60 Years In Space
March 2, 2023 10:04 AM Subscribe
60 Years In Space
In 2015 I started making an extremely crunchy hard sci-fi TTRPG based on a board game, High Frontier. I’ve just released all 1800 pages of it on itch.io. The first 100 pages of the core rules are free to download and people seem to like it.
60 Years In Space is an attempt to make a table top role playing game where you procedurally generate the future by exploring the solar system as a 4 person crew. It uses close to accurate rocket physics, water as both fuel and currency and consciousness minds aren’t fungible. Just like the board game it’s based on.
But several decisions, including making it GM-less, the fact space is incredibly unintuitive and that I was discovery writing it, meant it just kept growing.
It now has rules that let you build megastructures. Travel around the galaxy for a billion years or more. Instructions on what space snacks you should be eating at the gaming table. 20 possible great filters. How to map buildings that are 1 AU in height.
I’m trying to reach people who are absolutely obsessed with hard sci-fi and will use this as a source book, play it solitaire, print it out, put it a three ring binder and have reading parties and try to rope everyone they know into playing it.
Warning: Phil Eklund created the board game this is based on. His public statements and opinions have been pretty terrible at times.
In 2015 I started making an extremely crunchy hard sci-fi TTRPG based on a board game, High Frontier. I’ve just released all 1800 pages of it on itch.io. The first 100 pages of the core rules are free to download and people seem to like it.
60 Years In Space is an attempt to make a table top role playing game where you procedurally generate the future by exploring the solar system as a 4 person crew. It uses close to accurate rocket physics, water as both fuel and currency and consciousness minds aren’t fungible. Just like the board game it’s based on.
But several decisions, including making it GM-less, the fact space is incredibly unintuitive and that I was discovery writing it, meant it just kept growing.
It now has rules that let you build megastructures. Travel around the galaxy for a billion years or more. Instructions on what space snacks you should be eating at the gaming table. 20 possible great filters. How to map buildings that are 1 AU in height.
I’m trying to reach people who are absolutely obsessed with hard sci-fi and will use this as a source book, play it solitaire, print it out, put it a three ring binder and have reading parties and try to rope everyone they know into playing it.
Warning: Phil Eklund created the board game this is based on. His public statements and opinions have been pretty terrible at times.
Role: writer, graphic designer, editor, publisher
I just love that it's called "60 Years In Space" and you can "travel around the galaxy for a billion years or more." I love mission creep. This sounds like something I have had dreams about. Will I ever play this? We'll have to see what we can do. But I will probably read a lot of it.
And congrats on the positive depiction of drug use! (Wtf Australia?)
posted by grobstein at 12:02 AM on March 12, 2023
And congrats on the positive depiction of drug use! (Wtf Australia?)
posted by grobstein at 12:02 AM on March 12, 2023
Phil has is a supporter of (specifically British) colonialism and an anthropogenic climate change denier. He is a true believer Libertarian and a man of contradictions; no more so in the way his games often undercut the positions he advocates. He has also supported a number of people early in their game design careers, including Cole Wehrle.
posted by andrewdoull at 10:18 PM on March 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by andrewdoull at 10:18 PM on March 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
I just love that it's called "60 Years In Space" and you can "travel around the galaxy for a billion years or more."
60 is just 10^9 upside down and drop the 1.
posted by andrewdoull at 10:20 PM on March 13, 2023
60 is just 10^9 upside down and drop the 1.
posted by andrewdoull at 10:20 PM on March 13, 2023
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Regarding the warning -- targeted at your game or about world things?
posted by filtergik at 6:11 PM on March 11, 2023