Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Sci-fi Genre Mashup: Star W.T.F.

In my haze to get to work the other day my mind was wandering (as usual) and I though it might be cool to combine all the best parts of disparate sci-fi franchises into one. What would it entail? I got to thinking what it wold be like to combine Star Wars, Trek, and Frontiers into one big gumbo space opera.
Say for instance you took the Jedi from Star Wars and made them part of the crew of the Enterprise. (What would that equate to in Star Trek parlance? Spock + Worf maybe?) So you've got them exploring a galaxy far, far away, that's not too well charted. Think early days of the Old Republic era (well before the Empire). Throw in some wookies with wing flaps ala Star Frontiers, a wheeled-explorer vehicle for mixing it up on planetary excursions, and of course a corporate alliance to butt heads with the Federat--er, uh, Republic.

It's a big ol' race to discover galactic riches but you've got one force for privatization (Pan Galactic Corporation from SF) and the Federation/proto-Republic from Trek and Wars doing it for public good. There's three times the aliens, planets, and tech to choose from in a universe where Jedi-mind melds and Klingon's with lightsabers go together like chocolate and peanut butter. I feel strongly that one should be able to pick elements from any era of any of the settings--after all the entire galaxy is strange and new so you can get a healthy dose of super-advanced tech and backwater, primitive crapola planets.
What kind of fun could you have building scenarios? A Sith ambush where they just beam in and beatdown? What if Kirk and Kenobi stumble upon a cloning facility preparing to launch a coup? Artoo and Data instead of Threepio? Maybe the PGC is run by the Hutts!

Genre blending is nothing new, of course. I've heard of people using tech from one setting in another universe (mainly using Trek or Wars in Frontiers, which already has a healthy dose of both--sonic swords? Please!). But I'm wondering if anyone's done direct ports or just taken the settings and smashed them together like a couple of juiced up particles.

So let's mix it up in the comments. What do you think: Star FTW! or Star WTF?!

2 comments:

  1. Sorry for the lateness of the reply, but I do think the two could work together. It's largely the tones that are sorta different, not so much the universes. Yeah, jedi have powers but there are entities in Star Trek with powers.

    I'd say the Empire could be an enemy power similar to the Romulans or Klingons. Or perhaps, more like the Dominion in Deep Space Nine. Jedi are unknown in Federation Space, until they meet them aiding the Rebellion.

    I bet Han Solo knows Cyrano ("Trouble with Tribbles") Jones, and Harry Mudd might owe Jabba some money.

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  2. I think you're right on about tone Trey. Maybe even adopting "none of the above" but carefully splicing certain elements might be best. Or just say "hell with it" and see what happens!

    I like the idea of making the Empire on par with the Romulans/Klingons!

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