The Road Less Traveled/TOS

[Pakled]

Although my regular campaign group runs a post-Dominion War era game, we have among our players some die-hard TOS fans. So we have come up with a solution which offers, in our opinion, "the best of both worlds" (no reference to episode intended).
What we do is, insert a time travel story every now and again; by the way, amazing how many excuses exist in Star Trek for time travel, voluntary or no.
Our crew has already on a few occasions been propelled back through time...to the TOS era!
Can anyone say, "Back to the Future" theme? Even if you never liked those teen films (you should, though, 'cause it's got Commander Kruge in them..well, sort of. True movie buffs know what I'm talking about), the potential inherent in these time romps should be obvious; you can have that whole "Tribbles & Tribulations" (DS9) feeling, and best of all: in roleplaying, "special effects: cost nothing!

I do feel that locking your campaign on to the TOS is too limiting, even though some whoppers of fun advantages have been pointed out by earlier speakers on this board. I mean, of course it's fun to tackle the original Klingons and Tholians...but even more fun, in my mind, to tackle them AND then to return to the 24th century and meet them again, even see story threads work out over the intervening years!

[Cessna]

I'd like to thank everyone for the *great* responses! Please keep 'em coming!

I went out yesterday and bought the book "Final Reflection," as was recommended. It is outstanding- I stayed up waaaay too late last night reading it- that's exactly the type of thought-provoking information I'm looking for.

Please keep the great suggestions coming!

[Cessna]

I've been reading info on the net about the "New Trek Series." Supposedly it is going to be set pre- Original Series.

I wonder how they're going to approach the dilemma I first proposed? For example, everyone *knows* the Romulans are an off-shoot of the Vulcans. That was revealed in TOS. What are they going to use as "surprises" without invalidating TOS?

Also, what are they going to use as "Big New Threats?" They won't be able to introduce a Dominion or Borg without also invalidating TOS?

(That's one nice thing about being a Narrator instead of a writer. I can- and will!- bulldoze TNG/DS9 assumptions without getting thousands of letters from upset fans!)

[verbena76]

You can also use the old stanby of introducing other alien races, that for whatever reason, didn't make it into the 24th century.
If anyone reads the New Frontier books by Peter David, the collapse of the Thallonian Empire is a perfect example. Well, ho about something like that in the TOS era? The lack of technology would be even more apparant, and the distance from home even greater. You can play with Voyager themes-if the empire in quesation was out in the extreme fringes of the 23rds century UFP, it might take the better part of a year just to get there. What about playing with one of the minor named races that we never see much of? The Breen or the Tzenkethi, perhaps?
Just some random thoughts from someone who never watched TOS. LOL. I think I've seen maybe 5 episodes.

[Brian K]

One of the most interesting ideas is the change that the Federation faced between TOS and TNG. Exploring the events that changed Starfleet proceedures and policies during the Lost Years would a very interesting campaign.

The concepts of Lost colonies (like Tasha Yar's home), and what caused this would be an excellent time to adventure. What was caused these colonies to be lost? A war? Economic collaspe? Both?

Could be an interesting time to adventure in.

[USS Intrepid]

Well my primary campaign is set during the 'present' post DS9/VOY period. However, I'm also running an occasional TOS campaign that involves a deep space exploration into the area of space that the 'modern' crew are currently exploring.

The basic idea is to run scene-setting adventures that will later link to events that will have repurcussions in the 'modern' campaign. I chose not to have all the modern Trek players participate in the the TOS campaign, so as to keep some mystery about those events.

For instance, I'm planning to run the excellent Conquest's Tools soon. However, before I do, I'm going to first run a TOS adventure where one of the exploartory vessels is lost in mysterious circumstances. Which will of course be revealed when I run Conquest's Tools for the TNG era folks.

As another little link between the two as well, my girlfriend is playing a Trill character in both campaigns. Same symbiont, different host. She acts as a useful continuity link for the players.

It's proving to be a thouroughly enjoyabe experience.

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Captain Daniel Hunter
CO NCC-73602, U.S.S. Intrepid
Star Trek: Intrepid

[calguard66]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by USS Intrepid:


As another little link between the two as well, my girlfriend is playing a Trill character in both campaigns. Same symbiont, different host. She acts as a useful continuity link for the players.

It's proving to be a thouroughly enjoyabe experience.

</font>

Wow. THAT is a heck of an idea... if she plays it well (and I'm sure she does) that "same symbiot/ different host" idea has a LOT of potential. I'm going to have to think on this one...



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"I'd rather die standing than live on my knees..."
Shania Twain

[Alex]

I am going to start a TOS based campaign soon, and am looking for some ideas. I already have plans for the setting, tone, and background, but I am always open to suggestions. What I’d really like is some input from people who have more knowledge of Star Trek than I do.

Specifically, I am interested in hearing (reading) ideas that will challenge my players’ assumptions. They’ve all seen the usual background material, and I’d like to use this “assumed knowledge” to catch them off-guard.

At first I was thinking this is a good "thread that makes one go hmmmm...." But now I'm reversing my opinion. What is the value of challenging your players' assumptions with regard to basic Trek knowledge? On the one hand, they will be surprised naturally, and may even be shocked based on the natural differences between Gene's Trek and Berman's Trek. That's fine. Being a lover of the former and hater of the latter, I can see the appeal of making them squirm if they got too comfortable with Voyager, DS9, or Enterprise. But when it comes down to it, how does it further your game, how does it enhance their enjoyment of the game?

So Klingons aren't honorable. Some can take that. Others will quit in open revolt. Shocking, but true. But the other things that you can accentuate between TOS and "the rest" should be minor "hmm" moments for your players and not big upheavals. If you throw in something that is radically different, you better be prepared for player outrage (having a good explanation of why is fine, or letting the players know in advance that certain knowledge and preconceptions need to be thrown out because the characters of this time haven't met Race X should be enough). But if you are doing it to cause a stir in your group, I think you've got the wrong idea unless you have player buy-in in advance (like you tell your players "I want to use the Trek universe in general, but make some radical changes starting at Point Y in the timeline" and they come back and say "go ahead, we're all about exploring the unknown"). Keep in mind, for some people Star Trek is about exploring the unknown and for others it is about reliving moments of the TV series that they loved and if you go tampering with the series, you may eliminate their familiarity with the setting and thus their desire to play the game.

[jkp1187]

Keep in mind, for some people Star Trek is about exploring the unknown and for others it is about reliving moments of the TV series that they loved and if you go tampering with the series, you may eliminate their familiarity with the setting and thus their desire to play the game.

Interesting points, and probably true. A GM has to keep a campaign in line, to some extent, to what the players want.

It is also, alas, very much to the players' discredit if they insist on comparing every single factoid introduced in a campaign to what some staff writer invented in episode 128 to overcome a corner he'd painted himself into.

As I always say....canon is the last refuge of the uncreative.

[black campbellq]

And remember despite the Prime Directive the Federation negotiated trade deals and starbase deals with races that had now warp drive, heck some of them didn't even have energy weapons. The Cappelans anyone?

Yup. I never liked the Prime Directive in the form it was used, particularly in TNG. Enterprise did a good job of showing the Vulcans used the PD prior to Starfleet. I always thought of it as an excuse for moral cowardice... "not our problem!"

TOS violations seemed driven by realpolitik : the weapons deal, for instance, was to counter the Klingons, IIRC.

On another note: anyone notice how no one mentions the PDin Nemesis? "Kolarus is a pre-warp society..."

In our campaign, the PD has been undergoing review and revision to try and make it more situational...unsuccessfully.

[Poolshark]

Yup. I never liked the Prime Directive in the form it was used, particularly in TNG. Enterprise did a good job of showing the Vulcans used the PD prior to Starfleet. I always thought of it as an excuse for moral cowardice... "not our problem!"

Sooooo.......this leads me to think that there is a reason that the PD is so radically different in TNG and onwards in comparison to TOS. Maybe the players have a hand in that, for good or ill. Maybe they interefere in a pre-warp culture and then they are destroyed/enslaved or whatever, causing the UFP to rethink the rules. Or, they stop it happening because someone else interfered. The PCs save the day, and the UFP decide to change the rules.....same result arrived at in differing ways.

Cheers

Tas

[jkp1187]

Sooooo.......this leads me to think that there is a reason that the PD is so radically different in TNG and onwards in comparison to TOS. Maybe the players have a hand in that, for good or ill. Maybe they interefere in a pre-warp culture and then they are destroyed/enslaved or whatever, causing the UFP to rethink the rules. Or, they stop it happening because someone else interfered. The PCs save the day, and the UFP decide to change the rules.....same result arrived at in differing ways.

Cheers

Tas

Horribly evil story ideas to inflict on players. I like it!

[T'lara]

WARNING: This is meant to throw in ideas not anger people.

TOS the original series. Running a game with the same political background as now adays. I like to use current events in my games and put them into my Trek game. You can do this this in any era. TOS is a really good one to use even with modern situations. As much as this will be a sore spot for many of us including me: use Iraqi and Afganastan some where in there. Make them worlds or colonies something the Federation has to deal with. Keep this in mind. This is all about Cowboy Diplomacy in the Federation before the Age of Diplomacy. Hell the Al'Quada as something too. When Star Trek was made in TOS it reflected many of the 60's ideals. Some of those same situations are reappearing here in the 21st century.

[Imagus]

Good ideas!

The original Trek was often a political or social metaphor - and the War on Terror would have been the kind of subject it dealt with. My Movie-era game had Orion nationalist terrorists (FASA Orions were half in Federation territory), as well as Klingon and Romulan agents provocateur. The climax involved an attack on the UFP's presidential vessel during a goodwill tour.

Throw in the aftermath of a supernova in the affected area, and you'd get a good parallel to some of today's events.

[redwood973]

On another note: Anyone notice how no one mentions the P.D. in Nemesis? "Kolarus is a pre-warp society. . ."

--black campbell

I had read somewhere a version of the Prime Directive the included a section about not only non-interference, but also preventing others from interfering (Franz Josef perhaps?). I had written the Nemesis omission of the P.D. off due to this; thus by collecting and removing the advanced positronic technology from a primitive (so to speak, didn't they say pre-warp industrial society?) world they were in fact upholding the P.D.