🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <gatemail1.0b20971917739@morticia>, Telestro ip Wandrun
<"scotty: :baileyt"@kirk.msoe.edu> wrote:
> 
> You're kidding, right?  Actually *record* Space Rangers so you can watch it 
> again and again?  :)
> 
> If you want *really* cool SF, watch Deep Space 9 or wait for Babylon 5 in late 
> February.
> 
> I suppose that Space Rangers would be the closest to Shatterzone, though...

Humm, this isn't my experience with Shatter Zone (we're playtesting it). 
My impressions is that neither of these comes close (though the comments
I've heard on Babylon 5 are promissing).  Space Rangers might be closer
though.

SZ is not like DS9 because combat may actually happen!  There's actually
adventure and excitement and unusal-ness.  There's also no benevolent
StarFleet looking over your shoulder (and patching things up for free!).

But to make the dialog as bad as Space Rangers would require a really poor
GM and players (where do the networks get the writers for these shows?!?).

Someone also said it was Space Opera, to which I must disagree.  The intent
seems to be hard-core SF.  Space Opera as a genre is closer to Fantasy than
Science Fiction.  Space Opera uses mysticism as a primary element (as in
the Force in Star Wars).  ShatterZone has nothing to support mysticism
(what you choose to hack in is your own business).  The faith skill in SZ
only lets you resist being convinced to do things anathetical to your
faith.  You don't get miricles and there's no magic.

So, if you want to know what to read/watch to get ready for SZ, try the
following: Aliens, Blade Runner, the Dorsai novels by Dickson, LeGuin's the
Left Hand of Darkness (for the Alien-ness, though anything by LeGuin is
just plain good reading!) and Gibson's cyberpunk novels (Neuromancer, Count
Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive).

My Opinion, of course.


Thanks,
Dave_Wetzel@vos.stratus.com