Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil McGregor

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/jet-packs-and-laser-guns

A classic space opera table top roleplaying game from before spell-
checkers, email, and DTP, the lack of which impacted the design
of the game.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On 05/06/2022 08.02, James Nicoll wrote:
> Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil McGregor
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/jet-packs-and-laser-guns
>
> A classic space opera table top roleplaying game from before spell-
> checkers, email, and DTP, the lack of which impacted the design
> of the game.

Something called "space opera" by somebody named "Edward E. S___"?

That should be trademark infringement. Or something.

--
Michael F. Stemper
Psalm 94:3-6

In article <t7igrg$88g$1@dont-email.me>,
Michael F. Stemper <michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 05/06/2022 08.02, James Nicoll wrote:
>> Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil McGregor
>>
>> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/jet-packs-and-laser-guns
>>
>> A classic space opera table top roleplaying game from before spell-
>> checkers, email, and DTP, the lack of which impacted the design
>> of the game.
>
>Something called "space opera" by somebody named "Edward E. S___"?
>
>That should be trademark infringement. Or something.

Copyright infringment was one of SO's core strengths. Not a lot of effort
to hide inspirations.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

In article <t7i9go$s44$1@reader1.panix.com>,
jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

> Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil McGregor
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/jet-packs-and-laser-guns
>
> A classic space opera table top roleplaying game from before spell-
> checkers, email, and DTP, the lack of which impacted the design
> of the game.

IIRC*, an excessively complicated RPG (possibly created by people who
thought that GDW's _Traveller_ was too simple). BTW, it was published by
the same people (and had a common designer) who published _Chivalry and
Sorcery_, another excessively complicated RPG.

*My copies are in storage and I am not driving there and dig through 100
boxes to find them.

--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
�-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote in
news:t7ihgi$8tp$1@reader1.panix.com:

> In article <t7igrg$88g$1@dont-email.me>,
> Michael F. Stemper <michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:
>>On 05/06/2022 08.02, James Nicoll wrote:
>>> Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil
>>> McGregor
>>>
>>> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/jet-packs-and-laser-guns
>>>
>>> A classic space opera table top roleplaying game from before
>>> spell- checkers, email, and DTP, the lack of which impacted
>>> the design of the game.
>>
>>Something called "space opera" by somebody named "Edward E.
>>S___"?
>>
>>That should be trademark infringement. Or something.
>
> Copyright infringment was one of SO's core strengths. Not a lot
> of effort to hide inspirations.

Hardly unique, or even slightly unusual, in roleplaying games in the
70s.

--
Terry Austin

Proof that Alan Baker is a liar and a fool, and even stupider than
Lynn:
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote in news:t7i9go$s44$1
@reader1.panix.com:

> Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil McGregor
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/jet-packs-and-laser-guns
>
> A classic space opera table top roleplaying game from before spell-
> checkers, email, and DTP, the lack of which impacted the design
> of the game.

"While saddle-stitching has gone out of fashion, these binding are as
sturdy as the box; they barely show any wear"

They learned an important lesson with Chivalry & Sorcery, which
tended to self-disassembel if you looked at it too hard.

--
Terry Austin

Proof that Alan Baker is a liar and a fool, and even stupider than
Lynn:
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

Robert Woodward <robertaw@drizzle.com> wrote in
news:robertaw-685389.09453205062022@news.individual.net:

> In article <t7i9go$s44$1@reader1.panix.com>,
> jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>
>> Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil
>> McGregor
>>
>> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/jet-packs-and-laser-guns
>>
>> A classic space opera table top roleplaying game from before
>> spell- checkers, email, and DTP, the lack of which impacted the
>> design of the game.
>
> IIRC*, an excessively complicated RPG (possibly created by
> people who thought that GDW's _Traveller_ was too simple). BTW,
> it was published by the same people (and had a common designer)
> who published _Chivalry and Sorcery_, another excessively
> complicated RPG.
>
> *My copies are in storage and I am not driving there and dig
> through 100 boxes to find them.
>
A fair call. The biggest issue (aside from lack of editing) was
that it was about four or five games all mushed together, in an
attempt to make a game that could do *anything*. You had to get rid
of about 80% to get a playable set of rules. We didn't get far with
it. When one is on one's murder hobo stage of gaming, a game that
takes several hours to create character, and has realistic future
combat whereing a character can be killed with maybe two die rolls,
is not a good choice.

(Chivalry & Sorcery, however, is not a particularly complicatd game
to *play*. Character creation can get complicated, and mages in
particular requite a fair amount of upkeep, but actual play is
pretty smooth is the gamemaster and at least one play know the
rules fairly well. We still play it today.)

--
Terry Austin

Proof that Alan Baker is a liar and a fool, and even stupider than
Lynn:
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

James Nicoll wrote:

>Space Opera by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner & Phil McGregor

With music rights these days, it's what the rights-holder's bots
notice. That includes a lot of things are very likely fair use, but the
system for platforms like YouTube are set up so it's easy to claim
something is copyrighted and hard to fight it.

There was one musician who related how she got a copyright strike for
performing her own song in a video. She neglected to inform somebody
about something. She'd then have to go to her label whatever and get ad
revenue back. Or some of it.

Brian

On Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 9:07:33 AM UTC-6, Michael F. Stemper wrote:

> Something called "space opera" by somebody named "Edward E. S___"?
>
> That should be trademark infringement. Or something.

For me, it was instead that Simbalist reminded me so much of Zimbalist.
As in Efrem Zimbalist Jr., from 77 Sunset Strip and later The FBI.

John Savard