Hi folks.

This is an idea of mine that I've been kicking around, and I just don't know how many posters might just be interested in it. So, here goes.

A new role-playing game. Setting, a cross between classic science-fiction and classic western.

A barren planet, pretty much abandoned by anyone with a starship. Only settlements are sealed domes, the remains of the original colonies, where the atmosphere is maintained, and only the well-off or clever get in there. People make a living on the surface any way they can. Old technology mixes with modern, it all depends on what you can get.

The story would mostly be set on the surface. Anyone who participates can choose whatever character-type they like, things are pretty free. Drifter, farmer, trader, gunslinger, there's lots of possibilities.

This isn't LICC. This isn't gonna be LICC.

Input?

I know! We can call it Firefly: The Next Generation!

I've never seen Firefly, so I wouldn't know.

Sounds interesting to me, but dunno if I really want to participate.

Interesting concept. I'd need more background/backstory and setting details like what is the atmoshpere what kind of planet how is is self sustaining and how sustainable is it?. Obviously pretty bad if they need sealed domes to have a good life yet survivable enough to permit unprotected or minimal protected people to survive out there. And by old tech you mean our modern tech our old tech or future modern tech as in what is the timeline? And what is the governmental setup? Is it like in Peirs Anthony's Adept series a games tourney to get citizenship inside the domes or some other method to get in. What are the rules of society is it anythign goes with might making right or something more "civilized" Just some ideas from a 10 year gamesmaster for several RPGs

Phew, let's take it one at a time.

Well, as I envision it: The atmosphere is Oxygen/Nitrogen, with a generally higher level of carbon dioxide than on Earth. It's fairly thin at sea level, with a general pressure around the mile-high level on Earth. Exertion can be more difficult outside the domes. The surface climate is generally cold (around 45-55F average in the summer, 10 to 20F in the winter.) Little grows on the surface, but some hardy grains and vegetables can be cultivated.

The time is an unspecified future after space travel (FTL drive) is invented. Standard technologies found in many sci-fi sources may be used, but should be used sparingly. The world has been long abandoned, and much of the technology left behind is in short supply, most of it being hoarded in the city-domes. The surface-dwellers have done what they can with available materials, but generally maintain a late 19th-century standard of technology.

The government is basically fractured. Each dome-city is an independent nation-state, which exerts some control over the surface around it in a small radius.

The domes are pressurized and armored, with the ruler or rulers of each dome having the general authority to allow passage in or out. Some possessing resources or wealth accumulated on the surface have been able to buy their way in to certain dome-cities, while others have been able to engineer or decieve their way in.

The laws inside each city are particular to each city's ruler. The laws on the surface are frontier justice in most cases. Few surface settlements have law officers.

Isn't this basically just The Dark Tower in space? Count me out.

You haven't seen Firefly? Go and purchase the DVD set. It's only fifty bucks MSRP. And there's a movie coming out in April. The filming is completed and it's currently going through post-production.

Most likely there would be some reason for the planet to have been colonized and that reason would still be there even if the planet was abandoned. And why was it abandoned anyhow? Was it a glactic civil war, an overwhelming cataclysm of disease or technology failure (ie the method of FTL self destructed changed the universe or otherwise became too dificult to use)The planet sounds like it would have to have had some compelling reason to get people to live there. PLus you would have to have a certain minimum population level to avoid inbreeding, maintain the domes etc... Also while it sounds neat to have 1800s tech levels unless the domes have some sort of manufacturing/self repair capability they would fail and things would start degrading to the point that everyone is going to be having a big problem on their hands. Further why would the domies go from having high tech down to low tech. Did it happen suddenly or slowly over years? If it is over years then the domes could be falling apart and about ready to fail (unless designed to be self sustaining totally without outside assistance. Of course each dome would probably make war on its neighbors over resources. Including people materials etc... unless there is some compelling reason not to and survival is generally not considered a reason not to because in many Post apocalypse scenarios all bets are off and it becomes dog eat dog or cat or whoever doesnt run or fight back. Now back to the planet a higher level of carbon dioxide would have probably been dealt with by the original colonist by spreading lichens or mosses (which can grow just about anywhere from north to south poles and in between) and other hardy plants to increase the free oxygen levels unless there was a method that the CO2 replenishes faster than the plants remove it. Which would mean that the planet should have been a lot less hospitable on the surface as rapid CO2 generation would have eventually overwhelmed any O2. All in all an interesting concept just need to make sure you have a reason for everythign that goes on and that in real sci fi (not fantasy) there is a logical result for every action.

I realize sci-fi has to be quite logical, R, but most of the backstory of the world is itself unknown to most inhabitants, at least two generations having gone by since the world was abandoned, and survival having been the first priority for the surface-dwellers. I was thinking that the participants in the RPG would help create the backstory itself, bit by bit, as their characters discover the truth. But if you think a full backstory really should be completed before any game is started, I think I could come up with something.

Well let me put it to you this way. I have been a gamemaster for D&D and Rifts/Palladium for 10 years now. And a player for about 15. I have noticed and discovered that if the GM doesnt know what is going on or why something is someway in their world this can be a bad thing. Players have a tendency to go off the map very big time and that can just wreck a storyline. If there is one person that should know the roadmap that would be the GM having the character's fill in things is all good but just make sure you know where the limits are so that they dont suddenly make some left turn in the storyline and change the whole "history" flavor or path of the game. Just some helpful hints. I do like the concept but I am a bit of a nitpicker (Why else would I be here) on stuff like that. Attention to detail can make or break the fun of a game or movie or what not.

R has a point. Just because the characters don't know about the history of their world doesn't mean the GM shouldn't either. The GM should always know more than the players.

BTW, are you going to create your own gaming system or use an existing one? If the latter, I hope it's not D20. To me, it seems like D20 is causing RPG creativity to stagnate, since seemingly every new RPG setting coming out is for D20.

I don't have any experience with pen-and-paper-and-dice RPG gaming systems. I was planning for this to be a literary game, not a strictly codified one.

And yes, I concede the point that the GM should have the proper backstories and plot in mind.

Thanks for the agreement. D20 is a very mixed bag. I havent played By The book D&D since 2nd edition when my house rulesbook started getting thicker than the main rulebook. And I have to admit I havent played that much under the new rules and definately havent gamed but they arnt that bad themselves. I cant really say enough about the new games coming out as me and the remains of my gaming group pretty much stick with the world(s) we've got/been playing forever. (My D&D Game world has been in existence since I started GMing. Growing from 1 sheet of hastily scratched notes to 3 notebooks full of detailed maps and notes) As for the literary vs codified games even Amber has rules and is kinda fun. But rules are there to help enhance the fun and reduce the questions and problems. Especially in task resolution or combat. Which from the way you are setting things up does seem like at least once in a while some sort of combat will occur and definately tasks and situations will be required. Being ready for those sort of situations or like when somebody decides to do something off the wall crazy that depends on the fate of random chance. So sounds like you got a good idea that just needs a bit of fleshing out and prep work and just remember the best advice about GMing: Even if you dont know whats going on dont let anyone else know that you dont know.