Alternate background stories

[earlofwessex]

Sorry, but to me the background story for Heroscape is a bit thin. I don't mind, since I really just want to play the game. Anyway, do any of you use alternate backstories?

A guy on boardgamegeek suggested the Amber books by Roger Zelazny. IMHO this would be the perfect setting.

If you have never read "Nine Princes in Amber" and the sequels, stop what you're doing, tell your boss you are sick and rush out to a bookstore or library.

Is anyone with me on this?

[MBSowards]

So...I looked it up...and...I don't...get it. What?

[earlofwessex]

Sorry, if you haven't ever read the Amber series you won't know why it is the perfect backstory for Heroscape. My explanation will include a few minor spoilers from the first part of the books.

Amber is the only real world, but Amber casts shadows of itself and each shadow is slightly different. There are an infinate number of shadows (alternate worlds) and an infinate number of possibilities. Our world is but one shadow of Amber. The royal family of Amber has the ability to move through shadow to other worlds. The books are about a battle for the throne by the nine sons of the previous king. These princes can go into shadow (walk to alternate worlds) and return with huge armies of all types of creatures and battle for the throne.

These books are among the most loved works of imaginative literature in the 20th century (of course, there are still many people who have not read them). Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else is thinking in this direction.

[Revdyer]

Oh, I agree. In fact, I think I work, functionally, in the Amber world when making maps and playing. My wife also lives in that world, so things work out for us. Zelasny is one of our genius writers. I need to go re-read him.

[philowar]

I don't know much of the official Heroscape story or character bios and I don't care because I never use them. My gf and I have completely different stories in mind when we play the game, which is why we play both the fantasy/ancient history and sci-fi figures seperately. Fantasy figures (knights, dragons, etc) and robots/army men/krav/whatever never get mixed, because IMO it's stupid -- I hate mixing fantasy and sci-fi.

We never play using the "Valhalla" storyline and the character bios are ones we've made up ourselves.

Drake, the cowboys, Krav, the robots and all their ilk, for instance, are part of a Fallout/Wasteland (PC game by Interplay) type post-apocalypse world.

Then there's historical Romans vs Greeks (ala Pyrrhus vs Rome 3rd century BC).

And so on.

[TheRealQ]

I really like the story that they already have with the modifications to the Norse mythology. The Battle of All Time is fitting for Ragnarok and Utgar (derived from Utgar-Loki or Utgard) is fitting as well. With the current background you can look up the mythology, find connections, and possibly speculate as to future releases. With such an easily accessible story line anyone can find answers and no one has to feel left in the dark.

[Kahrma]

First, I hope no one minds that I'm resurrecting this long-dead thread.

Since this thread appeared last year, I've been through about 6 of Zelazny's "Amber" series. I'd never heard of the guy before, but a few months after reading this thread I (finally!) looked him up at the library and am now pretty much hooked on the series.

I've gotta agree - Heroscape slots right into the "Amber" mythology. The royal family of Amber could easliy be seen as analogues to the generals of Heroscape - the same could be said of Amber and Valhalla, respectively. After being introduced to these books, I kinda prefer to play in Amber...

Doesn't look like you post anymore, but to earlofwessex - Thanks!

[Revdyer]

First, I apologize for resurrecting this long-dead thread.

Since this thread appeared last year, I've been through about 6 of Zelazny's "Amber" series. I'd never heard of the guy before, but a few months after reading this thread I (finally!) looked him up at the library and am now pretty much hooked on the series.

I've gotta agree - Heroscape slots right into the "Amber" mythology. The royal family of Amber could easliy be seen as analogues to the generals of Heroscape - the same could be said of Amber and Valhalla, respectively. After being introduced to these books, I kinda prefer to play in Amber...

Doesn't look like you post anymore, but to earlofwessex - Thanks!

Boy does this bring back memories...not of this thread, but of the joy of reading the Amber books when they were brand new.

[Kahrma]

Yeah, I'm about 20 or 30 years late - but then, I wasn't exactly reading when some of these were written ;) Oh well, I'm sure they're just as much fun now!

If I got nothing else out of HS.com (far from the truth), this tidbit alone would be worth having come.