First Contract: An Alien Invasion(sort of) story

Started by Healergirl, May 29, 2011, 05:51:20 PM

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Healergirl

This is a proposal, I am in no way ready to run this.  I am an experienced GM but it will be some time before I am ready to run it.  I've never run a rorum game before..  I'm about to play in a couple, and will make a decision then as to whether I'm up to this.

 

There have been a number of Invasion movies in the theaters lately.  They follow the same pattern:  Big Bad Uglies from space descend on our world and take a real good shot at annihilating humanity.  I have in mind something a little more complicated.  The first batch of aliens to find us don't want to wipe us out.  We are not a threat to them, they don't really give a damn how we treat the ecosphere, they are not murderous psychopaths.  They do look human, though.  Human enough to really creep out our scientists.  It should not be that way, nosirree bob.

They want to make money.

How?  Spices.  Coffee.  Tea.  This "chocolate" stuff that alien women go absolutely nuts over.  Funny thing about money making ventures.  They attract attention.  First from competitors, then from tax collectors.  There is an old saying:  Trade follows the Flag.  Not exactly true.  It would be more accurate to say:  The Flag follows Trade.  Wild and wooly cutthroat - sometimes literally - competition can be very destabilizing.  Governments hate destabilization.  They tend to move in, set up regulations and spheres of influence, calm things down.  Sound familiar?  It should.  That's more or less what happened to the  East Indies, India, China, SE Asia.  And Africa.

And some people think it might be about to happen to earth as a whole.

Wintercat

Definitely interesting concept. Would this be a freeform game or do you have some system in mind?

I think I'd like to take part in this at least, perhaps taking up the role of an alien trader, or if you would prefer more human players, someone who is a real fan of the whole science-fiction genre, and now facing actual, living alien beings. He might be quite puzzled about them, have a ton of questions about them, and probably bug the poor aliens with a ton of questions and interest. But maybe he just might have a good quantity of what the aliens are looking for in turn.

Anyhow, whichever way you want to take this, consider me interested at least.
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Healergirl

Thank you for showing interest Wintercat.

The characters would all be human who end up working for the Aliens. Possibly not the same aliens.  Like I said, competion arrives.  Some would be trained government agents gathering intel, some would be local experts hired by the aliens for their skills.  Some could be like the concept you mentioned.  People who pestered and pestered until they were given a menial job.  But even  unskilled labor would have access to all sorts of interesting stuff.  Those people will be approached for info by earth governments as well, of course.

This idea was triggered in large part by a birthday gift:  I used to run a Traveller campaign back in the day, the charaters were a bunch of semi-paratical traders..  My husband gave me a copy of the Mongoose Publishing Traveller core book. As it happens, I have recently finished reading a book about the spice trade.

And Voila, an idea for a rather different Invasion story sprang to life.

Direct player versus player conflict is a real possibility, and the problem with free-form is that sometimes both sides really, really want to win.  It would be a much --simplified custom system based on MGP Traveller.  I'm sure rather few people have the books for it.  So I would handle the mechanics.  Which I have to give some more thought to.  Don't panic about that.  I cheated constantly on die rolls when I was a GM, yes.  In favor of the players, always. 

TheHangedOne

I'd be interested in playing a skilled laborer sort... maybe a master chocolatier, or baker, or  something along those lines that can hook the aliens up with  Earth food. Hell, maybe even find a way to fuse alien and human cuisine into something popular here and at wherever the alien's call home.

A light system play sounds cool to me. I'm unfamiliar with Traveller, but I've been told I can get a firm grasp on basics of any system pretty quickly.
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Healergirl

THM,

Thank you for the interest.  Yes, it would be System play, but very light.  All characters would be provided with ability ratings and skills.  I would make sure that everybody knows what is going on, what is rolled how it is modified and why.

TheHangedOne

Sounds awesome to me.  ;D I will be eagerly looking forward to this getting off the ground, no matter how long you need to get ready.
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!