Re: Background Irrelevancy--and Poll (was Re: AIs and such...)

Allan wrote:

> So, here's a quick poll:
> 
> 1) Do you REALLY care about the FT background? Are you really
interested in
> what happens to the ESU, NAC, etc. or is it just an excuse for a
battle and
> nothing more? 

I don't really care, no - I read is as fiction, but I don't use it in
the 
games.

> 2) Did you read the FT background stuff or did you ignore it? 

I read it, and then I ignored it :)
 
> 3) Do you use another background for your games (like Star Trek, Star
Wars,
> B5, homegrown)? 

My ships are painted and divided into rather arbitrary fleets, most 
of which are named after various empires in a long-ceased Starfire 
campaign; but the battles I fight are generally stand-alone.

Of course, once I get the B5 models I'll use that background too :)

> 4) Would you like to see the FT background enhanced, with a more
detailed
> timeline, in future supplements? If so, how many pages out of a
typical
> sized rulebook would you be willing to give up to the background?

If the background is in a non-rules supplement, it's OK - for example,
if 
the Book of Fleets is published, it'd make good sense to include 
background sections on the different major powers.

> 5) Would you like to see some FT fiction?

As long as I don't have to buy it to get the rules, yes :)

> 6) How "accurate" a background do you want? "I want a hard science
> background taking into effect things like AI development, genetic
> engineering, relativity, etc." or ""Star Wars was accurate enough for
me."

<chuckle> An accurate background is very fine - as long as the
background 
is written to fit the games mechanics, instead of the other way round. 
When you write the rules to fit the background, you lose at least some
of 
the adaptability - not a thing I would want FT to suffer.

> 7) Regardless of number 6, do you want to see guys in fighters,
escorts and
> fleet ships? "Don't bother too much about AI, it's men versus men or
men
> versus bugs that interest me." 

Does it matter for the games-mechanics? If not, why bother? Fighters are

fighters anyway :)

> 8) "Stop with the stupid science posts, already! This is just a game!"

<shrug> I just delete the posts I'm not interested in...

Oerjan Ohlson

"Life is like a sewer.
 What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
 -Hen3ry