Steampunk

[joannahurley]

I have a mild obsession with Steampunk lately. Not enough to start dressing in the style myself, but I love seeing costumes others have come up with, and I've been reading a bit of genre fiction, and man, do I want to play a steampunk genre RPG. I'm coming at the concept a little ass-backwards, since one of the primary influences on my interest,

Comments

[ladysprite]

You know, I'm playing in a cross-genre campaign larp that includes at least one steampunk setting... :)

If you're willing to travel to PA and/or MD a few times a year, you could join. Seriously, if it appeals, let me know and I'll give you details.

[joannahurley]

A post about your LARP (Brassy Men, right?) a ways back was one of many things that got me inspired, actually. I'm still not that interested in larps, though. I dunno why, but they just don't catch my interest like tabletop. Odd, that, since they're likely to be MORE immersive. Maybe it's adding in all the new folks at the same time that's the problem? I don't game at cons either, for much the same reasons.

[painangrrfear]

Nice article. I love the costumes so much! This has become a recent interest of mine as well. I've got quite a few bits and pieces that could be altered, added to, or made over into steampunk style. Eventually I'd like to find a steampunk RP.

[dqg_neal]

You should do a search on steampunk computers. There are some really neat things out there.

I love girl genius, I think I read through the entire archive in like a 3 day reading spree (of course as you already noticed it is really difficult to pick up midstream.)

[joannahurley]

Yeah, I've seen some of the computers. I'd love one of those set ups, although I tend to wonder how ergonomic they'd end up. :)

I devoured Girl Genius. I woke up thinking about how quickly I could get back to reading it. I haven't done that with any media in a while. It IS hard to introduce someone to, though, since it definitely needs to be started from the beginning.

[baavgai]

From the article, Brazil as steampunk? Interesting.

If you're into it, the anime Steamboy would also be worth checking out.

[joannahurley]

I've never seen Brazil, although I've heard it's...odd. And Steamboy I've never heard of, I think. I don't watch a lot of anime, but it's just happened that way.

[ambersknave]

Science!

I've had fun with Castle Faulkenstein, but it's an odd mechanic. Fortunately we normally run darn near everything at my place rules light and heavier on role-play than roll-play. Tara and I had a ball at ACUS this year in a steampunk style game with submersible airships run with a modified ADRP system called Pit Of Vipers, but you've got to be comfortable with diceless and your group for it.

[joannahurley]

Never done diceless, although I'd like to give it a shot. I wonder if in a too-light system, I would take advantage of it? I tend towards hack & slash/munchkinism if I'm not careful. Not because I'm trying to unbalance things, but, "Wouldn't it be so cool if...." :)

[ambersknave]

That's where the trust of the ST/DM/Hollyhock God/Referee/Scriptwriter/GM/etc comes into play, that there's enough rule structure to say "OK, that's feasible," or smack you down appropriately, and that you trust hir to do it to you as well as any other player that gets out of line.