Free League Publishing Announce Alien: The Roleplaying Game

[SM]

I am anxious to hear from SM; his timeline breaks in 2179 and picks back up in 2294. Given his documentation of officially established events and that the RPG will be presenting "the ALIEN world of 2183", it looks like the RPG will be exploring new time, er, ground.


Further info says these two guys are involved with the writing:

Paul Elliott. Writer of campaign material such as system and mission generators, locations and adversaries. Designer of the awesome RPG Hostile.

Cam Banks. Editor. Cam is a veteran of the RPG industry, having led the development of numerous RPGs such as Smallville, Leverage, and Marvel Heroic.


Has anyone played these games to give some insight into them?

I spoke to Joe LeFavi last year and we talked about how things like continuity aren't much of a big deal with RPGs.  You set up the setting, then whatever actual events transpire  are up the game master and players.  It's going to be different every time.  We also talked about how they have access to everything from Prometheus to Resurrection in terms of licensing.  So you can set a game or campaign at any point.

[FenGiddel]

Thanks for that. I've never played RPGs, so I'm ignorant of the gaming details. But I've often enjoyed the sourcebooks.

[Xenomrph]

The Star Wars franchise handled RPGs (video game and pencil and paper) and "canon" by saying that the broad strokes of given campaigns were "canon" (overall events, NPCs, planets, equipment), while the specific characters and their minute-to-minute interactions were not. So what we can gather from the trailer and RPG description are that things involving Aliens happen in 2183, and having any Aliens anywhere post 2179 is a mild problem for Alien Resurrection unless you start really broadly defining "for all intent and purposes" (and for the record, I'm okay with that). That, and having Aliens tucked away in myriad locations (including Engineer/Space Jockey ships) wreaks havoc with "David created the Alien".

One wonders if they're gonna use anything that Leading Edge had already brainstormed for their AlienS rpg lore.

I'd love to see that, that would be a great (and appropriate) callback for long-time fans.

[[cancerblack]]

Just make sure there's nobody raping psychic slugs this time.

[Corporal Hicks]

Welcome!

This is the second official newsletter for the upcoming ALIEN tabletop RPG by Free League Publishing and Twentieth Century Fox. In these updates we will be giving you insights into the development process and various aspects of the game itself.

If you missed the first newsletter from last week, you can find it here. If you have questions, don't hesitate to visit our forums on the Free League website or follow us on Facebook.

This second issue will focus on Cinematic gameplay, one of the two game modes of the ALIEN RPG (the other being Campaign mode, which we will delve into next week). These two modes are each designed to create a different experience for you. Even some rules of the game only apply to one of the two game modes.

Please note that the information published in these newsletters is subject to change during the development process.

ACTS & PERSONAL AGENDAS

A Cinematic scenario emulates the dramatic arc of an ALIEN film. Designed to be played in one or a a few sessions, this game mode emphasizes high stakes and fast and brutal play. Conflict between player characters is likely, and you are not all expected to survive. Cinematic scenarios come with pre-generated characters, specifically tailored for the story.

A Cinematic scenario is divided into three Acts. For each Act, each player character is given a Personal Agenda, that is kept secret from the other players. A Personal Agenda can go against the interests of other characters or the group as a whole, but that's not always the case – the point is that you can never be sure about the motivations of the other characters.

Personal Agendas for Act 1 and Act 2 are generally carefully phrased, to avoid overt confrontations between player characters to early in the story. Act 3 Agendas tend to push characters to a climactic endgame, sometimes pitting player characters in direct confrontation against each other – just like Ripley against Ash in Alien and Burke in Aliens.

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CHARIOT OF THE GODS

One Cinematic scenario, Chariot of the Gods, is included in core rulebook. This pre-generated scenario provides all the tools necessary to run your first ALIEN roleplaying game, and it's a fun and easy way to learn how to play and tell your own stories on the Frontier.

I Chariot of the Gods, the players take the roles of the crew of the USCSS Montero starfreighter. It's designed to introduce the game to the players while at the same time take them for a thrilling, terrifying ride into space where no one can hear them scream. The scenario is designed for 3–5 players plus GM, and takes at least 4-5 hours to complete.

Chariot of the Gods is written by author Andrew E. C. Gaska, lead setting writer for the ALIEN RPG and franchise consultant on ALIEN for 20th Century Fox, with editing and added gameplay aspects by game director Tomas Härenstam.

More Cinematic scenarios will be published by Free League Publishing in the years to come. Some will be linked into longer narratives, where the outcome of one Cinematic scenario can impact the setup of the next – even if all player characters are replaced.

Stay tuned – and tell all of your friends to also sign up to this newsletter at ALIEN-RPG.COM!

/Free League Publishing

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[[cancerblack]]

Cinematic scenarios come with pre-generated characters, specifically tailored for the story.

I understand why they did it, but I'll be skipping that part.

[Mr. Clemens]

Cinematic scenarios come with pre-generated characters, specifically tailored for the story.

I understand why they did it, but I'll be skipping that part.

I don't know if I'm supposed to know who that is, but it's still a great photo. 

Still, I could see that mode being fun, in a 'How to Host a Murder' sort of way...

[[cancerblack]]

I think it'll be useful for folks who like Alien but have no RPG experience. My own experience tells me it's likely to become unncessary/restrictive very rapidly unless they put out new cinematic missions pretty regularly.

[Corporal Hicks]

Well they certainly seem to be intending to put more than one out. Not sure on regularity, though.

Shevvie is going to the UKGE, I'm gonna see if I can swap a bank holiday for the Friday off so I can go too. I haven't listened to the interview yet.

I managed to get that sorted so I'm going to go and give this a go at UKGE.

[Monster Man]

Cinematic scenarios come with pre-generated characters, specifically tailored for the story.

I understand why they did it, but I'll be skipping that part.

I think it'll be useful for folks who like Alien but have no RPG experience. My own experience tells me it's likely to become unncessary/restrictive very rapidly unless they put out new cinematic missions pretty regularly.

Probably for people who not only wanna jump into this quick one-shot, but also doubly serves the purpose of revealing what this game has to offer without investing too much time into an experience that won't last the day. Maybe for some people who can't also dedicate a lot of time into the hobby due to work or family things.

I'm sure a more experienced DM can rework these stories into more filling feasts for his group but that's something else entirely.

[Corporal Hicks]

I admit I do really love the sounds of that mode as a way to get into the format for beginners without losing a day. It's perfectly made for me.

[Mr. Clemens]

And the 'differing agendas' idea is really important. For an Alien rpg, having a bunch of players who are all "we want to be a squad of marines who shoot aliens" would, narratively, be death on wheels.

EDIT: to expand on that, of course more experienced rpgers will have their own agendas and things. But in a freeform game, having a conflicting agenda can make you 'the jerk who got Bob's character killed', whereas in this cinematic idea, you're simply playing your part to the best of your ability, because you're supposed to.

[Monster Man]

Now my real question pertains to the longevity of this game. With D&D/Pathfinder you don't really need to worry about what material you wanna throw at your players because it has quite a variety of things to choose from, story and enemy wise.

Just speaking ahead and surmising that even with the prequel material, there isn't a lot in the way of scenarios you can throw your players into. Especially not without running through the motions of adding up tension to inevitably describe what could be the 5th or 4th "first encounter" of an alien in a campaign module.

[[cancerblack]]

Now my real question pertains to the longevity of this game. With D&D/Pathfinder you don't really need to worry about what material you wanna throw at your players because it has quite a variety of things to choose from, story and enemy wise.

Just speaking ahead and surmising that even with the prequel material, there isn't a lot in the way of scenarios you can throw your players into. Especially not without running through the motions of adding up tension to inevitably describe what could be the 5th or 4th "first encounter" of an alien in a campaign module.

This is my concern. The "cinematic" mode is actually their greatest asset and making it a very detailed thing with defined characters is a mis-step in my opinion. It'll run out of steam without support really fast.

[Corporal Hicks]

New newsletter is out. 

This is the third official newsletter for the upcoming ALIEN tabletop RPG by Free League Publishing and Twentieth Century Fox. In these updates we will be giving you insights into the development process and various aspects of the game itself.

If you missed the first two newsletters from last week, you can find #1 here and  #2 here. If you have questions, don't hesitate to visit our forums on the Free League website or follow us on Facebook.

This second issue will focus on Campaign gameplay, the second of the two game modes of the ALIEN RPG (the other being Cinematic mode, which we discussed last week). These two modes are each designed to create a different experience for you. Even some rules of the game only apply to one of the two game modes.

Please note that the information published in these newsletters is subject to change during the development process.

EXPLORING THE STARS

While Cinematic mode lets you relive the intense drama och thrill of an ALIEN movie, Campaign play lets you go deeper, exploring the darkness of space over the course of a long campaign, spanning dozens of sessions. There is a lot more to do in the ALIEN universe than fighting xenomorphs!

The key tool for Campaign play is the starmap of known space in 2183 AD. You can see a work in progress above. The map is based on the work of Scott Middlebrook, with additional work by our main setting writer and ALIEN franchise consultant Andrew E. C. Gaska, and graphic design by our Art Director Christian Granath.

The star map is divided into broad sections such as the Core Systems, the Outer Veil and the Frontier. It also indicates which areas are under the general control of the main factions of human civilization, such as the United Americas and the Three World Empire, and includes many stars, planets and colonies from the ALIEN films as well as from video games, books and comics.

The locations and factions on the map are further described in the Governments & Corporations and Systems & Planets chapters in the core game book, both written by Drew Gaska.

TOOLS FOR CAMPAIGN PLAY

Beyond the pure setting texts describing the world of 2183 AD, the ALIEN RPG core rulebook will also contain a powerful array of tools for the Gamemaster to use in Campaign play. These tools include extensive random tables to quickly create systems, planets, missions and encounters with a few dice rolls, turning the ALIEN RPG into an open-world, sandbox game. These tools are created by Free League co-founder Nils Karlén in cooperation with RPG designer Paul Elliott (Hostile, Zenobia).

Campaign play and the tools for it are built around three distinct campaign concepts, determined by the types of characters you will be playing in your campaign. The three concepts are described below.

SPACE TRUCKERS

While not as lucrative a field as it was some fifty years ago, hauling refineries and cargo between Earth and the colonies is still big business. The advent of newer and faster FTL drives has significantly shortened the travel time between worlds, ensuring that starship crews don't have to spend nearly as much time in stasis. Most companies compensate their crews not only for their work but for time lost in hypersleep as well.

While most space truckers work for one corporation or another, there are also independent trader captains, smugglers, salvage crews, and privateers. Space is big, and legally or off the books, people and things always need to get from one side of it to the other.

COLONIAL MARINES

The United States Colonial Marine Corps represents the finest fighting force ever assembled. Technologically advanced and sporting all the latest in military hardware—a large amount of which is designed by Weyland-Yutani—the Colonial Marines are able to operate independently in nearly any environment. Combat teams are cross-trained and can be deployed at a moment's notice to nearly any world without extensive briefing.

Military occupations include vehicle operators and pilots, combat technicians, heavy weapons specialists, medics, engineers, and career officers. Naval occupations are found in the USCM support service of warship and starfighter teams of the United Americas Outer Rim Defense Fleet, and there are special military R&D programs across the spectrum that require volunteers. On the Frontier, there is always something that needs defending and some planet that needs pacifying.


FRONTIER COLONISTS

To most, becoming a colonist means you accept a hard life with little reward other than the satisfaction of a job well done. A colonist's hands are always dirty and their feet are always tired. Living on the edge of civilization can have its benefits, however. Depending on your profession, the chance to strike it big could be right around the corner. Frontier Colonists are scouts and homesteaders, farmers and scientists, miners and doctors. Colonial Marshals keep the peace and Frontier journalists keep the colonies in the know. Colonists are the lifeblood of humanity.

Stay tuned – and tell all of your friends to also sign up to this newsletter at ALIEN-RPG.COM!

/Free League Publishing

There's also a map on there. Can't zoom in well but there's a couple of factions in here.