Is this Steam Punk?

[Dale A. Ward]

In the process of updating some old links in my Favorites folder, I came across this latest incarnation of Phil Foglio's old XXXenophile site.

http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/index.php

It kinda looks like it fits the description of a steam punk setting. I'm not really sure, since I haven't explored that genre. However, if it's anything like this, I'm going to have to look into it a bit more closely... this looks like fun.

According to the website, negotiations are proceeding apace for GURPS: Girl Genius. It's a pity that Phil couldn't have offered it to Hero Games, but it should make a decent sourcebook.

:thumbup:

[Captain Obvious]

I would say Girl Genius fits most definitions of steampunk....

[Blue Jogger]

There seems to be two sub-categories of steam-punk:

One is fantasy genre with all the magical elements replaced with Industrious Age technology. Which Girl Genius certainly fails under. Mostly known for big large technology made with clockwork gears powered by big steam engines.

The other is a genre of Victorian Age, characterized by <I>Space 1889</I> which has a slightly different flavor to it. This is more of the fainting women (and some men), heroic men (and some women), and exploring other primative continents/planets. Technology has... less moving parts then its counterpart... and becomes the vehicle for exploration.

Anyone else seem to feel that way, or is it just me?

[Lethosos]

According to the website, negotiations are proceeding apace for GURPS: Girl Genius. It's a pity that Phil couldn't have offered it to Hero Games, but it should make a decent sourcebook.
FYI, Phil did artwork for GURPS--most notably IOU GURPS, where all the artwork are in his indomitable loopy style.

So it would have been quite difficult to get him to shift to a different gaming company...:doi:

[ghost-angel]

There seems to be two sub-categories of steam-punk:

One is fantasy genre with all the magical elements replaced with Industrious Age technology. Which Girl Genius certainly fails under. Mostly known for big large technology made with clockwork gears powered by big steam engines.

The other is a genre of Victorian Age, characterized by <I>Space 1889</I> which has a slightly different flavor to it. This is more of the fainting women (and some men), heroic men (and some women), and exploring other primative continents/planets. Technology has... less moving parts then its counterpart... and becomes the vehicle for exploration.

Anyone else seem to feel that way, or is it just me?
Sounds about right to me..

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling is pretty much the first and defining Steampunk subgenre book of Cyberpunk (itself a subgenre... too many subgenres!) and falls into the second category you mention.

That first category came about when Gamers got a hold of the concept.