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Eclipse Phase is an awesome setting with a working (not excellent) rulesystem. If you are not overloaded with the wealth of options and intricacies inherent to them, it's really really good.
The WH40K series of games is quite good both on rules (a bit heavy on that side) and with a detailed setting. Combining Rogue Trader with the rules for spaceships, Dark Heresy and Only War can bring together an impressive atmosphere.
There's always the tried and true d6 Space set of rules. More a toolbox thana defined game/setting, but very good. Better yet it's free!
If you already have a setting on your mind and you're willing to play with toolsets, generic rules like Cortex Classic and Insight are the right mix of streamlining and detail.
I may sound heretic, but FATE and Savage Worlds just don't cut it for me.
My system of choice for SF is Thousand Suns, that has a rules set simple but very flexible, (and does not get in the way while mantaining a good level of detail) and a metasetting based on "imperial sci-fi" that is not about cutting edge technology - but can have as much of it as you like - but more on galaxy-spanning adventures.
There's also Burning Empires, if you're in the market for some paranoia-based bodysnatcher aliens gameplay. (Not Paranoia the game, paranoid the affliction)
That game is weird and highly unconventional though. It's meant to be structured like a sprawling sci-fi epic, and the rules are extremely complex. Beautiful looking book though.
I have my issues with HG, but I won't go into them here.If not here then where?!
** spoiler omitted **
I disagree on the rules being decent, specifically in the category of character creation. I have a fundamental issue with any game system that requires you to spend most of your points just to be average. I'm told they fixed that down the road, but come on.
I will say however that I dug their art direction. I didn't like that their Jovian Chronicles techbook was a point-for-point rehash (right down to some text blocks) of the Mekton Zeta Plus book, and I didn't care for the ridiculously thin paperstock they chose to use in their latter-era books, but art- and layout-wise those books were solid.
And Krensky has the right of it - there's a huge misconception about Mekton in the whole "Roll your own" aspect of it. MOST settings, Sentai and Super Robots excepted, will have a set of stock mecha designed to be used by the players. In true anime style, you can always make your suit a "custom" but that's going to be a special case for really fantastic heroes (read: The PC's), and then, not often.
Like I said, ask me about Starblade, some time. ;)
And you don't run into issues with Dex being insanely overloaded? I always did in vanilla Interlock. I don't use straight Fuzion, but I started leaning more in that direction when I noticed they disappeared in my BGC campaign.Eh, I just go with the original stat block from Interlock and ignore a lot of the stat-subdivision that rolled out in Fuzion. Derived characteristics can do more for the game than adding primaries ever did.
Well, assuming you do something about Dex.
Nope. I'm inspired to put a final codification on my ruleset and make it available. I've made a ton of changes on the back end, including which skills go where and how many apply to which characteristic.
I ran into the DEX/REF split issue in Champions: New Millenium, and very promptly started working on a solution. I know what you speak of, believe me.
Mekton Zeta is a horrible system, as I recall. Stat goes from 1 to 10, skills from 0 to 5, then you just add them together, leading to the most experienced person in the world being outmatched by someone with slightly higher stat. It is bad even if skills are equally important to stats, here they are half. That said, I do respect that you can have fun with it anyway. All it takes is players who understand the game priorities and make chars accordingly.
My second would be Fading suns.
Mekton Zeta is a horrible system, as I recall. Stat goes from 1 to 10, skills from 0 to 5, then you just add them together, leading to the most experienced person in the world being outmatched by someone with slightly higher stat. It is bad even if skills are equally important to stats, here they are half. That said, I do respect that you can have fun with it anyway. All it takes is players who understand the game priorities and make chars accordingly.
My second would be Fading suns.
You recall incorrectly. Yes, it uses a Stat (1-10) + Skill (1-10)* + D(x) roll (you can use 1d10, 2d6, 3d6, or 2d10, depending on which iteration of the system you're using), as its mechanic. So do most D20/OGL games. And yes, a person with a slightly higher attribute or skill will generally be superior on an average roll than someone else, but then, that happens regularly in Pathfinder and other such systems as well. (Case in point, in 3E-PF-4E, a Halfling will ALWAYS be a better Rogue than a Human. Period.)
The issue isn't with the mechanics of the system, it is with how people build their characters to game that system. The issues you bring up are not unique to MZ, CP2020, or any other game using Interlock/Fuzion, any more than Min-Maxers are unique to Pathfinder.
Given that the usual Improvement Point reward for a really amazing game session is around three points, and that it takes ten times the current skill level in IP to raise a skill by +1, you're looking at about twenty sessions before someone can go from +5 to +6 in a skill.
The other reason for the +5 Max At Start rule is to force people to diversify their characters, rather than simply dump all their points into one chunk of skills and have a character who can pilot rings around a comet, but can't operate a manual can opener to save his life.
For an Anime style, Giant Robot, space game there is always Big Eyes Small Mouth.
It says "superheroes" on the box, but Mutants & Masterminds is endlessly adaptable. You could also try Synnibarr.
If you look a bit further, you will find that Synnibarr has a Third Edition on the way, with a Kickstarter that is actually starting to meet its goals.
Thanks for so many good suggestions! Been looking up the various systems to learn more about them and compiling a list for my group to go through.
A question on this Traveller game. I found some information on GURPS traveller but one thing I can't narrow down is how character creation works. Random systems like the one mongoose seems to have usually don't go over to well with my group. How does the GURPs one work?
GURPS is a point-based system. GURP Traveller is one of the worldbooks available for it. To get a quick and dirty feel for the GURPS Third Edition system, check out GURPS Lite.
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If memory serves, the random gen is optional in Mongoose's version of Traveler. Still, there's something nostaldic about a system the can kill you during char gen.
Speaking of Nostalgia, be sure - if you run a game like Traveler or Cyberpunk 2020, or anything that predates our modern era of technology - that you keep the conceits and caveats of the game in place.
In Traveler, a computer with twice the computational power of a Commodore 64 takes up an entire room and weighs two tons. Your ship can't fly without it. And there's nothing smaller or more powerful to replace it unless you steal it off of an Imperial ship.
In Cyberpunk 2020, a mobile phone doesn't do wireless downloading of applications, doesn't include a GPS, and certainly doesn't play games. Computer programs come on rom-cards, floppies, and if you're really lucky, CD's.
In Star Wars, if data is stolen, it is literally *stolen* and you have to either sneak it off the planet or hunt down the rebels who have it.
Throwing out modern convention and "reality" (smart phones, microcomputers, data that can actually be copied safely) and embracing the conceits of the genre you're playing in makes a huge difference in the way the game is experienced, I've found.
The Terrorists are stealing the internet!
Anyone ever try the old Alternity game? What are your opinions? I recently saw a bunch of these at a local used book store and was curious.
Almost played it once. Made the GM cry during chargen. Group has vowed never to play it again.
Looked like a lot of fun, though!
Anyone ever try the old Alternity game? What are your opinions? I recently saw a bunch of these at a local used book store and was curious.
I thought Alternity was a pretty great multi-genre tool system that didn't get nearly the press nor support that it deserved. I think it was just too radical a departure from the D&D model for the system-faithful to adapt to.
Star Drive (essentially Star Frontiers) was pretty great, I thought.
What about the most important Sci-Fi RPG out there - Star Munchkin RPG?
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Thanks for so many good suggestions! Been looking up the various systems to learn more about them and compiling a list for my group to go through.
A question on this Traveller game. I found some information on GURPS traveller but one thing I can't narrow down is how character creation works. Random systems like the one mongoose seems to have usually don't go over to well with my group. How does the GURPs one work?
Cant speak for the GURPS version but I wouldn't get too caught up in the random chargen of Mongoose Traveller. There is no leveling in the game and increasing attributes or skills is pretty difficult. I find it refreshing to have a game that starts you out as a capable character. The focus is more on playing the game than planing builds. This aspect though is on of the things I mentioned earlier that turns of modern gamers.
The Terrorists are stealing the internet!
*hides away a floppy 5,25" disk*
Now let's see them try!
*giggles*
It says "superheroes" on the box, but Mutants & Masterminds is endlessly adaptable. You could also try Synnibarr.If you look a bit further, you will find that Synnibarr has a Third Edition on the way, with a Kickstarter that is actually starting to meet its goals.
Where is that? I went looking for it and just found This one, which ended nearly two years ago with double its fundraising goal, but has yet to see release, despite the "Ready to print" update a year ago. Last comment seems to be from this past October, where a backer was asking if it was ever coming out.
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Given the character of the creator that is evident in the product itself, it would not surprise me if the kickstarter were mismanaged.
{. . .}
Where is that? I went looking for it and just found This one, which ended nearly two years ago with double its fundraising goal, but has yet to see release, despite the "Ready to print" update a year ago. Last comment seems to be from this past October, where a backer was asking if it was ever coming out.
That's the one. Guess I should have paid more attention to the dates on the page.
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Anyone ever try the old Alternity game? What are your opinions? I recently saw a bunch of these at a local used book store and was curious.
I really like the system and found Star*Drive a decent enough space opera setting. A few of us at alternityrpg.net have written in to Wizards to ask to restore the PDF downloads for sale and we could always use more voices.
Did you write to a particular e-mail address? Or, perhaps, on a particular page with a form for submitting a message?
I ask because last year, I wrote to Wizards with a similar request. (I mentioned it at the time.) I got only a form-letter response, with no indication that anyone had read my message. Did you find a good way to get WotC's attention?
Given the character of the creator that is evident in the product itself, it would not surprise me if the kickstarter were mismanaged.
You'd almost think he took the 7 grand and ran.
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Did you write to a particular e-mail address? Or, perhaps, on a particular page with a form for submitting a message?
I ask because last year, I wrote to Wizards with a similar request. (I mentioned it at the time.) I got only a form-letter response, with no indication that anyone had read my message. Did you find a good way to get WotC's attention?
It sounds like pretty much the same process and result. Time will tell, I suppose, if it's attracted any attention.
Iron Crown's Space Master. The "Old school hardcore" RPG if there was one.
Though I've played several sci-fi systems like Traveler, Space Opera, Star Frontiers, have purchased, though never played Eclipse Phase, I'm actually intrigued by the concepts, if not the setting and AP for EN Publishing's Santiago setting. That setting has an Old West in space flavor, kind of like Firefly. It uses PF rules as is, with some specific archetypes and refluffed classes, but its magic as technology with spells as technical procedures which are a combination of software programming and mechanical engineering to replicate the effects. I'm not interested in an old west in space flavor, rather something more old school space opera in flavor.
Though the Santiago rules kind of hand-wave starships, space travel and space combat, this is something that I want to incorporate in my home game. I plan to use the aerial combat rules from Geek Industrial Complex Companions of the Firmament adjusted slightly with falling rules removed (no gravity, so no need for falling.) I've already built me a Starship Pilot, new base class, as a half caster with some gunslinging abilities with naval cannons and sidearm, 5 levels of piloting progression from orbital shuttles to interstellar fleets, skills at evading both attacks against the ship and attempts at tracking you, and finally some streetwise skills while in the vicinity of a starport.
I've also made a direct conversion of a wizard to a software hacker, since Santiago is missing something close. Santiago does have alternate or archetypes for cleric (engineer), paladin (barrister), while many martial classes can be used as is - only changing the type and availability of firearms and future armors.
Think of the PF concepts as sci-fi, like untouchable rager (bloodrager) as genetically engineered super soldiers with abilities to bypass tech defenses and calling Spell Resistance, Tech Resistance, instead.
I like the idea of building a sci-fi setting and sticking with Pathfinder to accomplish that.
Well at that point you could just play Dragonstar.
Don't know if this is responding to my post, but I'm too creative. As a GM I have to create my own version - even if something similar already exists. Creating the world, the various factions, their political relationships, the foundation of the theme, and the many fiddly details is half the fun (for me) for playing the game in the first place. If I settled for an existing published setting and somebody else's adventure path, I would be disappointed as a GM. I guess its the designer in me.
While I like designing and kit bashing myself, I find myself unable to to do so if someone's already done so well.
I still haven't quite forgiven Alex, Pat, and Scott for rendering my efforts to make a functional and sane d20 based modern system a waste of time by releasing Spycraft 2.0.
Dragonstar does the D&D in space trope really, really well.
Well prior to the release of Jade Regent, despite knowing it was on its way, I developed and published various supplements, full modules and one-shots for the Rite Publishing Kaidan setting of Japanese horror (PFRPG)
And because of that work, Paizo hired me to create the original hand-drawn map for the city of Kasai, capital of Minkai, as well as writing parts of the City of Kasai gazetteer for The Empty Throne module of the Jade Regent Adventure Path - because they recognize my expertise in the subject. Thus I'm a published contributing author for Paizo.
I'm confident in my creation skills of viable settings since Kaidan continues to sell well, that I'm sure I could create a sci-fi Pathfinder game that fits my concepts of sci-fi. Even still I am working with an existing body of rules created for EN Publishing's Santiago setting, so its not like working from scratch. Of course I am adding new clases, starship combat and many concepts that were left out of Santiago, but would fit my needs beyond Santiago.
What happened to p20 modern?
WoTC imploding all its d20 lines to make way for 4th Edition.
What happened to p20 modern?WoTC imploding all its d20 lines to make way for 4th Edition.
I assumed p20 modern was probably a homebrew version of d20 modern based on Pathfinder instead of 3.5. I could be wrong though.
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First off I'd like to say thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Lots of good systems out there!!
Right now we're discussing GURPs Traveller. At present I have my copy of the 3rd edition rules revised (well the books says Basic Set Third Edition Revised). I plan to pick up the main Traveller book PDF for GURPs this weekend. Other books I happen to own for GURPS include Psionics, Magic, Mecha, and Dragons (it's hardback). From those who've tried the system what other books would be good to pick up?