tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post6586167284289639596..comments2023-10-18T23:56:19.054-05:00Comments on Hereticwerks: Obsolete Simulations Roundup: SPI's Universe RPGUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-55173455940469332522017-08-04T11:06:12.387-05:002017-08-04T11:06:12.387-05:00I do not mean to fault the game for the generic-ne...I do not mean to fault the game for the generic-ness, especially since I prefer a game to give me the tools to build my own setting and get out of my way. The modular ship design system is still very intriguing and I'd like to see such a thing adapted to other sci-fi rpgs. I am however somewhat dissatisfied with overly simplistic results of some of the tables, which is very much the same sortgarrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-41824051624040178042017-08-04T06:57:46.700-05:002017-08-04T06:57:46.700-05:00I don't fault Universe for its genericicity. ...I don't fault Universe for its genericicity. The original Traveller box was very light on background too -- the stuff old-timers get nostalgic about was all added in expansion books and magazine articles.<br /><br />As for psionic FTL, that seemed to be SPI's house style. I think Universe was related to the StarForce Trilogy the way Heinlein juveniles seem to be; the similarities reflectNeal Sofgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11626330464647766721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-1682670600815783182016-01-01T16:18:22.303-06:002016-01-01T16:18:22.303-06:00Sounds like you found some significant inspiration...Sounds like you found some significant inspiration in there--which I think is the real value of this mostly forgotten game. I think that a pod-based modular approach to ship design would also be a great add-on to White Star.garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-90635404119861071002016-01-01T01:24:13.135-06:002016-01-01T01:24:13.135-06:00I ran a Universe campaign for several months. I fo...I ran a Universe campaign for several months. I found it an enjoyable but flawed game. I heavily modified the game and used the results for another year or so with reasonable success. The "pod-based" system in Delta V and Universe was one inspiration for the system I used in GURPS Spaceships.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />David Pulverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00857524962421597982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-39008874085452206862014-06-17T23:45:03.923-05:002014-06-17T23:45:03.923-05:00I'll take a look. I haven't had a lot of t...I'll take a look. I haven't had a lot of time for the SciFi end of things for a while now, but that might be shifting again as I finally get a few things done and out.garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-14878037076258347962014-06-17T23:41:18.843-05:002014-06-17T23:41:18.843-05:00If you want to play with spaceship ideas, you can ...If you want to play with spaceship ideas, you can download these two spreadsheet-based programs: ,one for civilian ships - http://www.rpgnow.com/product/105148/StarCluster-3-Ship-Design-Spreadsheet - and one for military ships - http://www.rpgnow.com/product/105147/In-Harms-Way-StarCluster-Ship-Design-Spreadsheet. StarCluster splits it's game books not between GM and player, but between clash bowleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02867031157318138584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-54265332975970262022014-06-17T14:10:42.636-05:002014-06-17T14:10:42.636-05:00I still have not located a copy of Star Force or S...I still have not located a copy of Star Force or Star Cluster, but I really like this modular idea a great deal and have been experimenting with it in Rogue Space. Modular spacecraft is kind of fun as it allows players to really customize their set-up in all sorts of ways. Modular robots are just a lot of fun to run, as it's a quick way to make them scale to the needs of the situation/power garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-47019544706168749742014-06-17T13:28:27.961-05:002014-06-17T13:28:27.961-05:00I used the modular spaceships, modular robots, and...I used the modular spaceships, modular robots, and psionic FTL concepts in my StarCluster game.clash bowleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02867031157318138584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-58409138524243576572014-06-17T13:21:43.551-05:002014-06-17T13:21:43.551-05:00I used the modular spaceships, psionic FTL, and mo...I used the modular spaceships, psionic FTL, and modular robots concepts in designing StarCluster, starting in 2002, latest edition 2011. clash bowleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02867031157318138584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-33480116799308709412014-01-06T16:36:00.072-06:002014-01-06T16:36:00.072-06:00I'll have to look for a copy of that game. I&#...I'll have to look for a copy of that game. I'm working on some star maps, so I'm always curious to see how others have handled this stuff. Thanks for dropping by and for the recommendation!garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-3760660751618383932014-01-06T16:24:33.346-06:002014-01-06T16:24:33.346-06:00Star Force was played on a hex-based precursor of ...<i>Star Force</i> was played on a hex-based precursor of <i>Universe</i>'s "solar neighborhood" map, so it's worth getting just for that... Really <i>just</i> for that, since the game itself was pretty rudimentary and uninspiring -- ships, as I recall, were all identical, and "combat" consisted of psychically sending enemy ships on random hyperspace jumps, which might Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-7829676308988850052013-12-31T23:14:50.059-06:002013-12-31T23:14:50.059-06:00I think you are right. I haven't had a chance ...I think you are right. I haven't had a chance to check out Star Force, etc. yet. I'll keep my eye out for those board games. SPI did a lot of good stuff before they got swallowed up by TSR. As for actually playing it...I did try a few times, but it never worked out. My friends were all interested in Traveller or Gamma World or the usual dungeoncrawling stuff. Have you had a chance to playgarrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-53842672334903410162013-12-31T22:17:02.623-06:002013-12-31T22:17:02.623-06:00Given the psionic teleportation spaceships, it sou...Given the psionic teleportation spaceships, it sounds like they set it in the same universe as their Star Force/Star Soldier/Outreach trilogy of boardgames. So that is a place to go to expand the background if you actually consider playing it.Ed Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09627812364407769994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-64588254465623990812013-12-29T18:43:00.570-06:002013-12-29T18:43:00.570-06:00Several of the old-timers I knew back in the day u...Several of the old-timers I knew back in the day used Universe as a supplement for their Traveller games. They used the map, and adopted the robot rules, with some slight revision. Little Tin Soldier was a great place. We have The Source now, but I still miss the old shop(s)...garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-21229908663744763892013-12-29T18:41:00.137-06:002013-12-29T18:41:00.137-06:00Just call it like I see it. There's a ton of p...Just call it like I see it. There's a ton of potential in Universe, most of it never got realized. Partly that is because it never had the time to capture an audience before it got buried, part of it is because the game really needed some internal revision/reworking, as with the combat section. But other games with equally clunky combat mechanics did reasonably well...so who knows. If it garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-30890817572423856902013-12-29T18:37:02.587-06:002013-12-29T18:37:02.587-06:00SPI produced a lot of interesting war games, many ...SPI produced a lot of interesting war games, many of which remain quite playable. Universe has a lot of interesting ideas in it, so it is worth looking at. Thanks for hosting the blog-hop.garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-68606259619788496822013-12-29T17:52:48.271-06:002013-12-29T17:52:48.271-06:00I've a fair amount of SPI bags and boxes in th...I've a fair amount of SPI bags and boxes in the basement, but don't remember this one. Of course,my college group was playing Traveler for our sci-fi games in the early '80's. And by '85 we had almost all gotten our commissions and been stationed on the East Coast, but the shout out for the Little Tin sure brought me back.Thanks for writing it up. Rod Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12824146866756155345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-16854528831589070932013-12-29T17:42:49.944-06:002013-12-29T17:42:49.944-06:00I was pretty amused by your frank review! I have t...I was pretty amused by your frank review! I have the all-in-one-book second edition. It has always impressed me in much the same way as you describe above for the first edition. Playable? Not too sure about that. Interesting features, like modular robots and ships? For sure! I'm not calling it a heartbreaker, but that's just because my heart is so damn hard to begin with - and I have a Tallgeesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16045006122540505779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488294190723126143.post-71310793664907016082013-12-29T13:09:54.363-06:002013-12-29T13:09:54.363-06:00I was unaware of this classic RPG from SPI, though...I was unaware of this classic RPG from SPI, though I'm very familiar with the company's chit-and-map games. Sounds like Universe was like a lot of early RPGs -- lots of math-crunch, but light on setting and concepts for gameplay. Even still, there seems to be a lot of good stuff lurking within. Thanks for choosing it and thank you for participating in the Roundup!Tim Sniderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17390608104314125626noreply@blogger.com