Author: Rick Heney (---.rr.com)
Date: 09-04-2001 09:41
It seems that every genre of game has its associated setting. Fantasy has the medieval setting, where the land of the known world is ruled by a multitude of kings, barons, dukes, etc. Basically, 16th century Europe (or some reasonable facsimile thereof). While modern games, ala Cyberpunk, seem to have settings where corporations run everything and espionage and "black ops" rule the day. SF always seems to have an "empire" running things, oppressing people, or some such tomfoolery. Is it possible to cross these genre stereotypes?
For example, can you have an SF game that has no empires? Or rather, has no major omnious type of empire? Say, galaxy, or solar system, or universe (whatever) is divided up like a fantasy game, that is, into various kingdoms, duchies, baronies, etc. (of course on a slightly larger scale, where say a single "kingdom" might encompas several star systems). Or is it possible to have a setting where corporations and government are closely related (sort of like military contractors and the government in the United States), but with a more sinister twist? Like, perhaps the corporations are all vying for control of the government, and the government is under a lot of pressure from a lot of people, but is still trying to do the right thing.
Anyone ever tried anything like this? I've seen games that had a single major oppressive empire (Star Wars), and games that had a small number of huge empires all vying for control of the galactic region (BattleTech had 5 empires called "Houses.") And I have recently seen an independant game that featured a major good empire, an almost as large "independant" empire, and then a very small empire located smack in the middle that professed to be what amounted to the Switzerland of the game. Other than these very basic variations on the grand empire scheme, I've never really seen anything else.
What about a SF setting that functions without an ever-present "enemy" or bug-eyed-monster always hiding just around the corner, or just at the edge of the periphery, etc.? SF settings always seem to feature this. But, Fantasy settings can get by just fine without a "major" enemy for everyone to rally against. Why is it that this works for fantast, but not science fiction? I'm thinking maybe it's because fantasy has a geometrically greater number of "monsters." Thus, there are a lot more "things" for heros to fight and there is no need for a single "default" enemy that the DM can throw into the fray when he needs an impotus for adventure. Science fiction games just don't seem to have the raw number of creatures as fantasy. I think this may have a lot to do with it.
So, what do you all think? Comments?
Rick.
http://home.hot.rr.com/frontierhorizons
A revolutionary science fiction game without much setting, yet...
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