I started writing this hack three years ago, back the hallowed days of 2010. Since then, it's proceeded in stops and starts, but it's absolutely still a going concern. You can find the latest version, V4,
here.
What is Rogue Trader: Apocalypse?It's a game about power and choices, about hope and corruption, in a dark and terrible universe. My pitch for this game to people who aren't versed in 40K lore is that it's
Game of Thrones meets
Red Dwarf - dynastic strife and black comedy in a space opera.
Why did you [make choice X] when writing your hack?In terms of the process of writing this hack, I took the advice that Vincent Baker puts first and foremost in his advice for running Apocalypse World: I put the fiction first. I sought out media that I wanted to be able to emulate, and created moves and playbooks that achieved the effect I wanted to.
What media did you draw on, specifically?Here is a short, incomplete list:
Blackadder
Red Dwarf
The Ciaphas Cain novels
Game of Thrones
Farscape
Mara of the Acoma
The Borgias
Rome
The Eisenhorn novels
Into the Maw... on RPG.net[/quote]
Why are there sex moves? Eugh! 40K shouldn't have sex in it.People keep suggesting that I put sex moves into this hack with little thought, just following the example of Apocalypse World without putting any thought into it.
This isn't true. I've added sex moves to the game because I think sexuality is an important part of the human experience, and it's an important part of the media I want this game to emulate - stories about dynastic strife, about succession struggles, about lovers and enemies. Additionally, the existence of sex moves reminds players of the existence of sexuality in this universe, and I find that that knowledge keeps the game in a more grounded space. It humanises the all-too-often over-the-top grimdark machismo of the 40K universe, and makes it a place where stories can take place, rather than just battles.
If you don't want sex moves but you want the rest of the hack, they couldn't be easier to ignore.
Why is X missing?It's a work in progress. I don't think this will ever be "finished" - I write games to the point at which I can run them, and then I run them. Making stuff up is easy, so if you need more stuff, ask me or add it yourself!