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"Travellers" in first Firefly episode

J

Jeffr0

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Did anybody else notice that the pilot conspicuously referred to the crew as "Travellers" at one point?

Was this a coincidence or an acknowledgement of everyone's favorite sci-fi rpg?

I also liked this show's version of the Forboldn project. Pretty gruesome.


(I just started watching these and I'm blown away.)

Another bit: the toilet paper scene. Ha! I took that as a dig at Star Trek where there are no bathrooms in the future.


That one scene where Mal, the doctor, the shepherd, and the Fed had it out was so well done. I was sure the doctor was the bad guy... then Mal's like... "Oh yeah... uh... is there a reward?" So funny! Just classic....

I also like the choice of having a 'real' religion in the future. I didn't think it would work in a Traveller type setting, but Firefly has convinced me it can work.

The Western style music is so funny, too. So appropriate.

I can't believe how good this show is.
 
Originally posted by Jeffr0:
Did anybody else notice that the pilot conspicuously referred to the crew as "Travellers" at one point?
Click to expand...
Yes, and lots of people noticed that it was spelled with two "l"s as well.
Me, I am skeptical. The spelling "Traveller", though not the proper AE spelling, is very common today without reference to our beloved SFRPG. It may be a coincidence.
Maybe someone should just ask Joss Whedon.


Regards,

Tobias
 
Originally posted by Tobias:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Jeffr0:
Did anybody else notice that the pilot conspicuously referred to the crew as "Travellers" at one point?
Click to expand...
Yes, and lots of people noticed that it was spelled with two "l"s as well.
Me, I am skeptical. The spelling "Traveller", though not the proper AE spelling, is very common today without reference to our beloved SFRPG. It may be a coincidence.
Maybe someone should just ask Joss Whedon.


Regards,

Tobias </font>[/QUOTE]That the term "travellers" in reference to crew is used again in the next 6 episodes tends to reinforce it.

That the discussion between Mal and the Doc goes something along the lines of:
"Why'd you come back for us?"
"You're part of my crew."
"No, seriously, why? You could have just left us."
"You're part of my crew. I can't believe we're having this discussion. You're a part of my crew."

This conversation mirrors ones held between PC's in my own campaigns.

That it is clear the Doc is a PC, and the series laid out just like a traveller campaign... the lack of hyperspace drives of any sort is interesting...
 
Do mine ears decieve me? WAY TO GO FOX??? Fox, as a company, killed this series. Joss Whedon came up with an absolutely brilliant story arc, and Fox didn't like it, and never even gave it a chance. Just cause they happen to own it...

Sorry, just had to blow up at that one. I'm done.
 
The term "Travellers" was used again in episode 3.

Zoe uses it as a generic term for anyone engaging in interplanetary travel when she described the super-cheap one-way vessel the Reavers had hit.
 
Numerous people have attempted to query Joss Whedon and others involved in Firefly/Serenity, but to my knowledge the questions have never been answered.

Mr. Whedon has stated on a number of occasions that one of the key inspriations for the 'Verse was "The Killer Angels", Michael Shaara's book about the battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. But that's the only singular reference I've been able to track down.

But hey, if it walks like a duck... ;)

And IMHO the Fox executives are bound for the "special hell".
file_23.gif


- John
 
Well, it is a well-known fact that Joss is a big fan of popular culture and that D&D has a respectable subculture in Hollywood. Given those two things, why wouldn't the second best known RPG of the 1980s be played by a young Wheldon.

The second piece of evidence could be the fact that he did licence a RPG after the series that he created. But, why not approach the good offices of QLI?

However, like all urban rumours tracking down the truth will depend upon us harrying and scrutinizing further movies and scripts. Just as many people who see the mature Traveller are reminded of Star Wars, one feed the other and in turn created the dual mythology of milieus.

So let it be with Firefly recruit those Browncoats not already converted into Traveller and allow those Browncoats to feed our heretics. Only hope that the good people that make this beloved game of ours do watch Firefly** and give us what we crave.

**I am pretty sure that Hunter did. But not sure about MJD & MWM. Those individuals seem to be inspired by other things which enriches the whole.
 
Yes. The Brown Coats seemed to me to be based on the Grey Coats from the first that I saw them.

I loved the conversation between Mal and the Alliance officer in episode 3. The bit about the losing side not being the wrong side was classic.

Come to think of it, Mal kept saying that "Angels" were coming during the intro to the first episode.
 
I guess that it's difficult to admit in public that you're influenced by someone else's published intellectual property. So a few deniable hints and nods might be all we can expect.
 
The more I watch Firefly, and the more I read about Joss and all of his projects past, present, and future, the more I come to the conclusion that there are no coincidences involved in one of his projects.
 
Originally posted by kafka47:
The second piece of evidence could be the fact that he did licence a RPG after the series that he created. But, why not approach the good offices of QLI?
Click to expand...
He didn't approach anyone about licensing a game. The company that released the Serenity RPG -- co-owned by Margaret Weis -- approached him about licensing a game when the film was being shot because the owners were big fans of the series.
 
Oh well, there goes that idea.

Just maybe he still is at least having some familarilty with RPGs. When I was trying to get the answer whether he played Traveller and whether he would get inspired by Traveller. He replied, send me a copy and provide the address for Mutant Enemy Productions.

Weis and Co. are definitely familar with Traveller which must been hard to resist making a Traveller clone. I wonder if we asked Weis how much Traveller impacted their design and whether they discussed that with Joss might be the way to finally resolve this thing.
 
Wether Joss Whedon once played Traveller or not, I personally don't believe that Firefly has anything to do with Traveller what-so-ever, beyond some vague, coincidental similarities.

I was, however interested to note that one of the planets in the Serenity RPG is called, 'Regina'...

Crow
 
IMO the PCs are Mal, Zoe and Jayne ... the rest are NPCs, except possibly the doctor.

River - MUST be an NPC, too crucial to plot hooks.
Kaylee - very handy to have on the ship, but usually left behind during adventures.
Shepherd Book - are you kidding?
Companion Inara - could be PC, but is absent too often, and again is the source of too many plot hooks.
Wash - could be a PC, but like Kaylee stays out of miost adventures and is mainly a foil for Mal and love interest for Zoe.
 
I'd say Mal, Zoe, Jayne and Wash are PC's (though you could argue that Wash is Zoe's follower if we put a D&D spin on it).

Doc is "The" Patron and River is his McGuffin.

Shepard is a passenger, a Traveller.

Inara is a minor patron.

Kaylee is hired crew. Maybe working passage.

For what my opinion is worth


OH, btw, I don't think Joss Whedon ever played Traveller and like Crow even if he did Firefly is a totally different 'verse :D
 
Inara, Kaylee, and Wash could all easily be PCs.
Inara: A player who doesn't show up reliably, and doesn't participate a lot when there (Maybe a regular players sig. other?)
Kaylee: exactly the type of character my own girlfriend might play. Useful on the ship, you want her around, but she just isn't interested in the gunfights and such. Just wants to participate and feel useful.

Wash: I always have at least one player who wants to play the ace pilot type, and given how Traveller is set up, it's easy to have somebody who's something of a fraidy-cat and still really really good at something else... I like it that way.
 
Dear Folks -

Originally posted by kafka47:
Weis and Co. are definitely familar with Traveller...
Click to expand...
Don Perrin (i.e. T4) is married to Margaret Weis.

Fortunately, from what I've read in reviews, the Serenity RPG is NOT a Traveller knock-off.

I do like Serenity's idea of ship-as-a-PC, tho'. ;)
 
Doc is also a PC, who happens also to be a part-time patron.

Buffy and Angel also parallel RPG groups.

Doubt its coincidence that all three parallel the format.

Further, Wheedon has licensed Buffy as well for a game.

Neither of them feel D20ish... <g>
 
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