And frankly Id rather have something else even before "ITF"
What babylon 5 cries out for is a game like "Great Naval Battles" or "Fighting Steel" but only in space damnit, maybe a sim like Bridge Commander, which wasnt bad. A game with ship and task group command would kick ass.
Lets face it, in the battles of Babylon 5 the instriment of decision always a cap ship (babylon 5 herself versus the Centari Primus counts), and I want to command that ;)
Ah, but you see, only hardcore military gaming people actually buy those type of games, which makes the profit potential somewhat less than encouraging.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Firestar [/i]
[B]Ah, but you see, only hardcore military gaming people actually buy those type of games, which makes the profit potential somewhat less than encouraging. [/B][/QUOTE]
Worf... I think it may well be that secret project I mentioned a while back. I've fired off my email now to get confirmation. Hopefully will have some news maybe tomorrow.
I'm not really familiar with these types of games. What would it actually look like to play?
Way to be pessimistic everyone! I still stand that at least we are getting something, and there are liscences being granted again.
P.S. On another note, anyone remember Paraworlds, the B5 turn based/stratagy game. That looked damn cool (until the devs had to postpone the project)...
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Falcon1 [/i]
[B]Worf... I think it may well be that secret project I mentioned a while back. I've fired off my email now to get confirmation. Hopefully will have some news maybe tomorrow.
I'm not really familiar with these types of games. What would it actually look like to play? [/B][/QUOTE]
They dont really look like anything...you buy a copy of the rule book, some dice, pens and paper.
Then you have to make character sheets for each player, so they can keep track of their character's stats.
Except for one player who is the DM/GM (Dungeon/Game Master, depending on the game's setting), this person runs the game, they say where the players are, what they are up against and have to react to the player's choices.
Good God, I can't believe I actualy remembered this user name...
Anyway, I'm being drawn back to all things B5 thanks to this RPG. I ran a GREAT B5 campaign a while back using the old Babylon Project rules, but I was never quite happy with the system. I am, on the other hand, a huge fan of the d20 system when used properly. The Star Wars RPG, for example, really captures the feel of SW (at least on the ground) whike still being d20. I think a sufficiently reworked version could work well for B5 (certainly better than the old rules).
I also think its a good sign that moongose has addressed the fact that they intend to keep this RPG running for a while, unlike BP that faded away after a couple of releases.
Anyone who thinks B5 wouldn't make a good RPG is justy plain nuts. I'd be hard pressed to imagine a universe with more potential than B5.
BTW, some people seem to be confusing a Pencil and Paper RPG with a CRPG (Computer RPG) which this is not. This is NOT a video game, nor is it a tabletop/strategy game. Call it "interactive storytelling", if you will, and if you can find a good Game Master to run it, you'll have a blast.
I'm new here, so I wanted to comment on a few different things people have said.
Percentile Roleplaying Systems - I agree, they're great. Not as realistic as other systems, but they allow people new to roleplaying to jump right in without having to learn a whole system.
D20 - gaming has been declining as computers become more easily accessible. The Universal applications of the D20 system is our last, best hope...
Warner Licensing - Here's to hoping it means something new will come.
Space Sim/3D shooter - 12 months after it comes out it will be obsolete and played infrequently; a PnP RPG has re-playability and never becomes obsolete
How to play a PnP RPG... that's a whole other post... :D
5 years ago, while season 5 was still running, I did a B5 campaign with the old system, part of which I played over the 'net. To this day I consider it one of my best; it started about a year before The Gathering and ended after the Shadow War. I can't wait to do it again...especialy since this time I have the DVDs to look at for ideas. I think this time I'm going to try to set it on and near B5 itself... at least we'll be stopping there often, and the campaign will weave in and out of the shows story.
Holly Knight, I do have to agree... d20 gaming IS our Last, Best Hope. And properly modified it is quite suitable for sci-fi. The Star Wars RPG (revised) has a damn fine system, for one. Defense improving by level and class with armor providing damage reduction is a great idea, and the vitality point/wound point split explains wonderfuly how a gun can be lethal while at the same time Sheridan survived a couple dozen firefights with nary a scratch. Seems the new B5 RPG will be using the armor-is-damage reduction bit, but apparently characters will have >very< few hit points... looks likt it'll be plenty lethal....
I think I've gotta go back to the status of [b]Puny Mortal[/b] for this thread, though. Never really been able to get into RPGs, although this might be my chance to learn.
Sanfam, I ran a B5 campaign over the net once, with a lot of RPG newbies. Am a much busier person nowadays, but Maybe we could try a session to teach people and run a little adventure. Back then it was the old TBP rules, but It should work fine with this new version too...
Never >quite< the same over the net, but it still can be fun, and its not a bad way to learn.
So, to start with, gather 3 or 4 peers - friends. Get together early in the evening, and order out for pizza or maybe BBQ some sausages and burgers. Oh yeah, don't forget the Coca-Cola. Spend some time socializing and just hanging out.
When the time is right, slowly have everyone migrate to the kitchen table. Everyone brings out their character sheets, pencils and scrap paper, their dice. There is always at least one person that has a vulgar amount of dice, and it earns a comment every time. Eventually, the GM announces it's time to begin.
It is so much more intimate to have a bunch of friends sitting around the table. In addition to casual conversation, you have the advantage of being able to pick up body language. Their has never been an emoticon created that comes close to face to face communication.
Expressing emotions is contagious. When something funny happens, you laugh together. If one person gets nervous about something (in a horror game especially), it catches on. Tone of voice, body language. Some people take on subtle mannerisms and facial expressions of their characters. I've never been overly attracted to actually standing up and acting things out; this is meant to exercise descriptive ability and imagination.
Some people use roleplaying games as simple fighting games. Those people often get bored and turn to computer games, and I can't blame them. I think the strength of the PnP games lies in using your imagination, helping create a memorable story, and most importantly the camaraderie.
It's gets harder and harder to find this sacred time together in this world of shift work and busy lives. As you get older, it becomes more difficult. The computer is a fine alternative if the first fails, but I don't think it will ever capture the same spirit and the pen and paper roleplaying games have.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Holly Knight [/i]
[B]...It's gets harder and harder to find this sacred time together in this world of shift work and busy lives. As you get older, it becomes more difficult. The computer is a fine alternative if the first fails, but I don't think it will ever capture the same spirit and the pen and paper roleplaying games have. [/B][/QUOTE]
Very well put. Of all the social gatherings, games, meals & video nights where my friends get together the one that generates the most laughter, discussion and general interaction are the rpg games nights.
If there is interest, I could run a little session or training session, or even answer questions and talk about RPGing in general... we'd all have to agree to meet in a chat room using one of the messengers... ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, AIM, etc.
And yes Holly Knight, there is nothing like a well played RPG...and even poorly played ones often result in a great deal of fun :) I ran a D&D campaign through college, switching to 3rd edition when it came out, and we had a blast. Been roleplaying pretty much constantly in one way or another for 10 years now, and I am >deffinitely< the guy with the obscene ammount of dice. Then again, this is probably because I have a way of getting stuck with newbies, so I make sure I have supplies for all of 'em ;)
So... if anyone is interested, I'd really like for this RPG to be a success since I'm a huge B5 fan and I'm getting real fed up seeing B5 products fail. So if anyone wants to try this out, let me know. All I ask is that you try and pick up a copy of the book and that if you like what you see and how it works, you do your best to spread it elsewhere. Actualy, even if you don't like the game it sounds like it'll be a beautifuly made B5 collectible, so it might even be worth it just from that.
We can get started long before the book comes out, too. If you have any questions about RPGs, what you need, how to get started, or even if you already have a character concept in mind and want to talk about him/her, let me know. Also, if anyone can suggest a good freeware dice generator, please do :) I have AIM, ICQ, MSN messenger and Yahoo messenger accounts, so either put up your contact info here or e-mail me at [email]wolfmage75@yahoo.com[/email].
Comments
[B]But something is better than nothing, thats for damn sure. :) [/B][/QUOTE]
Not nesicarily. For people to waste their time making RPGs when they could be coding B5 Flight Sims is worse then nothing. It's baaaad. :P
And frankly Id rather have something else even before "ITF"
What babylon 5 cries out for is a game like "Great Naval Battles" or "Fighting Steel" but only in space damnit, maybe a sim like Bridge Commander, which wasnt bad. A game with ship and task group command would kick ass.
Lets face it, in the battles of Babylon 5 the instriment of decision always a cap ship (babylon 5 herself versus the Centari Primus counts), and I want to command that ;)
I need bigger guns ;)
[B]Ah, but you see, only hardcore military gaming people actually buy those type of games, which makes the profit potential somewhat less than encouraging. [/B][/QUOTE]
Yes, good taste is incredibly rare isnt it? ;)
I'm not really familiar with these types of games. What would it actually look like to play?
[B]But something is better than nothing, thats for damn sure. :) [/B][/QUOTE]
*cough* Farscape the game *cough*
P.S. On another note, anyone remember Paraworlds, the B5 turn based/stratagy game. That looked damn cool (until the devs had to postpone the project)...
[B]Worf... I think it may well be that secret project I mentioned a while back. I've fired off my email now to get confirmation. Hopefully will have some news maybe tomorrow.
I'm not really familiar with these types of games. What would it actually look like to play? [/B][/QUOTE]
They dont really look like anything...you buy a copy of the rule book, some dice, pens and paper.
Then you have to make character sheets for each player, so they can keep track of their character's stats.
Except for one player who is the DM/GM (Dungeon/Game Master, depending on the game's setting), this person runs the game, they say where the players are, what they are up against and have to react to the player's choices.
Thats the basics of it really.
Worf
Anyway, I'm being drawn back to all things B5 thanks to this RPG. I ran a GREAT B5 campaign a while back using the old Babylon Project rules, but I was never quite happy with the system. I am, on the other hand, a huge fan of the d20 system when used properly. The Star Wars RPG, for example, really captures the feel of SW (at least on the ground) whike still being d20. I think a sufficiently reworked version could work well for B5 (certainly better than the old rules).
I also think its a good sign that moongose has addressed the fact that they intend to keep this RPG running for a while, unlike BP that faded away after a couple of releases.
Anyone who thinks B5 wouldn't make a good RPG is justy plain nuts. I'd be hard pressed to imagine a universe with more potential than B5.
BTW, some people seem to be confusing a Pencil and Paper RPG with a CRPG (Computer RPG) which this is not. This is NOT a video game, nor is it a tabletop/strategy game. Call it "interactive storytelling", if you will, and if you can find a good Game Master to run it, you'll have a blast.
RTS = complex strategy
Fighter = Button mashing
In other words, consoles are for mindless fools :D
The only good games on consoles ever are Metal Gear Solid 2 and Vice City. VC is [I]fun[/I] button mashing, and MGS2 actually requires strategy.
I'm new here, so I wanted to comment on a few different things people have said.
Percentile Roleplaying Systems - I agree, they're great. Not as realistic as other systems, but they allow people new to roleplaying to jump right in without having to learn a whole system.
D20 - gaming has been declining as computers become more easily accessible. The Universal applications of the D20 system is our last, best hope...
Warner Licensing - Here's to hoping it means something new will come.
Space Sim/3D shooter - 12 months after it comes out it will be obsolete and played infrequently; a PnP RPG has re-playability and never becomes obsolete
How to play a PnP RPG... that's a whole other post... :D
5 years ago, while season 5 was still running, I did a B5 campaign with the old system, part of which I played over the 'net. To this day I consider it one of my best; it started about a year before The Gathering and ended after the Shadow War. I can't wait to do it again...especialy since this time I have the DVDs to look at for ideas. I think this time I'm going to try to set it on and near B5 itself... at least we'll be stopping there often, and the campaign will weave in and out of the shows story.
Holly Knight, I do have to agree... d20 gaming IS our Last, Best Hope. And properly modified it is quite suitable for sci-fi. The Star Wars RPG (revised) has a damn fine system, for one. Defense improving by level and class with armor providing damage reduction is a great idea, and the vitality point/wound point split explains wonderfuly how a gun can be lethal while at the same time Sheridan survived a couple dozen firefights with nary a scratch. Seems the new B5 RPG will be using the armor-is-damage reduction bit, but apparently characters will have >very< few hit points... looks likt it'll be plenty lethal....
I think I've gotta go back to the status of [b]Puny Mortal[/b] for this thread, though. Never really been able to get into RPGs, although this might be my chance to learn.
Never >quite< the same over the net, but it still can be fun, and its not a bad way to learn.
So, to start with, gather 3 or 4 peers - friends. Get together early in the evening, and order out for pizza or maybe BBQ some sausages and burgers. Oh yeah, don't forget the Coca-Cola. Spend some time socializing and just hanging out.
When the time is right, slowly have everyone migrate to the kitchen table. Everyone brings out their character sheets, pencils and scrap paper, their dice. There is always at least one person that has a vulgar amount of dice, and it earns a comment every time. Eventually, the GM announces it's time to begin.
It is so much more intimate to have a bunch of friends sitting around the table. In addition to casual conversation, you have the advantage of being able to pick up body language. Their has never been an emoticon created that comes close to face to face communication.
Expressing emotions is contagious. When something funny happens, you laugh together. If one person gets nervous about something (in a horror game especially), it catches on. Tone of voice, body language. Some people take on subtle mannerisms and facial expressions of their characters. I've never been overly attracted to actually standing up and acting things out; this is meant to exercise descriptive ability and imagination.
Some people use roleplaying games as simple fighting games. Those people often get bored and turn to computer games, and I can't blame them. I think the strength of the PnP games lies in using your imagination, helping create a memorable story, and most importantly the camaraderie.
It's gets harder and harder to find this sacred time together in this world of shift work and busy lives. As you get older, it becomes more difficult. The computer is a fine alternative if the first fails, but I don't think it will ever capture the same spirit and the pen and paper roleplaying games have.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Holly Knight [/i]
[B]...It's gets harder and harder to find this sacred time together in this world of shift work and busy lives. As you get older, it becomes more difficult. The computer is a fine alternative if the first fails, but I don't think it will ever capture the same spirit and the pen and paper roleplaying games have. [/B][/QUOTE]
Very well put. Of all the social gatherings, games, meals & video nights where my friends get together the one that generates the most laughter, discussion and general interaction are the rpg games nights.
If there is interest, I could run a little session or training session, or even answer questions and talk about RPGing in general... we'd all have to agree to meet in a chat room using one of the messengers... ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, AIM, etc.
And yes Holly Knight, there is nothing like a well played RPG...and even poorly played ones often result in a great deal of fun :) I ran a D&D campaign through college, switching to 3rd edition when it came out, and we had a blast. Been roleplaying pretty much constantly in one way or another for 10 years now, and I am >deffinitely< the guy with the obscene ammount of dice. Then again, this is probably because I have a way of getting stuck with newbies, so I make sure I have supplies for all of 'em ;)
So... if anyone is interested, I'd really like for this RPG to be a success since I'm a huge B5 fan and I'm getting real fed up seeing B5 products fail. So if anyone wants to try this out, let me know. All I ask is that you try and pick up a copy of the book and that if you like what you see and how it works, you do your best to spread it elsewhere. Actualy, even if you don't like the game it sounds like it'll be a beautifuly made B5 collectible, so it might even be worth it just from that.
We can get started long before the book comes out, too. If you have any questions about RPGs, what you need, how to get started, or even if you already have a character concept in mind and want to talk about him/her, let me know. Also, if anyone can suggest a good freeware dice generator, please do :) I have AIM, ICQ, MSN messenger and Yahoo messenger accounts, so either put up your contact info here or e-mail me at [email]wolfmage75@yahoo.com[/email].