I'm pushing everything down lately. Down to Group Level. I'm refusing to develop a setting for StarCluster 3E, and instead giving the group tools to develop its own Cluster. Random generation is fine, but I expect some of the uses of the tables will be choosing as if from a list, whether entirely or partially. That's cool. I really don't care. StarCluster has always been fairly firm. Now it will be as firm as the group cares to keep it. If the group wants to totally ignore science, that's fine - the game supports it. If the group wants to make it harder, that's cool too - the game will support that as well, so long as you make the effort. Need an alien race? Create one! Here's a tool to do this. Want to create a planet that's a hell hole except for one place? Do that! Here are tools to define it. Here's how to make it work for you. Want transhumanism front and center? Go for it. Here's some tools.
The point is that setting need not be a case of the all-knowing designer dictating to the masses how to run their games. Not my will but thy will be done. You, the group who is going to play this game, are the only ones that matter. Luckily, I enjoy making tools, and I enjoy hearing what creative uses people put those tools to. I'm pushing it all down to you, the group, to play with however you want. Go for it!
-clash
Hi again Clash,
ReplyDeleteI think this is cool. I would just put in a plea for examples of how the system can be used to create something cool to help those of us more creatively challenged...
I suppose people can still fall back on setting supplements like Far Shore. How about an Official StarCluster supplement setting out the original Cluster in all its glory?
Cheers,
Marchand
There will be lots of examples, but I don't want anything to become canon. I will be selling setting supplements, and SC 2E will remain on free DL for the original Cluster setting.
ReplyDelete-clash
I love the idea of this but I do wonder if it makes the system a little more difficult to pick up? A GM with little time on their hands might not want to spend hours inventing clever plots and places for their players. Perhaps a default setting to show everything together might be handy?
ReplyDeleteIcar has always been heavy on setting and make that easy to pick up has been a lot of work.
Hi Rob!
ReplyDeleteI have always been worried about making too detailed a setting - even SC2E's setting is mostly stat blocks - because it encourages setting nazis like Traveller canonistas. What was once the most open and customizable of settings became the subject of feuds over minutia. I want to encourage diversity and openness of setting, and the more a setting is the property of *my* imagination, the less it is the product of *your* imagination.
What I am aiming for is easy to use tools to spur everyone's creativity. If you roll randomly on the tables, you will create a settign that has the feel of StarCluster - which is very different from the feel of Traveller, or the feel of Icar - without it being in any way canon, and with a healthy helping of your own imagination. :D
-clash
I think tools and examples are good. Show how you did it but have bits of ready made "examples" that can be drawn on..when needed.
ReplyDelete