Character Creation: Aces in Space

Not a game about asexuals in a sci-fi setting, though I suppose there's no reason it wouldn't work for that.

The Game: Aces in Space
The Publisher: Vogt & Vriends
Degree of Familiarity: None directly, but I'm familiar with Fate
Books Required: Just the one; it's one of those that includes all the Fate rules

Not long ago I did a character for a game called Tachyon Squadron, and I remember thinking that the space dogfight rules that it presented looked pretty cool, but that the game overall was maybe not the right fit for my table. Aces in Space uses some of the same dogfight rules, but adds in a bit more queer content and some spice in the form of a pilot culture that leans into the bro-y, Top Gun-ish mentality, without being quite so restrictively male (the GM in the game is even called the Gamequeen). 

It's well-written, it commits to its premise, and there's also a kind of side-system that revolves around the pilots also being social media personalities, streaming their dogfights and so on. One of the playbooks is the Influencer. Observe:

Only real complaint I have so far is that the interstitial fiction is that light blue text on a black background and it's real hard to read without strong light. But that's neither here nor there, let's make a Chopper pilot!

So, our first decision is playbook. I don't want to be an Influencer, though I do appreciate the Blade Runner reference. I think I'd rather be a Flypal. These are the pilots that are all about the flying and the sick maneuvers, not specifically the dogfights (the Hotshot) or the tech (the Tinkerer). It lists Wash and Han Solo and Maria Rambeau as examples, so that's pretty cool.

Next up, Aspects! First one is Concept, of course, which means I, um, need to think of a concept. I'm actually going to take a little inspiration from Matt Inman (aka The Oatmeal) and his post about why he runs long distances. Long story short, he talks about how his mind is often busy and chaotic and running marathons quiets it; he runs to seek the void. I do not run (never been a fan and POTS makes it basically impossible), but I get wanting to seek a void just to shut the brain up. So I think I will say that my Concept Aspect is Overstimulated Flypal. 

Instead of a Trouble Aspect, we have a Toxicity Aspect, meant to explore how the character expresses the, well, toxicity of the culture of fierce competition that surrounds being a pilot. And I admit I'm a little stumped, here, because what I was picturing isn't so much into that culture (it doesn't help that I fucking hate that alpha shit). But reading the section, the effect is mostly the same as Trouble Aspect, just maybe a little narrower in scope. In my guy's case, I think it's that he'd Rather Be In the Black. 

Next up, our Chopper Aspect, which is an Aspect about the character's ship. I think it'd be cool if my guy has modded his control panel so that everything (or almost everything) works on touchpads and haptics. Actually, that's a decent Aspect in itself: Modded the Controls for Haptics. 

Lucky Charm, rather than being something the kids are always after, is an Aspect representing exactly that. Can be a person, object, idea, and so forth. I think in my character's case, he has a tiny vial of Minkowskium (a drug in-setting that allows wormhole travel by allowing people to perceive the 4th dimension). It's probably worth some money, but he's not going to open it - it's just there so he has A Little Vial of the Void. 

And, finally, we get a Free Aspect. Hrm. This isn't a game that leans into tragedy, necessarily, but I kinda want some backstory for my character that maybe explains why he's Like This. Or, perhaps it's better to give him some facets of personality in another direction. Sure, let's say that his last Aspect is My New EP Just Dropped! All Choppers are basically social media personalities, we'll say that he's a musician (probably some experimental electric kind of thing). 

Next up, Skills. Aces in Space uses a pyramid, as many Fate Core games do, but the playbook narrows the choices somewhat. I'm fine with that, it streamlines chargen. So first off, I get to put either Pilot or Nerves at Great and the other at Good. I think Pilot needs to be Great. Then I get to put Gunnery or Tactics at Fair and the other at Average. I think Tactics can be Fair. 

And then I get one Fair and two Average, and the book advises I pick those during play, but y'know, just me, won't be playing, so. I think I'll take Scan at Fair and Stealth and Athletics at Average.

I get +1 Likes, and I get some extra stress boxes because my Nerves is high. 

Stunts! I get one from my playbook, that's easy enough, but then I get one from my Chopper and one from my gang type. Of course I don't have a gang type, because that'd be a group decision. I guess any of them would really work, although I don't see this guy being especially interesting in being a mercenary. Let's say he belongs to an Entertainers gang, and I'll take the Flight Formation stunt (basically we can get additional Likes for cool flying as long as everyone involved has this stunt). For my Playbook stunt, I'll take Wings of Glory, letting me use Pilot in place of Tactics to determine position in a dogfight (mechanically it's not the best choice, since it basically just gives me a +2, but I think it's the most appropriate for the character). And for Chopper mod, I'll take Cloaking Emitters (I get a +2 to Stealth to hide my presence when I'm in my Chopper).

All I need now is a name and a callsign (and a description, I guess). Well, I see this guy as a little on the unkempt side (but still, like, hot, because it's in genre. Rumpled, is what I mean). He's got vacant brown eyes and has a habit of whistling or humming or drumming on something if there's a lull in conversation. His name is Alton Ro, his callsign is Fretless (he makes a big deal of playing his fretless guitar, and he also just...doesn't fret). 

And that'll do it! Leaf, wind, etc.