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Wilderness Barbarians

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 10:40 am
by Hystrix
I am soooo crossing my fingers for this little OCC that will be in World Book 26: Dinasour Swamp. This OCC should have been in Rifts from the beginning.

It should be good as long as Standard Equipment dosn't include an MD Laser Rilfe and Pistol of Choose with 5 extra eclips for each... :shock:

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 11:42 am
by Hystrix
You're jinxin' me, guys!

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 1:15 pm
by Hystrix
Geronimo wrote:Welll, their weapons are probably made from Dino teeth (MD Knife or spear). Their armor probably made from Dino hide (MD loincloth).


You know, I could live with that to an extent, because those weapons (while MD in nature) are still low-tech. However, even though a weapon is made of MD materials it dosen't always do Mega-Damage (i.e. Neural Mace). Still I'm looking forward to seeing what Dinasour Swamp has to offer...

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 1:35 pm
by Todd Yoho
Tyciol wrote:Barbarian SAMAS, rail gun that shoots throwing axes.


I knew I left something out... :D

Dinosaur Swamp was written as very, very low tech. However, characters (and players) underestimating the region or its inhabitants because of that will be in for some surprises. 8)

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 1:51 pm
by Hystrix
Todd Yoho wrote:
Tyciol wrote:Dinosaur Swamp was written as very, very low tech.


Rock on, Todd! That's what I wanted to here! :D

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 4:02 pm
by Nekira Sudacne
why do ya wanna see a barbarian OCC so darn bad?

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 6:36 pm
by dark brandon
Pooh21 wrote:
Nekira Sudacne wrote:why do ya wanna see a barbarian OCC so darn bad?


half nekkid barbarian chicks in bronto hide armor and pointy stick, being a pleasant change from half nekkid biker chicks in tech armor, with Naruni plasmacartridge miniguns :fl:


FINALLY!! We can see half nekkid barbarian chicks in bronto hide armor and pointy sticks AND their girlfriends, the half nekkid biker chicks in tech armor with naruni plasma cartridge miniguns!

Don't forget to mention that all barbs have auto-dodge. Why? So they never have to wear armor...and they all have austrian accents.

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 9:04 pm
by Tinker Dragoon
DarkBrandon wrote:
Pooh21 wrote:
Nekira Sudacne wrote:why do ya wanna see a barbarian OCC so darn bad?


half nekkid barbarian chicks in bronto hide armor and pointy stick, being a pleasant change from half nekkid biker chicks in tech armor, with Naruni plasmacartridge miniguns :fl:


FINALLY!! We can see half nekkid barbarian chicks in bronto hide armor and pointy sticks AND their girlfriends, the half nekkid biker chicks in tech armor with naruni plasma cartridge miniguns!

Don't forget to mention that all barbs have auto-dodge. Why? So they never have to wear armor...and they all have austrian accents.


You're forgetting these are Deep South barbarians. [insert Deliverance joke here]

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 9:28 pm
by Todd Yoho
Tinker Dragoon wrote: [insert Deliverance joke here]


A banjo "twangs" quietly in the distance...

Re: Wilderness Barbarians

Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 10:10 pm
by The Artist Formerly
Hystrix wrote:I am soooo crossing my fingers for this little OCC that will be in World Book 26: Dinasour Swamp. This OCC should have been in Rifts from the beginning.

It should be good as long as Standard Equipment dosn't include an MD Laser Rilfe and Pistol of Choose with 5 extra eclips for each... :shock:


You are SOO going to be disapointed.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 7:00 am
by Hystrix
Nekira Sudacne wrote:why do ya wanna see a barbarian OCC so darn bad?


Ahem!

Because it has always been a theory of mine that there where more primitive societies one Rifts Earth, even in North America. However, other than a short section in the Adventure Guide, there wasn't much on these simple people. Sure they may not be much of a challenge to you average player character (who are typically armed to the teeth), but they are there, and should had some color to the game. Besides, it could be the tribal medicine man who saves the PC from the vicious snike bite he incurred.

That, and I'm running a low-tech campain relitivly soon, and I'd like some more "canon" source material. Plus I wanna see another persons take on the Barbarian/Tribal.

Oh, and I though Spirit West was overdone, and wanted some toned down version of "low-tech" cultures.

That's why I want to see the Barbarian cultures... :)

Re: Wilderness Barbarians

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 7:01 am
by Hystrix
The Artist Formerly wrote:
Hystrix wrote:I am soooo crossing my fingers for this little OCC that will be in World Book 26: Dinasour Swamp. This OCC should have been in Rifts from the beginning.

It should be good as long as Standard Equipment dosn't include an MD Laser Rilfe and Pistol of Choose with 5 extra eclips for each... :shock:


You are SOO going to be disapointed.


Why have you read the script?

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 7:14 am
by LDMcFear™
Hystrix wrote:
Nekira Sudacne wrote:why do ya wanna see a barbarian OCC so darn bad?


Ahem!

Because it has always been a theory of mine that there where more primitive societies one Rifts Earth, even in North America. However, other than a short section in the Adventure Guide, there wasn't much on these simple people. Sure they may not be much of a challenge to you average player character (who are typically armed to the teeth), but they are there, and should had some color to the game. Besides, it could be the tribal medicine man who saves the PC from the vicious snike bite he incurred.

That, and I'm running a low-tech campain relitivly soon, and I'd like some more "canon" source material. Plus I wanna see another persons take on the Barbarian/Tribal.

Oh, and I though Spirit West was overdone, and wanted some toned down version of "low-tech" cultures.

That's why I want to see the Barbarian cultures... :)


I totaly agree with Hystrix on this topic, Tribal/barbarians in Rifts should resemble something like what we saw in Fallout 2 RPG from Interplay / Black Isle Studios.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 8:43 pm
by glitterboy2098
while i agree with you guys, rifts needs more "primitive cultures" (in quotes because all things are relative), i would recommend not referring to them as barbarians.

the term "Barbarian" originated with the romans, and meant wilderness dweller, or anyone who didn't live in a roman city.

it took on the meaning of Primitive due to the romans arrogance, their belief that they where the pinicales of creation. it encouraged the view that because they where different, these other cultures where less advanced.

many historical "barbarian" groups where actually more advanced than the cultures that dubbed them barbarian.


the people of Europe called the Muslims "Barbarians" during the crusades, but the Muslim culture was far more developed than those of europe.

China and Japan were referred to as barbaric when the first Europeans arrived, because the asian cultures had choose to retain elements of their ancestry.

the Norse (often called the Vikings), are the most well known "Barbarians", but they had advanced metallurgy and seafaring technology well ahead of their contemporaries, and while they never created a single empire, their influence affected France, Germany, Russia, England, much of the Mediterranean, and even into Asia. the cultures of these area's would not have existed as we know them with out Norse Influence.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:15 pm
by Todd Yoho
glitterboy2098 wrote:while i agree with you guys, rifts needs more "primitive cultures" (in quotes because all things are relative), i would recommend not referring to them as barbarians.

the term "Barbarian" originated with the romans, and meant wilderness dweller, or anyone who didn't live in a roman city.


The use of the term "barbarian" in Dinosaur Swamp is built on several references in other canonical publications. Further, it's as much a contextual reference to how people would view the natives of the south east in the Rifts world as it is the classical Roman use of the word as you point out. It all depends on the point of view. You've cited one in which it is used as a perjorative, and I am quite aware of it. Like many words, it can be used in a derogatgory sense or it can simply serve as an identifying marker.

In fact, it's much like the term "D-Bee." To the Coalition, it's meant as a racial slur. To others, it's a generic adjective. To some, it could even be a mark of pride.

I did put a little bit of though into the language of the book you know. ;)

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:37 pm
by glitterboy2098
i know you know, but does everyone who reads this thread know?

many people use such terms because it is an accepted part of the language, and give no thought, or know nothing of a words or terms origins.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 10:53 pm
by Nekira Sudacne
glitterboy2098 wrote:i know you know, but does everyone who reads this thread know?

many people use such terms because it is an accepted part of the language, and give no thought, or know nothing of a words or terms origins.


please give us SOME credit Nimmy

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:01 pm
by Tinker Dragoon
That's not Nimmy, that's just the same avatar Nimmy uses.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:08 pm
by Nekira Sudacne
Tinker Dragoon wrote:That's not Nimmy, that's just the same avatar Nimmy uses.


bah, that's what I get for starting to read people by avatars than names. that, and the post sounded like him

sorry glitterboy. my bad

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:12 pm
by Tinker Dragoon
glitterboy2098 wrote:i know you know, but does everyone who reads this thread know?

many people use such terms because it is an accepted part of the language, and give no thought, or know nothing of a words or terms origins.


Most people aren't anal enough to care about the semantics. In gaming terms when people see "barbarian" they think of Conan. It's a gaming archetype, not cultural bigotry.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:20 pm
by glitterboy2098
i know, but better knowledge than ignorance.


personally i try to avoid the term barbarian as a class name, though using it as a descriptor in characher works.

(for example, i call the D&D barabarian class a beserker, since thats what the stats indicate.)

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:22 pm
by Nekira Sudacne
glitterboy2098 wrote:i know, but better knowledge than ignorance.)


shhhhh :quiet:

keep talking like that and the whole game will break. I mean, if you try to apply stuff like phisics and aerodynamics and military tactics to RIFTS, the whole game system collapses.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:40 pm
by Tinker Dragoon
glitterboy2098 wrote:i know, but better knowledge than ignorance.


personally i try to avoid the term barbarian as a class name, though using it as a descriptor in characher works.

(for example, i call the D&D barabarian class a beserker, since thats what the stats indicate.)


It isn't ignorance, it is a valid definition of the word.

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 7:53 am
by Hystrix
Tinker Dragoon wrote:
glitterboy2098 wrote:i know, but better knowledge than ignorance.


personally i try to avoid the term barbarian as a class name, though using it as a descriptor in characher works.

(for example, i call the D&D barabarian class a beserker, since thats what the stats indicate.)


It isn't ignorance, it is a valid definition of the word.


And it's all off topic!

Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that these Barbarians sound cool, and I'm interested to see what Todd has whipped up. I also like how he said on this thread that his book was very low tech. Kinda like a reverse (or a balence) of the power creep.

BTW, Todd is the book done?

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:18 am
by Todd Yoho
Hystrix wrote:BTW, Todd is the book done?


Oh, yes. I turned the manuscript in back in February. Hopefully the June press release will have a definite date for it to hit the stands.

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:40 am
by Hystrix
Todd Yoho wrote:
Hystrix wrote:BTW, Todd is the book done?


Oh, yes. I turned the manuscript in back in February. Hopefully the June press release will have a definite date for it to hit the stands.


Sweet! I have a good feeling about this book! :D

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 3:19 pm
by Tinker Dragoon
Yep, I'm jazzed for it, and I don't normally even buy Rifts books. :D