Space Madness!

The homebrew forum

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Space Madness!

Post by Ancient History »

Last year in response to someone actually fulfilling my challenge to review all of Farcast, I agreed to write a complete RPG based around three keywords. Because I'm a fucking idiot. The "winner" was Vigil and the keywords were: atompunk, wands, Mythos.

...it still isn't finished. It is, in fact, on 13.8k words. I'm still working at it, I've just back-burnered it to death, so I am starting this thread as a development diary and, basically, to help encourage me to write and finish the gods-damned thing.

This week's efforts are focused on Mars. We're in the Gazetteer of the Setting sort of section, so: Mars. This is drawing largely off Clark Ashton Smith's material, because he wrote about Mars, but I'm also stealing left-and-right-handedly from other sci-fi settings as needs must.

The system: I haven't written much of any of it yet, but that is because I plan to steal it. I have, in fact, been planning to do this for some time and have some extensive notes about what I'm going to import wholesale and what I'm going to have to change or work up, but trust me, you should recognize it when you see it - and no, it is not in any way, shape, or form related to BRP. Start with something that works and plug it into something that works, that's my motto. Frank's offered repeatedly to help (which I appreciate), but I'm digging this hole on my own and want to keep going until I hit bottom.

[edit] Link to google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/184P ... sp=sharing

Currently at 185 pages.
Last edited by Ancient History on Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
OgreBattle
King
Posts: 6820
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:33 am

Post by OgreBattle »

I plan to steal it. I have, in fact, been planning to do this for some time and have some extensive notes about what I'm going to import wholesale and what I'm going to have to change or work up, but trust me, you should recognize it when you see it
I hope you're stealing from Outlaw Star then
User avatar
erik
King
Posts: 5861
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by erik »

OgreBattle wrote:
I plan to steal it. I have, in fact, been planning to do this for some time and have some extensive notes about what I'm going to import wholesale and what I'm going to have to change or work up, but trust me, you should recognize it when you see it
I hope you're stealing from Outlaw Star then
Outlaw Star has an RPG system? *skeptical*
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Been lollygagging. Finished Mars. Current wordcount 15.9k. Next up: Venus
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

17.1k Still on Venus. I've been distracted by other things.
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Venus finished. 18k
User avatar
Neurosis
Duke
Posts: 1057
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:28 pm
Location: Wouldn't you like to know?

Post by Neurosis »

Ancient:

If you need backup, I'm in if you'll pay me a penny per word and autograph one of my old Shadowrun books.
For a minute, I used to be "a guy" in the TTRPG "industry". Now I'm just a nobody. For the most part, it's a relief.
Trank Frollman wrote:One of the reasons we can say insightful things about stuff is that we don't have to pretend to be nice to people. By embracing active aggression, we eliminate much of the passive aggression that so paralyzes things on other gaming forums.
hogarth wrote:As the good book saith, let he who is without boners cast the first stone.
TiaC wrote:I'm not quite sure why this is an argument. (Except that Kaelik is in it, that's a good reason.)
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Finished the Belt and a chunk of Jupiter. 20.2k
RelentlessImp
Knight-Baron
Posts: 701
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:03 am

Post by RelentlessImp »

...Mythos atompunk. I can't wait to see this thing.
Hadanelith
Master
Posts: 206
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:26 pm

Post by Hadanelith »

Neither can I. This sounds seriously neat.
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Jupiter done. 21.2k
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Saturn done. 23.2k

Reading Barbarella for inspiration.
User avatar
Hicks
Duke
Posts: 1318
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: On the road

Post by Hicks »

Oh god. The movie is the absolute worst.
Image
"Besides, my strong, cult like faith in the colon of the cards allows me to pull whatever I need out of my posterior!"
-Kid Radd
shadzar wrote:those training harder get more, and training less, don't get the more.
Lokathor wrote:Anything worth sniffing can't be sniffed
Stuff I've Made
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

The original comic, ya dork. And it's not as bad as the pornographic parody of the Barbarella film, which is just jumping the hardcore shark.
User avatar
Hicks
Duke
Posts: 1318
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: On the road

Post by Hicks »

I figured, I just wanted to bitch about the move, because it is awful and deserving of scorn.
Image
"Besides, my strong, cult like faith in the colon of the cards allows me to pull whatever I need out of my posterior!"
-Kid Radd
shadzar wrote:those training harder get more, and training less, don't get the more.
Lokathor wrote:Anything worth sniffing can't be sniffed
Stuff I've Made
Red_Rob
Prince
Posts: 2594
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:07 pm

Post by Red_Rob »

23,000 words? We have here a man who takes offhand forum bets seriously ;).

Can't wait for the result, I reckon it'll be the best Mythos Atompunk RPG featuring wands yet!
Simplified Tome Armor.

Tome item system and expanded Wish Economy rules.

Try our fantasy card game Clash of Nations! Available via Print on Demand.

“Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities” - Voltaire
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Projected final wordcount is ~40k once I get the mechanics done. I'm just doing the setting/fluff first.
User avatar
Chamomile
Prince
Posts: 4632
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 10:45 am

Post by Chamomile »

A review of a 364 post blog isn't a tiny investment of time, either. I think it's fair that the reward for it not just be something half-assed over a weekend.
User avatar
virgil
King
Posts: 6339
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by virgil »

I still consider it a rather impressive move above and beyond what I was expecting. IMO, publicly stated as incentive for myself, Ancient is fully permitted to ask me for another review or even for me to write/make something for him in turn. Not something as big as an RPG, but up to the scale of an adventure or small module/conversion.
Last edited by virgil on Tue Jan 17, 2017 7:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Come see Sprockets & Serials
How do you confuse a barbarian?
Put a greatsword a maul and a greataxe in a room and ask them to take their pick
EXPLOSIVE RUNES!
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

I haven't written a proper adventure since... Zero Sum Gain for Shadowrun 4A, and that was a bit of silliness. I still resemble the last review of it.
It's dark, gritty and of adult content. The 'good guys' aren't particularly nice and the whole adventure is cast in a sea of human social effluent.
Anyway, here's hoping I can make some decent progress on it. I had fully intended to finish this damn thing last year...
User avatar
virgil
King
Posts: 6339
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by virgil »

I'm not sure if you meant that as a request or an aside. If a request, I'll afford you the same guidelines; three key words and a preferred system.

PS: As a warning, my ability to write an adventure is best summarized by Red Dawn; which I believe Meikle641 posted semi-recently. I should have a number of campaign notes as well on the Trenches.
Last edited by virgil on Tue Jan 17, 2017 8:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Come see Sprockets & Serials
How do you confuse a barbarian?
Put a greatsword a maul and a greataxe in a room and ask them to take their pick
EXPLOSIVE RUNES!
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

It was just an aside.
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Okay, fluff is done. 24.9k.

Next step: Mechanics!
User avatar
Ancient History
Serious Badass
Posts: 12708
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:57 pm

Post by Ancient History »

Basic core mechanic/tests explained with examples. 29.5k

Next step: Character gen part 1
User avatar
Neurosis
Duke
Posts: 1057
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:28 pm
Location: Wouldn't you like to know?

Post by Neurosis »

I am immediately intrigued by any game where wands make up one third of the keywords it is based on. I have a thing for wands (no homo).
For a minute, I used to be "a guy" in the TTRPG "industry". Now I'm just a nobody. For the most part, it's a relief.
Trank Frollman wrote:One of the reasons we can say insightful things about stuff is that we don't have to pretend to be nice to people. By embracing active aggression, we eliminate much of the passive aggression that so paralyzes things on other gaming forums.
hogarth wrote:As the good book saith, let he who is without boners cast the first stone.
TiaC wrote:I'm not quite sure why this is an argument. (Except that Kaelik is in it, that's a good reason.)
Post Reply