[UA] All Humans are Liars

[Royal Minister of Stuff]

--- Liam Astley <Dogzilla at btinternet.com> wrote:
> 
> that's always been my problem with most "alien"
> races as they're presented
> in rpgs (and telly for that matter, just look at
> star trek). they're all
> just some earth culture. or a mixture of a couple of
> earth cultures. with
> some funny names stuck in. 

There's a stupid line from one of the Star Trek movies
that should probably go into any game.  It's in #6,
which features David Warner (whose movies make a
decent UA or CoC campaign all by themselves, from
"Beyond the Grave" to "Mr. North." Ha Ha. Huston doing
Thorton Wilder. Wilder's
done-by-way-too-many-little-theatre-groups play, "Our
Town" or "Skin of Our Teeth" are an otherspaces all by
themselves.)

Wait. Where was I?

Oh yeah. The line is delivered by Kirk.  Shatner turns
in the doorway and says to a brooding Nemoy, "Spok,
everybody's human."

Whether or not the writers meant it, that's a pretty
good statement about RPGs.  Like art or literature or
film, RPGs are humanities.  They draw their strength
from what makes us all feel like we're alive, good or
bad.

Alien Cultures and Fantasy Races are pretty much
devices for exaggerating one aspect of humanity to
play around with and examine.  Whether it's working in
a coal mine, duty or the way being glamorous makes you
aloof and languid, an alien or an elf or a hobbit is
supposed to be some part of you that doesn't get aired
out much.

You can do that with cabals in UA (and I do.) 
Different cults and rackets and conspiracies just
reflect and expound upon some part of society or
morality or my stupid job which I want to explore and
which I think players might respond to.

Okay, I admit, sometimes I put in a conspiracy just
because I feel like it, but you get the basic point. 

=====
-- Rp Bowman, Royal Minister of Stuff
The Electronic Nation of Yokeltania:
http://www.geocities.com/yokeltania/

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