Free League Publishing Announce Alien: The Roleplaying Game

Started by Corporal Hicks, Apr 26, 2019, 05:35:38 PM

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Free League Publishing Announce Alien: The Roleplaying Game (Read 159,197 times)

The Old One

And... ?

TheBATMAN

I believe the AR novel conclusively says the Derelict was completely destroyed, which makes the most sense given how the later films play out.

Speaking of which, I am currently perusing the core rulebook and there is mention of a new scientific space station built to overlook LV-426 to examine any recovered remains of the Alien from the blast site and that also the derelict may have survived by falling down a crevasse. My memory of the old EU is very hazy so is this a reference to something there, or perhaps a nod to Blomkamp's idea as that looked to take place on a station of some kind with a recovered juggernaut.

The Old One

Or potentially just a reference to AVP Classic.

Xenomrph

Quote from: TheBATMAN on Dec 26, 2019, 03:06:32 PM
I believe the AR novel conclusively says the Derelict was completely destroyed, which makes the most sense given how the later films play out.

Speaking of which, I am currently perusing the core rulebook and there is mention of a new scientific space station built to overlook LV-426 to examine any recovered remains of the Alien from the blast site and that also the derelict may have survived by falling down a crevasse. My memory of the old EU is very hazy so is this a reference to something there, or perhaps a nod to Blomkamp's idea as that looked to take place on a station of some kind with a recovered juggernaut.
How "the later films play out" consists of Alien Resurrection, and Local Trouble and I already showed how easy it is to work around that. Alien3 doesn't reference the Derelict because it doesn't need to, and the CMTM directly addresses this - WY sent two missions at roughly the same time, one to Fury 161 and one to the Derelict.

The space station in the RPG is a named reference to Odobenus Station which orbits LV426 and was built at some point between 2179 and 2189, from the Marine campaign in AvPClassic.

Local Trouble

Quote from: Fiendishly Inventive on Dec 26, 2019, 02:10:51 PM
And... ?

Allow me.

Quote from: SM on Jul 08, 2018, 01:50:44 PM
Ann Crispin mentions that there was a 19 mega hectare crater on LV-426 in the Resurrection novelisation.  Nebraska is 20 mega hectares in size.

Good guess by Bishop.

I guess that just raises the question of whether or not the novelization was duly ratified...

Mr. Clemens

Quote from: Local Trouble on Dec 27, 2019, 12:11:58 AM
I guess that just raises the question of whether or not the novelization was duly ratified...

I have no horse in this race, but yeah, if the novels are to be taken as gospel then the Space Jockey doesn't exist, either.

The Old One

Since the first three novels directly contradict the films, I'd say only the Resurrection one is potentially viable, as part of the cinematic continuity.

Xenomrph

Quote from: Local Trouble on Dec 27, 2019, 12:11:58 AM
Quote from: Fiendishly Inventive on Dec 26, 2019, 02:10:51 PM
And... ?

Allow me.

Quote from: SM on Jul 08, 2018, 01:50:44 PM
Ann Crispin mentions that there was a 19 mega hectare crater on LV-426 in the Resurrection novelisation.  Nebraska is 20 mega hectares in size.

Good guess by Bishop.

I guess that just raises the question of whether or not the novelization was duly ratified...
That just means Bishop's 40-megaton estimate is trash, as you'd need something much, much bigger than that to wipe out Nebraska.

I'd chalk the novelization's number up to Crispin not understanding what hyperbole is and misinterpreting Bishop's line.

Quote from: Fiendishly Inventive on Dec 27, 2019, 12:21:00 AM
Since the first three novels directly contradict the films, I'd say only the Resurrection one is potentially viable, as part of the cinematic continuity.
All movie novelizations have their discrepancies, it's the nature of how they're written and how it relates to the moviemaking process. The novelization for 'Predator' is radically different from the final movie, because it's based on an early version of the script. When ADF was writing 'Aliens, he didn't know what the Alien would even look like and had to work around that.

I think trying to consider things as part of specifically "the cinematic continuity" is more complicated than it seems on the surface.
I mean sure you can cherry pick which novelizations you want to accept, that's a given. I personally accept all of them (discrepancies and all).

The Old One

The Old One

#488
The novelisation of AR is by far the best one, and no, I don't think it's hyperbole, even though I've nothing against the Derelict surviving, even more so if it's inaccessible for a number of hundred years. But I'd rather render stuff "non-canon" to the Alien films than create fan-fiction whole cloth. If it's any good it's recognised anyway, isn't necessarily, a requirement to be part of the film continuity or canon to be worthwhile, if Fire and Stone was good for example- I'd still argue it's non-canon- because continuity isn't necessarily about quality.

SM

Quote from: Mr. Clemens on Dec 27, 2019, 12:19:03 AM
Quote from: Local Trouble on Dec 27, 2019, 12:11:58 AM
I guess that just raises the question of whether or not the novelization was duly ratified...

I have no horse in this race, but yeah, if the novels are to be taken as gospel then the Space Jockey doesn't exist, either.

Novelisations are generally used to build on the film where they don't contradict the film.

But if you want to take them as "gospel" yes they never encountered the Jockey.

The Old One

The Old One

#490
Yes, unless it contradicts the film then the film takes precedence, as the film always does, even perhaps if another adaptation is superior, Resurrection PS1 anyone? 

Samhain13

Samhain13

#491
When there is an entry that has multiple versions I usually take the one I liked better or that fits in my canon better. I don't think both versions can coexist since there are always contradictions. In the Alien novel there is no space jockey, Aliens novel the pilot is mentioned but then there are those albino drone aliens.  AR novel, the aliens are described as looking like the original, newborn is described different and is actually cool, xenopedia must have the differences listed.

I don't have a problem in taking the extra info from a novel or game and using it as a background info while watching the movie, like the info we can get by watching the movie's extras or director's commentary. If we learn this or that about a character or get some extra worldbuilding I can take it into consideration if I like it but its more like an optional headcanon IMO. Like the AC novel making David admit he didn't create the alien.  ;D

In that case I prefer to ignore the movie and just go with the novel. The AR novel was also much more enjoyable than the movie.

The Old One

I really don't consider the film continuity that complex, the Alien Anthology is the "main continuity" and even though multiple versions of each film exist, nothing in any of the versions is so drastic a change that one version must be chosen, otherwise continuity is broken. The only major change in that respect- from Alien's Marketing (Inferior imo) Cut is the inclusion of Ovomorphing, considered canon by multiple sources in the new EU, so it's inconsequential what version actually happened. The only major change from Aliens' Special Edition is the inclusion of Amanda Ripley apart from that it's basically an extended edition, considered canon by multiple sources in the new EU, so it's inconsequential what version actually happened. The only major change from AlienĀ³'s Special Edition in that respect- is the inclusion of the Royal/Regular Facehugger distinction apart from that it's basically an extended (Superior imo) edition, considered canon by multiple sources in the new EU, so it's inconsequential what version actually happened. You get the picture.

Huggs

I remember spending nearly 20 minutes flipping around the audio book of Alien 79 trying to find the space jockey, thinking I'd missed it somehow.  :laugh:

Local Trouble

Local Trouble

#494
Quote from: Xenomrph on Dec 27, 2019, 12:44:37 AMThat just means Bishop's 40-megaton estimate is trash, as you'd need something much, much bigger than that to wipe out Nebraska.

I'd chalk the novelization's number up to Crispin not understanding what hyperbole is and misinterpreting Bishop's line.
:o

Quote from: Xenomrph on Dec 27, 2019, 12:44:37 AMAll movie novelizations have their discrepancies, it's the nature of how they're written and how it relates to the moviemaking process. The novelization for 'Predator' is radically different from the final movie, because it's based on an early version of the script. When ADF was writing 'Aliens, he didn't know what the Alien would even look like and had to work around that.

I think trying to consider things as part of specifically "the cinematic continuity" is more complicated than it seems on the surface.
I mean sure you can cherry pick which novelizations you want to accept, that's a given. I personally accept all of them (discrepancies and all).

So... is the novelization of AR right?

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