 February 22, 2015 - 1:41pm | Sometimes you find the oddest things in the timeline, I openned the book and my eyes fell on this: 81FY Sathar Fleet 1 attacks Madderly's Star. They encounter the new Spacefleet fortress Kdikit. Its resistance is fierce and buys the needed time for reinforcements to arrive. Dramune sends three frigates and a destroyer from its militia while the UPF dispatches two destroyers and two light cruisers from its non-attached ships roster. Right away some things and questions jump out at me: 1. the space fortress at Madderly's STar is new, setting wise that means it was under construction for a time before the war. So during the period between SW1 & SW2 it was a major public work being built and impacting the economy at Madderly's star. This is significant if PCs are travelling through the system and may figure into an adventure if they are a freighter crew bringing parts and materials for the space fortress. 2. Dramune sent what? Dramune doesn't have a system government but rather two separate and sometimes warring governments. Image the negotiation that had to go on for the two governments to work together to do this? Or did Inner Reach simply send the ships and hoped that Outer Reach wouldn't go "fishing in troubled waters?" I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 23, 2015 - 3:04am | If its attached to the back the see thru apparel is not really required- just low cut in the back. I imagine that a bio-scanner or a med scanner would immediately turn up the presence of this organism. Thus security check points would have a device much like the "door-way" we have today for metal detecting that would incorporate the bio-scanner. However due to privacy issues it only alerts for the presence of the organism and would not tell the operator if the person walking through has cancer or etc. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 March 23, 2015 - 5:04am | Privacy laws... giggle. In my experience PLs currently only exist for politicians and the bastards who call my home nightly (and yes it is that regular). I would really like the nightly phone calls to end. I had my privacy stolen away years ago and I must always assume certain things. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 March 24, 2015 - 2:58am | "See-through apparel becomes fashionable almost immediately."
 That's actual text directly from Zeb's Guide, one of the few highlights of that book. Changing the word "back" to "chest" better justifies the "need" for transparent clothing. |
March 24, 2015 - 3:56am | "See-through apparel becomes fashionable almost immediately."
That's actual text directly from Zeb's Guide, one of the few highlights of that book. Changing the word "back" to "chest" better justifies the "need" for transparent clothing. Actually, i think I smell a corporate scheme here to sell more clothing, thankyou very much UniHo. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 24, 2015 - 10:36am | If it was a corporate scheme, a second species would have been discovered that gestates in the crotch. |
 March 25, 2015 - 9:45am | hang on a sec need to be racial here, let's see this see through clothing Dralasites---Don't wear clothing it interferes with their breathing Vrusk---No real need for clothing the whole exoskeleton and breathing orifices located on the abdomen Yazirians---Hieght of fashion is a cape, utility belt and lion cloth (see-through lion cloth?) This statement must have been made for humans but giving they are the ones who are supposed to have the most variation in cultures, exactly how big a scare does it take for all humans to start wearing see-through clothes? Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
March 25, 2015 - 10:31am | Logic always trumps anything printed in Zeb's Guide.  |
 March 26, 2015 - 12:43am | Yeah, based on what is written in the AD rulebooks, modesty is largely a human concept. It is not so clear with Yazirians. Most forms of clothing would hinder their movement do to their patagium (glider wings-flaps). I have a feeling that they were in the past cultural nudists (think National Geographic), but became modest do to human contact. |
March 26, 2015 - 4:30am | Space travel would probably have created a need for at least environmental suits... but mostly yes nudists or only lightly clothed... but I have in my head various other reasons clothes would have been invented. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
March 26, 2015 - 11:52am | Those nudists will be most thankful for skeinsuits when charging their lopers after rollers through the shard glass fields. |
March 26, 2015 - 5:05pm | The thing I have noticed about "clothing" is, that unless someone has come along and decided there needs to be clothing rules, people just wear what they feel they need. Usually this is very practical for their environment unless the rule committee shows up. Once a committee shows up all that changes, suddenly everyone is stuck wearing clothes that are often not an improvement, usually not suited to the environment, usually constricts or limits a portion of the population and there is usually punishments involved for anyone who wears the old style, traditional clothing, or lack there of. Just a general observation... not saying I don't cringe at times over fashion choices too, but there are some seriously impractical to down right unhealthy clothing rules that have been imposed on populations over the years of human history by the rule makers. So the question is would other SF races hit on the same ideas? Maybe. So with that said here are reasons for clothes that have nothing to do with the environment: Some of these will over lap: Designates Status or lack there of in society, know your position (there are tons of these rules from around the globe that state who can wear what in great detail). Shows what group you belong to, either voluntarily imposed (your group wishes to stand apart from the others) or imposed by an outside group (outside group with power wants to be able to ID your group). Ornamentation (just looks good) Religious motivation (covered head, veils, burkas: being more virtuous than the neighbor, not offending God, proving humility, symbolic of something or someone and so on) Prove your civilized or part of civilized culture (Button location on shoes is an example of this carry over, also which way a shirt overlaps) Fashion (You ain't in if you don't have it on) Health (wether true or a lie some clothing has been sold as health gimmicks) War (tell the sides apart) I am sure there are more... just trying to think of all the reasons different people dress different ways on a regular basis that have little to do with comfort or environment. So maybe some motivations for clothes amongst species we would think don't need it could be for similar reasons... And an unrelated thought: Yazirians have fur now that fur could be clipped and even dyed in patterns for specific reasons, could it not? "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
March 27, 2015 - 11:48am | In the article on dralasite philosophy: http://www.frontierexplorer.org/book/dralasitic-creed I proposed toga like wraps for dralasites as the traditional garb for philosophical debates. It makes a lot of sense. since they are shape shifters a toga would be very amenable to the changing situation of a dral changing its body shape. Its simply a woven piece of cloth and would have started as clothing when one dral stood to address its social school and the other drals were snuggled down in a bowl chair with throw blankets for warmth and the speaker found it chilly with no clothes. He would have grabbed a piece of textile and wrapped it around his body so that he could do justice to the truth of his ideas rather than cut the speach short due to being cold. From this simple beginning evolved the practice of wearing togas but in the modern Frontier wearing a toga is as much a symbol of position- recognized teacher, philosopher or part of the rite of passage of making one's stand in the Circle of Debate. They also would have developed ponchos in the distant past and this would be a common article of dralasite clothing as well for cold and wet weather. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 28, 2015 - 1:30pm | Pants worn below the ass really seems to work for a majority of younger people. I personally see no advantage to this and numerous disadvantages --- for starters where does the wanna be thug stash his pistol? Certainly not in the waistband, perhaps in one of the pockets so the extra weight helps tug those unsupported pants down with each step? --- but you can't argue with the majority. |
March 29, 2015 - 5:41am | I don't get that fashion either... I know the internet says it's a myth, but my life has allowed me to know many people and all the ex-cons have told me it started as advert in prison for sex, and then some how became cool fashion. So I do not get it, if they are telling me the truth, then a bunch of folks are advertising their asses? I and others have seen the thugs or want-to-be types try and run and trip and do face plants. So not cool looking to trip on your pants. You can hide a ton of weapons in tighter fitting clothing, I have seen it done, including a shot gun... Oh the odd things I have received government training on. Plenty of idiot white people try to say your racist against black people if you think it is the worst fashion choice ever, but all the people I know that are black think it is hands down not a cool look. I queried the teen girls as to how they thought the look made young men look, they all sighed and said stupid... I asked why they didn't tell the boys that, they said they did not want to hurt their boy friends or potential boy friends feelings. I think it looks the opposite of cool holding your pants up by one hand, or trying to do a hula-la-hoop & walk. Duffus is more like it. And all the "cool" walks from the 60-70s you can not do dressed like that. I guess everyone thinks their being "unique" and giving it to the man? I know of one little old lady that has pulled down sagger pants, she sneaks up from behind and Bazinga!... LOL!  So I don't get it myself, but then I wear tie-dye... "the traditional dress of my people"... I totally sent a busy body uppity co-worker from another department trying to impose his imaginary authority on me and he was being rude and demeaning with his comments, but that one line along sent him running away afraid of getting busted for not embracing the cultural diversity mandate at work. It was so funny. The best one is when I told someone complaining I was in tie-dye to go tell my Department Head... oh to see the look on their face when they went to complain. She was wearing tie-dye that day too... I just stick with my "the traditional dress of my people" when it comes up now, and people flee. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
March 29, 2015 - 8:21am | I don't get that fashion either... I know the internet says it's a myth, but my life has allowed me to know many people and all the ex-cons have told me it started as advert in prison for sex, and then some how became cool fashion. So I do not get it, if they are telling me the truth, then a bunch of folks are advertising their asses?
Yeah, that is a myth. The truth is that the style came form ex-cons who, while in prison, could not use belts or draw-strings for the reason that they can be used as weapons (whips, garottes, nooses, etc.). Ex-cons usual have a hard time acclimating to the outside world, and thus, continue to behave like they did in prison. Also, in ghettos, there is a status with "serving time" that is romanticized. |
March 29, 2015 - 2:28pm | Yes, everyone wants to be perceived as a bad ass. They think it makes them cool & real & all that jazz. I hear the romanticizing all the time. I could see the belt thing happening, I agree on the acclimating thing too. Of course the whole hip-hop/rap industry/media has a bunch of folks still pushing the look, that has probably helped it continue, a bunch of old white dudes with labels and record contracts pushing a stereo type fashion... I mean every female singer has to look like a slut now in rock & be crude & all the rap crowd has to be "gangsta" just a bunch of dirty old bigoted dudes calling the marketing shots in my opinion. I am a bit cynical about the entertainment industry and their complete lack of values, morals or ethics. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
March 30, 2015 - 4:17am | RE: SF fashions Sci fi comics from the 40s-60s might have been an influence:     Bikinis and capes for women, men get much more sensible and protective garments though occassionally breaking out the pecks and gun show. BTW has anyone seen the new Andy Grammer lyric video for his song Honey I'm Good? They photoshopped public domain sci fi comics and put in the lyrics of the song in the speach and thought bubbles - its pretty entertaining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2mAM2J49yk I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 30, 2015 - 9:28am | Yes, I think Sci-fi clothing is heavily influenced by the comics... but also if you read the old books generally the Martians are running around in skimpy "harnesses" too. So there is a whole thought process going back to the 1800's of chicks near nude in space. On the other hand you can also find the whole flowing robes thing going on too. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
March 30, 2015 - 9:55am | The movie Aelita had a big impact on Sci-fi sets and costumes... "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
March 31, 2015 - 7:59am | Yes, I think Sci-fi clothing is heavily influenced by the comics... but also if you read the old books generally the Martians are running around in skimpy "harnesses" too. So there is a whole thought process going back to the 1800's of chicks near nude in space. Actually, those covers where more '20s-'30s pulp-era magazines in stiyle, that also carried over to the comic books of the '40s and '50s. And much of the scantily-clad space vixens, and the space romance in general, were largely inspired by A Princess of Mars, which itself is a pulp yarn.On the other hand you can also find the whole flowing robes thing going on too. In A Princess of Mars, the titular princess, Dejah Thoris, and her heroic love-interest, John Carter, were noted as being nude save for some jewelry (for Thoris) and a leather battle-harness (for Carter) that end up being used to provide some semblance of clothing and modesty with artistic depictions. In other words, the need to not show outright naked people on the covers end up as the basis for the "Slave Leia" outfit and what ever the hell Sean Connery wore in Zardoz. A Princess of Mars inspired a lot of other writers, and in the Golden Age of Pulps (the aforementioned '20s-'30s), sex (although, really mild by today's standards) sells, and thus all those pulp and comic book covers. |
April 2, 2015 - 3:18pm | I am a bit cynical about the entertainment industry and their complete lack of values, morals or ethics. The quality of music, movies, and general entertainment these days is a direct reflection of the mentality of today's youth. You know, uneducated. |
April 3, 2015 - 2:26pm | The quality of music, movies, and general entertainment these days is a direct reflection of the mentality of today's youth. You know, uneducated. I disagree. Were the major entertainment industries are stagnant and carters to the lowest common denominator, kids these days are anything but that. Kids these days are smarter and better educated than those that came before them. I have seen kids deconstruct the world around them. Weigh arguments with a better degree of judgment. And not become dogmatic on what they learn. They are a lot more critical over media content then older people. Morally, they are profoundly altruistic. Since 9/11, there has been a drive to be more charitable and to put one's neck out for those in trouble, even at great personal risk. Because of that, and the housing crash, kids are more concerned with economic security than abject materialism. It feels there is an overriding desire to forgo great wealth do or invent things to better the world in someway. Kids indulge in violent video games without loosing sense of their humanity. It fact, violence is down in the country -- more so with the youth. Even with all the sex education and sexual contact in the media, they treat sex as lewd subject and are less sexually active, often choosing to wait until they are settled with a career before starting a family. |
 April 5, 2015 - 5:13am | 1) during WW 2 the Mafia had longshoremen watch docks along the east coast of USA for spies and sabotage....criminals can be patriotic. 2) Sathar can make a direct jump from Madderly's Star to the Dramune system or go through the Cassadine system. Without Outer Reach - pirates have a harder time fencing their goods. So for them to fight is actually preserving their way of life. If they run away and the UPF looses - then all the planets and people they know are gone - all the women (or men), the booze, the drugs, etc. So whether it is patriotism or self-interest, I can see the pirates from Outer Reach cooperating. |
April 5, 2015 - 5:34am | You never know when a criminal leader has an intense emotional reaction to something and orders his organization "to war" as it were. If said criminal Don was a veteran of SW1 and witnessed sathar killing a close buddy he may just be all, "Hell no, not in my star system!" At the bottom of it all, even bad guys are people and they may make good decisions for emotion, nostolgic, alltruistic or a host of other illogical reasons that violate their credo as bad guys.  Of course there can be other reasons for the above:  I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
