In reply to Tzuppy (msg #19):

Sounds like fun.

Anyone actually has any experience with Diaspora?

err... well... i'd have to say... an out right no.

I keep finding myself thinking about a straight up oldschool Victorian adventure in historical times.  It could be a series of games that envelop the Victorian era from beginning to end of the 18th century, and stretch the vastness of Earth.  Wars, exploration, politics, etc etc.  It would have an obvious European flavor to it, otherwise you're in the Wild West territory.  I'm not even sure any 'punking of the genre would be necessary to make it interesting.  Would be educational as well to go off a realistic historical timeline, and that itself could provide the basis for plots.  I'd definitely want to add an emphasis of airships though maybe, can't do without those, now can we?

I assume you mean nineteenth, rather than 18th century... although steampower was around in the 18th century so it might make an interesting backdrop with the first Global War (the war between England and France  1756-1763)) the American War of Independence, the French Revolution.  Napoleon Bonaparte etc.

The Victorian Era is normally considered to cover the reign of Queen Victoria as British Queen and later Empress of India (1837-1901)

Yeppers, from early to late 1800's, whatever century that supposedly is >.o

I would be interested in anything set in the 1800's.  I like that time.

I think we all do for one reason or another :P

I know I am rather obsessed with all things victorian...I'd be game

Another idea would be someting like from the book "Those Who Hunt the Night" which is with a character like Holmes meeting a vampire in the victorian age.

Now see, plots like that are ideal for solo or couples lay where you have a very very capable or compelling main character meant to always be able to amicably unfold the plot with.  Games like that are more about choices than accrued capability, you'd want to play them with a system that lets you be what you need to be right from the start, like GURPS or something.

Cthululu 1920, with or without Cthululululu monsters, is quite capable of doing a job of it. Same system used in Runequest, BRP etc.

I had mixed success with Cthulu games as 50% of the time the players decide to run away at the first hint of the beasties. lol.

I like GURPS and I have played CoC (Call of Chathulu).  The thing about CoC beasties is they nomrally lack range attackes but if they get close, you dead meat.

Another CoC game that is fun is the Dreamlands version.

Anyone have any ideas on what a GM can/should do to make a game feel steampunk?

I can recognize steampunk when I see it, but trying to produce it is another story. And trying to GM a game to get the right feel takes it to a whole other level... well medium at least.

You could import from Runequest quite a range of creatures. though most are melee. For example you could have Broo appearing as 'Ctuhulu cultists gone bad' (tm).

I regret to inform that the Orient Express was founded in 1883, making it unsuitable for most reality-based Victorian settings occurring in earlier timelines.  I is sad... and will probably fudge history when it comes up in an appropriate game :P  I wants it.. And as for railways heading to China.. wtf.  I'm gonna have to rewrite this whole mode of transportation's history when it comes to a good steampunk campaign :P  Alas.. that's where steampunk itself comes in, the rampant evolution of the industrialized era and thusly I can speckle zeppelins and trains everywhere.

I loved the Orient Express. I think there was a module for CoC that had a map of it.

It goes from Paris to Istanbul apparently.

Originally it went from London to Istanbul via a cross-channel ferry.  At one time, it shrank down until it just did Paris to Vienna but that was way after Agatha Christie's time.

There was also one train company that ran (as a one off to show it was doable) train journeys from London across the channel to Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow, then via the Trans-Siberian Railway to Irkutsk, then Ulan Bator, Sian, Peking (as it was then), Shanghai and ended in Hong Kong. (Apparently it took about six weeks).

If'n you have maps of that epic run, please do share!

Hellz yeah son!

http://www.google.ru/intl/ru/landing/transsib/en.html

Only in this age :)

Can't tell me this wouldn't make for an epic campaign:

http://home.clara.net/johndarm/transib3/transib3.gif

So as I work my way through these posts, I wonder what games are open and looking for players.  Any ideas?

Ha, last time I answered that question I got banned from one of the public forums for helping someone.  I'm not sure what games are currently active though I know a few were recently made that fall within the lines.  It will take many game search result wadings though to get a good ideal of what's left though.  The community could always do with a new one.

Each of the separate public forums have different rules.

In general if you are looking for an existing game post in the "Wanted GMs"

If you want to ask about the game concepts post in "Game Proposals Input and Advice"

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I was running a development game for a fantasy type setting. Focus ended up on having steampunk romans with occasional magic people.

As a development game I mean looking to one day publish so it has a non-disclosure and ownership transfer agreement. That means ideas there I can use to publish.

Due to the complexity the number of players is very low. RPOL habits means the existing few have poofed down to zero. I have been considering accepting new players into the agreement & game.

I was wondering how that roman steampunk was going.  I knew it was niche on niche so I didn't think twice about the quietness regarding it.  How'd it go while it was active?