An Aardvark's Genesis

[Chainsaw Aardvark]

Friday, May thirteenth is my twenty-eighth birthday. I've spent about twelve or thirteen years playing role-playing games

OK, not much compared to the two decades Rob has spent on ICAR, or DOC_Agren's multi-generational campaign. But its significant to me at least.

This also represents roughly ten years writing RPGs. Way back in 1km1kt's archives would be a few of the first games I created - Gangland and Eastern Front. However, those were only projects three and four.

As a special gift to commemorate outliving the Red Barron and a number of famous musicians, I'm going to show you the very first game I wrote.

Its called " or abbreviated "DAN" as all of my friends who played it were named Dan (Holman, Eisner, Flaherity). Its more likely to be called Xenoexodous in my notes these days - after its setting. In summary - Asteroid Mining operations find a "Hyper-foil Gate" that opens up an apparently abandoned alien FTL network. This unleashes a forgotten weapon on earth, which will render the planet uninhabitable in a bit less than a century. Thus efforts spring up to effectively evacuate as much of the human race and other fauna as possible. An already nigh impossible task is further hampered by a lack of readily habitable planets, disagreements on who should have priority, and the limited space technology - almost all human ships are equivalent to roll-on/roll-off cargo ships moved with ion engines. Since space combat is likely to end in mutual annihilation, most battles are fought in secret through sabotage and small groups.

I will openly admit - the layout is atrocious. It was written three years before I took any technical editing classes. Amongst its myriad of sins: single column, no real headings, examples poorly offset, and little change in fonts.

As to the mechanics, they're somewhat overcomplicated. Damage is scaled in powers of ten, from characters' have 90 hit points in personal grade, to Vacuum grade for large spaceships where one VG=1000 PG. Rolls are both 2d6 and percentile, depending on on the need for fidelity (yes/no check vs rank of achievement). The skill list is probably overly long, everything is available in a basic or advanced version, complicated further by vehicle skills coming in piloting and mechanical flavors.

In places, there are still setting notes and some entries contradict others. (I replaced the idea of using Orion drives with ion engines powered by fusion reactors for example). Look closely, and you'll see a lot of the same ideas that would end up in other settings I've worked on (Trans-humans, religious extremists, powered armor, social based factions)

Still it was a labor of love, and something I want to complete eventually. Just probably not now due to the sheer scope of reworking it would need. A lot of the patterns that I've adopted as signatures in design and story are present, even at this stage.

Questions or comments, I'm here.