Feelings on StarSiege

[Rigon]

Alright, I've been back from GenCon for a couple weeks now and have read through StarSiege 2 or 3 times. I get that it is a "toolbox" type of game and I know how it works (basically), but I need more support. I don't want to spend the time building everything I need; I want to look in a book to get them. I really like the Victory 2442 mini-setting, but it needs to be greatly expanded. And a book of equipment, aliens, psionics, etc to go with it. I'm not much for sci-fi games, but I would definately use SS for one (especially if there was more supporting material).

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

[dachda]

Rigon wrote:
Alright, I've been back from GenCon for a couple weeks now and have read through StarSiege 2 or 3 times. I get that it is a "toolbox" type of game and I know how it works (basically), but I need more support. I don't want to spend the time building everything I need; I want to look in a book to get them. I really like the Victory 2442 mini-setting, but it needs to be greatly expanded. And a book of equipment, aliens, psionics, etc to go with it. I'm not much for sci-fi games, but I would definately use SS for one (especially if there was more supporting material).

R-

I'll second these sentiments. I picked up SS last year and thought it a great system, but like Rigon I need more support. I've never run a sci-fi game and don't own copies of other sci-fi systems to draw ideas and inspiration from, and I certainly don't have time to create all the stuff I'd need to run a campaign. Bring on the SS stuff! When's that first adventure hitting the stores?
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Sir Dachda McKinty,

Margrave and Knight of Portlandia
Castles & Crusades Society

[cheeplives]

I know, I know... people want more stuff... I'm just not feeling the vibe to build more right now. Of course, anyone can build stuff for the game and share it (we have threads here on the forum for just such altruism)...

I do think, however, that between the player's guide and the Victory 2442 setting info, there are more than enough sci-fi trappings to run a pretty good generic sci-fi game. Heck, I'd say that there's just as much in there as you'd find in Traveller...

Really, what more items do you need beyond some starcraft, some weapons, armor, and a few electonic doodads?

Just file off some serial numbers and rename stuff and you've got Star Wars pretty easy... do a few different build-outs of the Fighter package and you could build the X-wing and tie fighters with little difficulty. And the Nova Sword is exactly what you think it is.
But maybe I'll try to find some time to work on some SS trappings... it's easier when I know what people want to see. I have stalled out on my work on the Cyberpunk module as I got distracted with my attempt to re-design TMNT as a modern RPG...

Then again, if everyone who posts asking for more stuff made one item and post it... we'd have a lot more stuff to look at...
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discreteinfinity.com -- my little corner of the internet.

Author of StarSIEGE: Event Horizon -- Available now from Troll Lord Games!

[CharlieRock]

Stick a bunch of equipment to paper and mail it to Jim so he can put it in Crusader.
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

[Sir Ironside]

cheeplives wrote:
I do think, however, that between the player's guide and the Victory 2442 setting info, there are more than enough sci-fi trappings to run a pretty good generic sci-fi game. Heck, I'd say that there's just as much in there as you'd find in Traveller...

That is a pretty bold statement. Traveller, almost 30 years in existence, pretty much has had a constant flow of new material in that time covering different times and different parts of the universe. Somehow I doubt Starseige even comes close. Just making comparison's, like that, it is like saying that the Washington Nationals are as good a team as the New York Yankees, if I could use that analogy. Doesn't mean that Starseige isn't a good system, I'll eventually get it, but too much C&C stuff to get first.

You knew someone was going to call you on it.
This is the internet you know.
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That is SIR! to you!

[cheeplives]

Sir Ironside wrote:
That is a pretty bold statement. Traveller, almost 30 years in existence, pretty much has had a constant flow of new material in that time covering different times and different parts of the universe. Somehow I doubt Starseige even comes close. Just making comparison's, like that, it is like saying that the Washington Nationals are as good a team as the New York Yankees, if I could use that analogy. Doesn't mean that Starseige isn't a good system, I'll eventually get it, but too much C&C stuff to get first.

You knew someone was going to call you on it.
This is the internet you know.

I meant just the base books... comparing just the black book traveller or even Mongoose's isn't that far off... and they had to wait for someone to make more equipment... they didn't have the tools to do it themselves....
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discreteinfinity.com -- my little corner of the internet.

Author of StarSIEGE: Event Horizon -- Available now from Troll Lord Games!

[Sir Ironside]

cheeplives wrote:
I meant just the base books... comparing just the black book traveller or even Mongoose's isn't that far off... and they had to wait for someone to make more equipment... they didn't have the tools to do it themselves....

Ah, that makes much more sense.
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That is SIR! to you!

[Rigon]

That's just it, I don't have the time. If generic stuff was already done, I could BUY the book and have extra things handy. I get that all the "tools" are there to make the things I need to play a sci-fi game, I just don't have the time.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

[cheeplives]

Rigon wrote:
That's just it, I don't have the time. If generic stuff was already done, I could BUY the book and have extra things handy. I get that all the "tools" are there to make the things I need to play a sci-fi game, I just don't have the time.

R-

But I'm asking what is it that you're missing from the base books? What big "sci-fi" trappings are missing that is preventing you from running a game.

Plus, I was saying if everyone just made ONE item and posted it... cause it really doesn't take that long to just make one item... then we'd have just that many more items for everyone to use. It's a communal thing.
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discreteinfinity.com -- my little corner of the internet.

Author of StarSIEGE: Event Horizon -- Available now from Troll Lord Games!

[Sir Ironside]

cheeplives wrote:
But I'm asking what is it that you're missing from the base books? What big "sci-fi" trappings are missing that is preventing you from running a game.

Plus, I was saying if everyone just made ONE item and posted it... cause it really doesn't take that long to just make one item... then we'd have just that many more items for everyone to use. It's a communal thing.

I think the disconnect here is cheeplives doesn't understand why it is such a big deal, when it is easy to make things, and if everyone does it, we'd have a s**t-load of stuff. Which is true. I don't think that Rigon is saying there is anything missing, but to create everything for a space setting is not appealing, and he would like some books that makes the task of creating a sci-fi setting easier.

But, Rigon prefers a supplemental book that is not only cannon but easily on hand. Buying a book that you can look through is a lot easier than copy-pasting stuff other people have made, and putting it into some text app. If you don't have the time to make things yourself then waiting around for that communal effort isn't an appealing option either. I get it, even if one had time, I'd still much prefer buying a book that has official stuff in it, than a bunch of unofficial stuff that some of it I might not like. I also like deadtree books over any kind of pdf or text variant... any day of the week.

Just my two cents and I don't speak for Rigon, but this is the sense I get from his posts. Maybe I'm way off?
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That is SIR! to you!

[Rigon]

Sir Ironside wrote:
I think the disconnect here is cheeplives doesn't understand why it is such a big deal, when it is easy to make things, and if everyone does it, we'd have a s**t-load of stuff. Which is true. I don't think that Rigon is saying there is anything missing, but to create everything for a space setting is not appealing, and he would like some books that makes the task of creating a sci-fi setting easier.

But, Rigon prefers a supplemental book that is not only cannon but easily on hand. Buying a book that you can look through is a lot easier than copy-pasting stuff other people have made, and putting it into some text app. If you don't have the time to make things yourself then waiting around for that communal effort isn't an appealing option either. I get it, even if one had time, I'd still much prefer buying a book that has official stuff in it, than a bunch of unofficial stuff that some of it I might not like. I also like deadtree books over any kind of pdf or text variant... any day of the week.

Just my two cents and I don't speak for Rigon, but this is the sense I get from his posts. Maybe I'm way off?

That sums it up quite nicely. As Ironside as stated, I can make up what I need, but I'd rather buy a supplement and change generic names to fit what I want. I just don't have the time to devote to it.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

[cheeplives]

Rigon wrote:
That sums it up quite nicely. As Ironside as stated, I can make up what I need, but I'd rather buy a supplement and change generic names to fit what I want. I just don't have the time to devote to it.

R-

And what *I'm* saying is "what is it you need that the core book lacks?"
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discreteinfinity.com -- my little corner of the internet.

Author of StarSIEGE: Event Horizon -- Available now from Troll Lord Games!

[Rigon]

Expanded material for the setting.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

[cheeplives]

What trappings in particular do you think are missing that is preventing you from running a game in the given setting?

If not trappings, what information is lacking that prevents you from running a game?

I just would like to know to understand what expectations are not being met... I can try to meet them, but something as vague as "expanded setting info" just doesn't help me much in a design direction.
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discreteinfinity.com -- my little corner of the internet.

Author of StarSIEGE: Event Horizon -- Available now from Troll Lord Games!

[tenkar]

I have issues similar to that of the OP. Probably because I was expecting a bit more then a "toolkit".

In my case I found myself a bit lost after my read thru of the rules, trying to find the one thing that would pull it all together. What was that one thing? No idea, never found it.

I guess if I came to the rules with an idea in mind I could have worked the rules to fit the idea. That is the strength of it being a toolkit. Having no idea, I was left with... uhm, no idea
Regretfully it has sat unread since last Christmas. Maybe I'll give it a second run thru after I brainstorm some ideas. If nothing else this thread has gotten me thinking.
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http://tenkarstavern.blogspot.com/

[Rigon]

tenkar wrote:
I have issues similar to that of the OP. Probably because I was expecting a bit more then a "toolkit".

In my case I found myself a bit lost after my read thru of the rules, trying to find the one thing that would pull it all together. What was that one thing? No idea, never found it.

I guess if I came to the rules with an idea in mind I could have worked the rules to fit the idea. That is the strength of it being a toolkit. Having no idea, I was left with... uhm, no idea
Regretfully it has sat unread since last Christmas. Maybe I'll give it a second run thru after I brainstorm some ideas. If nothing else this thread has gotten me thinking.

That's basically how I felt. If you have an idea on what you want it to do, then everything sort of falls into place.

I got LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Movies and that has gotten me to thinking about a Star Wars game using SS and I re-read the rules and I could see where everything fits.

So it is better to have an idea of somekind of setting/game in mind when you read SS. I has helped me out immensely.

I'd still like to see some more equipment/hardware, but I can see now how easy it is to make things. One thing that is missing is capital ships. Things like Star Destoyers. There is no example for things of this size/scope.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind