"Gunfights by GASLIGHT" Topic

I am getting more and more interested in the idea of mixing VSF with Wild/Weird West gaming. I would like to use mostly traditional western buildings with heroic scale OW figs plus Wyrd and Dystopia figures and other similar ones at the heroic (32mm) scale.

Which rule set (GASLIGHT / Space 1899 etc) would work best? Are there other figures to look at? Terrain?

Thanks.
sky

I think that GASLIGHT would work best of these two rule sets. It is much more customizible.

As co-author of GASLIGHT, my rules recommendation would be biased.

But as far as figures go, have a look at Reaper's Savage Worlds and Chronosope lines for some interesting characters.

Also, if you can find any of the old Deadlands 'Great Rail Wars' miniatures on ebay (I believe they're out of production) they are great for Wierd West gaming.

Also, no matter which rules you choose, you may want to join the GASLIGHT Yahoo group as a great place to share ideas, and see lots of inspriational VSF photos:
link

Thanks Chris. I gladly accept bias.

Where can I get the GASLIGHT compendium?

Both could in theory but I GASLIGHT gives you a wider scope.Both can cover the 1880's so VSF chaps could end up in a Goldrush town for 'other reasons' and weapons (apart from weird alien stuff lol) would match up pretty equal as there was a cross over for civilian stuff anyway.

I say go fore :)

Okay it looks like GASLIGHT. But excuse my ignorance here, where does Steampunk fit in all this?

Welcome into an unanswerable question ;).What came first VSF or Steampunk?

Well VSF with Wells and his fellow writers.

But outside gaming Steampunk has a life of its own.I know many would disagree but I see it like this.

VSF can be part of the wider Steampunk culture but Steampunk can't be part of VSF, because VSF is about a period of time in the 1880's.Steampunk deals with both past and future i.e. well past the 1880's.Sometimes into the very far future.

So they can interact but aren't the same thing.But the thing about Steampunks is that it doesn't like to be labelled so no doubt disagrees with me lol

The question is a bit like,when does Sci-Fi end and Steampunk begin?

You could make a case for the Wild Wild West TV show being steampunk, what with all of the gadgets and whatnot.

Someone cleverly said on another thread that the difference between steampunk and VSF is that in steampunk the women wear their corsets as outerwear, and in VSF they wear them as underwear.

As to your question regarding where you can get the GASLIGHT Compendium: Brigade Games, On Military Matters, and Old Glory for printed versions, and RPGnow for the pdf version.

You may also want to check out the GASLIGHT webpage for other info, free stuff, and tutorials:

link

I've also heard added to the definition of VSF vs Steampunk that Mr Palmer quoted that VSF ladies wear dresses & Steampunk ladies were pants.

Another defintion that I came up with is:

VSF is what the Victorian thought the future would be.

Steampunk is what we the Victorian future would be.