It's such a long time since I watched the Alien movie, but I do remember that it was set largely on a big ship with lots of dark, scary corridors - very impressive and claustrophobic, not the kind of thing you expect from an epic, free-roaming RPG (which seems to be all the rage nowadays).

 

Where do you think the Alien's RPG should be set? On a ship? On a planet? What kind?

I'd probably be inclined to do a bit of both... Planets and upon ships.

I think I'd go for some kind of swamp world - lots of water, lots of reflections and things emerging from the black depths, death by drowning. That's pure horror to me.

I think I'd go for some kind of swamp world - lots of water, lots of reflections and things emerging from the black depths, death by drowning. That's pure horror to me.

LOSE.

 

A big empty ship is what it's all about. You can't have Aliens without industrial corridors.

One of the things I loved about the Alien films was the very confined, claustrophobic and gritty, oily mechanical, futuristic feel - as opposed to a shiny hi-tech feel - so I'm hoping a RPG based on them will retain that atmosphere. I'd rather not see too much traveling across vast open planet surfaces, as it would lose that sense of confined suspense and singular threat.

 

It's an odd mixutre inside my head - I keep envisioning a graphic setting that might seem more akin to a FPS environment, but as a role-playing game instead. You could have sections/levels of needing to get from building to building/ship to ship to provide some variety and quest points, etc., I just don't want that "free-roam-the-whole-world" ala Oblivion style to be the main focus.

Firstly, the original pnp game had material for the setting.

 

As for settings in game I am a great believer in ramping up. As an example consider the way the Blues Brothers starts out incredibly slow and speeds up.

 

If LC is correct then the game should start wide open, like, say, Siberia, and move into gradually more and more confined spaces until eventually you are having a hair tugging match with a xenomorph in a one-man escape pod.

 

EDITED for 'teh''. I don't know why but I seem to be getting worse.

One of the things I loved about the Alien films was the very confined, claustrophobic and gritty, oily mechanical, futuristic feel - as opposed to a shiny hi-tech feel - so I'm hoping a RPG based on them will retain that atmosphere. I'd rather not see too much traveling across vast open planet surfaces, as it would lose that sense of confined suspense and singular threat.

 

Agreed. I hope for a huge base on an distant moon or planet with the cold, lonely atmosphere of System Shock 2.

The second movie (which is my favourite Alien movie coincidentally) started out on a big spaceship. But then they got the distress signal from the mining planet and sent down a smaller ship, equipped with some kind of tank like vehicle. That's what I hope they take their inspiration from. Let there be a headquarter and let said headquarter be this huge ship. Let players be able to freely roam the universe (this is where most of the free-roaming takes place) and incorporate a simple economic system (or something) for players to have a reason to zoom all around the galaxy (galaxies?). Of course there should be planets too and every time you choose to orbit one, you could be able to send down that scout ship again and drive around in your tank, trying to find expensive minerals (mining scouts) or follow up on that distress signal (if that's the mission you're on), or perhaps just visit a city to trade/buy/sell equipment and resources.

 

Having several different planets to choose from and explore makes it more possible to introduce a lot of variety to the game. Ice planets, dust storm planets (like in Aliens), gas planets, you name it. Your own ship should also be one of the explorables. It would then be possible to make one of the main missions a situation where an alien has managed to sneak aboard and you have to find it and kill it before it kills you and the ship. Lots of claustrophobic tunnel crawling potential!

 

Another thing that would be a huge advantage in making the game open-ended on a galactic scale is the ability to later add more planets to the system. Heck, maybe even add an entire new system a few light-years away! The possibilities of downloadable content and/or expansion packs is unlimited. If you confine the game to a single ship, the expansion packs would probably have to be moved to another ship or to a different locale altogether. I'd rather see an expansion be a continuation of a game that I've already played and enjoyed.

 

A slightly more obscure advantage is the ability to hide "mini games" on different planets (don't kill me yet, hear me out!). I'm not talking about lame stuff like the persuasion mini game in Oblivion, I'm talking about bigger games, more like "medium games". For instance, it would be perfectly possible to stumble upon a frontline planet that's tasked with defending the outskirts of the galaxy against potential threats. The planet would therefore be filled with military technology and personnel. As we all know, soldiers are easily bored and as easily amused and their way of releasing tension could be to hold.. tank races! So Obsidian makes this planet and incorporates real driving physics in the gravitation for that planet and voil

I think I'd go for some kind of swamp world - lots of water, lots of reflections and things emerging from the black depths, death by drowning. That's pure horror to me.

LOSE.

 

A big empty ship is what it's all about. You can't have Aliens without industrial corridors.

The second film (and the third) weren't set in a ship (and the fourth WAS!), so -- on balance -- I don't see a ship as essential. I would agree that the "dirty future" look that Ridley Scott copied off Lucas' Star Wars is certainly an excellent mood accelerant, but it is equally possible to have a crashed/disabled ship on the surface of a swamp world; why does the setting have to be identical with the past? There could be some interesting new ways to scare the bejesus out of people, using all sorts of terrain (underground for example) and mechanised settings.

The second movie (which is my favourite Alien movie coincidentally) started out on a big spaceship. But then they got the distress signal from the mining planet and sent down a smaller ship, equipped with some kind of tank like vehicle.

Actually, in the second movie the marines were sent to a specific place and were given a specific mission: the contact with a colony was lost and an investigation was required.

Well, apart from another mission given to only one member.

 

The second movie (which is my favourite Alien movie coincidentally) started out on a big spaceship. But then they got the distress signal from the mining planet and sent down a smaller ship, equipped with some kind of tank like vehicle.

Actually, in the second movie the marines were sent to a specific place and were given a specific mission: the contact with a colony was lost and an investigation was required.

Uhm.. and this is different from my description.. how?

 

They (the marines) started out on a big spaceship. Then they got a distress signal and sent down a smaller ship (to a specific place and were given a specific mission: the contact with a colony was lost and an investigation was required.), equipped with some kind of tank like vehicle.

 

Why the sudden need to explain every detail about the movie? I've already seen it ten times.

They (the marines) started out on a big spaceship. Then they got a distress signal and sent down a smaller ship (to a specific place and were given a specific mission: the contact with a colony was lost and an investigation was required.), equipped with some kind of tank like vehicle.

 

Why the sudden need to explain every detail about the movie? I've already seen it ten times.

I thought you were implying that the distress signal was the reason for landing, no? But the mission (and the destination) was arranged by the company prior to departure of the marine squad, they would have landed there regardless of whether they received the distress signal or not. Now, why I'm saying all this? Because this way you don't really have any freedom of exploration, unlike in the scenario that you were describing, or that I thought you were describing.

 

I hope I've made it clear.

It should all take place in pyramids in Antarctica during present times. Completely appropriate setting for an Alien product.

 

Though, I'd prefer if Obsidian did their own take on the Earth War. But, that's just because it could be maybe too awesome.

Edited May 30, 200718 yr by Tale

And maybe a third party alien NOT-Predator species.

Muppets. A faction of Muppets lead by the Swedish Cook.

 

-Farb

Hey, a muppet Xenomorph would be kick-arse! Imagine Xeno-Gonzo ...

Well, in some of the books the Aliens actually invade Earth so to speak. They go to ground in the sewers of the major cities and fun ensues. Would be an interesting way of doing things.

Well, in some of the books the Aliens actually invade Earth so to speak. They go to ground in the sewers of the major cities and fun ensues. Would be an interesting way of doing things.

Though, I'd prefer if Obsidian did their own take on the Earth War. But, that's just because it could be maybe too awesome.

 

I concur.

 

I see a few possible problems with it, though. It just might be too epic.

Where oh where should it be?

Outer space? A star ship.

I vote in a galaxy far, far away on a small moon ...

A large round orbital floating platform circling around a moon.

A forest moon?

Why of course.

Just so long as there are lots of bbq Ewoks to eat.

A good Ewok is a well done Ewok.

 

I don't think the Aliens would like that planet. The Ewoks would drive them insane.