Sci-Fi Challenges
I have some challenges running a sci-fi game. These challenges are all me, nothing to do with the system or setting. I don’t know a lot about guns and similar weaponry. I don’t know much about ships (or vehicle in general) space exploration, or faster than light theories. These things are a large part of science fiction.
So what’s my answer? I take a lot of these things out of my sci-fi game. I limit technology, and I only need to learn about a few things every once in a while. I do that through the game Cascade Failure. Is that the right answer, to run a sci-fi game but limit all the science? Probably not.
Someone suggested to me once that I just think of my guns the same way I think of different weapons in a fantasy game. A blaster could just be a hand weapon with a short range. Each type of gun could just be a different type of hand weapon. And let the players worry about the details: damage die, range, etc. Or, give one of the players who likes this type of stuff an opportunity to shine: “Kathy, what are the differences between these two rifles?”
Any other suggestions on mastering sci-fi games?
So what’s my answer? I take a lot of these things out of my sci-fi game. I limit technology, and I only need to learn about a few things every once in a while. I do that through the game Cascade Failure. Is that the right answer, to run a sci-fi game but limit all the science? Probably not.
Someone suggested to me once that I just think of my guns the same way I think of different weapons in a fantasy game. A blaster could just be a hand weapon with a short range. Each type of gun could just be a different type of hand weapon. And let the players worry about the details: damage die, range, etc. Or, give one of the players who likes this type of stuff an opportunity to shine: “Kathy, what are the differences between these two rifles?”
Any other suggestions on mastering sci-fi games?