<strong>Perfidious Albion</strong>is a<strong><em>steampunk</em></strong>(http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SteamPunk)<strong>RPG campaign</strong>(http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TabletopGames) -- a Scientific Romance (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AntiquatedLinguistics) for ladies and gentlemen of good breeding (ahem), set in the late 19th Century in a well-developed alternate-history setting in which a peaceful compromise (Ben Franklin's "Albany Plan") prevented the American Revolution, the British Empire is the world's dominant power (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RepublicOfMarySue), and steam-powered supercomputers perform econometric calculations in mere minutes!  (For those who really like trivia (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShownTheirWork), there was an earlier point of divergence at the Putney Debates in 1648.)<br/><br/>For<em>Perfidious Albion: A Scientific Romance</em>, I recommend either GURPS Lite (http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/) or FUDGE (http://www.fudgerpg.com/fudge.html).  Even more, I recommend any good steampunk fiction, such as<em>The Difference Engine</em>,<em>Girl Genius</em>,<em>The Two Georges</em>, and so forth.<br/><br/>Some good references for steampunk, and for the Victorian period in general, are:<br/>*<em>What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist -- The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England</em>by Daniel Pool (available for cheap on Amazon.com) (http://www.amazon.com/Austen-Charles-Dickens-Whist-Nineteenth-Century/dp/0671882368/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241591942&sr=1-1);<br/>*<em>An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't</em>, specifically the section on English Literature, which discusses obscure details of nineteenth-century British life (likewise available for cheap on Amazon);  (http://www.amazon.com/Incomplete-Education-Things-Learned-Probably/dp/0345468902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241592026&sr=1-1)<br/>*<em>GURPS Steampunk</em>(http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/steampunk/) by my old friend Bill Stoddard (available for cheap as a PDF at Warehouse23.com), hands-down the single best reference source for the period, whether realistic historical or steampunk.;<br/>*<em>Forgotten Futures: The Scientific Romance Role Playing Game</em>(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_Futures) by the brilliant Phil Masters (available for free as shareware, he asks that you make a donation to charity, God bless him!) (http://www.forgottenfutures.com)<br/>*<em>Comme Il Faut</em>(http://www.amazon.com/Comme-Il-Faut-Things-Falkenstein/dp/0937279552/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241592232&sr=1-1), a supplement for<em>Castle Falkenstein</em>on daily life and manners in the 19th Century.<br/><br/>(For what it's worth, I did graduate work in English literature and specialized in both sf/fantasy and Victorian/industrial revolution fiction.)<br/><br/>I prefer "system" games, because the system helps answer questions like "How far can I jump?" and "How long will it take to fix the engine?"  I strongly believe in a good story rather than rolling dice, and I also believe in realism and balance.<br/><br/>Above all, I want to make sure that people who are interested in the genre and/or the setting, and are not familiar with the system, to join and play and learn the system as we go along.<br/><br/>For more information about the game, or if you wish to join, please read the Players Wanted thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=33056.0;all).   Please contact the Management of the game there and/or via PM for any questions about the setting, or for the Approval of Characters.<br/><br/>The following players are currently in this game:<br/><br/><em><strong>Dramatis Personae:</strong></em><br/><br/><strong>Shihong</strong>as Edward "Dee" McReary<br/><br/><strong>Doktor Sleepless</strong>as Captain Vargas, a Dreaded Sky Pirate<br/><br/><strong>Miss Yomamaween</strong>as Miss Annabelle McFly, a Mechanic and Mechanical Engineer for Aerostats<br/><br/><strong>Mr. DarkTide</strong>as a Mad Scientist<br/><br/><strong>Miss BlueMary</strong>as Captain Charlotte Duncan, a Dashing Hussar<br/><br/><strong>Mr. GrinningHound</strong>as J. P. Money, Business Tycoon (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EccentricMillionaire)<br/><br/><strong>Miss Cay Lee</strong>as a Nobleman's Beautiful yet Headstrong Daughter<br/><br/><strong>Miss Asmariamoon</strong>as Professor Rachel Masters, a "Clacker" -- an Educated Female and Action Girl (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ActionGirl)<br/><br/><strong>Miss Warm Fusion</strong>as Miss E. Cordelia Collingsworth, a Cartographic Archivist<br/><br/><strong>Miss Indigo</strong>as Mrs. Helene Morrow, a Ravishing Widow<br/><br/><strong>Kaeil</strong>as Davin Avery, a Desperate Soul<br/><br/><strong>MHaji</strong>as Edison Von Tesla, a Sort-of-but-not-Quite Mad Scientist<br/><br/><strong>Miss Priscilla</strong>--<em>in absentia</em>now, but shall be joining the crew as time and circumstances permit.<br/><br/><strong>Dalia</strong><br/><br/>Please post character stats (optional), descriptions (recommended), and backgrounds/stories here.<br/><br/><em>Excerpted from a survey report by the Infinity Corporation:</em><br/><br/><div align="center">PERFIDIOUS ALBION (BRITANNICA-8), 1877</div><br/><div align="center"><strong>CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION:</strong></div>A libertarian British Empire (including America) vs. the Holy Alliance (France, Spain, Austria, Russia) and Ottoman Caliphate.<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>DIVERGENCE POINTS:</strong></div>1648: The Levellers win the Putney Debates to decide the new government after the English Civil War.<br/>1765: Ben Franklin's "Albany Plan of Union" is accepted by the Whig government of Britain.<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>MAJOR CULTURES:</strong></div>Western (multipolar), Chinese (empire), Islamic (empire).<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>GREAT POWERS:</strong></div>British Empire (feudal technocracy, CR2), France (dictatorship, CR5), Spain (dictatorship, CR5), Austria (dictatorship, CR5), Russia (dictatorship, CR6), Prussia (dictatorship, CR4).<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>MINOR POWERS:</strong></div>Ottoman Empire (dictatorship, CR5), Manchu Empire (dictatorship, CR5), Sweden (democracy, CR4), Japan (feudal technocracy, CR 5).<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>WORLDLINE DATA:</strong></div>Technological Level: 5+2 (except TL5 weapons/armor)<br/>Mana Level: low<br/>Quantum: 7<br/>Infinity Class: P1<br/>Centrum Zone:<strong>YELLOW</strong><br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>KNOWN ADVENTURES:</strong></div>A Series of Tubes<br/>Can You Get Sound On That Thing?<br/>First Contacts<br/>Hearts of Steel<br/>League of Extraordinary Ladies & Gentlemen<br/>Sphereland<br/><br/><strong>[NB: This post has been edited to resolve some ambiguities pointed out by WarmFusion in her post below.  Thanx, Ms. Fusion!]</strong><br/><br/>