Browncoats inspiration
I’ve been a long time opponent of the accountant-heavy trader campaigns that present themselves as the default story arc for classic Traveller. It is possible to pull together a game that centers on transporting cargo but it takes a great deal of work and ingenuity on the part of the GM. With that in mind, it would be hard to find a better example of pulling this off than Joss Whedon’s Firefly. The short-lived series could have been born at the gaming table; more importantly, it ought to be used as inspiration for new GMs.
Over the last year, a diehard core of Firefly fans have been working to pull together a new film based on the franchise entitled Browncoats: Redemption.
While it lacks the polish of the original series, it does continue the idea of a group on the fringes of society who are eking out a living transporting cargo. The reason Whedon’s series makes for good inspiration is because he either turns hauling cargo into an adventure or uses it merely as a way of moving his characters around in order to put them in harms way. If Browncoats follows this pattern it will be worth watching for ideas.
I don’t have a source handy for this, but I remember reading that the inspiration for Firefly was Whedon’s Traveller campaign. If true, the series was put together at the gaming table.
That’s interesting. Based on the feel and layout of the show I wouldn’t be surprised if it came out of a Traveller game.