So I’ve got a couple of questions related to the recent talk of BE’s shade-less system and such.
1 - What sort of game and stories does BE support? With the Infection mechanics, it seems that the stories will all be character dramas set to the backdrop of Vaylen attacks. Is that correct, or is there more flexibility that I’m not seeing?*
2 - What are the chances we can see one of you folks familiar with the BE system stat up some of the characters from the comics? Maybe Faith and Sheva? I’m curious to see what they’d look like in the system as compared to their strengths and weaknesses in the game. I’m particularly interested in their beliefs, instincts, and traits. I think a very important part of satisfying BE play is going to be coming up with potent and relevant BITs, particularly if the backdrop of the story is going to be battle with the Vaylen.
Regards,
Daniel
Don’t take this as a criticism, I think there’s an enormous amount of potential in these kinds of stories. I’m just curious.
The game supports character driven science fiction drama. In the infilitration and usurpation phases, we often don’t even talk about the worms – or they enter the picture at the end of the phase.
You’re supposed to play out the character drama. The worms are just the background.
You can play any dark SF space opera story so long as it: focuses on one planet at a time (I know, how limiting) and recognizes that even if you don’t address it, human life as we know it is coming to an end.
I’m glad to hear it’s supportive of more than humans vs. worms, though I think you could get a ton of mileage out of those sorts of stories. And I’m not entirely sure how your sarcasm was directed, but it doesn’t particularly bother me that stories are limited to one planet at a time. I prefer the structure a good situation creation engine can provide over an incoherent mess with unlimited freedom any day.
Well, just so you understand, Daniel – and if I’m wrong, Luke, feel free to bitchslap me – there will always be Humans vs. Worms. Whether or not your characters choose to address (or even be aware of) the issue that the planet is under malignant attack is really up to you, but the players will be facing the human vs. worm concept via the metagame Infection mechanics from the outset, and you really won’t be able to get too far away from that.
So yeah, you can play any single-planet dark space opera game that you want, but make no mistake, like it or not, there will be worms.