Y'know, you wouldn't have to make an epic. you could just come up with some random thing. i mean the beauty of anfiction is that you can shape the universe of your fiction to almost anything you can think of. So get on it, StarDock! put a fanfiction forum on this site! please?

Exactly. bty, does anyone else have an idea for a fanfic? don't be shy, tell us. I don't care how weird/stupid/fill-in-the-word it is!

As long as you're not reading game-based love fiction....

How about something with a lot of politics, intrigue, back-stabbing, and a terrible secret that could tear the galaxy apart? A dashing hero (who happens to be a little short) that comes to the rescue, an arrogant anti-hero who is in it for the money (but falls in love), a gorgeous, powerful heiress who had her crown usurped, and her dogged, determined followers who help her regain her rightful title, an evil, seemingly unstoppable villain who threatens entire worlds, a wise, jaded confidante whose sage wit is a calming influence, a galactic superweapon unveiled that wreaks terrible destruction, a pair of comedy-relief misfits, a big hairy alien, a bunch of smaller aliens, ummm, a wild cantina in the middle of a desert... er... did I say the 'droids speak Bocce? They do, you know. And blasters, lots of blasters... ... okay, striking out in the originality department.

But seriously, that's always been a strength of Science Fiction, that you can take the cliches from other stories and make them new again. Just as long as there's good triumphing over evil, lots of action involving colourful energy weapons, some wit and humour, and the chance to see what the space princess might look like with her top off, I don't see how you can go far wrong.

You know, the idea that's been bouncing around in my head for a really long time, is that of the crew of a space frigate. Not like, rah, rah, Star Trek, but more like Master & Commander. Maybe told from the point of view of the 1st officer, so that the reader gets more sense of the operations of the ship, as well as command.

I'd like to see the Captain be brave and resourceful, but also a bit old and fallable, with a young, pretty, neglected, naughty wife that our 1st Officer hero could get connected with during shore leave. Then, when they go to war, our hero will have something to really worry about. Right there, you've got some nice conflicts: Man vs Man, Man vs. Woman, Man vs. Himself, Man vs. Slimy Tentacle Alien Beasts That Do --- Oh, Auughh, I Can't Even Bring Myself To Type That!!

Maybe the Captain gets killed half way through (I call it the Sameul L. Jackson Effect, from "Deep Blue Sea"). Maybe the war ends, or worse, goes suddenly very badly, and our brave ship gets captured. Then there's the stirring finale.

It's not exactly GalCiv material, but it could be adaptable. There is a LOT of room in GalCiv for all kinds of personal stories. I remember getting all fired up about the in-game message how a salvage spaceship captain in GalCiv2 found a 1BC coin in some ship debris. He says, "This must be my lucky day". If I found a coin worth 1BC lying in the trash, I'd probably just stroke out. "Arrr-Arrrgh," he said, as he popped his head gasket.

The GalCiv2/Stardock pixel monkeys went to a lot of trouble to come up with humour in this game, and I like the little jokes a lot. I'd figure that if I were writing fan fic for this game, I'd want it to be at least a bit funny.

And the flame war starts....

WHAT?!

we're getting off topic.... good idea,though, twelvefield!

cool where is AAR?