31 Questions For Barking Alien - Phase II - Question 7

Today's question, Question #7 for those playing the home game, comes from friend of the blog Jonathan Linneman of Monstrous Matters. 

It is simple enough to answer but still quite interesting nonetheless (and I hope the answer is interesting to my audience). 

I know you've mentioned that you don't use miniatures much (if at all...?) in your RPGs, but I wonder if you do use other visual or tactile enhancements, and if so, what? Any favorites you've used as a GM or experienced as a player?

In my earliest days in the hobby we used miniatures off and on to visually represent our characters, where they were standing, etc. but we never ever measured distances or used the minis in any 'tactical' fashion. We never quite cared about 'facing' or other wargame aspects of the hobby. Miniatures were fun to get and paint but were never seen as necessary.

This combined with various practical concerns steered us away from using them more and more as time marched on. My friends and I were often playing at school during the lunch period, at camp in the open grass, or on a bus or train heading to or from these locations. Not really conditions conducive to the transportation and use of minis.

Then there was the subject matter - the genres and settings we were playing in. After 1982, D&D was played less and less often by the groups I was part of in favor of Star Trek, Star Wars, Champions, Mekton, Teenagers from Outer Space, Toon, and many other TRPGs that didn't have nearly the miniatures support [at the time] that Fantasy games received. 

As a side note, we did use Japanese Model Kits to represent our Giant Robots in various Mecha games. I was really good at customizing and kitbashing the range of Mobile Suit Gundam kits (called 'Gunpla' today). I once took two customized Hi-Zacks from the Zeta Gundam series, modified and repainted to resemble Warhammer 40K Space Marines, to a NJ Gaming Convention where my buddy and I found some Games Workshop guys from England playing the aforementioned games.

I asked one of them, a bald and tattooed fellow with a heavy liverpool accent, if my friend and I could play and field 'Titans' (the Giant Robots of WH40K). We were kind of teased about the question until I pulled out the models and put them on the table next to some standard minis. The guy lost his sh**, called his mate over and he also lost his sh**. Good times.

A final factor, the nail in the coffin as it were, was that I went to the High School of Art and Design and later college at Pratt Institute and the School of Visual Arts. You know how you have that one person in your gaming group who can draw really well? Every person in my gaming group(s) was that person, including me (if you are flexible on the definition of 'draws really well').

We all drew our characters, the bad guys, this alien or that monster, etc. My friend Nelson had a tendency to draw a half dozen to a dozen Blaster Pistols or Lightsaber handles before deciding which one his character used. The others went to other PCs and NPCs. He and my ol' pal Joe would design starship bridge layouts to figure out what kind of bridge our campaign starship would have. 

So yes, a lot of visuals are used in my games, usually in the form of picutres and illustrations much as you see here on the blog. We've used hand-outs and fold out maps on a number of a occasions. We've had physical props at the table once in a while like toy/model Phasers, Tricorders, Lightsabers, and other such items to immerse everyone in the milieu in question.

I've played WH40K a couple of times, used Heroclix to represent Marvel and DC characters for my pal Dan's rules-free Supers sessions, and pointed to the spot on my Eaglemoss die-cast 'The Orville' where the Krill Destroyer's energy blasts touched the PC ship in a bad way. Generally speaking, I love to supply my players with visual but minis just isn't how I do it. 

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Happy 100th Birthday to American Television and Film legend Dick Van Dyke! Star of radio, stage, and screens both large and small, winner of numerous Emmys, one Grammy, and one Tony Award, this man is a living icon of the Entertainment Industry. 

A Very Happy Birthday to you good sir!

31 Questions For Barking Alien - Phase II - Question 4

In the mood to step on a land mine? No? Suit yourself. More for me...

Question #4 comes from my buddy Will L.,

What is your opinion of the increased use of AI tools to generate artistic and written assets in the tabletop RPG industry? Can you share any insights of how stalwarts of the industry are reacting to the usage?

The key word in the first part of the question, which in my mind defines what is being asked, is 'industry'. I am therefore interpreting this as 'how do I feel about the increased use of AI art and writing in professionally produced and sold products.'

Well...I'm against it. 

Now don't get me wrong, I think AI Art is fun to 'make' and I do use it in my personal games and here on this blog. AI Art is a quick, easy way to generate images to show my players and viewers. That said, I spend about an hour or two [minimally] on each image, modifying them in Photostudio and often adding elements drawn by yours truly. When finished, the piece often looks quite different from what the AI Art program created. 

Thing is, I'm not selling any of it. I am not using any AI generated material, artwork or writing, in any product I claim to be my own creation and then attempting to make money on that product. I don't see that as ethical for all the reasons AI work isn't wholly ethical. Almost more importantly, I see it as kind of defeating the purpose of RPGs and the Gaming Hobby.  

RPGs are a business, no doubt about it. The goal in selling a game, whether you're a big company like WotC or a small, independent creator on itch.io is to make money. At the same time, if paying the bills is your only motivation, there are a lot of other, far more lucrative careers you could undertake. No, if you're someone who takes the time, energy, and brain power to make RPGs, you are [to some degree] a creative person who feels the need to, well, create.

So you are putting your heart and soul (metaphorically speaking) into a gaming product and yet you're going to let ChatGPT write it for you? You're going to use AI Art when there are hundreds of artists out there dying to work as an illustrator? Why even bother? Step away from the computer, put away the notes, and go get a mundane job. You aren't a creative. You're too lazy for that esteemed calling.

As for the second part of the question, how the 'stalwarts of the industry' feel about the situation, I really couldn't say. Honestly I'd be curious to find about what the well-known pros think about the subject myself, as it would inform me on whether or not I am going to support their projects. I would definitely be less likely, if not completely unlikely, to buy anything from a company not using real people to make creative works. 

At the same time, as contrary as it may seem, I don't think it would effect my decision to 'purchase' free or pay-what-you-want materials. I've seen a number of Japanese Indie TRPG items with AI generated art but the majority of them have been free to download or under 300 Yen (roughly under $2 USD). If they look really good and I'm only going to find them usefulk in my personal game, I might spend the two bucks (though more likely I wouldn't). Free though? Sure, why not.

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Kessel Spice and Everything Nice

In the early days of the Star Wars Artists Guild (SWAG) I came across the work of a regular contributor who went by the username of 'Reverend Strone'. In real life, Reverend Strone is none other then Daniel Falconer, a New Zealander who has worked as a concept artist and designer for some of the top projects by WETA Workshop, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Narina film series. 

Daniel and I chatted online a few times, the most common subject discussed being a Star Wars D6 RPG campaign he was part of from which most of his fan art originated. I don't recall if he was a player or the GM but the idea behind the game was awesome to me. It took place solely on Tatooine and the PCs rarely left the desert world. The campaign focused on these people living on a world in the Outer Rim who ran a ranch (I forget if they were Nerf or Bantha Herders) and had to deal with rustlers, gangsters, sand people raids, family drama, and the limited resources of Tatooine. 

Imotta the Hutt getting a massage.

A small time crimelord operating a smuggling ring and a legitimate restaurant, 

Imotta is a nephew of Jabba the Hutt.

 

Art by Daniel 'Reverend Strone' Falconer.

If The Mandalorian is a Star Wars 'Space Western' version of the Rifleman, then this campaign was a Star Wars version of Bonanza.

This sounded so cool to me for a variety of reasons but the main one, the element I want to focus on for this post, is the idea of a campaign where you 'live in the Star Wars universe'. The idea of a Star Wars Sandbox without galaxy threatening stakes sparks my creativity in a way that's hard to explain. A story about people just trying to make a living on a frontier planet puts me in a cozy, warm, and very inspired state of mind. I want to sit down, grab a cup of hot blue milk, and jot down ideas for what might be out there to challenge the PCs. 

This concept, common in Anime/Manga and Japanese TRPGs, is what the Japanese call kuki-kei (Airy-Themed Systen) or nichijo-kei (Daily System or Everyday Life System). The genre centers around [relatively] normal people going about their [relatively] normal lives. In Anime and Manga the characters are usually young girls (of course) and a common phrase for the genre is 'Cute Girls doing Cute Things'. This has greatly expanded in recent years, with series that focus on male and female characters trying to exist peacefully in a setting that is often strange and dangerous. 

I've probably mentioned this before but I am absolutely fascinated by the juxtaposition of the strange with the mundane. What is it like to be professional Pet Walker on Coruscant? What does a middle management Imperial Officer do all day?

Imagine being a Jawa Droid Mechanic who has a regular customer on the outskirts of Mos Taika on Tatooine. He combs the Dune Sea and bordering areas for Astromechs of all kinds and knows that this Human will buy them. Problem is, there hasn't been anything decent in weeks. The Jawa pulls up the ol' Sandcrawler to a Power Station to trade for some provisions.

The PCs work at the Power Station (picture it like a 1950s Gas Station mixed with the Tatooine aesthetic) and know this Jawa. He seems down and desparate and the gang offers to help. Maybe one of them knows about a starship wreckage kinda far to the South that might have some droids. Closing shop early to the dismay of some locals and a guy with a podracer, the team heads out to the shipwreck. Perhaps they find some vehicle parts they can use in the garage as well. 

What will they run into? Competing group of Jawas? The Pirates who downed the ship looking for salvage? A Stormtrooper who survived and has been living in the destroyed vessel for months? Who knows! The point is that the planet isn't at stake, the galaxy isn't doomed, and the Sith Warlord isn't your father. You are just a person who lives on Tatooine (or wherever) doing a local acquaintence a solid. Reward? Hopefully you'll find some good gear and your Jawa buddy will owe you one. 

The Japanese TRPG Mamono Scramble is all about this, which is one of the reasons I'm so interested in it. Like Ryuutama for Star Wars, ya know? More Star Wars: Outlaws and less Star Wars: The Acolyte. 

And anything that's less Star Wars: The Acolyte is OK by me. 

May The Force Be With You,

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While I know this is a Star Wars post, I'd like to take this moment to wish everyone a Happy Star Trek Day! Here's to 58 years of exploring The Final Frontier. 

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 23

 

Everyone has their preferences when it comes to what looks cool.

I mean, most of these prompts ask about one's preferences. They may be addressing the participant's past experiences but really they want you to share your opinion on those experiences.

Asking what the 'WEIRDEST game you played' was doesn't expect that you're going to be giving an objective answer. There are no definitive and measurable facts upon which one can conclude that a given game is in fact the WEIRDEST game. FAVORITE Purchase, FUNNIEST, and SCARIEST games, all of these can likewise only be answered subjectively. 

Hmm. That was a pointless tangent. Anything to make this year's event more interesting I suppose. With that, here are some RPG products that I think look really cool:

Left to Right - Top Row First

ALIEN, Break!!, Deadline Heroes,

Kill Death Business, Star Trek Adventures: Lower Decks, The Troubleshooters

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If You Need Me, I'll Be in Space

Welcome to STARvember!

Doing a theme month often (though not always) gets me inspired to post more often than when I don't. It's been a while since I've done a really big one (unless you count RPGaDay as a theme - which I don't) and although October did have a Halloween vibe going, I thought I'd dedicate all the posts this November to my favorite genre - Science Fiction Space Adventure.

 You want cool spaceships? We got cool spaceships!

Let's face it, much of this year has been a bust. With the exception of one campaign I run and one campaign I play, I largely took a break from active Role-Play Gaming for the Summer in order to relax, recharge my batteries, and work on some new projects. 

You want adventure on extrasolar planets? We got adventure on extrasolar planets!

This renewed energy gives me the opportunity to do something on the blog I've wanted to do for sometime; I want to share some art, stories, ideas, and my general love for all things extraterrestrial and traveling at lightspeed. Comic Books may have been the thing that got me into RPGs but Science Fiction is why I stayed and why my love of it continues to expand. My first favorite TV show, the movie that changed my life (though that's really Science Fantasy), and the genre that continues to interest me the most remains Science Fiction.

 

You want strange but potentially dateable extraterrestrials?

We got strange but dateable extraterrestrials!

This month, please join Barkley and myself on a trip through the interstellar reaches of the inside of my head and Boldly Go Where The Force Welcomes You to the Galactic Frontier!

Wait...that's not how it...

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All Images made with the AI Art Generator Midjourney and some Photoshop fiddling by me. 

The Busy Season

Autumn has arrived! With it, what is often the busy season for me as a professional Dogwalker. You know who else is really busy during the month of October? 

Yep, it's the Ghostbusters.

Image made with Midjourney AI Art Generator 

and modified by me in Photoshop

For a guy who isn't into Horror and doesn't believe in the Supernatural, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about Ghosts. Contemplating these wayward and often ornery spirits inevitably leads to thinking about Ghostbusters and of course running a GB one-shot or campaign. I mean, what better time to do so than the month that leads up  Halloween? 

Insert Maniacal and Spooky Laugh!

This month I'll be easing myself back into blogging with some thoughts and artwork related to things that go bump in the night and what to do about them. 

I hope you'll join me. 

Image made with Midjourney AI Art Generator 

and modified by me in Photoshop

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RPGaDay Challenge 2022 - Day 28

 

OK first, I don't randomly tag people. I don't do it and don't usually like when it's done to me. Tip for future RPGaDay events, nix this. 

Second, who the heck has a D8 lying around? D&D players that's who. The rest of us would kindly you appreciate you choosing a die EVERYONE probably has, like a D6. 

So I've rolled 1d6+1 and got a 5, plus one makes 6. That's the number of favorite RPG cover art images I will post. See there, now everybody's happy. 

I am a visual person; far more easily and intensely inspired and excited by images than words. When the two meet and merge to compliment each other I am over the moon but it is rare and I am picky. It is my [likely unpopular] opinion that most RPGs across the board still have pretty weak artwork to this day. I am especially irked by Superhero and Anime based games that don't look like professional Comic Books or Anime. Don't make a game about an artform if you can't emulate that artform.

Some games have a 'house style' such as D&D and Pathfinder that might be very popular and technically well done but they just don't do it for me. It would be too easy to just post covers from IP based games since you know the art there will be good and I am biased by the fact that I like said franchise so it may not be fair to favor the art.

This brings us to...

Paranoia - Second Edition

Art by (Not sure - James Holloway? Doesn't look like Holloway)

Neighborhood Ghost Story Peekaboo aka Peekaboo Horror

First and Second Editions

  Art by Nagomi Ochiai

Skyviators of The Cloud Seas aka The Ocean of Clouds Skyviators

Artist Unknown

Traveller - Japanese Boxed Edition

Art by Naoyuki Katoh

Villains and Vigilantes - Second Edition

Art by Jeff Dee

Wares Blade - First Edition Boxed Set

Artist Unknown

Yes, a lot of these are Japanese produced TRPGs for the Japanese gaming market.

As noted in the beginning of the post, I left out games based on Intellectual Properties for this list. If I were to include them, a few would trump the ones shown here. Specifically:

 

OK, almost done. This year has been...well...kinda meh. I think maybe meh is being kind. Not bad but really boring. Not much to make you think or share your ideas. What's your favorite cover art? This one. How long do you game for? A few hours. Might as well have made them yes or no questions. 

Oh well, been kind of a crappy month for me overall so looking forward to it ending on all counts. 

Later days,

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Rest in Peace, George Perez

Upon leaving the movie theater after having seen Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness (which I shall discuss in a future post). 

To all of George’s fans and friends,

    Constance here, with the update no one wants to read. George passed away yesterday, peacefully at home with his wife of 490 months and family by his side. He was not in pain and knew he was very, very loved.

      We are all very much grieving but, at the same time, we are so incredibly grateful for the joy he brought to our lives. To know George was to love him; and he loved back. Fiercely and with his whole heart. The world is a lot less vibrant today without him in it.

       He loved all of you. He loved hearing your posts and seeing the drawings you sent and the tributes you made. He was deeply proud to have brought so much joy to so many.

        Everyone knows George’s legacy as a creator. His art, characters and stories will be revered for years to come. But, as towering as that legacy is, it pales in comparison to the legacy of the man George was.  George’s true legacy is his kindness. It’s the love he had for bringing others joy - and I hope you all carry that with you always.

     Today is Free Comic Book Day. A day George absolutely loved and a fitting day to remember his contributions to comics and to our lives. I hope you’ll enjoy your day today with him in mind. He would have loved that.

       Please keep his wife Carol in your thoughts and again, I thank you for respecting her privacy. I remain available through the contact on the page.

        George's memorial service will take place at MEGACON Orlando at 6pm on Sunday, May 22nd. It will be open to all. Details to follow. 

       We will miss him always.

I've been unable, until now, to properly convey my thoughts on the passing of my favorite comic book artist of all time, the one and only George Perez.

George Perez was the first comic book artist whose name I actually knew. Prior to his illustrating 'The New Teen Titans' (1980-1984), I absolutely adored comic books but it never occurred to me to know who made them. This all changed when my local comic book store announced, sometime in 1982 I believe, that writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez, the creative team on one of my favorite comics at the time, would be attending a comic book convention in New York City in the fall. I immediately got tickets and went with my friend Joe Cangelosi to meet with the people who made our beloved Titans.

We managed to speak with George and Marv before their panel, for some time actually, asking them questions, sharing our own superhero ideas, and generally getting to know them as people. When we went into the panel, Joe and I sat in the third or fourth row and were recognized by Marv and George and called on several times. Afterwards, I bought this massive poster of the Teen Titans which Perez signed on the back. It was one of my most cherished items when I was younger.

It was because of George Perez that I decided to go to the High School of Art and Design and the School of Visual Arts. I wanted to be a comic book artist. I knew it was a real job as I had met a real person with that job and he was happy.

Fast forward 25 years to my time working for Wizard World Conventions and getting to meet George Perez again. I was introduced to George by one of my bosses and I relayed to him the story of our first meeting. He kindly told me he didn't remember the events I described but he also didn't remember what he'd had for breakfast that morning. "It isn't you", he said with a smile. The next morning I randomly passed him in a hallway; he smiled, pointed at me, and said, "ADAM!" with his eyes wide. I chuckled and replied, "Yes, thank you. And you're George!" He laughed and walked on. We would talk maybe one or two more times that weekend and each time it was warm, friendly, and casual.

Sometime later, perhaps a few months, we (Wizard) were trying to get guests for an upcoming show. We had a neat idea for a series of panels on how comics were made and when it came time to get a writer I suggested Marv Wolfman. "Marv won't do it", I was told. "He doesn't like us." I asked if I could at least try and was given the go ahead as long as we had a few back-up plans.

I called Marv, introduced myself and why I was contacting him, and said, "before you consider the proposal, can I tell you a story about meeting you and George Perez when I was 13?" I proceeded to tell him what I told you above, with a few more details regarding some humorous anecdotes that had occurred during that first encounter in 1982. I also mentioned seeing George a few months prior. Marv asked if I'd told George the story. I of course told him I had and how George had responded. "Heh. That sounds just like George. It's been a while since we've spoken and longer since I've seen him. I miss him." Marv ended up signing on to the event and as George was a guest as well, the two got to chat which was worth everything to me. That was almost 15 years ago.

Today I learned of George's death and the disappearance from this world of yet another of my heroes. Although I was not close with him, I got to know him for a time. I got to speak to him, listen to him, know he listened to me, and make him laugh. What more could you ask for in this life? He will live on in my heart and memories as he will in the hearts and memories of his family, friends, and many, many fans. Tonight I raise a glass to George Perez, who disproves the adage that you shouldn't meet your heroes.

Mine was awesome.

Rest in Peace.

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STAR WARS: GRAY TERRITORIES - Episode I: Another Person's Trash - Part 1

STAR WARS: GRAY TERRITORIES 

Episode I: Another Person’s Trash

The Galactic Civil War is over but all is not well. Between the Western Reaches and the Unknown Regions, chaos reigns.

As the New Republic focuses on the inner systems, Imperial Remnants and Independent Warlords battle for control on distant worlds. In addition, the mysterious cult known as The Dwellers in The Dark search the stars for the tomb of an entity most sinister.

Meanwhile, on the remote planet of Boggonda, the paths of three beings who may decide the fate of the region are about to cross...

We open with a view of the planet Boggonda in space, a large starship moving in front of that camera; you know, as you do in a Star Wars production. As the audience takes in the scene they realize that ship is clearly Imperial but it's not a Star Destroyer. Rather it is a considerably smaller corvette, badly damaged, and apparently adrift. 

Then we go down to the surface of the swampy, humid , foliage covered world, its single biome best described as 'the Florida Everglades'. The focus terms to the character of Xim Darrol (PC), an 'Ex-Imperial Field Commander'. More on the potential inaccuracy of that description later. 

Art by Aristides Iliopoulos

Through an inner monologue we learn that Commander Darrol has been stranded on Bogganda for about 5 years. Sent to take out Pirates and Criminal Warlords thought to be working with the Rebellion, Xim's team was out numbered and outgunned. His unit, along with support in orbit, managed to defeat the enemy at a huge cost; the orbiting ship was disabled and the majority of the Imperial soldiers were dead.

Darrol called in back-up that never came and neither did an extraction team. Communications broke down and eventually the Commander and his remaining team members found themselves stuck. Rumors spread that the Galactic Civil War was over; the Emperor was dead and the Empire no more.

One by one his squad fell to local bandits, dangerous local flora and fauna, and the rough conditions of Boggonda's environment. Darrol survived, cobbling together gear dropped by those who didn't make it and learning to live in the wetland jungles. Now, for the first time in as long as he could remember, there might be a chance to get off this mudball.

While in the town of High Ridge, Xim overhead a local mechanic and salvage scavenger saying he might have found a ship at the bottom of Crevice Crater North East of them. The mechanics fellow salvagers didn't believe him, especially when he insisted it was a Corellian Transport, maybe a Light Freighter, and in really good condition. Darrol was ready to believe this guy however because, as he said himself, "I gotta get outta here! I've had it with this slime pit."

Xim heads off to speak with the mechanic, a Dug by the name of Dunbolgo Siwani (PC) who works for Beego's Salvage Shop.

Dunbolgo's player didn't know he found a ship until I mentioned it in the opening to Xim's player. Without any more elaboration, I turned to 'Dunbolgo'...

Art by Keith Conroy

"So where is Dunbolgo this morning?"

The Dug Mechanic was already at the shop, trying to perform some repairs on a Dwarf Probe Droid he'd found in the jungle a few weeks back. Xim walks in, nods to the Rodian Shopkeep Beego and then marches towards Dunbolgo. Darrol had been to the shop before for parts and repairs and while he'd seen the Dug many times, they'd never really spoken before. Funny enough, the Dug had probably done work on Xim's gear. 

Xim and Dunbolgo's players immediately launch into an in-character conversation that basically I had nothing to do with as GM. 

Xim: "Hey there...say, is that a Viper 10J? A Dwarf Probe Droid? My team used to work alongside those."

Dunbolgo: "Why yes...yes it is. I found it pretty badly banged up in the jungle. Something is clearly wrong with the waste compressor."

Xim: "You seem like you know your stuff but have you tried adjusting the power flow? The tech boys I knew said that if you give it more juice it compensates for all the gunk that gets in it from the terrain out there."

Dunbolgo: "I thought of that but was afraid it might overheat. Still...you just gave me an idea. I can divert some of the battery power to the filtration system to prevent the compressor from needing to work so hard. Yeah! That'll do it. Thanks...ah..."

Xim: "Xim. Xim Darrol. Listen...(gets closer and lowers his voice)...I hear you found a ship?"

Meanwhile in the wetlands below, we see a rarely sparse and simple camp site and a figure stirring from within a makeshift tent. This is Bodhe (PC), a former Guardian of The Whills who once protected the Kyber Temple on the Jedha. Offworld when the planet was destroyed by the first Death Star, Bodhe has wandered the galaxy for many years questioning and reaffirming his faith in The Force. Lately he believes he has achieved a deep understanding and connection to it, possibly even gaining the abilities of the long lost Jedi. 

Art by Jason Narvaez

Or...he might be delusional.

Bodhe is missing many specifics in his memories of the past and periodic visions confuse his sense of the present. Reality and dream intertwine as he searches for answers as to his identity and purpose in the universe. Here and now on Boggonda he is looking for something, both a light and a voice, calling to him from the wilderness. Having had a dream of the location of this thing that calls him, he seeks to climb a nearby mountain in an attempt to get a better vantage point. Perhaps he can find a landmark from his vision to guide him further. 

As Bodhe approaches a waterfall coming out of crack in the mountainside, he sense a cave opening behind it. The expanse of swamp beyond the mountain is too hazardous to travel by foot and he decides to see where the cave leads. Soon he find himself ascending rough hewn stairs as the cave leads to some sort of ancient dwelling and what looks to be a shrine. Ancient symbols carved into the walls seems strangely familiar...

To Be Continued,

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RPGaDay Challenge 2021 - MAP

I love Maps. I just don't love using them. 

Let me explain...

Maps are, for me at least, a very beautiful but very specific form of art.

They are [generally speaking] depictions of places, ranging from the interiors of buildings to the geological and topographical features of planetary bodies. The most wonderful thing about Maps in my humble, personal opinion is that these places need not exist. Since they are works of art, they rely primarily on the skill and imagination of their creators and therefore may be real or fictional.

This means that while they are certainly a useful tool for determining where one is and how to get where one want to go, Maps are equally impressive for showing use the relationship between several points that need not be anywhere in reality. Images showing us where the Misty Mountains are in relation to Hobbiton and how far Tatooine is from the Core Worlds of Coruscant and Kuat are of just as much interest to me as the GPS that tells me how to get from my apartment to my favorite restaurants in the Midtown Manhattan. Likely more so. 

When it comes to gaming, I don't use Maps for the purpose of showing my players where their PC is standing, how far the opponents is from them, how many 'spaces' or 'hexes' it is to the door or anything like that. My games aren't war games and I usually don't bother with range unless there is some narrative or dramatic reason to do so. 

I use Maps to say, 'Look at this World Building! Look how cool this place is!' I want you to see the setting in a way that intrinsically makes it more real because as Humans we are trained to understand that if there is a Map to it, it must be a place. I couldn't care less if a Map depicts how many weeks of overland travel it takes to get from one adventure to the next but I do want the visual that says, 'This is far. This is going to take some time and go through so spectacular terrain.'

Maps are fascinating to me but distances less so.

Entry 2 - Map

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Kore Wa Jiyū Shōnin Beowulf

Continuing my deep dive into Japanese Tabletop RPGs and the American RPGs that the Japanese love to play, I am moving on to a title near and dear to my heart. Thankfully, its a title that Japan's gaming enthusiasts seem particularly fond of as well. 

I'm talking about...

Games Design Workshop worked with Japanese entertainment company Hobby Japan to translate the Traveller game in 1984. Hitoshi Yasuda, founder of Group SNE, was the lead translator on the product.

The Japanese editions were formatted differently from their American counterparts. The original little black books contained in a boxed set proved popular, so many of the following products were also in the format of boxed sets instead of individual books. The 'Black + Colored Stripe' style of the LBBs was replaced with artwork by noted Science Fiction artist Naoyuki Katoh, well established in Japan as the painter and illustrator of many American Sci-Fi classics that had been translated into Japanese such as Dune, Starship Troopers, The Stars My Destination, and more.

Interestingly, as Hobby Japan preferred to group certain Traveller RPG books together to sell in boxed set, including adventures and additional material, art, and minor alterations were added to make these products work better together. The Japanese edition of classic Traveller is therefore not an exact, word-for-word translation but one that has been purposely embellished for better internal synergy. 

Traveller Referees Accessories

A Japanese Traveller Supplement

with no exact US counterpart.

Furthermore, Hobby Japan was given access to many of the third party products created for use with Traveller by FASA, Judge's Guild, and Digest Group Publications. Not surprisingly, this open attitude on the part of the original creator, Marc Miller, spurred on the Japanese writers to expand the game even further. 

One of my favorite Japanese Traveller products:

The Traveller Robot Manual

combines Book 8: Robots with 101 Robots 

While later editions and variations of the Traveller game that came out in America would also be translated for the Japanese market - namely MegaTraveller and Traveller: The New Era - a very dedicated fanbase of Japanese players continued to play the classic game more or less as it had always been. 

In 2004, Raimei, Inc., an Information Technology and Services company, worked with Far Future Enterprises to publish a 20th Anniversary Edition of the original Japanese Traveller box set. That same year quarterly Japanese gaming magazine RPGamer (Spring 2004, Vol. 5) dedicated an entire issue to Traveller, adding material to the board game Mayday as well as including a Traveller Replay Manga. 

Around that same time, the Japanese TRPG magazine Role & Roll had published a sample Traveller adventure with the numbers all written in English and in the same UPP and UWP order as American products are. The adventure, featuring the PCs' vessel forced to land and do repairs on a planet with huge ant-like creatures, is one I've used regardless of not being about to read the scenario in full (I supplemented a lot of the details with my own ideas.). 

According to my sources, while the GURPS and Mongoose versions of Traveller have made it to the shores of the Japanese islands, the original version is still very popular throughout Japan.

To my knowledge Raimei, Inc. is no longer in business, possibly absorbed into another larger company. I am not entirely sure who in Japan has the rights to original Traveller at present. If anyone out there has any information on the current status of classic Traveller in Japan, please feel free to share it in the comments below. 

For some additional insight and inspiration I recommend checking out the Japanese language Traveller fan website of Kamu Uruhito. This site has been invaluable to me over the years as not only a source of Traveller art and ideas but links to other Japanese Traveller sites. 

I realize that this post talks a lot about Traveller the game and its history in Japan but hardly anything about what Japanese fans do with it. That is to say, how 'Japanese Science Fiction' applies to the Traveller RPG and vice versa. I may have to make that a follow up post as the specifics are both simpler and more intricate than can be easily summed up here.

That is all the time I have right now my friends. I need to make the Jump to Regina. Clear Skies everybody!

Up next, Superheroes...and Superheroes...and Superheroes...

AD

Barking Alien

PS: Since you're all friends of mine, I'll let you in on a little secret - dig around and you'll find that the Traveller site isn't Uruhito's main page (It isn't even his FINAL FORM!) but one of several dedicated to RPGs, models, Star Trek, and a host of other stuff. Have fun!

Finally, some sad news in the world of Anime and Manga. Kentaro Miura, the popular Manga writer and artist known for the series Berserk, passed away on May 6th due to acute aortic dissection. He was 54. I fan of his work myself, my condolences and best wishes go out to his family, friends, and Berserk fans worldwide.

Rest in Peace.