Monday, March 15, 2010

You Guys Must Hate Me By Now...


...and if you don't you probably will soon.

B/X Star Wars is a go.

Oh, of course it probably won't be actual Star Wars, since there's no way I, a lone and very amateur game designer, can possibly put together the scratch for such a license. My game will be a 64 page space opera with very recognizable cinematic tropes (laser swords and blasters, evil empires and starships, etc..).

The groundwork has been laid. My obsessive-compulsiveness, knowing no reasonable bounds, has had me doing nothing but non-stop research since...well, pretty much for the last couple weeks. Watching and re-watching the films wasn't enough...I've picked up copies of the novels based on the movies (some used, some not), reading and re-reading...I've combed through my WEG source material and original game rules to separate what works from what doesn't, and have actually borrowed a bit from D20 Saga edition.

The thing practically writes itself.

Anyway, this one isn't nearly as ambitious as my B/X Companion...I'll be throwing it together simply, quite possibly without much art even, and making it a free download here or putting it up on Lulu (just to see how the latter works).

May the Source be with you.
; )

12 comments:

  1. Be careful ... particularly if you plan to try to make any money from this. Lucasfilm is an aggressive defender of its copyrights, and the fact that you've referenced it as being similar to Star Wars would be a red flag. Also, there's a lot of terms/ideas they've trademarked/copywritten that you might not think of ("droid" springs to mind as a big example).

    It's a *great* idea ... just be careful.

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  2. Yeah, just make it a generic space opera thing.

    Take elements from ALL the stuff you know and like. There were a bunch of SW rip-offs in the 70s and 80s for you to defile (Like Ice Pirates!)

    Read the space 1970 blog for inspiration!
    http://space1970.blogspot.com/

    Basically, make a game for space opera like D&D did for fantasy.

    There have been a few of these popping up recently, but few of them appealed to me very much...

    (I really want to like X-plorers, but...meh.)

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  3. Great idea and the right blogger for the job. I'm looking forward to your ruminations as this project evolves :)

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  4. d6 Space was an okay example of how to take Star Wars and file off those pesky serial numbers .

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  5. Hell yes, this is exactly the kind of inspired lunacy that makes me knock over my chair while yelling!

    Shine on you crazy diamond!

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  6. I am looking forward to this! May the magic be with you. (There is no good generic way to say it, is there?). :)

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  7. Yeah, what Mike said: May the binding energy of the universe be with you. Yeah, something like that.

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  8. There's not enough room in the comment box for all the "Yay" I want to post.

    Looking forward to this.

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  9. HAHAHA...you guys! I figured this post would either get the complete silent treatment or a standing ovation (and only one person voted it as "shite"...right on).

    Do you really want updates on the project as it tools along? Certainly I can do that (maybe a page here or there). But I don't think this book is going to take the same six months the last one did.

    Regarding Copyright Infringement: if ANYone knows ANYthing about looking into the RPG licensing rights for such (inter)stellar IP, please let me know. I'd be surprised if someone wasn't already trying to put together a deal to get the rights once WotC releases its claim. Friends of friends of friends? Drinking buddy/acquaintances? Tell me about 'em. I'm doing my own thang (as usual) but I don't REALLY want to step on anyone else's toes. Maybe a collaboration IS in order.

    : )

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  10. Sounds neat but why not write it as a 32-64 page supplement for X-plorers?

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  11. You can use the Jedi Knight Class I created years ago for just such a campaign.

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  12. @ Eric: I don't own X-Plorers.

    @ LW: Thanks man...it looks fairly similar to the class I've already got sketched out. Great minds think alike I guess!
    ; )

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