Archive through February 12, 2004
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Prime Directive RPG: NEW EMPIRE BOOKS:
RPG FELINE EMPIRES:
Feline Empires Background:
Archive through February 12, 2004
Players could play a Kzinti male and have a female as part of his overall character. Example PC: Commander "Cat Who Hates Water" and wife. Adds deep dimention to the role.
I find it interesting because it's a change of pace from the 'it's the future so all gender differences are nonexistent' assumption that is so prevalent in science fiction. Once again, we are faced with the idea that the way we are doing it (or trying to do it) today isn't necessarily the best (or only effective) way. And I always thought that good science fiction (and good Trek) was supposed to not only entertain, but provoke thought about alternatives to the commonplace and everyday, rather than becoming a shill for the same.
Lyran Space
This is a candidate for a "splash page" graphic for a GPD Lyran fan site I'm thinking about putting together, but I thought others might enjoy giving it a peek.
Kewell....
All the old stuff about female Kzin made me think of a few questions.
How do they treat their mates? Does a Kzin chose a single female and stay with that one, or does he simply mate and move to the next one?
And how do the Kzin look at the females of other races, other than what tempeture to cook them at?
IIRC from the 'Man-Kzin Wars' books (read some years ago, and not in completeness);
Aristocratic/rich/powerful Kzin males have harems
of several females each. Less priviledged males get occaisional access to females as reward for services rendered, acts of valour & so forth.
Niven's male kzinti had deliberatley bred their females for looks and docility over several thousand years. They regarded them as pets. Some of the stories took place on an Outsider (advanced alien) planet where ancient
sentient kzin females had been held in stasis. When they were revived they came as a major shock to modern male kzin.
One of these revived kzinprret (females) developed an affection for the human protagonist - which he found deeply alarming.
I suspect modern, non-sentient kzin females would'nt cook members of other races.
Eat, certainly. Raw.
As for how much of this applies in SFU, you'd have to ask the Steves! 
Not much. SFU Kzinti females are sentient. While the Kzinti nobility is still patriarchial, female Kzinti do exist in other places of Kzinti society. How common they are in the military and such is still to be determined.
Alex: SVC has alraedy stated that SFU Kzinti females are about as intelligent as the average dog. Which means that their average intelligence is actually less than the average intelligence of Niven's orginal Kzinti, as there is a lage populartion (those on the Ringworld) who are much more intelligent.
Mark: That was actually a holdover from Niven's Kzin that several of us in the design team had just assumed to be true in the SFU as well, despite it never having actually been addressed in any SFU material or anythibng being said by SVC one way or the other. After some player complaints, SVC examined the issue and decided that Kzinti females are indeed intelligent, and the final template in GPD reflects this.
Alex:
Quoting SVC (March 22)
KZINTI FEMALES NON-SENTIENT. THEY ARE ABOUT AS INTELLIGENT THAN THE AVERAGE DOG.
SFU HAS **ALWAYS** SAID THIS.
John, that's March 22 of what year? I believe that's before GPD went to press where it states they are as intelligent as the males
In that case he changed his mind/forgot he said it. The Kzinti template got hashed over fairly late in the design process, and included us looking through the published material (R-sections and the like) and finding no such references. Kzinti females do have morphological differences from males and a thus a different racial template, but it was decided that they are indeed snetient, and they were so published.
The 22 March post was me remembering something we all knew was there but nobody could find. Since it's not there, I was wrong and said so at the time. You need to check all of the posts, John, not just one. You'll find it if you hunt for it.
SVC: suggest that you commission someone to write a story for MPA or CL (not SSJ!) re the adventures of a female Kzinti ship captain. Include background on women's rights, liberation on the 70's, etc ala Kzinti.
THAT will end the discussion, real fast.
Gary: How soon will your story be ready?
Oh the perils of "volunteering" :-)
Let me think about it, Steve. Assuming you are serious, you know I've never written fiction, and I'm not sure how to get started.
Frank, I'm not worried about the assignment, just how good the result would be; it might be suitable only for Isis' and Ramses' litterbox, and I'm sure they would complain, too!
Gary,
Don't make it big. Just make it a vignette. Don't try to tell a whole story, just a quick "glimpse". That should be enough to show where female Kzintis stand, but still keep it managable enough to produce quickly.
Unless done as a "contrast piece" (ie the Klingons according to the Federation and Klingons according to the Klingons type deal), I'd suggest it does need a plot beyond "Here's a female Kzinti Captain".
I'm not sure the issue needs forced.
It was a contentious decision. Until it comes about naturally, let it lie. Anything more will just be a clear effort to just show a difference.
Don't misunderstand, if someone has a good story and a female Kzinti is required, use one, but, in my opinion, the only thing to be gained at this time is to alienate players and potential players by pointing out how the SFU is doing something different than some people expect.
Don't look at this as me disagreeing with Steve. He took the decision and I will support him in that. There was much to be lost if handled poorly, but there is little to be gained by making a big deal about it.
I suggest until it can be a benifit (like showing how it naturally adds some element to the SFU), let it be.
Gary, about writing fiction. Just start writing. Write what ever. Don't worry if it makes sense. Then when you get all your ideas down, review them. Form a story in your head. Imagine it happening. Then transcribe it down on paper.
Then read it and rewrite it so you like it. Then let someone else read and see if they get it. If it is good a non-SFBer should be able to get it.
Tweak it a little more and send it in, fully letting it go having enjoyed the experience of writing your first fiction.
I hope that helps. It's advice I got in collage.
Thank you for attending the 1 year anniversary of the last post in this topic!
Does that speek to the ppularity of the Feline Empires?
I don't think so, I think people are concentrating on books closer to going to press.
ADM
I agree. The "feline empires" were always some of my favorites in SFB, much more so than the TV-canon races.