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I agree that the original Gigeresque vision still matters and is vital to the setting. I was thinking about this thread contemplating my own campaign ( one that I began using the Leading Edge Games Alien: Adventure Game- a game that actually is  a disservice to the Gigeresque vision). I dislike the "humanoid in the exoskeleton"  of Prometheus, it's contrary to that vision because the suit and the humanoid are distinct. In Giger's biomechanical surrealism (like we see in Necronomicon), the suit and the humanoid are not distinct entities, they are integrated as a singular being. This differs from cybernetics or prosthetics, since neither cybernetics or prosthetics are part of the being, they're added to the being externally.

The Engineer appears integrated into the derelict- they're one- the crew and ship are not completely separate entities when active, and I imagine the ship is not entirely whole without the Engineer(s). I imagine that the Engineers are product of millions of years of manipulating their own evolution, they are "created" as bio-mechanical organisms born/grown/manufactured. Their structures and their 'tools' and 'weapons' like the xenomorph are extensions of the own process of creation. There's imagery from Giger's work concerning Alien that felt like there's a mystic/ quasi-religious ( or at least  reverence) towards the life cycle of the "xenomorph".  I'd extend that to all aspects of their "tools" and "structures." In my thinking, the Engineer's 'pyramid' is a temple and atmospheric processor, and they change worlds with reverence and awe reflecting that 'sex' and 'death' we see in Giger's surrealism, (creating a new habitat, while killing the old one).

There's imagery from Giger's work concerning Alien that felt like there's a mystic/ quasi-religious ( or at least  reverence) towards the life cycle of the "xenomorph".  I'd extend that to all aspects of their "tools" and "structures." In my thinking, the Engineer's 'pyramid' is a temple and atmospheric processor, and they change worlds with reverence and awe reflecting that 'sex' and 'death' we see in Giger's surrealism, (creating a new habitat, whiling killing the old one).

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Very interesting - the potential that the "xenomorphic" process is not just with lifeforms but also the environment/habitat itself. Essentially "bio-mechanical terraforming" (for lack of a better term). Reconfiguring into the nightmarish Gigerscape...

I agree that the xenomorphs, the Engineers, and their technology are integrated parts of a larger system. Going back to the logics of the original movie with the space jockey and the biomechanical derelict is probably the best way to be to true to the Gigeresque vision. I have expanded on this quite in detail in my previous posts.

I guess it can be tempting the develop this setting just like many other RPG settings - just adding more creatures (often bigger versions of known animals from Earth) and staple high tech (new space ships etc). But I simply think that’s not really true to the original concept. Alien isn’t just Traveller with a nasty monster, it’s something more. I would say that there a completely different potential within the Alien universe. The biomechanical vision is a very specific way of thinking and combining things. And it also makes the difference between life and technology fluid. I would say that the xenomorphs could be a result of that fluidity. And humans can be seen as weaponized beings too.

An important part of the Gigeresque surrealism is body horror. Terrible, almost unimaginable things could happen to the human body. That is the horror both in this setting and in Giger’s art. I think body horror is a core theme. Without it, this game becomes a staple space sci fi, and not really Alien. In my previous posts in this thread, I tried to develop that Gigeresque vision in various ways. It’s a really rich and thought provoking vision. And I would also say that it’s something much more specific and original than the ”sense of wonder” that is mentioned as a core theme in the basic rule set.

I would refine the "sense of wonder" to "a sense of awe" there's an element of respect and fear in that sense of wonder. I also agree that it's best to avoid the "bigger monster" temptation. It's the slippery slope of The Alien Queen producing the eggs, it allows us to quantify the xenomorphs with insect-hive analogies, as oppose to the alien producing the egg by breaking down its victims as seen in Alien: The Director's Cut, which really captures that "body horror". I can live with the two; the "drone" in isolation producing the ovomorph and the queen producing vast numbers of eggs, but will stay away from the Aliens: Colonial Marines "Crushers" and that sort of thing, because it does drift into "bigger monster" territory and away from what made Alien compelling.  I suppose as a GM, the challenge is keeping that theme and vision without making it tedious and repetitive in campaign play. 

Well, the Alien franchise has gone quite messy through the years with several directors, many comic books and numerous toys and other products. I started this thread to have a fresh look at the original Gigeresque aspect of Alien.

I would say his biomechanical vision gives us the possibility not to just create more xenomorph creatures. It’s a logic that goes far beyond that. On the first page of this thread I have, quite extensively, expanded on ideas for weaponized humans, biomechinacal energy systems, living space ships, the Lovecraftian insignificance of mankind in space etc. My intention is, for sure, to think big, just by returning to the original ideas.

The Gigeresque logics makes it possible to rethink what Alien is really about and create new stuff from that - fossilized ruins, biomechanical Dyson spheres, Engineer space stations, hives of weaponized humans, enigmatic signals from remote star systems etc. You will find a lot of ideas on page one of this thread.