Man the canon or damn the canon?

**Capt Daniel Hunter** · 10-20-2002, 04:47 AM

Originally posted by Owen E Oulton

- Galaxyquest replaces Trek in my campaign history as a media phenomenon in the late 20<sup>th</sup> century.
- An early Federation cruiser, the NX class USS Excalibur NX-57, was present when the surface of Altair V was laid waste by the misuse of Preserver artifacts by Dr. Edward Morbius in 2180.
- The animated Star Trek is a series of TNG-era children's holonovels based extremely loosely on Kirk's 5-year mission with only bits of it haveing any basis in fact (Yesteryear).

Damn, those are good.

As to the point in question, I use the accepted canon as the basis for my game. IE, what we see on screen in TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT. I also use information from certain published works, such as the tech manuals (but with an eye to the fact that these are not set in stone). Some information from the Animated series also makes it in (though I tend to defer to the novelisations, rather than the aired episodes, and also rationalise/ignore some of the really dubious stuff). Actually, I think I may steal Owen's Animated Series idea

I almost never take anything from the novels. Though I may use some of the upcoming Lost Era stuff.

**Joe Dizzy** · 10-20-2002, 04:53 AM

All of TNG
parts of DS9 (mostly the early seasons, weeding out more from the later seasons)
none of VOY ('cause I think it's all crap)

As for TOS, novels and the like... I don't enough about them to judge, so I exclude them for now.

Since I'm running an alternate ENT campaign, only selected details are considered canon (such as dress-codes and techno-babble

, etc.)

Joe

**qerlin** · 10-20-2002, 09:29 AM

We use Enterprise, some of TOS -- but ignore the really crappy episodes. The movies, minus V. Most of TNG, except the parts that either made no sense or were just bad. The TNG movies are pretty much part of the game canon. DS9 is used, though I haven't seen it, so just the main issues are covered. Voyager disappeared and isn't heard from again.

No books, no comics, though a few of the animated show eps were okay and are used. The new star charts book is now game canon for the game here.

Certain things were changed to protect the players and provide a more realistic universe. Starfleet is more military than we've seen in the small screen, more like the movies -- complete with the half-assed bureaucracy and idiocy one expects. Politics are more realistic, with more personal self-interest. The UFP system works, but more because of the bureaucracies' desire to keep it going; there are serious issues of stovepiping infromation, production, etc. as per the last Soviet Union. There are problems, also, with the Fed getting its legs for any kind of conflict, internal or external -- they are so busy understanding their enemy that they are often paralysed; only once they've taken a hit or two do they get going.

Religion is still out there & people still believe in this stuff; people need something more, often, than reality.

Technology's more consistent; no redesigning/rewiring stuff beyond what it could reasonably do (transporter can be used as replicators, deflector can do other 'force field' like stuff; communicators aren't turned into phasers...)

My explanation for it is our game universe is a quantum state or two off from the show. Most of the stuff in the shows happened, but not all; we're a divergent timeline.

**Sea Tyger** · 10-20-2002, 10:37 AM

I also use everything (live action) that made it to screen (I also ignore Star Trk V for the most part...although it does give us some nice insights to the crew's relationships), with some extra elements that I just happen to like (Caitians

, a couple of elements from the early 80's novels).

I'll even use Voyager info (which, since I won't ever run anything in the Delta Quadrant, I won't have to worry about most of it

).

**whoami** · 10-20-2002, 12:47 PM

I take my cue directly from Mr. Berman who, in co-writing the TNG era productions, said that he (and Roddenberry) had decided to "essentially reinvent" trek and to "largely ignore" large parts of TOS and the movies (this from a 1987 radio interview).

I accept pretty much everything from Enterprise, TOS, the less hokey elements of TAS, and the movies (but I ignore STV) as "factual".

TNG, and DS9 were 29th century holodramas loosely based upon the real-life exploits of Captains Picard and Sisko and their respective crews. Such details as O'Brian's rank, the pajama-like uniforms, children on ships, and the configuration of the vessels themselves resulted from a combination of erroneus record keeping and arbitrary decisions of the holodramas' production staffs.

The death of Captain James Kirk on Veridian III and the fate of Captain Montgomery Scott were partially the result of the temporal cold war's efforts to weaken-if not outright destroy-the Federation (and were ultimately rectified when Captain Archer ended the crisis in 2160).

Captain Picard left the Nexus with a Nexus Clone of Kirk, who remained stranded in the Nexus and was later rescued by Montgomery Scott, returning to the 23rd century after a year's absence.

I ignore Voyager and most of the novels, except for a few like The Pandora Principle and Dwellers in the Crucible(Others I shamelessly steal elements from and alter as needed).

My campaign is best described as a more consistent extension of the TOS/movies universe. Military elements are more in keeping with the movies and social/political problems are more realistic. Starfleet is a military, and as such has the idiocy and occasional bureaucratic nincompoopery one expects.

The Federation is vastly improved, but is no utopia, still occasionally struggling with issues like food supply and population (which Genesis was created to deal with),ideological differences, political self-interest, and our predisposition to violence ("I'm a killer, but I'm not going to kill today.").

**whoami** · 10-20-2002, 01:57 PM

- Galaxyquest replaces Trek in my campaign history as a media phenomenon in the late 20th century.
- An early Federation cruiser, the NX class USS Excalibur NX-57, was present when the surface of Altair V was laid waste by the misuse of Preserver artifacts by Dr. Edward Morbius in 2180.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot diggety damn, what a great pair of ideas!

I'm inclined to borrow these!

**Antonsb214** · 10-20-2002, 02:29 PM

So, if Galaxyquest is "Trek" in the Star Trek universe, how often should an adventure remind a PC (one that is sick enough to watch 20th century TV) of a Galaxy Quest episode?

"Ensign Jones was just killed by a lava monster! This is just like Episode 81 of Galaxyquest!"

Or does he or she wake up during the night screaming, "I'm not crewman Number 6, I'm not crewman Number 6!"

**tmutant** · 10-20-2002, 06:08 PM

I like the Galaxy Quest idea. I shall now shamelessly steal it.

I use TNG, DS9, and Voyager as the setting. TOS is history, along with the movie era. If it appeared on screen it's Gospel. Beyond that, I just maintain internal consistency in my campaign.

**whoami** · 10-20-2002, 07:20 PM

I'm really enjoying all these posts!
I started as fairly rigid, canon-is-canon kinda guy. I felt that, if it was on screen, I had to accept it, even the parts that might not be everyone's cup of tea.

I do know my players were getting really tired of hearing, "You can't do that, because in TNG..." and so on.

The only thing that ever really swayed me was when a player said, "It's only a tv show!"

That worked. I figured that if we got too rigid, it'd stop being fun.

As I mentioned earlier, Rick Berman as much as said that TNG was in a different (or at least reconfigured ) Trek universe anyway (that's tv for ya), so our consciences are at ease (okay, so maybe two things).

Besides, if something really doesn't work out, we can always blame it on that nasty ol' Temporal Cold War and eventually fix things.

After all, we're in this to have fun!

On a personal note, I finally managed to quit smoking and now I get sick.

**Ineti** · 10-21-2002, 07:44 AM

Guess I'll add my 2 latinum slips worth...

I use all of TNG and DS9 as the basis for my campaigns. TOS as well, though I've never run an episode that had any connection to the original series. The only thing I'd use from VOY would be the EMH.

The Encyclopedia, the TNG Tech Manual, the DS9 Tech manual, Star Charts, Chronology, Star Trek: The Magazine, and a couple other publications are all sources I use as well, pretty much to the letter.

I read some of the novels, but I don't use them for much more than idea generators. I like the current DS9 relaunch novels, and will likely pull some ideas from them for my next campaign.

**Diamond** · 10-21-2002, 09:20 AM

In my campaign, everything which made it to the big or little screen is in-continuity. It has to be that simple for me. I as GM have to create a common shared image of the universe with my players. So I have to have a simple rule. The players and I thus have the same image of what has happened. I don't want to argue about this movie sucked or something is confusing and thus shouldn't be in continuity. Thus, the Animated Episodes, ST5, everything.

In real life, confusing and unentertaining stuff happens. I can't say "I was bored Sunday. It sucked. It didn't happen." Or "that thing my friend idly said yesterday didn't match the news report. Obviously god has no sense of continuity and one of those events must not have really happened." Everythings in-continuity, and (for example) Enterprise has been PERFECTLY in accordance to established on-screen continuity. PERFECTLY. It's just violated a lot of stuff certain fans _assumed_, but was not supported by on-screen stuff.

**pesterfield** · 10-23-2002, 04:28 PM

I use: TOS, TNG, DS9(with changes)

TAS I use, but change the over the top things.

I use many novels either whole or pick bits and pieces.

The Federation switches between being allied to the Klingons or Romulans as needed.

Energy weapons are the exception rather than the rule, the species we've seen have them but most others use firearms.

We don't have a budget so aliens will usually have more than a forehead ridge difference.

C5 · 10-24-2002, 02:22 AM

I use every series I've seen or read about (since Voyager has not been aired in my country yet) as a continuity guideline, but I allow myself to change some events if I don't like them (in that case, I warn the players who know the series).
For instance, the super gun Ezri investigated about in DS9 will probably never exist in my game's universe (don't want my players to find one

), and the Ferengi Nagus will remain the way he was when he first appeared on the show (cunning, ruthless and clever), and no Nagus Rom ever (though I could allow Ferengi females to participate in business).

OTOH, I like to keep what I call "Trek flavor" to my games - even when if it isn't realistic at all. For instance, aliens are mostly humanoid with bumps on the face, and the Captain never hesitate to send all the senior officers (even when one could wonder what they'd have to do here) on away missions.

As for novels, they are mainly sources for plot ideas, but I can use some of them as canon when they give some explanations about something that was never shown in the series.

**SIR SIG** · 10-24-2002, 02:24 AM

I'm a stickler for canon.

I'll use it as far as I can and if thats not far enough then I'll tweak but not change

**Lt.Khrys Antos** · 10-24-2002, 09:00 AM

I stick to cannon as much as possible but not to the point that it becomes a straight-jacket.
TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY are all in as well as all the movies. The only thing I ignore is the animated series, because well it was a cartoon.

If their is information which is contradictory then I simply state that their was a "historical mistake" and the accounts weren't properly written out and I try to complete the info.

ENT is still 50-50 for me, I use some of what they have, but not all of it.

Thread: Man the canon or damn the canon?

Thread Tools

Everything on screen.

Posting Permissions