Game Pitch: Goofy Sci-Fi Adventure

The one where the PCs are in space, engaging in action-packed shenanigans.

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Deciding how the characters get around, and where they get back to, affects how the game will feel. Options nearer the top give the PCs more agency and independence, while options nearer the bottom give them richer social networks and established plot elements.

  1. A small independent ship (e.g. Firefly)
  2. A larger, powerful ship (e.g. Star Trek)
  3. A mobile base (e.g. asteroid city) or fleet of ships (e.g. Star Wars)
  4. An immobile base (e.g. Deep Space 9) where the team deploys from (e.g. via teleportation)

Influences

Some or all of the following are likely to appear:

  • 80’s-esque soundtrack, e.g. this playlist
  • Science fantasy elements (laser swords, magic or psi powers)
  • Cool ships and weird aliens
  • Evil empires and brutal warlords
  • Sneaky space rogues

Recommended viewing (or at least a visual reference):

  • “Farscape”
  • “Guardians of the Galaxy”
  • “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
  • The SW:TOR Intro Cinematic
  • “Thor: Ragnarok”
  • “Valerian”
  • “WALL-E”

Crossover Genres

Spice up your scifi by adding extra elements!

  • Fantasy (Star Wars, particularly The Clone Wars-era/TLJ Force mysticism)
  • Post-Apocalyptic (Eclipse Phase)
  • Westerns (Firefly)
  • Wuxia (Star Wars Jedi Ronin, Shirow’s Orion, Kung Fu vs. Pod People)
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Goofy scifi tropes and writing prompts.

  • Members of the party are often paired in a way that one person is the foil to another, acting as a contrast to highlight their qualities. A rogue can be paired with a law-abiding foil, or a comic character can have a straight man as their foil. Sometimes it’s hard to decide this up front, but it’s good to think about.
    • Are you someone else’s foil? What about them does do you highlight?
    • If you wanted a foil of your own, what about you would they highlight?
  • Characters and scenes are visually distinctive. What do you look like and what’s your style of dress? How else would you stand out in a crowd? Do you have distinctive features, markings, or other details?
  • Characters inhabit their universe. Here’s some suggestions on how.
    • What equipment (weapons, vehicles) have you customized, to enhance or alter its functionality? How does it work better? How does it work worse?
    • How have you personalized the space in which you live and work? Nose art on a star-fighter, a tape deck for Earth mix tapes, dice on the rear-view mirror, etc.
    • Outside of “useful” equipment, what are some everyday items, places, or activities with emotional significance to you?
  • The world itself isn’t a coldly scientific clock ticking its way through eternity; it’s a living, breathing, mysterious thing. What are some myths, legends, or wonders in the cosmos? Which of them do you wish were true? Which of them might be?
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