Suggestion: a new FTL setting, Gateway
Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:37 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_%28novel%29
Just like D&D, FTL could support multiple settings while retaining the same basic ruleset. Here is a novel whose setting is very game-like, and was indeed made into a text adventure in the early 90s: Gateway, by Frederik Pohl.
Let me describe what the setting is about, rather than spoilering the plot itself. In the future, Earth is impoverished and overpopulated: when deserted alien ruins are discovered, with abandoned alien vessels no less, an entire class of venture entrepreneurs comes into existance to win all, risking all.
See, this is the gaming aspect of the story. On the Gateway asteroid, home to a thousand alien vessels, everyone is trained into becoming a pilot for them with the full knowledge of what we know about them: which is, nothing. Every test pilot ventures blindly to an unknown destination, using incomprehensible flight controls, dealing with crew problems and emergencies of all kinds. Two in three ships that depart frmo Gateway, are never heard of again.
Think of it as russian roulette in space, or well, a random FTL jump into danger. I believe that FTL could very well be tweaked to support such a setting: as you invest point in a ship system, you are actually researching the alien technology (useful to pass challenges); the overall stated goal of the entire trip, would be to bring back artefacts and knowledge back to Earth and become rich (but it's a slow process).
The major difference with what FTL does, is that the risk involved here would be much greater and some managerial aspects would be required for a better feeling of the stakes involved. In FTL, you can take as many as a hundred jumps to make it to the end. 10 jumps in Gateway would be an incredible achievement, and most people would be either dead or retiring in riches by 5.
Just like D&D, FTL could support multiple settings while retaining the same basic ruleset. Here is a novel whose setting is very game-like, and was indeed made into a text adventure in the early 90s: Gateway, by Frederik Pohl.
Let me describe what the setting is about, rather than spoilering the plot itself. In the future, Earth is impoverished and overpopulated: when deserted alien ruins are discovered, with abandoned alien vessels no less, an entire class of venture entrepreneurs comes into existance to win all, risking all.
See, this is the gaming aspect of the story. On the Gateway asteroid, home to a thousand alien vessels, everyone is trained into becoming a pilot for them with the full knowledge of what we know about them: which is, nothing. Every test pilot ventures blindly to an unknown destination, using incomprehensible flight controls, dealing with crew problems and emergencies of all kinds. Two in three ships that depart frmo Gateway, are never heard of again.
Think of it as russian roulette in space, or well, a random FTL jump into danger. I believe that FTL could very well be tweaked to support such a setting: as you invest point in a ship system, you are actually researching the alien technology (useful to pass challenges); the overall stated goal of the entire trip, would be to bring back artefacts and knowledge back to Earth and become rich (but it's a slow process).
The major difference with what FTL does, is that the risk involved here would be much greater and some managerial aspects would be required for a better feeling of the stakes involved. In FTL, you can take as many as a hundred jumps to make it to the end. 10 jumps in Gateway would be an incredible achievement, and most people would be either dead or retiring in riches by 5.