Sci-fi or fantasy?

[My 2 sids]

Thunkin said something in the Economics thread that got me thinking...

Is Arm more fantasy or sci-fi based?

[Remy]

Fantasy.

[Reiloth]

Low-fantasy.

[Gimfalisette]

Is Arm more fantasy or sci-fi based?

Yes.

[Gwoshi Cheese]

Is Arm more fantasy or sci-fi based?

Yes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fantasy

[Aaron Goulet]

Is Arm more fantasy or sci-fi based?

Yes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fantasy

That was actually a good read.  I wonder what subgenre Arm would be lumped into?

[Delstro]

Good read cheese.

[My 2 sids]

actually, I was thinking in more literary terms.

Fantasy (like fairy tales) portray societal hopes/ values/ morals  whereas Sci-fi reflects the fears of current society. 

In real life there's a lot of focus on the corruption of big business.   I wonder if that's why suddenly wealth and corruption aren't being focused on in game (even when there is plenty of harshness in land its self, and with the strict hierarchy format of the city-states)

Do you all play in effort to have your PCs rise above their "fate"... or be crushed by it?  (positive-hope or negative-negativity)?

[Pale Horse]

Do you all play in effort to have your PCs rise above their "fate"... or be crushed by it?  (positive-hope or negative-negativity)?

I think this is the perfect place for WarriorPoet to come in and say "I play to chop motherfukerz up with bone swords."

[Synthesis]

Do you all play in effort to have your PCs rise above their "fate"... or be crushed by it?  (positive-hope or negative-negativity)?

I think this is the perfect place for WarriorPoet to come in and say "I play to chop motherfukerz up with bone swords."

[Ocotillo]

OD&D meets Dune, insert acid, done.

[Jingo]

Spiritual Autobiography

I got into a heated argument once by telling someone that sci-fi and fantasy are really the same genre.

It wasn't even with Momma Gimf.

[MarshallDFX]

... fantasy is rarely good fantasy if it wants to be fantasy alone.  Unless it adheres some way, by a literary osmosis, to life, in which realities may pass back and forth and be recognized, then it becomes mere pointless daydreaming.  ....  Good fantasy must be allowed to move casually upon the reader, in the air he breathes.  It must be woven into the story so as to be, at times, almost unrecognizable.

Taken from: A Masterwork of Fantasy - Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow.  Edited and with an introduction by Ray Bradbury.

On the contrary, L. Ron Hubbard wrote this in his introduction to "Battlefield Earth"..

The two are, to a professional, separate genres.  I notice today there is a tendency to mingle them and then excuse the result by calling it "imaginative fiction."  Actually they don't mix well: science fiction, to be credible, has to be based on some degree of plausibility; fantasy gives you no limits at all.  Writing science fiction demands care on the part of the author; writing fantasy is as easy as strolling in the park.  (In fantasy, a guy has no sword in his hand; bang, there's a magic sword in his hand.)  This doesn't say one is better than the other.  They are simply very different genres from a professional viewpoint.

[Ocotillo]

But I can't take L. Ron Hubbard seriously.

[RogueGunslinger]

He's managed to brainwash a lot of people into believing some very, amazingly stupid stuff like hasn't been done since the Mormon church. I take him pretty fuckin' seriously.

[Jdr]

Volcano-dwelling alien masters vs magical invisible bearded man in the sky. Both sound equally plausable, the only differences are is that everyone's long accepted the Catholic infiltration of governmental society, and that it's so old that people think tradition = worth.

But I'm not going to derail.

[Jingo]

...

More like


Lol. Ron Hubbard

[RogueGunslinger]

But I'm not going to derail.

What do you think your post was then, a dissertation on the differences between science fiction and fantasy?

[Ocotillo]

Clearly the catholic church represents science fiction rather than fantasy?

[Jdr]

Nah, Catholicism = magic = fantasy.

Scientology = aliens = sci-fi. DUH.

[Aaron Goulet]

But I can't take L. Ron Hubbard seriously.

He's a good science fiction author, just a bit of a nut.

[spicemustflow]

But I can't take L. Ron Hubbard seriously.

He's a good science fiction author

No, he is isn't.

[ibusoe]

Sci Fi

[Morrolan]

Armageddon is not part of a pure genre.  It has too many authors with too many influences.  Some people are telling fantasy stories, some are telling science fiction stories.

[Shalooonsh]

Armageddon is not part of a pure genre.  It has too many authors with too many influences.  Some people are telling fantasy stories, some are telling science fiction stories.

And some just play this game to chop charactafuckaz up with bone swords.

[Aaron Goulet]

And some just play this game to chop charactafuckaz up with bone swords.

This statement made me laugh, especially coming from the 93% killer.

[LucildaHunta]

Stone-punk 

[My 2 sids]

Armageddon is not part of a pure genre.  It has too many authors with too many influences.  Some people are telling fantasy stories, some are telling science fiction stories.

I could see this.

So many say, "play an extraordinary character", yet the story told is very apocalyptic/ sci-fi where this "extraordinary" PCs have PCs which actually preform quite well as a piece in the "dark machine".   Thus, there is this type of storyline which goes hand and hand with Frankenstein or Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep.

At the same time, there are those PCs who still play where at the heart -- are much more fantasy driven.  They are the ones who play to the Docs and other Societal ideals, which sometimes means going against whatever is happening in the reality of the game.   

[Lizzie]

Players going against the docs has nothing to do with what kind of game it is. It is just players going against the docs. The docs are a mishmosh, a conglomeration, a cooperative venture, a symbiosis, of dark fantasy, high fantasy, low fantasy, primitive steam-punk, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi. It is the fantasy of the Dungeons and Dragons campaign it originated from, with significant inclusion of Frank Herbert's sci-fi Dune world, and some pretty spiffy influences of Octavia Butler macabre social morality.

In summary, Armageddon is its own beast. As such, players will take whatever approach to the game as they can find comfort, or intentionally break out of their comfort zone and attack it from a foreign angle. That isn't necessarily someone interpreting things to the extent that they break rules, or play exceptions, or turn the game into something it isn't. It simply means that every player will have his/her own approach. If everyone played exactly the same way, it'd be pretty boring. I find it refreshing, that no elf is exactly like every other elf, no mindbender is played exactly like every other mindbender, no Kadian is played like every other Kadian, etc. etc.

I like seeing that some people take the Arm world, and put a sci-fi spin on it when they bring their character to life. I -also- like taking a step to the north and seeing someone who is taking a dark fantasy concept to their character. I like that the world is so flexible that it can accommodate all of them, individually or as a whole.

[My 2 sids]

Players going against the docs has nothing to do with what kind of game it is. It is just players going against the docs. The docs are a mishmosh, a conglomeration, a cooperative venture, a symbiosis, of dark fantasy, high fantasy, low fantasy, primitive steam-punk, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi. It is the fantasy of the Dungeons and Dragons campaign it originated from, with significant inclusion of Frank Herbert's sci-fi Dune world, and some pretty spiffy influences of Octavia Butler macabre social morality.

Sorry, I should have been more clear.  I didn't mean the Docs explaining the overview of the game -- I mean the Docs concerning the societal norms, values, and morality of the people of Zanthas.  Although sci-fi may be set in the future, the themes revolve around the realities of the present.   Fantasy may be set any time/ anywhere but it's themes revolve around the societal morals and values (the themes aren't restricted to just what is going on in that particular point in time)     

What I'm saying is those who focus on the reality of the PC population are more sci-fi (present day focused)  whereas those who play to the docs are more focused on Zanthas' over-all morality and values (in that regard more fantasy like)

In summary, Armageddon is its own beast. As such, players will take whatever approach to the game as they can find comfort, or intentionally break out of their comfort zone and attack it from a foreign angle. That isn't necessarily someone interpreting things to the extent that they break rules, or play exceptions, or turn the game into something it isn't. It simply means that every player will have his/her own approach. If everyone played exactly the same way, it'd be pretty boring. I find it refreshing, that no elf is exactly like every other elf, no mindbender is played exactly like every other mindbender, no Kadian is played like every other Kadian, etc. etc.

Well, sure!  A fresh take and Arm is quite unique.  But, every story in history fits within a few specific classifications -- I'm just curious to see what type of literature players enjoy reading and then if that enjoyment transfers to the why they view and play.

I like seeing that some people take the Arm world, and put a sci-fi spin on it when they bring their character to life. I -also- like taking a step to the north and seeing someone who is taking a dark fantasy concept to their character. I like that the world is so flexible that it can accommodate all of them, individually or as a whole.

Do you think they compliment or conflict with one another? I realize there is a lot of audience over-lap, but I can't see how Frankenstein complements Robin Hood

[Rhyden]

It's a sci-fi fantasy with big bugs and bone swords.

[jcljules]

Its fun.

[FantasyWriter]

I like to believe that the "Empire of Man" was technologically advanced until a supernatural force wiped it out... probably 1920-1945 advanced.

Also, the rest of the world--the UNknown World--is mostly radioactive, hence the giant bugs, lizards and birds.
This of course is due to a nuclear holocaust from atomic weapons used against the Dragon, halflings, or whatever supernatural force was trying destroy the empire.


Somehow, the low metal content of the Known World's lands keep it relatively safe.

The end.

[Zoltan]

I like to believe that the "Empire of Man" was technologically advanced until a supernatural force wiped it out... probably 1920-1945 advanced.

Heh, I actually like to think something similar to that, too.