Playing Sci Fi with USR

Space Opera; Hard Sci Fi on my genre tree starts with Traveller. I've never played Traveller, but I have Gurps, and Hero Games sourcebooks, and would love to play some cliched sci fi tropes from "Behind the Claw"!

I would try to plunge in hoping to achieve an arena death match, star ship combat, fearsome space marine assaults, interstellar espionage, corporate sponsored wars, alien first contact, and lost civilizations. These type of grand adventures should be made available to your players  as their PC's take shape preparing for their first adventure.




2.3 Space Opera, Hard Sci Fi

2.3.1 Traveller Universe
 

Genre Tree Spandex

Space Opera, Comic Books on the Genre Tree

The four color world of Superhero comics is provided for on my Genre Tree, and I would simply loot my Champions source books, and adventure books to create the initial sandbox. I describe my initial ideas for the campaign setting here.

You do not have to restrain your branch to the Champions Universe by Hero Games. The Comic Book world has thousands of pages, and almost any subject matter is touched upon. What they all have beating within its Krypton-vulnerable heart are characters thrust into struggles with shifting moral clarity. Anxiety wrought tension wraps every action with the cost of failure high. This is usually juxtaposed with the player's incredible powers and abilities.

Comic Books came into their own as a legitimate literary genre with their incorporation of modern psychological thought. Sarte, Jung, Einstein, all their philosophical constructs come bursting forth in spectacular eruptions of power in comic books.

This branch can be as long or short as you care to make it. Here is mine;


2.2 Space Opera, Comic Books

2.2.1 Champions Universe

Space Opera and the Apocalypse

My Space Opera branch for my Genre Tree covers a wide range of science fiction, and science adventure fare. 

From zombie plagues, and star troopers to the world of four color comics, this is why I intend to use the USR system when presenting this menu of choices to players. I'll need a completely flexible game system to follow the whim of player choices.

Space Opera Genre Tree;

2.1 Post Apocalypse              2.2 Comic Books      2.3 Hard Sci Fi


Space Opera, Post Apocalypse;

Post Apocalyptic story arcs never go out of style, and once again, your sources of inspiration to be found in film alone are immense. I for one am mashing up Aos' material from his fantastic blog Metal Earth with my love of Kamandi, the last boy on Earth DC comics series. This mash up would be my Space Opera, Post Apocalypse campaign setting. Though there are significantly more world settings to be had. The popularity of The Walking Dead television series not withstanding, different "collapse" scenarios are numerous, and all have particular story needs.

 
This branch of the Genre Tree should demand more background material be forth coming from the GM for the players to orient themselves in their game world. Even if it is a narrow band of non polluted ground, the players should have a handle on how they have survived in this hostile world. What has allowed them to live while others die.

Die hard Gamma World, and Mutant Future fans will find their favorite story lines here, and should be prepared for the shocking deaths their PC's will find. This does not preclude civilizations anchored on the long dead carcass of a past world to be flourishing, but the effect of some disruption is embedded in the culture.

2.1 Space Opera, Post Apocalypse;

2.1.1 Future Shock

2.1.2 Living Dead Dominion

  

2.1.3 Highway Holocaust

 

Six Shooters, Dynamite, and Cigars part 3

Western , Historical for the Genre Tree...

There is a wealth of historical western adventures in film, radio, and television from which to draw inspiration. It is a poor GM who cannot cobble these readily available sources into encounter opportunities for your eager players.

You would be crazy to pass up Eric Hotz's "Published Wild West Wargames" page if you are a Western RPG Gamer thirsting for inspiration.

Here is a short list of additional sources if you are scrambling for ideas; 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly stands out in every way as a classic western adventure story, let alone true grit for your historical western campaign.  

I've never read any Louis L'amour, but I bet my last silver dollar there is plots to be had. 

The radio adventures of The Lone Ranger and the TV series Bonanza, and Gunsmoke can provide countless story hooks.

You will also notice I do not have any issue with utilizing an adventure for more than one location on my Genre Tree. 

I have no problem using the Cthulhu published adventure "The Spawn" as one of the Western, Horror adventure choices, as well as in this "Historical" branch of the Western genre tree. I even intend to use this same adventure as an option for the Espionage, Hard Boiled branch of the Genre Tree. This all will have the net effect of reducing prep time while trying to present this large grouping of genres and adventures to the players.

Western, Historical;
1.3.1	Cthulhu Mythos	1.3.2.1	Bank Robbers	1.3.3.1	Civil War
		1.3.2.2	Cattle Rustlers	1.3.3.2	French & Indian War
		1.3.2.3	Mysterious Stranger