From the green grass to the stars above! Your thoughts on the future!?

[Atom]

Or more specifically the futuristic setting, the one that sadly happens to be at the bottom of the rung out of the four setting forums.


Do you enjoya futuristic setting? If not why?


Have any good memories regarding that section?


Come oooon gimmie your thoughts and fill out the poll! I'm honestly dumbfounded by the thread count in futuristic compared to the other three D:

 

[Mordecai]

I'm so-so with futuristic settings. I'm really sick, personally, of the "on a spaceship in deep space" setting, especially when roleplays are trying to replicate the Star Wars/Star Trek vibe. I found most roleplays are grossly under-prepared to take on such a huge project like that. Furthermore, I'm getting very tired of seeing "World War III" and "Mechahuman" sci-fi roleplays. I'm all for including new technologies into a roleplay, but if I see another "Us vs. them with Transformer body suits" roleplays, I'm going to pull my hair out. xD


That said, I've had some amazing sci-fi roleplays. The great thing about sci-fi is it can take almost any form, you know? Just because it's the "future" doesn't mean everything has to be set in the beautiful, technologically advanced Utopia of computery-goodness (looking at the Borderlands setting for a great example).


As you can see, I have a major love-hate with sci-fi.

 

[Atom]

I do see xP


I've been floating about an idea of a colonization type RP. Without powers. Iffy on the idea of aliens. It's forming though.

 

[Grey]

Futuristic is too broad. It's an aesthetic, not a genre.


And then there's Mohs Scale of Sci-Fi hardness to account for.


I enjoy some sci-fantasy, like Star Wars, because it's just fun and there's plenty of room to do interesting things that traditional fantasy doesn't necessarily allow for. I'd also file Unhallowed Metropolis under this head, though it's marginally harder.


Moderate sci-fi can be pretty good, but a bit trickier. Usually smaller in scope, though, so it almost writes itself if you've got a good idea..


Hard sci-fi is my favourite, but I'm not actually smart or educated enough to write it.

 

[Neptz]

I'm... meh with sci-fi. I don't hate it or like it, but I feel like it's just not my "thing". I prefer fantasy and normal/realistic ones in terms of this forum's sections.


Also fandom ones, but rarely.

 

[Bone2pick]

Hard sci-fi is my favourite, but I'm not actually smart or educated enough to write it.

I'm not up to speed as to what constitutes Hard scifi, but judging by your context it sounds tiresome. My approach to scifi isn't anymore daunting than any other genre, but that's because I don't allow myself to suffer paralysis by analysis. Maybe that puts me squarely in sci fantasy? I explain what I can and leave what I can't a mystery. I'm into larger than life fiction, so my concerns for realism aren't overwhelming.

 

[Grey]

Well, hard sci-fi typically examines social and philosophical concepts in light of new technology and discoveries which are rooted in our current scientific understanding of the world but follow extrapolations based on that understanding which may or may not have any kind of accuracy. Because I fucking love anthropology and philosophy that really appeals to me, but to do it really well demands a degree of natural intellect, scientific education, and excellent prose that's beyond me personally.


Bindsight by Peter Watts is probably better classed as bleeding-edge sci-fi, but it's in the ballpark I'm talking about.


The Deus Ex series of videogames or Gibson's cyberpunk are examples of moderate sci-fi. Gibson likewise would leave some things a mystery, but there's always been a consistent and believable internal logic to his work.

 

[Bone2pick]

Well, hard sci-fi typically examines social and philosophical concepts in light of new technology and discoveries which are rooted in our current scientific understanding of the world but follow extrapolations based on that understanding which may or may not have any kind of accuracy. Because I fucking love anthropology and philosophy that really appeals to me, but to do it really well demands a degree of natural intellect, scientific education, and excellent prose that's beyond me personally.

I too love anthropology and philosophy, but I've always felt that I can explore those in nearly any genre. As to the level of scientific education I'm looking for in scifi — I honestly don't need much. Again, the setting is mostly just aesthetics for me, and the themes I'm looking to hit are eternal. And I'm thankful that's the case, because it keeps me comfortable writing characters in any millennium.

 

[sorrow made you]

I absolutely love Futuristic roleplays. But I'm incredibly picky about them.


As much as I love a good space exploration roleplay, I am very picky with them. I'm honestly not a big fan of aliens and going around colonizing on different planets. That part doesn't appeal to me. Give me an Outlaw Star/Space Dandy/Cowboy Bebop feel to it, and I will love you forever. And space pirates. Space pirates can be a load of fun if executed well.


On a different note though, Futuristic does not necessarily mean it has to be hundreds of years in the future. It could actually be maybe ten, fifteen, twenty years in the future. This opens up possibilities that we could relate to yet is still out of our realistic reach. I think what else contributes to Futuristic roleplays is the level of technology. How we are today, we could easily say that within the next five years we could have pocket hollogram computers or chips in the back of our brains that create an entire user interface that we can only see.


I'm a fan of Shadowrun tabletop, even though I haven't played myself. But even though they have orks and elves and dwarves and whatnot, they have cyberpunk. I think cyberpunk is something that needs to be explored more. I would love that.


My absolute favorites are ones that have to deal with dystopians (or crumbling utopians), political affairs, or mech wars. A lot of futuristic roleplays have to do with some sort of advanced warfare and/or political games. A lot of people just are't into that. A lot of people that roleplay (from my experience) just really don't like or understand politics. I love strategy, but not to the point of Warhammer status. I love to apply sciences and physics to my concepts and characters, because that makes them more real and logical to me. I mean, fantasies are absolutely lovely, but... sometimes I really wonder how this kid can manipulate fire without burning himself. Or how that girl can turn her body into diamonds. Futuristic gives superpowers a logical explanation. I'm one of those people that actually like researching and looking into those kind of details. xD

 

[spiderlegs]

On the whole, I enjoy futuristic settings. The speculation involved, often inspired by current developments, offers an interesting aspect. However, I am tired of specific genres of scifi, especially apocalyptic and dystopian. They can be done right, but so often (and especially in rps) fall back upon ample cliches. Space can still be fun, but it's also a little stale. I find near-future the most engaging, since it highlights the changes new technologies and social structures might bring about against the backdrop of a world I know. It's a genre that's tricky for writers, because developments will render their predictions absurd within years of publication, but ripe for roleplay, given its faster, rougher format.

 

[Bone2pick]

Space can still be fun, but it's also a little stale.

Oh I gotta disagree with space being stale. It's such a special setting for my imagination; that neverending ocean of possibility. For me it's more surreal than magic and more awe-inspiring than any pantheon of gods. If I lived a dozen lifetimes I wouldn't tire of writing space fiction.

 

[Atom]

Oh I gotta disagree with space being stale. It's such a special setting for my imagination; that neverending ocean of possibility. For me it's more surreal than magic and more awe-inspiring than any pantheon of gods. If I lived a dozen lifetimes I wouldn't tire of writing space fiction.

To me space is endless, uncharted, and a place where you can find anything.


Space4life

 

[Ducky]

I enjoy futuristic settings for RPs. However....


Writing for me is describing the scene taking place in my head. In a modern, details RP, I have no problem writing at least four or five paragraphs for a post. In a futuristic setting, I often find myself struggling to just write a paragraph or two. I'm sure it's just the limitations of my own writing ability and will improve over time, but frustrating nonetheless.

 

[Emma Parker]

I love futuristic settings if it is done right. However, that is the catch... being done right. When you set your role play in another time era or world that has no history prior to your writing then you have to create it which is an incredible amount of time and effort to do so. Look at the greatest Sci Fis of all time; Star Wars, Star Trek, Mass Effect, Star Gate and Firefly; all of them have extensive timelines that go back years before the story line taking place. Some even go back to current times. That is because when creating anything in the world, it needs something to identify with or otherwise it is just thrown in there. So original Sci Fi that is good is extremely hard to come by.