Sebastian is 10, almost 11. He's read Galactic about 5 times since he found it on the couch when Vincent returned from GenCon 07. He said casually last week that he'd like to play, and we said we'd play if he'd run,and he got this big grin and said "sure!" So a few nights back, we sat down and made characters. We didn't get farther than that, due to time, but we're all looking forward to playing.

First impressions: Seb's never done this before, so he couldn't sum up what came first in character creation. He was already ahead at the threat of the Scorge, and we had to default to me reading over character creation, with Seb correcting me when I missed something. I suspect we're still missing something, about all of us being somehow aware of the imminent danger, so I'll have to ask him when he gets home from school.

I like that it can be any size or type of ship. Vincent made a navy cruiser (crew 200), I made a mining tug (crew 5), and Elliot (age 7) made a research vessel looking for alternative energy sources (crew 20). We had a little trouble figuring out whether the concept was a few words about our idea, or did we pick one off the list, but soon it became clear the list was for archetypes, the next step. There's a switch-up where the overview says "traits" and the section is called "edges", but that's editing, not playtesting. We all made captains we liked, and I really like the interlocking thing, where we also each make crew on the other captain's ships. The character creation leads to a really nice, fully bodied character, but it is a little much for a 7 year old's attention span. I's like to try it again with all adults. Nevertheless, I'm committed to playing out this game. Elliot did have really good, clear ideas about his captain, and we had some funny in-character exchanges while we were making our various crew members.

We skipped factions till next time, and made worlds. Sometime in the next few days, Seb and I will sit down and map out what we have so far, so he can start thinking about it in GM terms.

Hi Meg,

This sounds like a great game for Sebastian to start out gming with. Are you guys planning to draw the ships? Keep us updated.

Maybe Matt could sit in as a special guest character on a session some time. :)

best,
Emily

This is ferociously cool. I'm looking forward to hearing more.

We are most definitely going to draw the ships and the worlds,and any aliens we might encounter. Elliot's research vessel has a phenomenal medical bay, and it's also got something call monomolecular laser cannons.

I made a comment in a thread in the DED forum about drawing the map as you go. Use dimes to draw worlds on the map, then definitely draw bigger versions.

When I was a kid, I played Star Frontiers, and there were things in it I didn't like, or that confused me. If Seb is confused or displeased, you tell him--as Keith would say--that that shit is getting changed.

I think we're looking at another session tomorrow, unless Elliot's feeling too stomach-achy to play. Drawing worlds and making factions and finding quests, here we come!

So here's where it all stands now:

Capt. Issac Bonfroth, of the mining tug My Idea 2 (Meg's) Gruff, views crew as family, no patience for those who don't pull their weight
"Kid" aka Bob aka Obdindindinba R. - lazy, but it's his first job and we needed a mechanic - Strictly Professional relationship, played by Vincent
Jonah Bonfroth - older bro, the quartermaster - Family Ties, Elliot

My mission: find new ore source to invest in/repair ship
Problem: My crew's got some weird flu, maybe from landing on a planet with bad ore?

Capt. Xenos Crystal, of the research vessel Wanderer (Elliot's) conscientious and careful
Marshal Prahavati - navigator, bold and adventurous - Strictly Prof, Vincent
Zora Crysatl - communications, meddling and timid, Xenos' older sis, Meg

Xenos' mission: discover a new high-yield energy source to solve the home-world's crisis
Problem: emergency/crash landing on a planet with alloyvore worms the size of a minivan.

Capt. Hannah Thomas, of the naval ship D41164 "Lucy" (Vincent's) strict, military, and realistic
Kenji M Jeffers - security chief, serious and suspicious, hero worships the Capt (Unrequited love), Meg
Archer McCan - gunnery chief, ambitions for the captain's chair, Elliot

Hannah's mission: Find out who's behind the mysterious signal
Problem: someone on-ship has sabotaged the sensors just when we need them most.

We've got seven worlds - three each was just too many. We each made two, except Seb who made one, as per rules.
M138K12 - 'uninhabited', breathable air, boggy surface
Alloytron - clockwork planetiod with a metal skin and gears and stuff in side
Kaltrion - home to the aforementioned metal-eating worms
Dracoron - low-grav, thin atmosphere gaseous planet with floating sky-islands
Tulu - uninhabited, wet and hot, near-breathable air, non-human life
Achenos - colony world on the frontier
Wabash - high-grav farming planet with indigenous people

Factions:
Drakar - alien clan wanting to claim Dacoron for themselves
Lockheed Starcraft - continuing human dominance of sector, primarily human navy
Amnesty Intergalactic - personitarian aid and person rights for all people
Zarfoids - alien clan searching for their long-lost energy source and regain their planet

Making everything at once is a bit much, but it does start to make a nice web for Sebastian to start tugging on. I asked him what he needed to do to get ready for GMing and he said "Well, it's not so much like that. All the players have a part in the story, not just the GM."

"Well, it's not so much like that. All the players have a part in the story, not just the GM."

Heh! We learned 'im right. :)

Great ship set ups. Also, Alloytron rocks. And go personitarian aid!

Cool. Plenty of good tension to work with among the crew!

What's all the captains' calls to adventure? How'd they get on board with the whole 'stopping the scourge' thing? I can't tell from the quest descriptions at this outline level, and I'm curious about how you worked that in. OMG TELL ME MORE. Plus I want to make sure you knew from the text that you were supposed to do that.

Also, three worlds is an artifact. Sorry. Should just be one. Three is nuts. You can totally make more as you go.

Thanks for sharing the coolness!

Now that I see how it all comes together to make quests, I have to retract my recommendation in email. You really do need to create a bunch of stuff up front.

Hm.

-Vincent

Matt wrote:
What's all the captains' calls to adventure? How'd they get on board with the whole 'stopping the scourge' thing? I can't tell from the quest descriptions at this outline level, and I'm curious about how you worked that in. OMG TELL ME MORE. Plus I want to make sure you knew from the text that you were supposed to do that.

The groups seem like one of the things that make the game durable for long term play. Their agendas get to be fleshed out and explored over time, pushing the main characters onward.

very good for tight time restrictions.

Two hours plus? Probably not three hours.

-Vincent