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Post by jons on Aug 2, 2021 5:03:31 GMT -5
Anyone ever tried to do a game based on Forbidden Planet using Starships & Spacemen? I've slowly been gathering info and images over the past year or so. One of these days...
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Aug 2, 2021 18:02:05 GMT -5
That sounds like a great idea (I refer you to my ID here) . I would love to see how you bring this all together. About ten years ago I tried to write a FP version of the Classic Traveller rules, but never got too far. I did think, then, that a lot of TOS season 1 episodes could easily be mined for scenario concepts. Good luck.
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Post by Falconer on Aug 3, 2021 8:48:06 GMT -5
I love Forbidden Planet. In my headcanon it’s an accurate depiction of Romulan War-era look and feel and tech. It’s South Pacific in space! I really with Enterprise could have been much more inspired by it. Space feels vast and strange, the ship truly close quarters. The major difference from Star Trek is that the whole ship lands on the planet; it feels a lot more vulnerable, like you’re all on a boat stranded on a potentially-hostile island.
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Aug 3, 2021 10:20:21 GMT -5
I love FP too. For me it's in a different reality than Trek (especially the tech). But I cannot ignore the fact that if you look at TOS (especially S1), file off the serial numbers and squint a bit you will find yourself watching FP. For me it's an island hopping WW2 PT boat in space (with it's own comedic cook!).
Edit: I agree with Falconer that in FP you are vulnerable. You are on a potentially hazardous planet, in a relatively small ship whose "engine-core" is disengaged, exposed and hanging below the ship as a "landing foot". A speedy exit seems unlikely, and there is no "beam me up" here.
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Post by Falconer on Aug 3, 2021 15:40:28 GMT -5
Yeah, and there’s this business:
Hardcore.
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TardisCaptain
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Post by TardisCaptain on Aug 3, 2021 19:21:34 GMT -5
A few years ago my Star Trek club scheduled to have a guided tour at the local Air Force base museum. The volunteer who came out to give us the tour showed up in his Forbidden Planet uniform that he had created himself. This included the ray gun and the pull-string communicator. It was very well done for a gentleman in his 70's.
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Aug 4, 2021 4:24:59 GMT -5
A few years ago my Star Trek club scheduled to have a guided tour at the local Air Force base museum. The volunteer who came out to give us the tour showed up in his Forbidden Planet uniform that he had created himself. This included the ray gun and the pull-string communicator. It was very well done for a gentleman in his 70's. Fantastic - a true fan!
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Aug 9, 2021 4:03:26 GMT -5
Going back to the OP, do we have any thoughts as to how we can write an FP campaign? As I already mentioned, I tried about ten years ago, with Classic Traveller rules, but ran out of steam. Then again, I was a bit anal retentive back then, and so I painted myself into a few corners. These days I am a bit more open minded about adapting existing settings. And also, beyond a few mechanical changes, I don't think that the rules system really matters, the setting and background are more the issue. My brainstorming was around:- C57D crew - from the film I counted about 16 crew, with a similar number of DC chambers and bunks (although I imagine Captain, Exec & Doctor would have smaller, private rooms?). So, two shifts of 8 each, comprising 1 command, 2 pilot/nav,1 communication/computer, 2 weapons/sensor (on upper gallery), 2 engineering (not seen, but on lower engineering deck). Doc is medical and general science duties, and so is only on duty as needed. A small crew for a small ship. So, next question is why is a "cruiser" so tiny. I guess it must be driven by size vs FTL speed restrictions. If they could build bigger at a reasonable FTL speed then surely they would? And, surely there must be much larger cargo/passenger ships to create and support colonies. Not to mention larger warships with "big guns" and troops? My theory is that the speed/size dichotomy is somewhat relieved by adding shape into the equation. My theory is that a small saucer shape enables the most efficient (and so relatively faster) FTL speed "field". Bigger FTL ships can be built and operated, but only by stretching the saucer shape fore and aft. Imagine a large saucer aft (engineering) , connected to a smaller saucer fore (command and quarters) in a sort of paddle/blade shape. The big area between the two saucers would hold payload/weapons etc. So C57D (and her sisters) are the fastest and so are the trouble shooters/patrol etc. Missions would be very much like many S1 TOS episodes. Visiting small colonies/research posts and resolving any problems/disasters/lost contact issues etc Mission profile would be approach system star at FTL speed and DC. STL through system to target planet,make contact (hopefully) and land at appropriate/safest site (established landing field for most colonies). Deploy crew and whatever weapons/equipment needed. Heavy blasters units and security field generators, as shown, for the most unknown and maybe potentially threatening sites. Since ship is now grounded, I would imagine some flying drones and a jeep type scouting/patrol vehicle strapped to each of the two "non-stair" landing legs. Anyway, just a few thoughts.
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Post by ThrorII on Aug 10, 2021 16:51:24 GMT -5
Also, doesn't FP state or imply that Altair (16-17 LY distant) is pretty much the edge of explored space? And didn't it take the cruiser over a year to get there?
Things to extrapolate: The United Planets don't have non-human races (or even microbes it seems). The United Planets only extend about 5 parsecs (16.3 light years) from earth. Hyperdrive operates at around 15 LY/Year (just over 1 LY per month). There is a hyperspace radio that works faster than FTL travel.
Wiki states there are 76 stars in 54 systems within 5 parsecs of earth (16.3 LY). That still gives a lot of room for colonies, bases, pirates, etc.
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Aug 10, 2021 17:27:00 GMT -5
Opening monologue:- In the final decade of the 21st century, men and women in rocket ships landed on the moon. By 2200 AD they had reached the other planets of our solar system. Almost at once there followed the discovery of hyperdrive through which the speed of light was first attained and later greatly surpassed. And so at last mankind began the conquest and colonization of deep space. And from Cookie:- Another one of them new worlds. No beer, no women, no pool parlors, nothin'. Nothin' to do but throw rocks at tin cans, and we gotta bring our own tin cans. Both seem to suggest that sustained exploration & colonisation is taking place, and that Throrll's (supported by the dialogue) speed of just over a light year per month is a good base point. So, fifty star systems across a sphere of 15-16 light years and a maximum speed that gets you to the furthest frontier in a year seems, to me, to be a fascinating campaign setting.
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Post by ThrorII on Aug 10, 2021 18:29:49 GMT -5
Opening monologue:- In the final decade of the 21st century, men and women in rocket ships landed on the moon. By 2200 AD they had reached the other planets of our solar system. Almost at once there followed the discovery of hyperdrive through which the speed of light was first attained and later greatly surpassed. And so at last mankind began the conquest and colonization of deep space. And from Cookie:- Another one of them new worlds. No beer, no women, no pool parlors, nothin'. Nothin' to do but throw rocks at tin cans, and we gotta bring our own tin cans. Both seem to suggest that sustained exploration & colonisation is taking place, and that Throrll's (supported by the dialogue) speed of just over a light year per month is a good base point. So, fifty star systems across a sphere of 15-16 light years and a maximum speed that gets you to the furthest frontier in a year seems, to me, to be a fascinating campaign setting. And for a game design, I would do a 'reverse-Gene Roddenberry' (so called because FP seems to have influenced Gene for Star Trek) and backward-compatible Star Trek to FP where it doesn't contradict the movie. So besides numerous colonies, scientific stations, etc., I'd suggest 'Star Bases' to support the United Planet navy. Because it wouldn't make sense to have cruisers having to travel months or a year to reach their patrol stations.
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Post by starcruiser on Aug 10, 2021 20:14:04 GMT -5
Whether those 'Star Bases' would be planet based or stations would be another matter.
Since the C57D (and probably a lot of ships) is landing capable, planetary bases seems more likely. Habitable worlds with local crops and other supplies being best for major bases and then, maybe, a few smaller outposts on less hospitable rocks where supplies have to be shipped in like some of the Pacific Island bases in World War 2...
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Post by ThrorII on Aug 12, 2021 0:52:25 GMT -5
I could see most being planet based, as part of a larger colony. But I could also see a space station orbiting a red dwarf with no planetary systems.
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Aug 12, 2021 1:36:27 GMT -5
It seems that our local population (within 15-16 ly) is not going to be kind to us. Of the 60 or so main sequence stars, some 50 are red dwarfs, with only the remaining 10+ having any potential for earth-like planets. Then there are some four white dwarfs and 10 brown dwarfs, neither of which are going to help. However, white dwarfs are exhausted main sequence stars, which may have once supported life. Who knows what got left behind? This being the case, I would see a astromonically accurate setting to have (at best) ten fertile Earth-like colonies (and Star bases), which would be the "first among equals", and a load of small, artificial dome environments supporting mining, (maybe) Terra forming and forward bases. Of course, just because we can't naturally live there doesn't mean others can't.....!
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Aug 12, 2021 2:12:10 GMT -5
Moving to a different aspect of this thread. Following on from my theory that small saucer shaped ships like C57D are able to best use the hyper drive field, and so are the fastest. I, wonder if these ships are crewed by scout/frontier patrol types, mostly out of forward bases. And the Star bases are for larger but FTL slower Navy ships (some on a regular defence role). As such there is a bit of (campaign exploitable) snobbery going on between the two services?
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