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

Allan Goodall wrote:
> 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? 

Out of curiousity interest, no more.

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

Read it.

> 3) Do you use another background for your games (like Star Trek, Star
Wars,
> B5, homegrown)? 

All of the above.  (8-)

> 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?

Depends... is it a "Fleet Supplement" or is it filled with goodies?  
Personally, I'd rather see a backgorunds book filled with rule 
options to make FT fit better into various stereotypical universes.
(i.e.
an ANIME type Universe, a STAR TREK type Universe, etc.)

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

Depends on who's writing it.  Good Sci-fi is always worth reading.  (8-)

> 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."

Depends on the feel you want.  Since FT is meant to be generic, there's
only
so far you can go.

> 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." 

Depends if you can justify it in terms of the game universe i.e. the 
Bolo universe vs. Star Trek vs Foundation.  (Bolos, competent AI was 
developed.  Star Trek, they don't have the technology.	Foundation, the 
Galactic Empire had the technology, but there was some sort of societal
injunction. See Robots and Empire, Asimov, for details.)

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

But what about us math majors who need food?  (8-)

J.
-- 
     Jerry Han - jhan@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca - I disclaim
everything
 Joint Hon AM/CS, University of Waterloo: http://www.net/~jerry -
TBFTGOGGI
 "They say it's better to have loved and lost then never have loved at
all."
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