Let's Read the ALIEN RPG

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I am a big fan of Alien3 as the final part of the original trilogy. In Alien, Ripley is the victim. In Aliens, she is the hero. In Alien3, she is the monster.

She basically gets the prisoners killed one by one in an effort to destroy the Xenomorph. You can almost treat Dillon as the protagonist, much like Ripley was in Alien. The death of Hicks and Newt was rough when first watching it but in this light it’s an absolute necessity to position Ripley and the movie to where it needs to be.

Unfortunately, it was a mess of a production and this came through in the film. However, the Assembly Cut fixes the major pacing and editing issues.

As for Prometheus and Covenant, they are both very pretty. But they are definitely late-era Ridley movies. With a confused disregard for the canon that has come before and a reliance on characters making dumb decisions to force the plot along.

I really like how the Alien RPG brings them into the history of the setting, but I treat as being their own thing otherwise as they don’t stand up to the original 3 movies. I’m saying that, I hope Ridley gets to do a third one just to round out his vision, whatever the hell it is.
 
and a reliance on characters making dumb decisions to force the plot along.


You know, I keep hearing this, but none of the "dumb decisions" that people complain about have any relationship to the plot or moving it along. They simply lead to scenes of horror.

In fact, the only movie in the series where a dumb decision in the film is required for the plot is the original Alien.
 
I spent the first half of Alien almost literally laughing at dumb decisions. I think I mumbled “come on” more than once.
 
I spent the first half of Alien almost literally laughing at dumb decisions. I think I mumbled “come on” more than once.
I mean, to be fair, in Alien, the crew is basically a bunch of space truckers, and not in any way elite.

Also the biggest "dumb" decision was Ash letting them back on board, but considering what Ash is and what their goal was, that was more of a not knowing motives than being a truly dumb decision
 
I mean, to be fair, in Alien, the crew is basically a bunch of space truckers, and not in any way elite.
That’s part of the reason why I was exasperated. I’d have to watch it again to give exact time stamps where it happens. There were several.
 
You know, I keep hearing this, but none of the "dumb decisions" that people complain about have any relationship to the plot or moving it along. They simply lead to scenes of horror.

In fact, the only movie in the series where a dumb decision in the film is required for the plot is the original Alien.

Fair comment. However, they lead to a just a moment of horror and not much else. They are often jarring given what has been established at that point and as such feel thrown in.

The decision you refer to in Alien makes sense within the context of the film as a whole and it’s characters. They add to the growing drama and lead to interesting situations for the characters in a way that the ones in Prometheus and Covenant don’t.
 
That’s part of the reason why I was exasperated. I’d have to watch it again to give exact time stamps where it happens. There were several.

I loved Alien as a kid/teen but as I got older I found the second half too predictable and slasher-like as characters wander off to be picked off by the monster in a dynamic/structure that was driven into the ground by later slashers and other horror films.

But as time passed I came to find so much else to enjoy in the film: the atmosphere and mood, the look, the excellent performances that the less than inspired plotting didn't matter anymore.

I think I eventually came around to the idea that the plot is only a part of what a film is and not always the most important. I love a well constructed thriller but also dig wild, intense films that border on the incoherent or are slower, more about mood and character. To me, Ridely's three best films: The Duelists, Alien and Blade Runner all fall into the latter. The Duelists remains the freshest for me.
 
I mean, to be fair, in Alien, the crew is basically a bunch of space truckers, and not in any way elite.

Also the biggest "dumb" decision was Ash letting them back on board, but considering what Ash is and what their goal was, that was more of a not knowing motives than being a truly dumb decision
"Come on, people, follow the protocols!!" I say that a lot these days.
 
I always thought of roleplaying games as “what if...” in regards to canon, even if they’ve got stories and events.
I view transmedia adaptations the same way. It really helps to bring down my expectations to understand that they're going to change it, and sometimes in ways I won't like.
 
I think I eventually came around to the idea that the plot is only a part of what a film is and not always the most important. I love a well constructed thriller but also dig wild, intense films that border on the incoherent or are slower, more about mood and character. To me, Ridely's three best films: The Duelists, Alien and Blade Runner all fall into the latter. The Duelists remains the freshest for me.
QFT. The Duellists is so unlike the others, and showed so much potential from him that was not taken to his other movies.
 
I loved Alien as a kid/teen but as I got older I found the second half too predictable and slasher-like as characters wander off to be picked off by the monster in a dynamic/structure that was driven into the ground by later slashers and other horror films.

But as time passed I came to find so much else to enjoy in the film: the atmosphere and mood, the look, the excellent performances that the less than inspired plotting didn't matter anymore.

I think I eventually came around to the idea that the plot is only a part of what a film is and not always the most important. I love a well constructed thriller but also dig wild, intense films that border on the incoherent or are slower, more about mood and character. To me, Ridely's three best films: The Duelists, Alien and Blade Runner all fall into the latter. The Duelists remains the freshest for me.

I can’t really disagree. Where fans of the Alien series cut it some slack for its weaknesses, I do the same thing for Star Wars.
 
I mean…I feel like we’re basically living in a world where if it was a movie or a book I’d be like “they’re really laying it on thick with how stupid people can be.”

So yeah…bad decisions are pretty believable.
 
He's done some low budget, character based genre films and I find him quite charming. After 40 years of movie making he has also actually developed some decent acting chops.

View attachment 34711
I really liked Maggie, people need to let Arnie act. Same with Stallone. He had Copland, but it seems like once you’re pegged Action Hero, that’s it.
 
I loved Alien as a kid/teen but as I got older I found the second half too predictable and slasher-like as characters wander off to be picked off by the monster in a dynamic/structure that was driven into the ground by later slashers and other horror films.

But as time passed I came to find so much else to enjoy in the film: the atmosphere and mood, the look, the excellent performances that the less than inspired plotting didn't matter anymore.

I think I eventually came around to the idea that the plot is only a part of what a film is and not always the most important. I love a well constructed thriller but also dig wild, intense films that border on the incoherent or are slower, more about mood and character. To me, Ridely's three best films: The Duelists, Alien and Blade Runner all fall into the latter. The Duelists remains the freshest for me.
The Duelists is a great movie.
 
I mean…I feel like we’re basically living in a world where if it was a movie or a book I’d be like “they’re really laying it on thick with how stupid people can be.”

So yeah…bad decisions are pretty believable.
Yeah, there’s always going to be those “if it was in a movie no one would believe it” things every once in a while. When that’s Tuesday...it starts to look more and more like we’re in the simulation...and the programmer’s an asshole.
 
The stupidity in a movie like Alien pales next to the idiocy I saw, for example, every single shift I ever managed in a kitchen. Alien isn't exactly breaking my immersion.
Heh one of the things that got me in Prometheus/Covenant is the idea “Hey, the gas mixture is the same as Earth air, we can take off our helmets, it’s breathable.” Yep, it is, as long as you don’t care about God knows how many alien bacteria, viruses, spores, pollen, etc are going to be in that air, none of which, of course, we’ll have any immunity to whatsoever. All that’s before we get to the local fauna.

”How did the entire team die?”
”Anaphylactic shock, sir. They took their helmets off too close to that alien Cottonwood Tree.”
 
I think I eventually came around to the idea that the plot is only a part of what a film is and not always the most important. I love a well constructed thriller but also dig wild, intense films that border on the incoherent or are slower, more about mood and character. To me, Ridely's three best films: The Duelists, Alien and Blade Runner all fall into the latter. The Duelists remains the freshest for me.
No love for Legend? That's just one moody and arty Tangerine Dream music video.
 
Though that's an enjoyable flick, it just doesn't fit in the top three.
Yeah, fair, the others are all better. The Duelists especially.

I wonder how he's going to manage with The Last Duel... It would be sort of fitting were it his last film, not that I wish it to be the case, but bookending his career from start to finish with dueling movies would be quite fitting.
 
No love for Legend? That's just one moody and arty Tangerine Dream music video.

I love Legend, but the Tangerine Dream version was for a US audience, I prefer the original cut with it's traditional instrumental score.

I wish there was a non-Tangerine Dream version of The Keep.
 
I remembered I was given a copy of the rulebook, and skimmed over it last night, and now have a hypothetical question. For campaign play, how would you handle the need to make a Wits roll to get a new Advantage? Ignore it, allow only one roll, or work out the days between adventures and give that many rolls?
 
People really hate Alien 3, but thematically I found it fantastic.

Ripley didn't have a happy ending, and I don't think that the cynical, dark setting would have accommodated anything else.

YES it sucks that Hicks and Newt die, off screen. But that "felt" right to me. Right at the start (during the opening credits) the movie hits you in the gut with a reminder that the franchise is meant to be grim horror first and foremost. Cameron gave us a satisfying, action movie ending. But it didn't "feel" right to me.

Many people disagree with me and I get that. I have a theory that people who like Alien more than Aliens have a kinder opinion of Alien 3 (and the opposite: that people who vastly prefer the tone and mood of Aliens more strongly dislike Alien3).

Just some thoughts.

I don't acknowledge the existence of Alien Resurrection, which SHOULD have been a masterpiece, considering all of the immensely talented people involved, both behind and in front of the camera.
 
I'd like to revisit Legend sometime, haven't seen it in a long time.
The European cut with the Goldsmith score is the one to watch. Not only is the score better suited to the dark fairy tale tone, but there are some scenes cut from the U.S. version that make parts of that release completely incomprehensible (Jack meeting The Gump, Lilly's connection to the cottagers, etc. IIRC)
 
Many people disagree with me and I get that. I have a theory that people who like Alien more than Aliens have a kinder opinion of Alien 3

Hmm, not so in my case. I like Alien much more than Aliens, and I thought Alien 3 was ...just not good. Not as bad as Resurrection, but I simply don't care for it. Partly because, while Aliens tried to take the concept in a new direction, Alien 3 was just repetitive. Alien, as a stand alone film is great, but the Xenomorph hunting a group of people in an isolated space setting isn't an interesting enough concept to me to sustain more than one film.
 
The scary thing about Alien 3 is that there were worse scripts that were considered for it. Multiple worse scripts.

There's one where it is revealed that the Xenomorphs can fuse with technology and they turn a space station into a giant alien which is destroyed in a big explosion during the climax. My recollection is the script really leaned hard into the big dumb action movie with lots of explosions angle.
 
Hmm, not so in my case. I like Alien much more than Aliens, and I thought Alien 3 was ...just not good. Not as bad as Resurrection, but I simply don't care for it. Partly because, while Aliens tried to take the concept in a new direction, Alien 3 was just repetitive. Alien, as a stand alone film is great, but the Xenomorph hunting a group of people in an isolated space setting isn't an interesting enough concept to me to sustain more than one film.
Fair enough! It is true that they basically did the same thing as the first film (once the xenomorph was born, anyway).

I acknowledge that most people consider the script to be abhorrent, but I just don't agree. Sure they rely a little too much on F bombs for the dialogue (lazy IMHO), but I didn't think it was really that rotten of a story.

I wish that they had let H.R. Giger do more with it (he had some really OUT THERE ideas). And the idea of a weird, isolated group of monks was neat. Too bad they didn't go that way.

</JUST MY OPINIONS, MAAAN> LOL
 
Fair enough! It is true that they basically did the same thing as the first film (once the xenomorph was born, anyway).

I acknowledge that most people consider the script to be abhorrent, but I just don't agree. Sure they rely a little too much on F bombs for the dialogue (lazy IMHO), but I didn't think it was really that rotten of a story.

I wish that they had let H.R. Giger do more with it (he had some really OUT THERE ideas). And the idea of a weird, isolated group of monks was neat. Too bad they didn't go that way.

</JUST MY OPINIONS, MAAAN> LOL

There's a possibility, if we had been allowed to see Fincher's vision w/o the studio interference, that there could have been something much more interesting done with the monks in space and stuff.

Maybe that's the trick to an Alien sequel - the Xenomorph is kinda one-note, so you have to make the victims interesting. I dunno. After Prometheus and Covenant, I have to say I'm way more interested in the androids in the setting than I am the Aliens. Well, not so much Winona Ryder's Android...
 
Hmm, not so in my case. I like Alien much more than Aliens, and I thought Alien 3 was ...just not good. Not as bad as Resurrection, but I simply don't care for it. Partly because, while Aliens tried to take the concept in a new direction, Alien 3 was just repetitive. Alien, as a stand alone film is great, but the Xenomorph hunting a group of people in an isolated space setting isn't an interesting enough concept to me to sustain more than one film.

In his book on the Alien films David Thomson talks about the original script(s) for Alien 3 and the initial ideas were a lot more interesting than what we got.

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The COlonial Marines Operation Manual for the RPG is pretty good. My interest kind of waned reading about a lot of the military history stuff, but right now I'm reading about the experimental things that have been going on:

- clone marines (why and how they could be interesting PCs)
- Mech suits (basically berzerker Dreadnaughts from 40K)
- genetically engineered Xenomorphs for military use (that could NEVER GO WRONG, AMIRITE??)

Lots of great ideas in here.
 
The COlonial Marines Operation Manual for the RPG is pretty good. My interest kind of waned reading about a lot of the military history stuff, but right now I'm reading about the experimental things that have been going on:

- clone marines (why and how they could be interesting PCs)
- Mech suits (basically berzerker Dreadnaughts from 40K)
- genetically engineered Xenomorphs for military use (that could NEVER GO WRONG, AMIRITE??)

Lots of great ideas in here.

Do they have an in-setting reason for not using androids as marines?
 
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