Space 1889

[ElliottWJames]

I see that the CotI supports discussion boards for 2300AD and Twilight 2000 - haven't play that since I was mobilized for the Gulf last time round - but there isn't a forum for Space 1889. Is this one see should petition the powers-that-be to add another board, or has interest wained?

 

[dancha]

Originally posted by Elliott James:
I see that the CotI supports discussion boards for 2300AD and Twilight 2000 - haven't play that since I was mobilized for the Gulf last time round - but there isn't a forum for Space 1889. Is this one see should petition the powers-that-be to add another board, or has interest wained?

I "second the motion" --er, I sign the petition, um, I strongly support the idea...

Go Space: 1889!

 

[Shadowdancer]

Have you seen the previews for the new Disney animated movie, "Treasure Planet." It's "Treasure Island" set in outer space, but the ship's look like sailing ships from the 1700s-1800s. When I first saw them, it made my think of "Space 1889."

 

[Uncle Bob]

Originally posted by Paraquat Johnson:
Have you seen the previews for the new Disney animated movie, "Treasure Planet." It's "Treasure Island" set in outer space, but the ship's look like sailing ships from the 1700s-1800s.

I saw the ads. It appears to do violence to both Stevenson and space opera, but that is typical of Disney.

When I first saw them, it made my think of "Space 1889."

*SHUDDER*
**RETCH**
No wonder Space1889 didn't go farther, if that was the popular opinion.

 

[siefertma2]

Originally posted by Paraquat Johnson:
Have you seen the previews for the new Disney animated movie, "Treasure Planet." It's "Treasure Island" set in outer space, but the ship's look like sailing ships from the 1700s-1800s. When I first saw them, it made my think of "Space 1889."

I've seen some the previews. The overall look of the movie reminds me of the novel "Henry Martyn" by L. Neil Smith right down to the Man O' Wars in space.

Later,
Mark A. Siefert

 

[Uncle Bob]

If FFE aquires Space 1889 it wouldn't be quite fair to bring this up, so while I can let me plug Forgotten Futures.

Same era, a little different approach. A ton of good resource material, and all free.

http://www.ffutures.demon.co.uk/ff.htm

 

[manley_t]

Yes, I shall slap my big hand onto Unble Bob and endorse his Forgotten Future statement -- if you're into the style of gaming that Space 1889 attempted to capture then you'll love Forgotten Futures. It's not just one campaign world; and though it does have a 'system' it's rather amorphous.

Over time I think I've problaby d/l most everything I could find for Fogotten Futures.

Never having owned Space 1889 (did the old dos game on a 386 years go -- but it sucked) I'm not sure how the game system worked (though hear'tell it sucked harder'n a....well you get the picture).

But, when the D20 system hit the shelves I started working on a FFE/Space 1889 style D20 game -- basically following the old Verne style of science fiction, extrapolating for what they thought their end of the century would be like.

Haven't gotten that far in it beyond the history and some basic rules-sets. But, T20 wasn't out then

I think it would be QUITE easy to create a T20 hybrid and in fact am kicking myself for not having thought of it until hearing mention here.

 

[Solo]

Actually, I think that Castle Falkenstein does this whole genre with a bit of style and a really good system.

Take a look:

http://www.talsorian.com/cfindex.shtml

-S.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Forgotten Futures, like Space 1889 avoids the "modern" (or so it seems to me) fantasy of Castle Falkenstein. One of its strengths are the detailed worldbooks packaged with the Victorian and Edwardian novels those worlds came from.

It is rather like the difference between Richard Lester's Three Musketeers and Disney. The latter is colorful and approachable, but the former has real depth and understanding of the melieu.

And I concur that the FF system is very free-form, perhaps too free. OTOH the more I hear about D20 the more it sounds like it was written by Government Lawyers.

 

[Elliot]

Space 1889 was/is Frank Chadwick's baby and therefore the copyright went with him. As far as I am aware it is still in print by company sounding like Helios or Helix (which I assume is a FC company). It was certainly on sale in Orc's Nest in London last time I looked.

As one of the few people that bought and played Space 1889 for more than a year I thought it was quite good, the system played well and that (surprisingly for GDW) it was fairly glitch free. I do remember that as a niche game it was too expensive for many players.

 

[ElliottWJames]

Hey Elliot good to see the Orks Nest is still going strong that's a story I haven't visited in years.

I know it's more a skirmish type game than a true RPG, but I must recommend "Gaslight" for a fun combat oriented game. A freind of mine was working on trying to do up a set of d20 house rules to try to create a Victorian/Steampunk type game.

Elliott

 

[Uncle Bob]

Originally posted by Elliot:
Space 1889 was/is Frank Chadwick's baby and therefore the copyright went with him. As far as I am aware it is still in print by company sounding like Helios or Helix (which I assume is a FC company). It was certainly on sale in Orc's Nest in London last time I looked.

http://www.heliograph.com/
Tw2000 and T2300 were Chadwick's too.

 

[Commonman]

Helograph has re-published the space 1889 stuff and has done a good job of it. The unfortunate thing about Space 1889 is that you have to have a group with the proper mind set to play and IMHO most groups would have a hard time with the setting. I played it at a local gaming club back when it first came out, the club was made up of mostlyolder historical gamers so they understood how the victorian era worked and that added alot to the game.