Stumbling Around VSP, Pulp, and Steampunk?

[FifteensAway]

Okay, I have some familiarity with all three of these 'genres' but trying to get a better handle on where I land.

I want to do games along the Jules Verne path where there are inventions (more like mentioned in Howard Whitehoue's original post on this thread - back in 2006).  But I want such inventions to be reasonable extrapolations of items that really existed rather than the imaginative but far fetched items that seem so popular (and more power to those who enjoy such things) in VSF.  And I want to stay on earth, or close, as in its okay to have forms of flight but extrapolated from real world.  And Obeying The Laws of Physics!  (I know, many if not most of you don't care for such restrictions, again more power to those who enjoy it.  I just like the challenge of 'building' what might have been rather than literal flights of fancy.)

Borrowing from the Pulpometer from Pulp, I want to stick tight to say a 3 or 4.  For me having heroes and villains that can survive across many, many games and drive the narrative along the way, that's great.  And I pretty much put the brakes on with 1900 or so.  Unless I stretch to include the remoter elements of WWI, think German East Africa.  I guess for me it's a mix of historical fact with fiction and a little bit of the fantastical (in the extraplation element) but not the fantasy/sci-fi.  A weapon that uses the power take off from a steam traction engine somehow?  Very cool.  A ray-gun with no basis in fact?  Not so much.  (I don't know the status of laser research by 1900 but I'm pretty sure there was no technology to extrapolate from that early.)  Something using electricity?  Sure.  But, again, for me, it has to follow from what might have been.  Of course, there are lots of cool models out there for the fantasy/sci-fi side of things to appeal to the mass of you who follow that other path.  Just not quite the path I want to follow.

I know it doesn't matter what it's called as long as its fun for me.  But I'm just curious where this places me on the gaming continuum?  Am I just VSF light?  Is this sort of Steampunk?  Too early for Pulp, or maybe Steampulp?  Thanks for reading and replying.   

[FramFramson]

I think what you may be going for is essentially VSF, but with a sort of a pulp ethos. So while the setting would be largely Victorian or Edwardian, with VSF elements, your games might feature small bands of intrepid globe-trotting adventurers of mixed or lower class, some or all of whom have no formal allegiance to a country or anything grander than themselves or their friends. 

[FifteensAway]

Fram,

Thanks for the thoughts, though curious as to why you exclude the upper class?  Though it certainly works without.  Canuckistan -- I like it. 

[FramFramson]

Well, some are okay, but definitely not all.

When I think of pulp stories, there's always an more down-to-earth "everyman hero" element, where the main character is a mercenary or [something]-for-hire, an agent for a larger cause or organization, or just an adventurer in a rough world. Hard-living independent pilots or sailors, gamblers/rakes, demobbed soldiers, young fellows out to see the world, government spies, "academics" (i.e. Indiana Jones or scientist types), these are very common pulp heroes.

Sometimes a Pulp hero is from the upper class, or there is/are some upper-class folks in the adventuring party, but you never really see Pulp stories where ALL the adventurers are from the upper classes. That's very much a Victorian or Edwardian thing. But with Pulp there's always at least some element of worldliness (think Han Solo) in Pulp teams. And the members of a Pulp team will usually work as equals regardless of class, though sometimes friction is used as a character-building device (think Han Solo & Princess Leia).

I'm just generalizing of course, but typically when you see Pulp AARs you'll see those small bands of egalitarian adventurers. Whereas with VSF you'll see lord Smythe-Smythington commanding regiments of infantry and impervious suits.

Good "Steampulp" heroes would be something like the Danny Dravot/Peachy Carnehan duo from The Man Who Would be King, only kitted out for VSF adventures on Mars.

[Craig]

Okay, I have some familiarity with all three of these 'genres' but trying to get a better handle on where I land.

I want to do games along the Jules Verne path where there are inventions (more like mentioned in Howard Whitehoue's original post on this thread - back in 2006).  But I want such inventions to be reasonable extrapolations of items that really existed rather than the imaginative but far fetched items that seem so popular (and more power to those who enjoy such things) in VSF.  And I want to stay on earth, or close, as in its okay to have forms of flight but extrapolated from real world.  And Obeying The Laws of Physics!  (I know, many if not most of you don't care for such restrictions, again more power to those who enjoy it.  I just like the challenge of 'building' what might have been rather than literal flights of fancy.)

I know it doesn't matter what it's called as long as its fun for me.  But I'm just curious where this places me on the gaming continuum?  Am I just VSF light?  Is this sort of Steampunk?  Too early for Pulp, or maybe Steampulp?  Thanks for reading and replying.   

Where it places you is firmly in classic Victorian Science Fiction, which should not be confused with its wacky cousin, full-on Steampunk.

There are some excellent Steampunk games out there, and some incredible figures. However, if VSF is your thing you could do worse than have a look at North Star Miniatures new VSF range: http://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=148&page=1

This supports a skirmish game which is about to be released by Osprey called In Her Majesty's Name and here I have to make an admission - I am one of the authors.

Like yourself we decided to aim at the society and technology of 1895, but with a twist, rather than falling into the undiluted fantasy of Steampunk. We are both fans of Jules Verne, H.G Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, H. Rider Haggard and Rudyard Kipling.

You will find a number of threads on the VSF boards here that are discussing IHMN, so I'll leave my plug there 

[FifteensAway]

Craig,

Yes, I think you are right with where I land.  And best of luck with those rules and congratulations on the authorship.  Those North Star figures are pretty cool.  Alas, I am in 15 mm so not useful to me.  But several companies are now catering to those of us who like our metal in smaller doses.  I did realize one thing, though, while looking at the North Star figures -- I can put my Boxers to yet another use!

Thanks for the reply.

Curmudgeon-in-Chief

[Craig]

Thanks

The rules themselves are not tied to any particular scale so you can still enjoy them in 15mm... just saying

It is pretty exciting though having our very first rules published and there being miniatures made specifically for them. It is the sort of thing you dream of as a gamer, but never believe will actually happen.

[fastolfrus]

Sometimes a Pulp hero is from the upper class, or there is/are some upper-class folks in the adventuring party, but you never really see Pulp stories where ALL the adventurers are from the upper classes.

You couldn't really have a party that was all upper-class. Who would carry the bags?

[FramFramson]

We heve steam-porters for such purposes, suh! We ahre nawt bharberrians! *monocle*