The author of our newest RPG Untamed Worlds, Jack Norris, is here to answers questions about this universe anthropomorphic sci-fi action... 

Untamed Worlds began as a pitch for a different project over a decade ago. And the project that beat it out at the time was also an idea from about a decade before that.  It happens that way sometimes. 

The “big idea” for Untamed Worlds – then known as Uplift, Moreau’s Children, and by various other working titles – was the same as we see in the released game: you play uplifted animals who are created to do the dirty work of a humanity that is less enthusiastic about risking life and limb than in your average science fiction adventure tale.

The original ideas focused more on espionage and covert operations, but when I pulled it out and pitched it again, it developed larger-scale military and exploration themes. Why? Mostly because it felt more in tune with existing action sci-fi. I also decided things would revolve around a core organization to make it easier to flesh out player options in the core book and give the whole thing a Starship Troopers meets Elephantmen by way of The Dirty Dozen feel. It also helps draw a clear line between humanity “back home” and everyone struggling to find prosperity and purpose in the Untamed Worlds. 

The inner systems and most of humanity live within the United Inner Systems Alliance (UISA), which is a union of member states with an agreed-upon charter of laws and rights, though individual sovereign states have their own justice systems, cultures, and so on. Outside UISA territory is Untamed Space, a collection of colonies, outposts, and settlements all operating in the frontier for their own reasons. The UISA still claims jurisdiction over most of this area, but they lack the manpower and motivation to police, patrol, or protect it with their primary defense forces. 

This is where the PCs come in. They are members of the UISA’s United Expeditionary Force (UEF), which is assigned to protect and patrol the Untamed Worlds – the frontier regions outside settled human-dominated space. UEF operatives are highly trained, but they are viewed as largely expendable compared to their human counterparts who protect the inner systems. 

As members of the UEF, PCs will go on various missions ranging from the mundane to the insane. At least until they decide they aren’t keen on doing that anymore, at which point they will need to decide for themselves what comes next. 

That’s a big theme in Untamed Worlds – deciding how where you came from connects to where you are and where you are going. Hardly a new idea in science fiction, but this time it has jet packs and tiger men! If that sounds at all fun or interesting, I urge you to give Untamed Worlds a try. 

While we’re here, I’m also going to answer a few common questions I’ve been getting. Hopefully these give additional insight into the game and will help folks decide if it’s right for them. 

Can you play as humans? 

Yes. You can. The UEF has human soldiers, often in the role of officers – many humans are skittish about putting uplifted creations in command positions. They tend to be “undesirables” who were “encouraged” to join the UEF to avoid other consequences for whatever they did – right or wrong – to get themselves in enough trouble that shipping out to the frontier to fight alien predators and bloodthirsty marauders sounded like a better deal. 

What animals can I play as? 

Basically, if it’s a non-extinct vertebrate? You’re all set. If it’s not, it depends. Octopuses and squids and such are fine. Insects and spiders aren’t. Why? There are reasons in setting, but I don’t want to spoil it as they are presented as secrets for the PCs to discover during play. 

Can I play a robot? 

Nope. Sorry. Maybe if the game does well enough to get supplements, as I can imagine an experimental UEF initiative to roll out artificial soldiers alongside the uplifts and humans. But in the history of the setting, trying to use AI in place of humans went… poorly. 

That said, you can get limited robotic assistants for your PCs, but fully independent AI-driven robots when they appear are NPCs, and usually very unfriendly ones. 

Are there aliens? 

Yes. There are, however, no active alien civilizations humanity has encountered. Some ruins of past civilizations were found, so humans and their uplifted proxies know they aren’t alone out there. However, they are currently alone when it comes to alien species with advanced tech and spaceships and such. 

That said, there are all sorts of hostile alien threats out there. Swarms of dangerous insect- and arachnid-like aliens, alien super-predators, and other strange and wondrous creatures exist across the Untamed Worlds. 

Is this game political? 

All science fiction is political. I’d argue all fiction is, but all science fiction definitely is. However, I tried as much as possible to place politics inside an entertaining and adaptable framework. So, you won’t be engaging in a lot of political scenes and debates so much as the politics of the UISA and the frontier areas, including corporate interests, will affect missions and other aspects of the PCs’ lives. 

You have several optional rules – which ones should I use? 

I love optional rules, so I included several. However, my take on optional rules in Untamed Worlds might be a bit different than other RPGs. If a rule created additional book-keeping or added notable complexity to play, I made it optional. In many cases these additional elements are minimal, but since I don’t know the tolerances of everyone playing (and I hope that’s a lot of people with widely diverse backgrounds and experience in gaming), I didn’t want to make the default rules too much. 
 
So which ones should you use? Frankly, I like all of them. I’d personally use all of them, though maybe not for every pick-up game or first session. But a rule being labeled “optional” in Untamed Worlds is in no way a lack of endorsement – it’s just a modular approach that helps less experienced players or rules-light loving gamers manage things easier. 

Are there vehicles? Is there vehicle combat? 

Yes, and yes. It’s not a fighter pilot or space battles RPG by default, but there are rules for vehicle combat and armed military craft appear in the game. In fact, you could run an entire squad of pilots if you wanted – there’s nothing stopping you beyond it not being the presumed default in the text. 

Is this character/corporation/gear/whatever name an Easter Egg for _____? 

Probably. Anyone who has followed my work knows I often slide pop culture, literary, and other references into things as seamlessly as I can. None of them are necessary to catch, but they’re a fun bonus for those who spot them. In fact, I’ll give you one for free. The planet Melvin, one of the worlds inside the UISA, is named for Leland Melvin, the NASA engineer and astronaut who rather famously included his dogs in his official NASA photo. The moons of Melvin are named for his pooches. 

What’s next for Untamed Worlds? 

Since Osprey focuses on self-contained RPGs, there are no additional works immediately planned for Untamed Worlds. However, if you look at how popular Osprey games have received supplements, it points to a more practical answer – if the game does well, there are absolutely ways to expand it officially and I’m completely happy to do so.