Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
There's (at least) one Gavin in every group...
"Travellers" in first Firefly episode
- Thread starter Jeffr0
- Start date
There's (at least) one Gavin in every group...
Border Reiver
SOC-14 1K
Andrew Boulton said;
so true, there were at least 6 in my regular group of 6. My favourite Gav player moment was Private Benny Schultz (ex marine codo, 4 terms and no promotions) who insisted on wearing a tailored greatcoat to hide his permanently worn battledress (??!!) while at the local hostelries, a fashion that had to be nipped in the bud quick as others thought it was a neat idea.
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Yup, my two did that as well!
Our "Gavin" was always played by this guy called Pete. And his character was always called Pete.
He used to mine his hotel rooms with claymores and wonder why the maids set them off...
Every adventure there'd be a section of screaming and running, followed by "Let's get Pete out of jail".
He used to mine his hotel rooms with claymores and wonder why the maids set them off...
Every adventure there'd be a section of screaming and running, followed by "Let's get Pete out of jail".
Another possible Traveller-Firefly coincidence/reference: The Traveller: TNE novel, The Death of Wisdom, happens to mention a river named the "River Tam," which is also River of Firefly's full name. I tend to lean toward coincidence, since that connection is just a little bit too obscure to be something that would be conciously done.
First of all I want to tell you all that I am a hugh fan of Firefly and Serenity, as well as Traveller. I agree that their are alot of similiarties between the two yet it is impossible to say if Joss was influenced by our beloved game. While Firefly is a great space adventure full of travellers it is not one of a kind. If you exaimine any sci fi series close enough you can find similarities. It is impossible to say either way. I can say that their is no need for a Firefly RPG as it is easily converted into a Traveller format. I wouldn't be suprised if someone has or is working on the design schematics for the ships used in Firefly and using them in a Traveller campaign. Just my two cents...
I agree with you Ender, there is no real reason for a Serenity game but there already is one. Check out http://www.drivethrurpg.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2962
Also if you download Stellar Reaches Fanzine 2, have a look at the picture on page 13. There's a ship taking off or landing that looks suspiciously like a Firefly Class.
Also if you download Stellar Reaches Fanzine 2, have a look at the picture on page 13. There's a ship taking off or landing that looks suspiciously like a Firefly Class.
The scope of Traveller AS PRESENTED ON THE BOOKS AND BOXES is of merchant-adventurers. The big red book, The Traveller Adventure, is prototypical traveller.
Firefly, at the very least, is parallelism. At its worst, it's a blatant ATU. Truth is probably somewhere in between the two.
The Serentiy RPG DOES have a place. Its place is not the same as CT, not T20... it's almost a side branch. It's a much more narrativist ruleset, and it clearly aims to do things in a way that still feels much the same as CT, and yet feels distinctly different in specific ways, to make it feel more like the show.
There is even cross-pollination in the talent pool; our own Chris Thrash (Thrash) is behind some/much of the ship rules for it.
It fillls a slightly different niche; many fans would like to have seen a Traveller variant, sure. Wheedon went with a very different ruleset, and that ruleset has good and bad elements which differe from CT, MT, TNE, T4, GT, T20, and 2300...
so steal shamelessly. Have fun with it. And remember: No J-Drives in the 'verse!
Firefly, at the very least, is parallelism. At its worst, it's a blatant ATU. Truth is probably somewhere in between the two.
The Serentiy RPG DOES have a place. Its place is not the same as CT, not T20... it's almost a side branch. It's a much more narrativist ruleset, and it clearly aims to do things in a way that still feels much the same as CT, and yet feels distinctly different in specific ways, to make it feel more like the show.
There is even cross-pollination in the talent pool; our own Chris Thrash (Thrash) is behind some/much of the ship rules for it.
It fillls a slightly different niche; many fans would like to have seen a Traveller variant, sure. Wheedon went with a very different ruleset, and that ruleset has good and bad elements which differe from CT, MT, TNE, T4, GT, T20, and 2300...
so steal shamelessly. Have fun with it. And remember: No J-Drives in the 'verse!
Hey...
Today's illuminator regurgitates this thread!
http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?y=2005&m=November&d=14
Good to know SJG approves.
Today's illuminator regurgitates this thread!
http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?y=2005&m=November&d=14
Good to know SJG approves.
I think similarity may be more one of basic agreement between the two creators than Firefly being derivative of Traveller. It seems to me that both Mrac and Joss have the same basic view of the future. Technology may change the way we interact with nature, but it will not change human nature and the way we interact with each other.
Hmm, I wonder about that one. Both Marc & Joss are offering pretty despotic futures...
True, freedom and free will does exist in the form of liberty but of the other attributes that makes freedom concrete? Sometimes, I wonder if their attitude is not a set of values was born in the 1970s with the crises that wracked the United States that forms their worldview. Not neccessarily that human nature is constant but in flux.
Sure, technology does not impact upon human nature but it can sometimes constrain it.
Avery really ought to get back on these boards...rather then us trying to figure him out as there is only one person who knows Marc and that's Marc and maybe Darlene.
True, freedom and free will does exist in the form of liberty but of the other attributes that makes freedom concrete? Sometimes, I wonder if their attitude is not a set of values was born in the 1970s with the crises that wracked the United States that forms their worldview. Not neccessarily that human nature is constant but in flux.
Sure, technology does not impact upon human nature but it can sometimes constrain it.
Avery really ought to get back on these boards...rather then us trying to figure him out as there is only one person who knows Marc and that's Marc and maybe Darlene.
It isn't a bad continuing model.
The permanent conflict between the rich and the poor (Marxist ideology) or the "system" and the freedom lovers, which generally equates to the same thing.
Those in favor of big government against those who favor small government, and so on.
It is hard to find a time in history where this has not been true.
Sometimes one group wins, there is chaos, and this pseudo-order takes place again. The winning side often swaps sides at this point.
The permanent conflict between the rich and the poor (Marxist ideology) or the "system" and the freedom lovers, which generally equates to the same thing.
Those in favor of big government against those who favor small government, and so on.
It is hard to find a time in history where this has not been true.
Sometimes one group wins, there is chaos, and this pseudo-order takes place again. The winning side often swaps sides at this point.
Agent Brown
SOC-1
Can't back this up, but I remember reading that Joss Whedon was a Traveller player while at college. No corroboration unfortunately.
Still, it would make sense. He couldn't rip off the Trav universe wholesale (I'm assuming too many copyright issues) but the show and movie 'feel' like Traveller. Could just be wishful thinking on my part, though.
Still, it would make sense. He couldn't rip off the Trav universe wholesale (I'm assuming too many copyright issues) but the show and movie 'feel' like Traveller. Could just be wishful thinking on my part, though.
Great minds do think alike.
Also less great minds. I've had many good ideas for short sf tales in my time, but never been bothered to put them down. Then I'd find a sf book or comic that used the same idea, at about the same time. Not plagiarism, or psychic theft, just synchronicity of ideas, or the memes floating around in the collective imagination. And cool, as I get to see my own idea in print, and most of the time much better written than I could ever hope to do.
A free trader show has always been a good idea. Only the studios always want a trek-alike. Anyone remember 'Tales of the Golden Monkey'? I think that's an ideal concept for a sci-fi update. A bush pilot type hero in a frontier seting, more or less based at a rundown space station. A mix of Firefly style capers and station set, B5/DS9 style ensemble show.
Also less great minds. I've had many good ideas for short sf tales in my time, but never been bothered to put them down. Then I'd find a sf book or comic that used the same idea, at about the same time. Not plagiarism, or psychic theft, just synchronicity of ideas, or the memes floating around in the collective imagination. And cool, as I get to see my own idea in print, and most of the time much better written than I could ever hope to do.
A free trader show has always been a good idea. Only the studios always want a trek-alike. Anyone remember 'Tales of the Golden Monkey'? I think that's an ideal concept for a sci-fi update. A bush pilot type hero in a frontier seting, more or less based at a rundown space station. A mix of Firefly style capers and station set, B5/DS9 style ensemble show.
A post from your Dreaded Thread Necromancer.
Really, peeps, I don't remember the episode title, but the episode where the Preacher gets shot and they have to give up to the Alliance Cruiser and then when they get hooked up (and dwarfed) and while the Alliance Navy Boarding Party like gets all sorts of hustle and bustle to get the Crew cleared and the Preacher to the Med Bay...right after they looked at the Preacher's ID..he's INI.
Trust me, I am running that one right now.
I mean Serenity out right and said, well in Spook Speak, that he was an Operative himself once...like you ever get out of the Spook Center, they always have your name on some sort of list. Never know when you need some skilled Travellers to do something deniable. 
Oh, and I love, and I mean love, like I love the Imperium, the fact that they never did the cheesy sound effects in space. ('sides save a bundle on not building quantum whoosh and zap generators, whow do those cost!)
Really, peeps, I don't remember the episode title, but the episode where the Preacher gets shot and they have to give up to the Alliance Cruiser and then when they get hooked up (and dwarfed) and while the Alliance Navy Boarding Party like gets all sorts of hustle and bustle to get the Crew cleared and the Preacher to the Med Bay...right after they looked at the Preacher's ID..he's INI.
Trust me, I am running that one right now.
I mean Serenity out right and said, well in Spook Speak, that he was an Operative himself once...like you ever get out of the Spook Center, they always have your name on some sort of list. Never know when you need some skilled Travellers to do something deniable. Oh, and I love, and I mean love, like I love the Imperium, the fact that they never did the cheesy sound effects in space. ('sides save a bundle on not building quantum whoosh and zap generators, whow do those cost!
)
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BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
For those interested in doing so, Margaret Weis has a Q&A thread on the "old-school D&D/AD&D" site Dragonsfoot.
If anyone wants to follow this thought through.
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=28816
