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CW: Going off about two licensed PS2 beat-em-ups I've played recently
I played a little of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes on the PS2 yesterday. I was impressed by how hard it was trying for a 2009 PS2 game, in a lot of ways. It had surprisingly sophisticatedly animated in-engine cutscenes, which looked like they had a lot of involvement from the crew of the TV show. When you hit a droid with your lightsaber it chops in half and the pieces tumble to the ground with physics. The environments were impressive and detailed. It played in widescreen. In all aspects but the output resolution, it could probably pass for a PS3 game.
It also slogged under the weight of it all and wasn't super fun to play.
By contrast, I've also been playing Spider-Man: Friend or Foe on the PS2, another post-PS3 tie-in game that only made it to the PS2 cuz they could easily make that version at the same time as a Wii and PSP version, and it holds up great. No widescreen, cartoony artstyle, some minimalist cutscenes, fairly bare-bones samey environments, so it's not as impressive or next-gen feeling as Republic Heroes. But it runs completely smooth by comparison, and the combat is much more nuanced and fun. It's got that Next Level Games sauce, so it just feels so deliberate and well-judged.
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CW: Going off about two licensed PS2 beat-em-ups I've played recently
I played a little of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes on the PS2 yesterday. I was impressed by how hard it was trying for a 2009 PS2 game, in a lot of ways. It had surprisingly sophisticatedly animated in-engine cutscenes, which looked like they had a lot of involvement from the crew of the TV show. When you hit a droid with your lightsaber it chops in half and the pieces tumble to the ground with physics. The environments were impressive and detailed. It played in widescreen. In all aspects but the output resolution, it could probably pass for a PS3 game.
It also slogged under the weight of it all and wasn't super fun to play.
By contrast, I've also been playing Spider-Man: Friend or Foe on the PS2, another post-PS3 tie-in game that only made it to the PS2 cuz they could easily make that version at the same time as a Wii and PSP version, and it holds up great. No widescreen, cartoony artstyle, some minimalist cutscenes, fairly bare-bones samey environments, so it's not as impressive or next-gen feeling as Republic Heroes. But it runs completely smooth by comparison, and the combat is much more nuanced and fun. It's got that Next Level Games sauce, so it just feels so deliberate and well-judged.
-
CW: Going off about two licensed PS2 beat-em-ups I've played recently
I played a little of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes on the PS2 yesterday. I was impressed by how hard it was trying for a 2009 PS2 game, in a lot of ways. It had surprisingly sophisticatedly animated in-engine cutscenes, which looked like they had a lot of involvement from the crew of the TV show. When you hit a droid with your lightsaber it chops in half and the pieces tumble to the ground with physics. The environments were impressive and detailed. It played in widescreen. In all aspects but the output resolution, it could probably pass for a PS3 game.
It also slogged under the weight of it all and wasn't super fun to play.
By contrast, I've also been playing Spider-Man: Friend or Foe on the PS2, another post-PS3 tie-in game that only made it to the PS2 cuz they could easily make that version at the same time as a Wii and PSP version, and it holds up great. No widescreen, cartoony artstyle, some minimalist cutscenes, fairly bare-bones samey environments, so it's not as impressive or next-gen feeling as Republic Heroes. But it runs completely smooth by comparison, and the combat is much more nuanced and fun. It's got that Next Level Games sauce, so it just feels so deliberate and well-judged.
-
CW: Going off about two licensed PS2 beat-em-ups I've played recently
I played a little of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes on the PS2 yesterday. I was impressed by how hard it was trying for a 2009 PS2 game, in a lot of ways. It had surprisingly sophisticatedly animated in-engine cutscenes, which looked like they had a lot of involvement from the crew of the TV show. When you hit a droid with your lightsaber it chops in half and the pieces tumble to the ground with physics. The environments were impressive and detailed. It played in widescreen. In all aspects but the output resolution, it could probably pass for a PS3 game.
It also slogged under the weight of it all and wasn't super fun to play.
By contrast, I've also been playing Spider-Man: Friend or Foe on the PS2, another post-PS3 tie-in game that only made it to the PS2 cuz they could easily make that version at the same time as a Wii and PSP version, and it holds up great. No widescreen, cartoony artstyle, some minimalist cutscenes, fairly bare-bones samey environments, so it's not as impressive or next-gen feeling as Republic Heroes. But it runs completely smooth by comparison, and the combat is much more nuanced and fun. It's got that Next Level Games sauce, so it just feels so deliberate and well-judged.
-
CW: Going off about two licensed PS2 beat-em-ups I've played recently
I played a little of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes on the PS2 yesterday. I was impressed by how hard it was trying for a 2009 PS2 game, in a lot of ways. It had surprisingly sophisticatedly animated in-engine cutscenes, which looked like they had a lot of involvement from the crew of the TV show. When you hit a droid with your lightsaber it chops in half and the pieces tumble to the ground with physics. The environments were impressive and detailed. It played in widescreen. In all aspects but the output resolution, it could probably pass for a PS3 game.
It also slogged under the weight of it all and wasn't super fun to play.
By contrast, I've also been playing Spider-Man: Friend or Foe on the PS2, another post-PS3 tie-in game that only made it to the PS2 cuz they could easily make that version at the same time as a Wii and PSP version, and it holds up great. No widescreen, cartoony artstyle, some minimalist cutscenes, fairly bare-bones samey environments, so it's not as impressive or next-gen feeling as Republic Heroes. But it runs completely smooth by comparison, and the combat is much more nuanced and fun. It's got that Next Level Games sauce, so it just feels so deliberate and well-judged.
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doing my #BestTo #MoveForward.
It’sBeenA #Year
ButIt’sOnlyBeenA #Year.https://youtu.be/Ushw5sgf6sk?si=gzati9MYOb1uvBLx
https://youtu.be/R8-8GUKa-Oo?si=YjN95DClpWDDCgrB
I wonder, what kind of price must I keep paying because of one who truly tried to destroy everything that is kind and good and left me the broken wreckage and pieces of shattered dreams? -
doing my #BestTo #MoveForward.
It’sBeenA #Year
ButIt’sOnlyBeenA #Year.https://youtu.be/Ushw5sgf6sk?si=gzati9MYOb1uvBLx
https://youtu.be/R8-8GUKa-Oo?si=YjN95DClpWDDCgrB
I wonder, what kind of price must I keep paying because of one who truly tried to destroy everything that is kind and good and left me the broken wreckage and pieces of shattered dreams? -
This one, once painted, will look gorgeous. Let’s finish some retouching, wash and start priming before rest of pieces arrives from China.
#gundam #bandai #mobilesuit #plamodel #plamo #plasticmodel #gunpla #gundambase #mobilesuitgundam #gundamcommunity #gunplabuilder #plasticmodelkit #gundambuilder #scalemodels #gundamplasticmodelkit #ガンダム #ガンプラ #건프라 #건담 #건스타그램 #gunplaphotography #gunplacommunity #gundams #plamodel #plamobuilder #gundamAustria #gunplaAustria #gunplaustria -
Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua
In an astonishing discovery, two marsupial species believed to be extinct for 6,000 years have been rediscovered alive and well in the remote rainforests of West Papua. The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider were located with the crucial assistance of local indigenous Vogelkop clans. However, their survival remains precarious as their habitats are increasingly threatened by logging and the expansion of the palm oil colonialism in West Papua. Laws and native title to protect this region is essential for indigenous land defenders. We musn’t let them disappear again #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Two #extinct #marsupials in #WestPapua found alive! The #marsupials highlight the need to protect #Papuan forests or they are gone for good! Resist for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife when you shop 🌴🙊🔥☠️🚫 @palmoildetect #Boycott4Wildlife https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterTwo #possums thought extinct for 6000 years are alive in #WestPapua! The pygmy #possum and sacred ring-tailed #glider are #nature’s battlers who deserve a break from #palmoil ecocide. Stand with #indigenous defenders against palm oil #colonialism! 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect #BoycottPalmOil https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH
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Two extraordinarily rare marsupials, entirely believed to have been extinct for over six thousand years, have been discovered alive in the remote, Vogelkop mountain forests of the Bird’s Head peninsula in West Papua. This remarkable rediscovery of the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider was confirmed by Australian scientist Professor Tim Flannery, alongside a team of local indigenous experts and university researchers.“More important than finding a living thylacine in Tasmania.”
Scott Hucknull from Central Queensland University describes the magnitude of the discovery.These species are rare examples of “Lazarus taxa”. Animals who disappear from the fossil record only to be found alive centuries later. Flannery noted that the likelihood of finding even one lost mammal was almost zero, let alone two.
“It’s unprecedented and groundbreaking, really, to find two Lazarus taxa,” Flannery says. “We’ve been able to finalise two pieces of work that are incredibly important from a biological and a conservation perspective, documenting the existence of rare marsupials in an area under threat. It’s sort of a crowning glory in my career as a biologist.”
The first of the resurrected species is the pygmy long-fingered possum, Dactylonax kambuayai. This tiny, striped marsupial possesses an extraordinary evolutionary trait: an elongated fourth finger on each hand that is double the length of other digits. Flannery explains that they use this finger to extract grubs from timber.
“They’ve got a whole lot of specialisations in their ear region as well, which seem to be related to detection of low-frequency sound. So presumably they’re listening for wood-boring beetle larvae, and they then rip open the rotting wood and use that finger to fish out the grub,” Flannery says.
The second species, the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis), features unfurred ears and a strong, prehensile tail used for gripping branches. Flannery calls it “one of the most photogenic animals, most beautiful marsupials you’ll ever see.”
Crucially, the rediscovery of these elusive creatures was entirely dependent on the profound ecological knowledge of the local Tambrauw and Maybrat clans. These indigenous communities view the ring-tailed glider as deeply sacred, believing them to be manifestations of their ancestors’ spirits, and actively protect them from hunting. Rika Korain, a Maybrat woman and co-author of the research, emphasised that identifying the species relied entirely on traditional owners. “This connection has been essential,” she says.
“I’m very proud that Papuan researchers contributed to these landmark discoveries, and want to thank the people of the Misool, Maybrat and Tambrouw regions who supported us in the field,”
Dr Aksamina Yohanita of the University of Papua said.“The Vogelkop is an ancient piece of the Australian continent that has become incorporated into the island of New Guinea. Its forests may shelter yet more hidden relics of a past Australia,”
Tim FlanneryTo protect the remaining populations from the illegal wildlife trade, researchers are keeping their exact locations highly classified. Flannery delivered a stark warning to potential poachers regarding the animals’ survival in captivity: “They would be incredibly difficult to keep in captivity. because their diet is so highly specialised. Advanced warning for anyone who’s thinking of keeping one as a pet: it won’t live long,” he says.
While their rediscovery is a triumph, their future is highly uncertain. The proximity of power-hungry corporates intent on razing the rainforest for palm oil and timber casts a dark shadow over the region.
David Lindenmayer, an ecologist at the Australian National University, who was not involved in the study said “I am also hugely concerned about the extent of logging and land clearing happening in New Guinea,” he says. “It also makes me wonder what might have been lost in Australia as a result of all of the land clearing that has taken place here.”
The findings underline strong calls from scientists, environmentalists and indigenous rights advocates for Native Title legal land rights and indigenous-led protections of West Papua and its imperilled Vogelkop rainforest where these delightful marsupials are found.
Further information
Lam, L. (2026, March 6). Tiny possum and glider thought extinct for 6,000 years found in remote West Papua. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyg6p8g6yjo
Morton, A. (2026, March 6). Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea
Woodford, J. (2026, March 5). Two marsupials believed extinct for 6000 years found alive. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2518082-two-marsupials-believed-extinct-for-6000-years-found-alive/
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGGursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae
Keep readingSunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Keep readingWestern Parotia Parotia sefilata
Keep readingCapped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Keep readingMountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque
Keep reading Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
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Join 3,179 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Read moreAnthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Marsupial #marsupials #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #PapuaNewGuinea #PapuaNewGuineaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #possum #possums #WestPapua -
Top Greene’s “Adornment of Grace” Hat Show Contest Returns to Raleigh (May 17, 2026)
Celebrate culture, creativity, and timeless style at one of Raleigh’s most unique community events this spring. The Adornment of Grace Hat Show Contest is set to take over Top Greene Cultural Center, bringing together fashion, heritage, and self-expression in a powerful and elegant way.
Event Details
- Event: Adornment of Grace Hat Show Contest
- Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
- Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Location: John P. Top Greene African American Cultural Center
- Admission: $15 (includes entry into the contest)
- Ages: All ages welcome
🎟️ Tickets: Available via RecLink
A Celebration of Culture, Style & Legacy
Top Greene’s Adornment of Grace Hat Show Contest is more than just a fashion event—it’s a celebration of Black culture and the rich tradition of hat-wearing. From church crowns to bold statement pieces, hats have long been a symbol of identity, pride, and creativity.
This special event invites the community to showcase their personal style while honoring generations of cultural expression.
✨ Featured Highlights
- 🎤 Special Guest: Dr. Donna Corbett
- 👗 The Mary Corbett Hat Collection
A stunning display of vintage hats celebrating timeless elegance and cultural influence - 🎨 Featuring Erica Kendrick
Ceramic artist, sculptor, and educator bringing creative perspective to the event
Best Hat Contest
Everyone who attends is automatically entered into the Best Hat Contest!
- Show off your best look and creative flair
- Walk the stage and represent your style
- Compete for a chance to win a FREE 3-hour rental at Top Greene
Bring your confidence, your culture, and your crown—because the hat makes the statement.
Why You Should Attend
- Celebrate Black culture and artistic expression
- Experience a one-of-a-kind fashion and community event
- Connect with creatives, families, and culture lovers in Raleigh
- Enjoy a stylish Sunday filled with inspiration and storytelling
Stay Connected with DoRaleigh
Follow DoRaleigh for more City of Raleigh Parks events, cultural celebrations, and community highlights happening across the Triangle.
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#BlackCultureRaleigh #CityOfRaleigh #CityOfRaleighGovernmentEventGuide #CityOfRaleighParks #culturalEventsRaleigh #DoRaleigh #downtownRaleigh #events #FamilyEventsRaleigh #fashionEventsRaleigh #hatShowRaleigh #May2026Events #News #raleigh #RaleighEvents #thingsToDoRaleighNC #TopGreeneCulturalCenter -
The Electric State RPG
When I first saw Simon Stålenhag’s artwork for The Electric State I was captivated. His pieces bear a haunting familiarity which becomes unnerving as you take in the details. So, when I saw that Free League was crowdfunding an RPG based on The Electric State it was a no-brainer to back it. And when I was able to read it, this game left me thinking.
Introduction
The Electric State RPG is not about gaining treasure or saving the world. It’s about journeying through this world and provokes players to discover how their characters are changed by it. It’s wild.
Setting
The game takes place in an alternate reality 1990s, where many of the cultural cornerstones from our world also exist. Grunge is a thing, vehicles have a 90s aesthetic, and much of the technology is identical to our world. But there is one aspect of The Electric State which takes our 90s and twists it off angle enough that it becomes an alien landscape.
Neuronics broke the world.
In The Electric State RPG the human brain was not only charted, it was both mapped and replicated. This created the opportunity for humans to connect their minds to “neuroscapes” which allowed people to control remote drones and pilot them as though they were wearing the vehicles as skin. It opened up the door to have new neural networks created, giving the rise to robotics our world can only imagine.
The technological leap, combined with social and economic pressures, triggered a US Civil War which broke the county into several nations. The key nation in the game, Pacifica, consists of what used to be the State of California. It claims to be a democracy, but it’s dominated by Sentre, the corporation which created neuronics. Pacifica is in decline. While the densest population centers still feel “normal,” the further one travels from the big cities the more Pacifica’s decay is on display. It’s a society on the verge of collapse, but most folks are too tuned into their neurocasters to take note or care.
It’s a depressing setup, to say the least, but it gets worse. Ever since Sentre pushed out its latest update, Mode 6, neuro addiction has been on the rise. More and more people are being found dead, through either starvation or dehydration, wearing their neurocasters—blissfully connected to the neuroscape and ignoring reality until their very end. Even stranger, Mode 6 seems to have coincided with the growth of “Intercerebral Intelligences.” These entities have emerged from the neuroscapes, and there are rumors some of them have escaped into the physical world and created physical forms for themselves out of the drone wreckage which dots the landscape. Even more odd, cults are arising which treat these intelligences as gods.
As I read the book I tried to come up with a genre for the game. Alternate History, Science Fiction, or Post-Apocalyptic didn’t quite cover things, though there are elements of these in the game. I finally settled on describing The Electric State RPG as psychological horror.
Character Creation
Characters in The Electric State work off of ten archetypes which designate their key attribute, starting talent and money, as well as their basic equipment.
Characters also each have a Dream and a Flaw. These have no mechanical impact on the game but do serve as an excellent skeleton from which a character’s personality can develop.
Each traveler has four Attributes: Strength, Agility, Wits, and Empathy. Starting values range from 2-6 and are determined by rolling 4d6. Players roll the dice, and will re-roll until every die shows a value of 2 or higher. The values on the four dice are then are assigned to the Attributes as the player wishes. If players would rather use point buy for their attributes, they may. They are given 16 points to assign, but no value can be lower than 2 or greater than 6.
Two other derived attributes, Health and Hope, represent a characters physical and emotional well-being. Health is (Strength + Agility)/2 and Hope is (Wits + Empathy)/2. Both results are rounded up.
The last tracked value, Bliss, denotes the pull Neuronics has on the character. More on that in a bit.
Advancement
Travelers who follow their Dream or role-play their Flaw are rewarded with Improvement Rolls after each session. For each role granted a player is able to chose one of their four attributes and roll a d6. If they roll over their current score, that attribute increases by 1. These roles aren’t just “succeed” or “fail,” however, if a character fails their roll they gain a new skill instead. It’s an interesting way to show how characters are changing during their journey through their collapsing world.
Core Mechanics
The Rolls
The Electric State uses a streamlined version of Free League’s Year Zero Engine. For an attempt a player rolls a number of d6s equal to the attribute score most appropriate for the task. The number of dice rolled may be modified by a traveller’s gear, skills, or hinderances affecting them.
Any 6s mean the character has achieved a success, and multiple 6s mean the character’s success is “extra”—like succeeding while being so quiet no one hears the traveler’s actions.
If no 6s are rolled, or if a player wants to go for higher level of success, they may push their roll. To do this the player sets aside any dice showing a 1 or a 6 and re-rolls the rest. At this point 1s become active. Any 1s on a die rolled from a character’s attributes, or added through skills, reduce a character’s Hope—pushing them further to the brink of having a breakdown and perhaps suffering mental trauma. Any 1s on dice added through gear reduce the gear’s bonus. When a gear’s bonus hits zero it becomes busted and cannot be used. To keep gear dice separate players should roll two different color dice for attempts.
Opposed rolls in The Electric State are a competition for the most 6s between all opponents. Whoever rolls fewer 6s loses.
This streamlined version of the Year Zero Engine (YZE) makes setting up their dice pools, and reading results, a bit easier on the players. At the same time, it also makes pushing rolls a bit more risky because dice added through skills can trigger a loss of Hope. In other YZE games like Forbidden Lands, for example, skills never have a negative impact on the character when a roll is pushed. I like the added risk!
Combat
Combat in The Electric State RPG is designed for theater of the mind. Ranges are abstracted and are differentiated by zones. Zones can be differentiated by any natural separation between combatants—a hedgerow, a stream, or even a locked door or barricade can create zones in combat.
There are five ranges in the game. Engaged is anyone who is at “in your face” distance. Short is anything in the same zone. Medium is anything in an adjacent zone. Long is up to 4 zones away. Extreme is anything over 4 zones away.
Initiative is narrative-driven. If combat happens, and this is a game where combat should be a last resort, the character who triggers the combat will go first. They will be followed by all allied combatants, and then opponents. If there is a combat where the narrative says who goes first is a toss up, both sides roll a d6 and add the highest Wits value from an allied combatant. I’m a big fan of narrative-driven initiative, and making it side-based speeds things up at the table.
On a turn a combatant gets one move and one action, or two moves. Minor actions, like ducking for cover or interacting with an object, are considered free actions. How many free actions a character gets is determined by narrative. Shouting a warning, ducking for cover, and then reloading a gun makes narrative sense—though perhaps the reloading could be pushed to a subsequent turn or take up the Traveler’s move. Shouting a warning, typing in a computer password, reloading a gun, and rummaging for a sandwich in a single turn is narrative absurdity. Players and GMs need to work together to keep the in-game fiction working with some sort of logic.
Close combat attacks are made against anyone in Engaged distance and use a character’s Strength attribute as base dice. Ranged attacks are made against any target short range or greater, and use a character’s Agility attribute as base dice. Attacks will also add skill and weapon bonus dice to an attack roll.
Each weapon in the game has a set amount of damage inflicted through a hit and each 6, beyond the first, rolled in an attack inflicts an additional point of damage against the target. The desire to deliver a heavy blow is a wonderful way to entice players to push rolls!
When attacks hit The Electric State RPG includes a few ways to make an active defense.
When struck by a close attack a character may decide to Fight Back. This turns an attack attempt into an opposed roll, giving the target a chance to avoid taking damage or even hitting back. Any character who takes this reaction, however, forfeits their next turn—both movement and action. If a character had already acted in the current round they forfeit their turn in the subsequent round, instead.
Characters targeted by ranged attacks may seek cover, which reduces the number of dice rolled against them, or they be attempt to Dodge the incoming attack. Similar to Fighting Back, when a character dodges they forfeit their next turn—either in the current or subsequent round.
Armor can also be used to mitigate damage. Each armor type has an Armor Level which indicated how many dice should be rolled against damage. Any 6s on the armor roll reduce incoming damage by 1 point.
Damage from attacks reduces a character’s Health. When their Health score reaches zero the character is incapacitated and must make Death Rolls. To make this roll a player rolls four dice and notes the number of 6s rolled. Player gets three Death Rolls to try and get three 6s. If they do, the character stabilizes. If not, the character is dead.
An incapacitated character may be Rallied. Any player attempting to rally a downed traveler rolls Empathy. On a successful roll the incapacitated character rejoins the fight with Health equal to the number of 6s rolled, but they are not stabilized. Rallied characters still need to make death saves and can perish even while continuing to fight. I love a good rallying mechanic in games, and this sounds terrific.
Using Neuronics
The most fascinating aspect of the game is the ability to enter a neuroscape to search for information, interact with attached entities, or hack the system. In The Electric State neuroscapes are powered by massive towers which dominate the landscape. Many are connected to a global network, much like our internet, while some are limited to local access only.
Accessing a neuroscape requires the use of a neurocaster, and each character is equipped with one at the start of play. Not all neurocasters are created equal. The different models have gear bonuses for Processor, Network, and Grapics which are applied for different tasks inside the neuroscape. While neurocasters can connect wirelessly, they are more effective when connected via a hardwire and get +2 dice to all attempts inside the virtual world.
Finding information in, or hacking, the network are each given a difficulty rating of 1-3, commensurate with the attempt’s difficulty. This rating indicates the number of successful Wits rolls the player needs to make in order to achieve their goal—though there are certain talents which increase the number of dice for neurocasting attempts. Each attempt takes one stretch of time (about 5-10 minutes), though if any attempt fails subsequent rolls extend to a shift of time (about 5-10 hours).
Combat inside a neuroscape is possible, and will be flavored like whatever world is being emulated. Because the physics of a neuroscape are virtual, however, all combat is treated like close combat—using Wits instead of Strength. Just as in the real world, an attacked entity may fight back which may cause an attack to fail.
But there’s a twist.
Accessing the neuroscape, is not without risks. When connected to a neuroscape every failed roll increases a traveller’s Bliss by one. Failed attempts can be pushed, just as in the physical world, with the typical risk of losing Hope while doing so. Any traveller whose Bliss becomes greater than their current Hope is lost to The Electric State and cannot will themselves to disconnect from the network (though they may still take actions inside the virtual world to aid the group). Stranded players can be forcibly disconnected, but this will result in their Hope being reduced to zero and will trigger a mental trauma (if that rule is being used by the table).
The risk vs. reward aspect of Neuronics is one of the most fascinating aspects of play for me. Great things can be accomplished, and players may have both skills and equipment which will entice them to attempt such tasks, but in the end the Neuroscape may become a trap from which they cannot escape. It’s pretty cool.
Journeys
The Electric State RPG is not designed for long term campaign play. The characters aren’t heroes, but travelers, and their journey has a specific destination. A typical set up is for the GM and players to gather and select both the destination and the route the group will take to get there. The GM will then create Stops along the way which create both tension and danger for the group as they pass through a society in the midst of collapse. This flies in the face of more “sandbox” style play, where players take their characters wherever they want and the GM sets up situations in response to their actions. At the same time, given the nature of the game, an “on rails” journey does make some sense.
For tables which would like a more free-form trip to reach their destination, they may decide to forego a planned route and choose their direction based on whatever they feel drives the group. In this case, a GM will either move stops to match the route, or improvise a stop to trigger the story—with or without using the excellent tools in the core rulebook.
Why are the travelers on their journey? That’s up to the players. The simplest way to tie the destination to a traveller’s goal is to link it to their Dream. Something about the destination is linked to whatever they’re holding on to for hope in The Electric State RPG’s dystopian world. Travelers may also share goals if the players decide their stories are intertwined.
Travelers will also each have a personal threat, which will create urgency on the journey. Each of these threats will have a counter. Each time they appear the danger the threat represents will increase until they reach a final confrontation with the traveller. As with goals, threats may be shared between travelers if the players decide it makes sense.
Threats in this world aren’t just tied to the travelers. Each stop on the journey also has its own threats and counters, compounding the dystopian feel of the world.
There are tools in chapter 5 which help GMs work with the players to set up a journey and create stops. The advice here is well-done, with ample examples to spark ideas.
The Product
Physical Book
The Electric State is a “full-sized” book clocking in at 230 pages. The cover bears one of Simon Stålenhag’s pieces from the art book, which is stunning. The cover art isn’t borderless, though. Instead, there is a white bevel around the image which feels like an older style design language—like it comes from the 90s. The rear cover displays another piece of art from The Electric State, along with a blurb describing the game’s core concepts. The interior cover pages show a map of Pacifica, the game’s default location, and stuffed in the back is a fold out map which is stunning. It’s not as large as some other posters included in Free League products, but it’s the perfect size to be used at the table. I like it.
My only knocks on the physical book are there are no book ribbons and it’s printed on glossy paper. But the glossy paper didn’t bother me as much as it normally does because the interior layout is so high contrast.
Internal Layout
The design language for The Electric State is minimalist, and is a perfect fit for the game. Borders around call outs and tables are a thick black line. And these are “taped” to the page with scotch, or even duct, tape—as though the book was from the early days of desktop publishing and what we’re reading is a pre-print mock-up. The heading font is an attractive sans serif, and second level headings are preceded by the in-game “Sentre” logo which helps them stand out. Third level headings use the body’s serif font with a bold face and are indented.
Blockquotes, which I assume come from the original art book, are strewn through out The Electric State RPG. These are separated from the rest of the text with a large quotation mark above and a thick black line below and are presented in an italicized sans serif font. Very nice-looking.
Lists use a light-weight Sentre logo for bullet points, which is a stunning design choice. Tables utilize a lightweight sans serif font for the body cells, and a bold sans serif font for heading cells—table rows are separated by a thin line.
Chapter title pages display a full spread image from Simon Stålenhag’s artwork, with the chapter title on one of the spread’s pages in a large sans serif font, a blockquote below the title lays out the feeling for what is to come.
Everything in the layout is stark, and yet easy on the eyes. I never tired reading it.
The Electric State RPG’s core rulebook is filled with Simon Stålenhag’s art, to the point where finding a spread without a piece of art on it feels unusual. It is a visual feast, and the artwork never looses its haunting and provocative power. It’s amazing. I now want to purchase Simon Stålenhag’s books so I can experience it more.
Conclusion
This game has me drooling to run it. It’s “almost normal” world, tweaked to the point where even the familiar feels alien, draws me in. It’s a game which guides players to learn something about the nature of journey and hope in the midst of a slow moving crisis. It can be used to tell amazing stories, but it can also help players experience some deep introspection—just like Simon Stålenhag’s artwork.
You can pick up The Electric State RPG from Free League’s web site. A Hardback book, which includes a PDF with purchase, costs about $51.35. The PDF alone can be purchased through DriveThruRPG (Affiliate Link) for $24.99.
I don’t often suggest anything beyond, “If you like this sort of thing, maybe check this out.” For The Electric State RPG I will say if you found any part of this review appealing get this book. This game is wild.
#DMing #FreeLeague #gaming #GMing #Review #Reviews #RPG #TTRPG
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I have now managed to run three of Free League’s fantasy games—Dragonbane, Forbidden Lands, and Symbaroum—and thought it would be fun to have them face off. How do these games compare to each other? Let’s find out!
Full disclosure
While I have now purchased multiple Dragonbane products, including a box set for a friend, I did receive review copies of both Dragonbane and Symbaroum. I did not, however, get any other compensation for sharing my thoughts on those games.
Organization
How a game is organized can have as much impact on its accessibility as the game’s mechanics. I’m ordering this section from most to least organized. In my mind, that is.
Dragonbane
Dragonbane is one of the best organized rulesets I’ve ever read. The character building process, in particular, is designed very well. Combat rules, the way skills work, and travel mechanics are all set up in a way that are “glanceable.” It’s one of the game’s characteristics that makes it a joy to run and play.
Forbidden Lands
Forbidden Lands’ layout is more minimalist than Dragonbane and is more text heavy overall. The game’s also broken up into two books, which can lead to a bit more page-flipping. The included booklet in the box set also feels like material that should have been included in the core books. Even so, Forbidden Lands is laid out well and the interiors are beautiful.
Symbaroum
Symbaroum‘s organization is rather scattershot. Essential pieces of information, like how to award experience points or starting equipment for archetypes, are hidden in text blocks or split into random places in the book. Hunting through the rulebook is a chore, which a shame because the game itself is really fun. It’s worth picking up, and I’d like to explore more products from the line, but Symbaroum‘s organization does hold it back a bit.
Core Mechanics
Each of these games is excellent for what they are trying to accomplish. For this section I’m listing them in the order I played the games.
Dragongane
Dragonbane has both the fastest and the simplest mechanics of the three. It’s a skill-focused, d20 based, roll-under system that players take to with minimal effort. Rolls are most often called against a skill, but attribute checks also happen. If a player rolls with a boon, they roll 2d20 and keep the lower die, if they roll with a bane they roll 2d20 and keep the higher die. If a player fails a roll and wants to try again they can push the roll, but will take a condition as a result. Each condition is tied to an attribute, and all checked based on that attribute with roll with a bane until it’s cleared.
A character’s hit points are equal to a character’s CON score, and willpower points are equal to their WILL score.
Spells are roll to cast against the character’s spell school (a secondary skill). Each casting costs Willpower Points and if a 1 is rolled it triggers a mishap. That’s never good.
Dragonbane has enough depth to make long-time gamers happy, but is so fast and clean it can keep a six year old’s attention. It’s nice.
Forbidden Lands
Forbidden Lands’ dice pool system requires a lot of dice rolling. I imagine learning how to form the dice pools may take a bit of getting used to [^1]. But rolls themselves are fast. 6s and 1s are set aside, and any 6 means a success has happened. Rolls can be “pushed” where any die that is not a 1 or a 6 is re-rolled. 6s add to a success (or trigger one) and 1s then damage the character’s stats or equipment according to the dice on which they appear. Everything feels consequential, and I love it. Pushed rolls also award a Willpower Point for every 1 rolled on the attribute’s dice (or base dice).
Spells auto-cast in Forbidden Lands, but players still roll dice equal to the power level (1-3) at which they cast the spell (they can never roll more dice than their current rank in a particular discipline). 6s will show that the spell has over-charged and will do more than the caster was attempting, but 1s mean a mishap was triggered and the player will need to role on a mishap table–which is a dangerous proposition! As a character’s casting rank increases, however, there are ways to reduce the number of required dice, or even negate the need for a roll at all.
Symbaroum
Symbaroum, is a d20 roll under system, with some interesting quirks. First, players roll all the dice. This can take some getting used to, as players roll for both offense and defense, but it does help keep players engaged even when it’s not their turn in initiative. Second, an opponent’s attribute modifiers change the target number a player needs to meet or roll under to succeed. This requires a bit of math before the dice can be rolled, but it’s pretty quick at the table.
In Symbaroum magic can be learned by anyone, but is dangerous. Wielding mystic powers, or bonding with artifacts, gives a character corruption. Every character has a threshold for this corruption to manifest, and a limit where they succumb to the power and are lost. It’s cool.
Character Builds
Each of these games has its own charm when it comes to building characters. I’ve arranged these in order of flexibility–from most flexible to least.
Symbaroum
Symbaroum provides some archetypes, but there’s no reason why a player can’t take the general rules for character creation and come up with their own ideas. Attributes are assigned through a point-buy system, though a standard array is provided. Skills in Symbaroum are called “abilities,” and can range from mundane learned skills to actual magical powers. If you want to make any fantasy concept you can think of for your character, Symbaroum is a great option. The process is straight-forward, but navigating the rules takes some getting used to.
Forbidden Lands
Forbidden Lands’ character creation is a point buy system with points distributed from two pools–one each for attributes and skills. The amount of points available to distribute is determined by a character’s age–younger characters have more attribute points to spend, while older characters are given more skill points. This trade off has a benefit, especially at the start of a game. Attribute points also serve as a character’s hit points for different types of damage, so having higher attribute scores is important. At the same time, dice rolled using a character’s skills can’t contribute to failures when a roll is pushed. This means, before they manage to increase their skill scores, younger characters will be more robust but less competent. Characters take up a profession, which will both grant them a special talent and provide a list of skills aligned to the role. Any skill in a profession’s list may have up to three dice assigned to it, while every other skill may only have one. The setup provides some decent variation among characters.
Dragonbane
Dragonbane‘s character creation process is the best defined of the three games. Players can choose whatever kin and profession they’d like to play, but the game is set up to make the process random from start to finish. In my experience with the system, the folks at my table have loved using this randomized process.
There are six attribute scores with values from 3-18, which are rolled using 4d6 and dropping the lowest value. These scores are used for “raw” checks, but Dragonbane‘s real emphasis is on skills. Each skill in the game is attached to a specific attribute, and the higher the associated attribute score the higher a skill’s “base chance” will be.
As with Forbidden Lands, each character has a profession which presents a list of skills in which the character can be trained. Training doubles the base chance in that skill, making success much more likely. Six of a character’s starting skills must come from their profession’s list, but the total number of a character’s trained skills is determined by their age. Older characters have more trained skills, making them more competent overall, but they also suffer some penalties to their attribute scores. Younger characters have bonuses to their attribute scores, but have fewer skills. Those in the middle suffer no changes to their attribute scores, and split the difference in the number trained skills. The variation is nice, and because skills are key to gameplay older characters don’t feel as though they’ve been penalized [^2].
Advancement
None of these games is class based, so grinding away for experience points isn’t an emphasis for game play. For this, I am grateful. In fact, one of the games doesn’t have experience points at all. I’ve organized this section by concept.
Experience Points
Symbaroum and Forbidden Lands both utilize experience points as a meta-currency which can be spent to improve a character.
Forbidden Lands grants experience points though a post session interview process, when a player is able to answer “yes” to any of the questions they get one XP. When a certain number of experience points are earned a character can have their current skills and talents improved, or learn new skills talents. This is represented by adding a die to the chosen skill or increasing a talent’s rank by one step. The higher the skill level or talent rank, the greater the cost to move up.
Symbaroum also allows players to spend experience points to advance, or learn new, abilities. The cost for doing is 10 XP per ability level–10, 20, and then 30 XP. Awarding experience is rather simple. A character is awarded 1 XP for each scene in which they appear during a session.
Advancement Marks
Dragonbane foregoes experience points in favor of advancement marks, which are awarded in two ways. First, when any player rolls a dragon (1) or a demon (20) on a skill check they place a check in the box next to that skill. Second, much like Forbidden Lands, post session the game master asks the table a number of questions. For each question a player answers, “yes” they are able to place a check next to any unmarked skill on their sheet. Once all the advancement marks are assigned, players roll a d20 for each checked skill. If the roll exceeds the current skill value it will increase by one. Casters may use their advancement marks to either increase their rank in their chosen school or learn a new spell. Though this takes some effort to learn, represented by a die roll.
New heroic abilities can be learned in two ways. First, when any skill score hits 18 the character receives a new ability. Second, when a character does something extraordinary the game master may award them a new heroic ability on the spot. Anyone who wants to learn a magic school must take the “Magic Talent” heroic ability and spend time with a teacher–after which the character makes an INT check, a success means the school has been learned. Even professions which are not casters may learn magic this way.
Combat Design
When I started exploring Free League’s catalogue I couldn’t understand how they could release so many fantasy role playing games. As I began to explore the games, however, I began to understand. Each of these games has a play style which is unique to it, and it’s best highlighted in how they each handle combat. I’m ordering these by how familiar they might feel to players.
Dragonbane
Dragonbane is the simplest design of the three. Initiative is card based, and combatants take turns in ascending order of the cards–it’s also drawn each round. Attacks are skill rolls, and damage inflicted is increased for characters with higher attribute scores. Monsters in the game auto-hit, which means players have to make calculated decisions to attack or reserve their action to take a defensive move in order to avoid taking damage. Armor in the game reduces damage by a set number.
Symbaroum
Initiative is set by the combatant’s QUICK scores. Characters may choose to go in a lower spot of combat if they choose, but once they do so order is set. The action economy is, “one move action, and one combat action,” but both are abstracted. Taking a healing elixir or switching weapons, for example is a “move action,” while rendering first aid and attacks are “combat actions.”
I am also a big fan of how armor works in Symbaroum. Each armor type is tied to a different die, which is rolled to mitigate incoming damage. The trade off is that while heavier armor uses larger dice, it also makes a character easier to hit. If a player rolls well, though, they can tank like a tank should tank!
Forbidden Lands
Initiative is card based but is not redrawn each round, though players may swap initiative cards with other PCs at the beginning of a round. Characters can take one fast action and one slow action each turn–though these are abstracted a bit. Things like movement and drinking an exlir are fast actions, while attacking is a slow action.Weapons do a set amount of damage, though extra 6s on attacks increase it.
Monsters, auto-hit and their entries have tables which denote their different attacks. The good news for players is parrying and dodging are both fast actions and can be used out of turn order as reactions.
Armor values in the game represent the number of dice a player roles in an attempt to mitigate damage. Every 6 rolled reduces damage by one. If the player rolls any 1s and takes damage from the attack, however, the armor’s protection is reduced by the number of 1s rolled. When an armor value hits 0 it needs to be repaired.
Production Value
Free League produces nice products. This section is ordered according to the date I first read the games.
Forbidden Lands
Forbidden Lands can be purchased a la carte, so players can pick up the Player’s Handbook and be ready to go. When it was first introduced, however, Forbidden Lands was sold as a box set–which can still be purchased. The set includes two faux leather, stitched binding, books–the Player’s Guide and the Gamemaster’s Guide, a beautiful map of the setting, some stickers to mark a party’s exploration, and a booklet with more complete options for character builds. The books are high quality, and everything about the interior is an homage to old school gaming. I’d have liked to see some of the Forbidden Lands dice included in the box set, but the quality of the books is a decent trade off.
Symbaroum
Symbaroum is the simplest setup, everything needed to play the game, excluding dice, is included in the core rulebook. Other books can be picked up to expand character options or the variety of creatures, but these aren’t needed to play. The game is a “full-size” hardbound book with stitched binding, and boasts some stunning artwork. The layout is quite good, and I appreciate how different elements are designed, but once again organization is Symbaroum‘s bane. A new edition could improve this a lot.
Dragonbane
Dragonbane is best in class when it comes to box set contents. The box set is often mis-labelled a “starter box”– but everything needed to play is included in the box set. There is a beautiful rulebook, an equally stunning campaign adventure book, a map of the default setting, a reversible battle mat with both dungeon and grassy terrain, cardboard standees and stands to depict combat, a booklet explaining solo rules, and a stunning set of dice. My only knock on the box set is the binding on the rulebooks, they’re glued in such a way that I can foresee the covers becoming a problem as some point, but the overall quality is terrific, and it’s typically under $50. Dragonbane has also released a separate bestiary and the core rules as stitched-bound hardbacks, printed on flat paper. If the stand alone books had book ribbons they would be perfect TTRPG products!
Conclusion
I make no secret how much I enjoy Dragonbane, it’s my favored blend of mirth, grit, and mayhem. I do, however, enjoy all these games for the different feel they each bring to the table. I have the most frustration with Symbaroum, but not because the system is difficult or clunky. It’s rather simple once all the bits are cobbled together, the organization is something I find difficult to navigate. This is a shame, because Symbaroum‘s a cool game I’d love for a lot more people to enjoy. Forbidden Lands is more gritty than my typical faire, but when I had that game at the table it was exciting and fast and fun. If you have the ability to try all three of these games out, do so. They’re a blast!
https://dmtales.com/2024/06/25/free-league-face-off/
#dd #DMing #DnD #DnD5e #Dragonbane #ForbiddenLands #FreeLeague #GMing #OSR #RPG #Symbaroum #tabletopRolePlayingGame #TTRPG
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The Astropolis trilogy
In the last post I discussed my recent exploration of Reddit. The one conversation I’ve started so far was a request for posthuman space opera recommendations, particularly ones without FTL, stories that envision what the future might be like if we can’t get around the speed of light limit. One hidden gem recommended was Sean Williams’ Astropolis trilogy.
Williams imagines a far future where humanity, or at least its posthuman progeny, manage to settle the galaxy within 150,000 years. Traveling the galaxy takes centuries or millenia, but this isn’t too much of an issue because just about everyone is immortal. Characters in interstellar journeys also benefit from being able to control their tempo, the rate at which they experience time, so that a trip that takes centuries in “time absolute”, only takes a few days or weeks subjectively.
Although it’s established in the second book that, when possible, most travel takes place via hardcasting, where individuals are scanned, converted into information, transmitted, then centuries or millenia later reconstituted at the destination. It isn’t exactly teleporting, since the scanning and reconstitution can take consider time, with verification checks to make sure someone was rebuilt with fidelity.
The interstellar civilization is known as the Continuum, which exists over a galactic network known as the Line. In the Continuum, the closest thing to old-time humanity are the Primes. They have open ended lifespans, although it’s implied in the books that most do eventually die, either by accident, because only one instance of them exists, or by choice. Most of these set their tempo at time-absolute, the rate of time perceived by old-time humanity. The oldest Primes, ones whose lives stretch back to C20 (the twentieth century) are known as the Old Timers.
Singletons, like the Primes, are still recognizably human, but can exist as multiple copies, copies which can be distributed far and wide. The copies can meet up and synchronize memories, allowing Singletons of the same person to have a more or less unified personality. Although differences can creep in. But from moment to moment, each Singleton is an individual. Tempo is pretty flexible among Singletons, ranging from the same rate as Primes to very slow ones.
A gestalt is a group mind, a collection of bodies without much individuality in any particular body. Their relationship to tempo seems similar to the Singletons.
Forts are another type of group mind tied together with with Q-loops, connections which allow reliable independent communication between their Frags, the individual bodies that make up the Fort. The overall Fort minds have a tempo set very low, so that their perceptions span centuries. It leaves them disconnected from the rest of humanity. In earlier history, the Forts play a crucial role running the key infrastructure of the Continuum civilization.
Someone born into one of these types can decide to become another, although the process of becoming a Fort is arduous and risky, with many failing, even under peaceful conditions.
The first book begins in the 879th millennium. Imre Bergomasc awakens in the care of the Jinc, the local component of a gestalt (group mind) known as the Noh. The Jinc are looking for God at the edge of the galaxy. They come across a debris cloud, which they collect and are able to reassemble. It turns out to be a cylinder storing a mind, Imre’s mind. They are able to recreate his mind and instantiate him in a body.
However, there are pieces missing, and they are forced to fill in with assumptions. One of those assumptions is Imre’s sex. They guess female. When he first awakens and discovers himself in a female body, he immediately recognizes that it isn’t right, and later asks them to correct it. Although his ability to remember his past life is limited. Eventually he discovers that he’s in danger and is able to escape.
Imre was once the head of a military organization known as the Corps. As he returns to civilization he begins to find members of his old team. As each team member is found, they relay their story in of the last several hundred thousand years.
It turns out that the current version of Imre comes from a mind backed up before a lot of history. During that history, something initiated a Slow Wave that propagated out from somewhere near the center of the galaxy. The Slow Wave disabled the Q-loops connecting the Frags of the Forts together, destroying the overall Fort mind and turning their Frags into mindless entities. The Forts throughout the galaxy are wiped out. The galaxy enters a time of chaos. The Continuum is now fragmented into various societies.
Some of the societies attempt to rebuild by constructing new Forts. But a clandestine organization known as the Barons always attack and destroy any incipient Fort before they can do too much. And there appears to be another clandestine organization known as the Luminous, manifesting as silver balls, which also suppress the creation of the Forts, while also seeming to be an enemy of the Barons.
As the books progress, we get further into the future. By the beginning of the third, we’re over two million years out. And that story takes us further still. It turns out that Imre’s past self played some kind of pivotal role in the history leading to the current civilization. The books are about Imre rebuilding human civilization, then investigating his own past, learning what really led to the Slow Wave, and finding out who his real enemies are.
If you enjoy posthuman space opera in the style of Linda Nagata or Robert Reed, then these books are well worth checking out. The writing is excellent, although the worldbuilding in the first book can feel overwhelming at times. And there are times where it seems the only reason some of the characters do what they do is for the plot. But overall none of it was enough to stop me from reading and enjoying the story.
Lamentably these books aren’t available as ebooks. They are available in audio, and I ended up listening to the first one. But audio is not my preferred format, so I read the other books as used paperbacks. Which felt a bit nostalgic considering that we’re in the sunset of mass market paperbacks. It feels like a crime that these were never published as ebooks.
Williams appears to be a fairly prolific author, but a lot of his output appears to be Star Wars novels. Although he has done a few other independent books. Another series recommended to me are his Geodesica books, which I plan to check out.
If you’ve read the Astropolis books, I’d love to know what you think. Or of any others in the same genre niche.
#sciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFi #SpaceOpera -
The Astropolis trilogy
In the last post I discussed my recent exploration of Reddit. The one conversation I’ve started so far was a request for posthuman space opera recommendations, particularly ones without FTL, stories that envision what the future might be like if we can’t get around the speed of light limit. One hidden gem recommended was Sean Williams’ Astropolis trilogy.
Williams imagines a far future where humanity, or at least its posthuman progeny, manage to settle the galaxy within 150,000 years. Traveling the galaxy takes centuries or millenia, but this isn’t too much of an issue because just about everyone is immortal. Characters in interstellar journeys also benefit from being able to control their tempo, the rate at which they experience time, so that a trip that takes centuries in “time absolute”, only takes a few days or weeks subjectively.
Although it’s established in the second book that, when possible, most travel takes place via hardcasting, where individuals are scanned, converted into information, transmitted, then centuries or millenia later reconstituted at the destination. It isn’t exactly teleporting, since the scanning and reconstitution can take consider time, with verification checks to make sure someone was rebuilt with fidelity.
The interstellar civilization is known as the Continuum, which exists over a galactic network known as the Line. In the Continuum, the closest thing to old-time humanity are the Primes. They have open ended lifespans, although it’s implied in the books that most do eventually die, either by accident, because only one instance of them exists, or by choice. Most of these set their tempo at time-absolute, the rate of time perceived by old-time humanity. The oldest Primes, ones whose lives stretch back to C20 (the twentieth century) are known as the Old Timers.
Singletons, like the Primes, are still recognizably human, but can exist as multiple copies, copies which can be distributed far and wide. The copies can meet up and synchronize memories, allowing Singletons of the same person to have a more or less unified personality. Although differences can creep in. But from moment to moment, each Singleton is an individual. Tempo is pretty flexible among Singletons, ranging from the same rate as Primes to very slow ones.
A gestalt is a group mind, a collection of bodies without much individuality in any particular body. Their relationship to tempo seems similar to the Singletons.
Forts are another type of group mind tied together with with Q-loops, connections which allow reliable independent communication between their Frags, the individual bodies that make up the Fort. The overall Fort minds have a tempo set very low, so that their perceptions span centuries. It leaves them disconnected from the rest of humanity. In earlier history, the Forts play a crucial role running the key infrastructure of the Continuum civilization.
Someone born into one of these types can decide to become another, although the process of becoming a Fort is arduous and risky, with many failing, even under peaceful conditions.
The first book begins in the 879th millennium. Imre Bergomasc awakens in the care of the Jinc, the local component of a gestalt (group mind) known as the Noh. The Jinc are looking for God at the edge of the galaxy. They come across a debris cloud, which they collect and are able to reassemble. It turns out to be a cylinder storing a mind, Imre’s mind. They are able to recreate his mind and instantiate him in a body.
However, there are pieces missing, and they are forced to fill in with assumptions. One of those assumptions is Imre’s sex. They guess female. When he first awakens and discovers himself in a female body, he immediately recognizes that it isn’t right, and later asks them to correct it. Although his ability to remember his past life is limited. Eventually he discovers that he’s in danger and is able to escape.
Imre was once the head of a military organization known as the Corps. As he returns to civilization he begins to find members of his old team. As each team member is found, they relay their story in of the last several hundred thousand years.
It turns out that the current version of Imre comes from a mind backed up before a lot of history. During that history, something initiated a Slow Wave that propagated out from somewhere near the center of the galaxy. The Slow Wave disabled the Q-loops connecting the Frags of the Forts together, destroying the overall Fort mind and turning their Frags into mindless entities. The Forts throughout the galaxy are wiped out. The galaxy enters a time of chaos. The Continuum is now fragmented into various societies.
Some of the societies attempt to rebuild by constructing new Forts. But a clandestine organization known as the Barons always attack and destroy any incipient Fort before they can do too much. And there appears to be another clandestine organization known as the Luminous, manifesting as silver balls, which also suppress the creation of the Forts, while also seeming to be an enemy of the Barons.
As the books progress, we get further into the future. By the beginning of the third, we’re over two million years out. And that story takes us further still. It turns out that Imre’s past self played some kind of pivotal role in the history leading to the current civilization. The books are about Imre rebuilding human civilization, then investigating his own past, learning what really led to the Slow Wave, and finding out who his real enemies are.
If you enjoy posthuman space opera in the style of Linda Nagata or Robert Reed, then these books are well worth checking out. The writing is excellent, although the worldbuilding in the first book can feel overwhelming at times. And there are times where it seems the only reason some of the characters do what they do is for the plot. But overall none of it was enough to stop me from reading and enjoying the story.
Lamentably these books aren’t available as ebooks. They are available in audio, and I ended up listening to the first one. But audio is not my preferred format, so I read the other books as used paperbacks. Which felt a bit nostalgic considering that we’re in the sunset of mass market paperbacks. It feels like a crime that these were never published as ebooks.
Williams appears to be a fairly prolific author, but a lot of his output appears to be Star Wars novels. Although he has done a few other independent books. Another series recommended to me are his Geodesica books, which I plan to check out.
If you’ve read the Astropolis books, I’d love to know what you think. Or of any others in the same genre niche.
#sciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFi #SpaceOpera -
The Astropolis trilogy
In the last post I discussed my recent exploration of Reddit. The one conversation I’ve started so far was a request for posthuman space opera recommendations, particularly ones without FTL, stories that envision what the future might be like if we can’t get around the speed of light limit. One hidden gem recommended was Sean Williams’ Astropolis trilogy.
Williams imagines a far future where humanity, or at least its posthuman progeny, manage to settle the galaxy within 150,000 years. Traveling the galaxy takes centuries or millenia, but this isn’t too much of an issue because just about everyone is immortal. Characters in interstellar journeys also benefit from being able to control their tempo, the rate at which they experience time, so that a trip that takes centuries in “time absolute”, only takes a few days or weeks subjectively.
Although it’s established in the second book that, when possible, most travel takes place via hardcasting, where individuals are scanned, converted into information, transmitted, then centuries or millenia later reconstituted at the destination. It isn’t exactly teleporting, since the scanning and reconstitution can take consider time, with verification checks to make sure someone was rebuilt with fidelity.
The interstellar civilization is known as the Continuum, which exists over a galactic network known as the Line. In the Continuum, the closest thing to old-time humanity are the Primes. They have open ended lifespans, although it’s implied in the books that most do eventually die, either by accident, because only one instance of them exists, or by choice. Most of these set their tempo at time-absolute, the rate of time perceived by old-time humanity. The oldest Primes, ones whose lives stretch back to C20 (the twentieth century) are known as the Old Timers.
Singletons, like the Primes, are still recognizably human, but can exist as multiple copies, copies which can be distributed far and wide. The copies can meet up and synchronize memories, allowing Singletons of the same person to have a more or less unified personality. Although differences can creep in. But from moment to moment, each Singleton is an individual. Tempo is pretty flexible among Singletons, ranging from the same rate as Primes to very slow ones.
A gestalt is a group mind, a collection of bodies without much individuality in any particular body. Their relationship to tempo seems similar to the Singletons.
Forts are another type of group mind tied together with with Q-loops, connections which allow reliable independent communication between their Frags, the individual bodies that make up the Fort. The overall Fort minds have a tempo set very low, so that their perceptions span centuries. It leaves them disconnected from the rest of humanity. In earlier history, the Forts play a crucial role running the key infrastructure of the Continuum civilization.
Someone born into one of these types can decide to become another, although the process of becoming a Fort is arduous and risky, with many failing, even under peaceful conditions.
The first book begins in the 879th millennium. Imre Bergomasc awakens in the care of the Jinc, the local component of a gestalt (group mind) known as the Noh. The Jinc are looking for God at the edge of the galaxy. They come across a debris cloud, which they collect and are able to reassemble. It turns out to be a cylinder storing a mind, Imre’s mind. They are able to recreate his mind and instantiate him in a body.
However, there are pieces missing, and they are forced to fill in with assumptions. One of those assumptions is Imre’s sex. They guess female. When he first awakens and discovers himself in a female body, he immediately recognizes that it isn’t right, and later asks them to correct it. Although his ability to remember his past life is limited. Eventually he discovers that he’s in danger and is able to escape.
Imre was once the head of a military organization known as the Corps. As he returns to civilization he begins to find members of his old team. As each team member is found, they relay their story in of the last several hundred thousand years.
It turns out that the current version of Imre comes from a mind backed up before a lot of history. During that history, something initiated a Slow Wave that propagated out from somewhere near the center of the galaxy. The Slow Wave disabled the Q-loops connecting the Frags of the Forts together, destroying the overall Fort mind and turning their Frags into mindless entities. The Forts throughout the galaxy are wiped out. The galaxy enters a time of chaos. The Continuum is now fragmented into various societies.
Some of the societies attempt to rebuild by constructing new Forts. But a clandestine organization known as the Barons always attack and destroy any incipient Fort before they can do too much. And there appears to be another clandestine organization known as the Luminous, manifesting as silver balls, which also suppress the creation of the Forts, while also seeming to be an enemy of the Barons.
As the books progress, we get further into the future. By the beginning of the third, we’re over two million years out. And that story takes us further still. It turns out that Imre’s past self played some kind of pivotal role in the history leading to the current civilization. The books are about Imre rebuilding human civilization, then investigating his own past, learning what really led to the Slow Wave, and finding out who his real enemies are.
If you enjoy posthuman space opera in the style of Linda Nagata or Robert Reed, then these books are well worth checking out. The writing is excellent, although the worldbuilding in the first book can feel overwhelming at times. And there are times where it seems the only reason some of the characters do what they do is for the plot. But overall none of it was enough to stop me from reading and enjoying the story.
Lamentably these books aren’t available as ebooks. They are available in audio, and I ended up listening to the first one. But audio is not my preferred format, so I read the other books as used paperbacks. Which felt a bit nostalgic considering that we’re in the sunset of mass market paperbacks. It feels like a crime that these were never published as ebooks.
Williams appears to be a fairly prolific author, but a lot of his output appears to be Star Wars novels. Although he has done a few other independent books. Another series recommended to me are his Geodesica books, which I plan to check out.
If you’ve read the Astropolis books, I’d love to know what you think. Or of any others in the same genre niche.
#sciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFi #SpaceOpera -
The Astropolis trilogy
In the last post I discussed my recent exploration of Reddit. The one conversation I’ve started so far was a request for posthuman space opera recommendations, particularly ones without FTL, stories that envision what the future might be like if we can’t get around the speed of light limit. One hidden gem recommended was Sean Williams’ Astropolis trilogy.
Williams imagines a far future where humanity, or at least its posthuman progeny, manage to settle the galaxy within 150,000 years. Traveling the galaxy takes centuries or millenia, but this isn’t too much of an issue because just about everyone is immortal. Characters in interstellar journeys also benefit from being able to control their tempo, the rate at which they experience time, so that a trip that takes centuries in “time absolute”, only takes a few days or weeks subjectively.
Although it’s established in the second book that, when possible, most travel takes place via hardcasting, where individuals are scanned, converted into information, transmitted, then centuries or millenia later reconstituted at the destination. It isn’t exactly teleporting, since the scanning and reconstitution can take consider time, with verification checks to make sure someone was rebuilt with fidelity.
The interstellar civilization is known as the Continuum, which exists over a galactic network known as the Line. In the Continuum, the closest thing to old-time humanity are the Primes. They have open ended lifespans, although it’s implied in the books that most do eventually die, either by accident, because only one instance of them exists, or by choice. Most of these set their tempo at time-absolute, the rate of time perceived by old-time humanity. The oldest Primes, ones whose lives stretch back to C20 (the twentieth century) are known as the Old Timers.
Singletons, like the Primes, are still recognizably human, but can exist as multiple copies, copies which can be distributed far and wide. The copies can meet up and synchronize memories, allowing Singletons of the same person to have a more or less unified personality. Although differences can creep in. But from moment to moment, each Singleton is an individual. Tempo is pretty flexible among Singletons, ranging from the same rate as Primes to very slow ones.
A gestalt is a group mind, a collection of bodies without much individuality in any particular body. Their relationship to tempo seems similar to the Singletons.
Forts are another type of group mind tied together with with Q-loops, connections which allow reliable independent communication between their Frags, the individual bodies that make up the Fort. The overall Fort minds have a tempo set very low, so that their perceptions span centuries. It leaves them disconnected from the rest of humanity. In earlier history, the Forts play a crucial role running the key infrastructure of the Continuum civilization.
Someone born into one of these types can decide to become another, although the process of becoming a Fort is arduous and risky, with many failing, even under peaceful conditions.
The first book begins in the 879th millennium. Imre Bergomasc awakens in the care of the Jinc, the local component of a gestalt (group mind) known as the Noh. The Jinc are looking for God at the edge of the galaxy. They come across a debris cloud, which they collect and are able to reassemble. It turns out to be a cylinder storing a mind, Imre’s mind. They are able to recreate his mind and instantiate him in a body.
However, there are pieces missing, and they are forced to fill in with assumptions. One of those assumptions is Imre’s sex. They guess female. When he first awakens and discovers himself in a female body, he immediately recognizes that it isn’t right, and later asks them to correct it. Although his ability to remember his past life is limited. Eventually he discovers that he’s in danger and is able to escape.
Imre was once the head of a military organization known as the Corps. As he returns to civilization he begins to find members of his old team. As each team member is found, they relay their story in of the last several hundred thousand years.
It turns out that the current version of Imre comes from a mind backed up before a lot of history. During that history, something initiated a Slow Wave that propagated out from somewhere near the center of the galaxy. The Slow Wave disabled the Q-loops connecting the Frags of the Forts together, destroying the overall Fort mind and turning their Frags into mindless entities. The Forts throughout the galaxy are wiped out. The galaxy enters a time of chaos. The Continuum is now fragmented into various societies.
Some of the societies attempt to rebuild by constructing new Forts. But a clandestine organization known as the Barons always attack and destroy any incipient Fort before they can do too much. And there appears to be another clandestine organization known as the Luminous, manifesting as silver balls, which also suppress the creation of the Forts, while also seeming to be an enemy of the Barons.
As the books progress, we get further into the future. By the beginning of the third, we’re over two million years out. And that story takes us further still. It turns out that Imre’s past self played some kind of pivotal role in the history leading to the current civilization. The books are about Imre rebuilding human civilization, then investigating his own past, learning what really led to the Slow Wave, and finding out who his real enemies are.
If you enjoy posthuman space opera in the style of Linda Nagata or Robert Reed, then these books are well worth checking out. The writing is excellent, although the worldbuilding in the first book can feel overwhelming at times. And there are times where it seems the only reason some of the characters do what they do is for the plot. But overall none of it was enough to stop me from reading and enjoying the story.
Lamentably these books aren’t available as ebooks. They are available in audio, and I ended up listening to the first one. But audio is not my preferred format, so I read the other books as used paperbacks. Which felt a bit nostalgic considering that we’re in the sunset of mass market paperbacks. It feels like a crime that these were never published as ebooks.
Williams appears to be a fairly prolific author, but a lot of his output appears to be Star Wars novels. Although he has done a few other independent books. Another series recommended to me are his Geodesica books, which I plan to check out.
If you’ve read the Astropolis books, I’d love to know what you think. Or of any others in the same genre niche.
#sciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFi #SpaceOpera -
I'm having to work on my next project(s) in fits & starts at the moment… which means that it's kinda difficult to set time aside for the making of the actual video tutorial(s).
That being said, I have got some quick & easy barricades done - which I think have turned out pretty nice :)
(though those little corner pieces were a bit of a pain to design lol)
#40k #ttrpg #warhammer #stargrave #starfinder #starwars #aliens #terrain
-
I'm having to work on my next project(s) in fits & starts at the moment… which means that it's kinda difficult to set time aside for the making of the actual video tutorial(s).
That being said, I have got some quick & easy barricades done - which I think have turned out pretty nice :)
(though those little corner pieces were a bit of a pain to design lol)
#40k #ttrpg #warhammer #stargrave #starfinder #starwars #aliens #terrain
-
I'm having to work on my next project(s) in fits & starts at the moment… which means that it's kinda difficult to set time aside for the making of the actual video tutorial(s).
That being said, I have got some quick & easy barricades done - which I think have turned out pretty nice :)
(though those little corner pieces were a bit of a pain to design lol)
#40k #ttrpg #warhammer #stargrave #starfinder #starwars #aliens #terrain
-
I'm having to work on my next project(s) in fits & starts at the moment… which means that it's kinda difficult to set time aside for the making of the actual video tutorial(s).
That being said, I have got some quick & easy barricades done - which I think have turned out pretty nice :)
(though those little corner pieces were a bit of a pain to design lol)
#40k #ttrpg #warhammer #stargrave #starfinder #starwars #aliens #terrain
-
I'm having to work on my next project(s) in fits & starts at the moment… which means that it's kinda difficult to set time aside for the making of the actual video tutorial(s).
That being said, I have got some quick & easy barricades done - which I think have turned out pretty nice :)
(though those little corner pieces were a bit of a pain to design lol)
#40k #ttrpg #warhammer #stargrave #starfinder #starwars #aliens #terrain
-
Here's a quick pic showing some basic prototypes next to the finished pieces that will be appearing in my next terrain video.
As you can see, the adding some colour/details really helps bring them to life :D
#40k #necromunda #killteam #starwars #stargrave #starfinder #ttrpg ...and so on ;)
-
Here's a quick pic showing some basic prototypes next to the finished pieces that will be appearing in my next terrain video.
As you can see, the adding some colour/details really helps bring them to life :D
#40k #necromunda #killteam #starwars #stargrave #starfinder #ttrpg ...and so on ;)
-
Here's a quick pic showing some basic prototypes next to the finished pieces that will be appearing in my next terrain video.
As you can see, the adding some colour/details really helps bring them to life :D
#40k #necromunda #killteam #starwars #stargrave #starfinder #ttrpg ...and so on ;)
-
Here's a quick pic showing some basic prototypes next to the finished pieces that will be appearing in my next terrain video.
As you can see, the adding some colour/details really helps bring them to life :D
#40k #necromunda #killteam #starwars #stargrave #starfinder #ttrpg ...and so on ;)
-
Here's a quick pic showing some basic prototypes next to the finished pieces that will be appearing in my next terrain video.
As you can see, the adding some colour/details really helps bring them to life :D
#40k #necromunda #killteam #starwars #stargrave #starfinder #ttrpg ...and so on ;)
-
I'm still very much in a sci-fi gaming mindset at the moment... and so I've been adding some extra detail pieces to the buildings I made last month.
You can find the video here (there's a link in the description to the associated PWYW pdf file):
#terrain #40k #starwars #starfinder #stargrave ...and so on :)
-
I'm still very much in a sci-fi gaming mindset at the moment... and so I've been adding some extra detail pieces to the buildings I made last month.
You can find the video here (there's a link in the description to the associated PWYW pdf file):
#terrain #40k #starwars #starfinder #stargrave ...and so on :)
-
I'm still very much in a sci-fi gaming mindset at the moment... and so I've been adding some extra detail pieces to the buildings I made last month.
You can find the video here (there's a link in the description to the associated PWYW pdf file):
#terrain #40k #starwars #starfinder #stargrave ...and so on :)
