds?

Gateway Domain or GURPS Interstellar Wars at least give me a backdrop so I don't have to do so much work. But what I actually want is the SF equivalent of Arkham Unveiled or Griffin Mountain or The Traveller Adventure (Hold on a sec...): a book that immediately enables me to game. To say "right, your mercenaries hired by this Multi-corps, just arrived at the neutral Tripoint Facilty at the edge of settled Space to find out what happened to the Survery Vessel Charon when it visited Trellinie VI..." and know that I have at least the obvious relevant people, places and things statted for me, with a sufficiently broad set of info that I can improvise in response to player action.

(see here for my original post).

Don't get me wrong, if someone wrote and Chaosium (or a licensed third party) published a "BRP Space" I'd probably buy it - but I think that those of us who did would be a relatively small, select few I'm afraid.

On the other hand a strongly presented, coherent BRP SF setting, that resonates well with currently popular written SF ideas even if it's an original creation and not a licensed property? That I think would sell very well. That to me seems the best route forward in the currrent climate, with perhaps a "BRP Space" as a monograph.

Cheers,

Nick

[GerallKahla]

Originally Posted by NickMiddleton

On the other hand a strongly presented, coherent BRP SF setting, that resonates well with currently popular written SF ideas even if it's an original creation and not a licensed property? That I think would sell very well. That to me seems the best route forward in the currrent climate, with perhaps a "BRP Space" as a monograph.

Now there's an idea; monographs to provide the "core rules" for a given setting, and a full book devoted to a specific setting (which, incidentally, provides the content of the monograph).

Very intriguing method of organizing systems / settings.

For the record, I'll agree with Nick - one of the strengths of BRP has been there has (up until the BRP core book) always been a setting to fall back on with the purchase of a given game.

However, I'm curious about how something like a "BRP Space" monograph and "BRP <insert Setting Name here>" book would fare?

Anyone interested in building such a setting together? I've got some rules to contribute to the BRP Space portion of the work, and I'm sure we could develop a specific setting if we focus on it... Feel free to contact me about it!

[Dredj]

Personally, I would be up for a toolkit. There are several fine space settings that I would like to play in already. Starcluster would be my choice for settings.

This game Starquest Main Page has an interesting take on the space opera genre.

Maybe something like Hero Games Star Hero system would be cool. And they have setting books with the main toolkit book. HERO Games

I would be very interested in "retro futures". Maybe have supplements for the future as it was seen through the eyes of the decades of the 30s, 40s, 50s, through the 80s. Plus lots of cool artwork from the time periods to go with them (yeah, I know this is a pipedream).

[Conrad]

Originally Posted by NickMiddleton

Don't get me wrong, if someone wrote and Chaosium (or a licensed third party) published a "BRP Space" I'd probably buy it - but I think that those of us who did would be a relatively small, select few I'm afraid.

On the other hand a strongly presented, coherent BRP SF setting, that resonates well with currently popular written SF ideas even if it's an original creation and not a licensed property? That I think would sell very well. That to me seems the best route forward in the currrent climate, with perhaps a "BRP Space" as a monograph.

Cheers,

Nick

Just generic "BRP Space" rules I don't think would sell as well as generic rules plus a few space opera backgrounds with it.
Did I mention Cthulhu Rising?

[Dredj]

Btw, all you people who bought Shock: Social Science Fiction shock: social science fiction . How is that working for world building?

[rust]

Originally Posted by Dredj

How is that working for world building?

I did buy it, but the mail from the USA takes up to 60 (!) days to arrive in
Germany, so I am still waiting for it ...

[rust]

Originally Posted by Conrad

Just generic "BRP Space" rules I don't think would sell as well as generic rules plus a few space opera backgrounds with it.

On the other hand, it could be useful to "test the water" with a generic BRP
Space PDF monograph, and it could create important feedback for a possible
later printed version with the improved rules from the monograph plus a set-
ting, I think.