Monday, April 11, 2016

Pulsars: More than a Superhero Boss Fight

Hello, Corpsman! We've got some amazing things to share regarding the Pulsars universe but I wanted to encourage any of you that have questions to leave them at the Smug Pug Games Facebook page or to leave them hear. I'll then take the questions and answer them each Monday as we continue our development on Pulsars. I'm going to go ahead and take the few I've gotten so far and answer them here, but I thought I'd like to tell you how the progress is going after the cruel Battle of the Lost Data.

1. Our artwork is in the 1st draft phase, and I will post pictures of them once they are finished. We are using Gunship Revolution as well as artwork from Christopher Dunn for Pulsars, and the artwork we've received so far has been amazing! You guys are in for a treat.

2. We lost a few documents from our Cloud data storage last month, but we have backups on our computers as well as other places. We may have lost about 30% of what we had, which included mainly Blog write ups, information on the Corps, and information on the world. We still have the rules, the system write ups, the character sheets, and setting material. All of the lost information can be easily replaced, it's just some of the backups were not the most up to date files. BUT EVERYTHING IS OK! Never fear, Pulsars is coming!

3. Yes, we are planning on running another Kickstarter in the Fall. We are waiting because after receiving the feedback from the last one I want to put every ounce of effort into not only improving the Kickstarter but improving the game and fixing the faults we had before. We also plan on having a special surprise at Gen Con 2016 for our fans, including a first look at the game.


Now, on to the biggest question I have received from other people. That is...

"So what is the appeal of this game? It seems like you're creating a game that's just guys in Iron Man suits going at it."

While Iron Man was a big inspiration on me growing up (I started reading during the War Machine era) the game is much more than people fighting each other in super suits. While the armor is at the center of the setting, Pulsars aims to show that there is so much more than becoming Mega Man and blasting robots. The Suit amplifies what you are good at and makes you even better at it.

Pulsars is set in a massive galaxy full of mystery. Not every problem is solved in Pulsars by aiming a weapon at it and shooting it. The Free Zones are full of billions of refugees who need food, shelter, and clean water. Preacher Cults, the fanatical bands of followers of the Enemy who seek to undermine and destabilize the region, need to be uncovered and their plans stopped. Feuding Free Zones need mediators who can reach a compromise between starving groups who are often only reason resorting to conflict because they have lost any hope. There are also countless relics, lost Suits, and mysterious phenomenon that need Pulsars to investigate them to find if they are helpful in resisting the Enemy or could be a threat.

And one of the primary motivators of the setting, beyond the Suits themselves, is perhaps its most personal: that of dealing with loss.

As I've said before, being a Pulsar is more than just wearing a shell of armor around yourself. You are fighting for not only your life but the freedom of the all sentient species across the galaxy. Even on the most insulated worlds that are the farthest from the Front, people have been affected by the Long War. Countless lives have been lost, great civilizations have been destroyed, and the Enemy keeps advancing. It echoes in a very real way the struggles that we all go through in our daily lives.

Just like in life, the Game focuses on what we can and cannot control. In a way, wearing a Suit does not prepare the wearer for dealing with loss. Being given the power to take on a battleship in combat and win may bring a temporary victory, but as the Long War goes on, even the strongest Pulsars find themselves drained and dealing with loss. The game gives a look at how despite how godlike someone may seem, they too are going through life as best they can with whatever means they can.

The game has more to it than just combat and loss, though. It also offers the chance to explore a world that is every bit as fantastic and horrifying as it seems. The battlefield stretches across space, and the remains of fallen empires and new worlds to explore offer new opportunities. Pulsars must take their skills to alien worlds and each day offers something new. One day they may be stopping Kelliostro's pirate raiders from stealing food shipments and the next they may have uncovered a strange monolith on a forgotten world that constantly swirls with color and sings music that soothes the soul.

In addition to combat, here are some examples of what a player may build their Suit to do.

Anita Cole, our chief protagonist, wears a Guardian suit which enhances her skills as a warrior. With her C-Beam emitters and pulse jets, she's a formidable opponent. Her Suit also allows her to read her squad and keep track of them, and she possesses enhanced sensors that allow her to know if they have been hurt, need assistance, or find them if they become lost.

Laura Hightower, our Navigator Corpsmen, is able to activate her own Stardives in space. She spends most of her time flying around the galaxy and performing recon. But her Suit has sensors that let her explore planets that she flies by, because this is her one true love. Her Suit was created to help the Pulsars fight the Enemy but to her, it's freedom. She gets to explore the massive frontier and see sights no one else can see. She has looked at stars while being so close that anyone else would have been incinerated.

Caesar's Suit, or rather his Rig, is a giant hulk of servos and tools that can be used to repair damaged buildings or quickly replace missing parts. For Caesar, he works himself ragged to repair the damage he sees around him. Part of his Strain is the sadness that he may never be able to fix everything, but he wants too. As such he rarely gets to leave his Suit, but while he is in it he will help anyone who needs his help. Though he follows his orders to the letter he will take time out of his mission to fix damaged wells, solar panels, and buildings if it means bringing people the slightest bit of comfort.

Morpho, a member of the Investigative Corp, uses her Suit to gather a constant stream of information around her. Though she is paralyzed from the waist down, she is able to move as capably as anyone else. Her Suit's sensors gather information about the environment around her and filters it into her display, allowing her to scan for clues and analyze the mysterious relics left across the galaxy.

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