TheRPGSite

Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: palaeomerus on July 28, 2021, 03:05:04 AM

Title: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: palaeomerus on July 28, 2021, 03:05:04 AM
So Far I have:

Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells
Star Frontiers POD
Star Quest
White Star Galaxy Edition w/ Between Star & Void
Stars Without Number W/ Worlds Without Number
Machinations of the Space Princess
Star Wars WEG 1st & 2nd Ed.
Star Wars D20 2nd Ed.
Star Wars FFG games (EoE, AoR, & FaD)
Hard Nova II
Starships & Spacemen
Tiny Frontier
Worlds Beyond
Traveller (1st ed)
Space Opera still in the old box. Probably best not to open it.

Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Pat on July 28, 2021, 03:29:45 AM
Could go with the originals, Starfaring and Metamorphosis Alpha. Though the former is going to be very hard to find, and the latter is easy to find but only technically a space game.

GURPS Space is a classic.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: palaeomerus on July 28, 2021, 03:35:57 AM
Is Starfaring the Flying Buffalo game from Ken St. Andre?
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Pat on July 28, 2021, 03:42:43 AM
Yes. It's a contender for the first science fiction RPG, though it's only borderline an RPG, and was predated by Metamorphosis Alpha. Though I was wrong about availability -- looks like it was added to DriveThruRPG in March.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: jeff37923 on July 28, 2021, 06:36:53 AM
Cepheus Engine, which can be called OGL Traveller.

Mongoose Traveller 1e is very good IMHO. They took the best of Traveller 1e and improved the character creation, combat, and starship construction systems without removing the feel of Classic Traveller in play.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Cave Bear on July 28, 2021, 07:37:52 AM
Have you played Mothership? That one's an OSR game set in space with a 70's scifi aesthetic and a really cool character sheet.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: HappyDaze on July 28, 2021, 08:50:44 AM
Shatterzone...a 90s child of Masterbook by WEG. Worked well for a Firefly-type game.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Godsmonkey on July 28, 2021, 09:34:22 AM
Mongoose Traveller is a great game, with TONS of support.

I am currently playing Stars Without Number. It's an OSR rule set, with a more open setting than Traveller. However it is VERY influenced by the classic space RPG. SWN also has options for making it more science fantasy like Starfinder. If that's what you're going for.

I've also heard good things about Mothership and Alien, if you are going for a more space horror vibe.

Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Godsmonkey on July 28, 2021, 09:36:00 AM
Quote from: HappyDaze on July 28, 2021, 08:50:44 AM
Shatterzone...a 90s child of Masterbook by WEG. Worked well for a Firefly-type game.

Of course Serenity RPG is an option if you want to play in an established IP.

Personally, not my thing, but YMMV
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: RandyB on July 28, 2021, 09:44:31 AM
Quote from: jeff37923 on July 28, 2021, 06:36:53 AM
Cepheus Engine, which can be called OGL Traveller.

Mongoose Traveller 1e is very good IMHO. They took the best of Traveller 1e and improved the character creation, combat, and starship construction systems without removing the feel of Classic Traveller in play.

Seconding Cepheus Engine. Check out Stellagama and Zozer for Cepheus supplements.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: JeffB on July 28, 2021, 09:53:39 AM
Pundit has Star Adventurer.

Star HERO

Star Worlds-Mos Eisley Playset (which is a Star Wars/World of Dungeons hack)

SPI's Universe

Chaosium's Ringworld

Alternity




Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Flipped Bird on July 28, 2021, 10:19:16 AM
If by "space game" you mean one where there are coherent rules for creating spaceships, generating planets, and action in space, there is a science fantasy game called Phantasmagoria that is pretty fun. It's based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics ruleset.

Quote from: Godsmonkey on July 28, 2021, 09:34:22 AM
Mongoose Traveller is a great game, with TONS of support.

Before the plague, my LGS had a very popular Traveller game that had been going for a couple of years. I never bothered putting my name on the waiting list, since there were around a dozen people ahead of me.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Ratman_tf on July 28, 2021, 01:48:25 PM
Starfinder.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: David Johansen on July 28, 2021, 01:56:05 PM
I've got one!  :D

http://www.uncouthsavage.com/uploads/1/3/3/2/133279619/gisgrfx.pdf

If 277 pages is a bit much for you, here's a summary:

http://www.uncouthsavage.com/uploads/1/3/3/2/133279619/gis_card.pdf

Oh, and Space Opera is pretty neat.  The thing to understand is that it's designed to plug in and use FGU's 1977 Space Marine miniatures game as the combat system.  It has stats for lots of stuff drawn from classic sf fiction.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on July 28, 2021, 02:18:10 PM
I'll toss in Uncharted World and and its companion, Far Beyond Humanity.  It's a modular system based on PbtA, but does not use unique playbooks.  I had a blast running this for my group.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: tonybro001 on July 28, 2021, 04:21:31 PM
My go-to "space game" is Starblazer Adventures as I am still a sucker for the pulp space opera stories which graced the pages of the Starblazer comic books of the 80s.  It's based on the FATE system and suits the cinematic style of GMing I enjoy.

If a one shot star trek is what you are after then I love playing Lazers & Feelings.

Harder sci-fi I would definitely echo the above recommendations for Mongoose Traveller.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Joey2k on July 28, 2021, 07:31:49 PM
Stellar Adventures (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/214183/Stellar-Adventures). Advanced Fighting Fantasy in space.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Batjon on July 28, 2021, 08:06:35 PM
Death in Space.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cnibl/death-in-space (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cnibl/death-in-space)
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: jeff37923 on July 28, 2021, 08:36:55 PM
Quote from: tonybro001 on July 28, 2021, 04:21:31 PM
If a one shot star trek is what you are after then I love playing Lazers & Feelings.

Calling that a game is like saying flying an RC plane is equal to piloting a 747.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on July 28, 2021, 09:06:37 PM
It gets the job done and people at the table playing, so I would not pan it for what it does do within that criteria.  I wrote up "It's not my Future!' for the same goals, get people playing quickly.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: jeff37923 on July 28, 2021, 09:22:40 PM
Quote from: zircher on July 28, 2021, 09:06:37 PM
It gets the job done and people at the table playing, so I would not pan it for what it does do within that criteria.  I wrote up "It's not my Future!' for the same goals, get people playing quickly.

The Billie Eilish song?
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on July 28, 2021, 09:53:30 PM
Quote from: jeff37923 on July 28, 2021, 09:22:40 PM
Quote from: zircher on July 28, 2021, 09:06:37 PM
It gets the job done and people at the table playing, so I would not pan it for what it does do within that criteria.  I wrote up "It's not my Future!' for the same goals, get people playing quickly.

The Billie Eilish song?
The one page Fate Accelerated quick character generator and scenario starter.  [It's a freebie.]
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/180168/Its-Not-My-Future (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/180168/Its-Not-My-Future)
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: jeff37923 on July 28, 2021, 11:28:05 PM
Quote from: zircher on July 28, 2021, 09:53:30 PM
Quote from: jeff37923 on July 28, 2021, 09:22:40 PM
Quote from: zircher on July 28, 2021, 09:06:37 PM
It gets the job done and people at the table playing, so I would not pan it for what it does do within that criteria.  I wrote up "It's not my Future!' for the same goals, get people playing quickly.

The Billie Eilish song?
The one page Fate Accelerated quick character generator and scenario starter.  [It's a freebie.]
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/180168/Its-Not-My-Future (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/180168/Its-Not-My-Future)

Nope. Not interested.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Batjon on July 29, 2021, 12:26:33 AM
I hate Woke Hat Productions.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Shawn Driscoll on July 29, 2021, 01:01:59 AM
Quote from: palaeomerus on July 28, 2021, 03:05:04 AM
Anyone have recommendations on space games?
So Far I have:

Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells
Star Frontiers POD
Star Quest
White Star Galaxy Edition w/ Between Star & Void
Stars Without Number W/ Worlds Without Number
Machinations of the Space Princess
Star Wars WEG 1st & 2nd Ed.
Star Wars D20 2nd Ed.
Star Wars FFG games (EoE, AoR, & FaD)
Hard Nova II
Starships & Spacemen
Tiny Frontier
Worlds Beyond
Traveller (1st ed)
Space Opera still in the old box. Probably best not to open it.
What's the question? Or are you just making a list for yourself.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: palaeomerus on July 29, 2021, 01:21:58 AM
"Anyone have recommendations on space games?"
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on July 29, 2021, 01:41:45 AM
Quote from: Batjon on July 29, 2021, 12:26:33 AM
I hate Woke Hat Productions.
Heh, you can hate the people, but please don't hate the game.  Fate Accelerated Edition is a clean, light weight, fun system, and is pre-woke.   :-)

Same deal with Uncharted Worlds, while it based on Powered by the Apocalypse, it's DNA feels more like Traveller.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: jeff37923 on July 29, 2021, 05:18:25 AM
Quote from: zircher on July 29, 2021, 01:41:45 AM
Quote from: Batjon on July 29, 2021, 12:26:33 AM
I hate Woke Hat Productions.
Heh, you can hate the people, but please don't hate the game.  Fate Accelerated Edition is a clean, light weight, fun system, and is pre-woke.   :-)

So you can't think that the game or the company that publishes it suck?

Quote from: zircher on July 29, 2021, 01:41:45 AM
Same deal with Uncharted Worlds, while it based on Powered by the Apocalypse, it's DNA feels more like Traveller.

Then why not just go to the source and play Traveller?
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on July 29, 2021, 08:41:27 AM
Quote from: jeff37923 on July 29, 2021, 05:18:25 AM
Quote from: zircher on July 29, 2021, 01:41:45 AM
Quote from: Batjon on July 29, 2021, 12:26:33 AM
I hate Woke Hat Productions.
Heh, you can hate the people, but please don't hate the game.  Fate Accelerated Edition is a clean, light weight, fun system, and is pre-woke.   :-)

So you can't think that the game or the company that publishes it suck?

Quote from: zircher on July 29, 2021, 01:41:45 AM
Same deal with Uncharted Worlds, while it based on Powered by the Apocalypse, it's DNA feels more like Traveller.

Then why not just go to the source and play Traveller?
1. Yes, I can and do think some people and products suck.  I don't care for any of Evil Hat's current products.  But, I played a lot of Spirit of the Century and FAE and they don't have that agenda written into them.  [Hell, SotC is set in a 'very problematic' time period for the wokesters.]  Mechanically, they are good RPG systems and I find FAE to be a wonderful system for modifying and one-shots.  You can get the FAE SRD for free, if supporting the company financially pains you.

2. Traveller is a fine product, but I'm not a fan of their universe.  I'm a classic LBB kind of guy and like to roll my own universe.  So, I'm more likely to use Cepheus Engine or Uncharted Worlds.  At their heart, they're both 2d6 systems but of different flavors.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: rgalex on July 29, 2021, 10:30:12 AM
SoulMuppet has a new edition of Orbital Blues: A Space Western RPG on the way.  I know the pdf is out to KS backers and I think it's up on Drivethru.  The physical book it due late August/September.

I'm hoping to give the rules a go in the next couple of weeks.  If I do I'll post about it.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Thondor on July 29, 2021, 11:57:47 AM
I recently added Free Spacer (http://"https://composedreamgames.com/marketplace/Free-Spacer-Core") to the CDG Marketplace. It bills itself as a "sand-box starship RPG."
It has an interesting mechanic where when you succeeded more than you need to you can store the excess "energy" in your ship reactor or personal reactor. You spend from your reactor to get bonus dice later.
Ships are very easy to upgrade, as is your "crew-kit", and you can have very different kind of adventures depending on what kind of "flag" your ship is commissioned with such as Bounty Hunter, Courier, Scout, Technician, Mercenary or a few others. (Flags can change through play.)
This is the sort of game you could play for years.
I've been meaning to make a video about it.

I backed the 13th Fleet recently. Which draws heavy inspiration from Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series. The players are all backstabbing ship Captains returning home from the "nearly victorious battle." The 13th Fleet is known to be full of the most incompetent Captains of the empire. This is the sort of game and engine where you assume you might go through a few captains, and a typical game would probably be 5 sessions or so.
The engine is based on Forged in the Dark.

I'm pretty eager to get both to the table. I'm not aware of a way to get the 13th Fleet.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on July 29, 2021, 03:34:42 PM
Starfinder has been mentioned, but if you're really curious, it's on Humble Bundle.  I just picked it up at the five dollar tier to get the core books and some other items.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/starfinder-paizo-books (https://www.humblebundle.com/books/starfinder-paizo-books)
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: JeffB on July 29, 2021, 04:06:34 PM
Quote from: zircher on July 29, 2021, 03:34:42 PM
Starfinder has been mentioned, but if you're really curious, it's on Humble Bundle.  I just picked it up at the five dollar tier to get the core books and some other items.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/starfinder-paizo-books (https://www.humblebundle.com/books/starfinder-paizo-books)

Wow. Hardcover and the physical BB in that bundle.

And more importantly, a great charity.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Chris24601 on July 29, 2021, 07:10:37 PM
For a more anime space opera feel; Mekton II (specifically w. the Mekton Empire supplement) or Mekton Zeta (has several anime space opera setting books).

For a still anime-ish but harder sci-fi, Jovian Chronicles (using the Silohette System, though the original version written as a supplement for Mekton is also sharp).
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on July 29, 2021, 07:39:07 PM
I'll second Mekton Zeta and Mekton Zeta Plus.  MZ is based on the interlock system used in CP2020, so there is a lot of minable stuff there including things like Guns Guns Guns.  MZ+ is... brutal, but in the best possible way.  The design system can model just about anything.  Heck, I even built BattleTech Mechs with it that actually behaved like BTech mechs in Mekton Zeta.  So, it is the good kind of crunch if you really wanted to design everything from the ground up from space fighters/mecha to capital ships.  Of course, R Talsorian has their own setting if you would prefer to go that way. 

The interlock system is pretty simple; d10 + stat + mods.  I like it much better than the Fuzion system myself.

Just for funzies, here is a MZ Life Path system for generating character back stories if you like the random generated stuff.
https://tangent-zero.com/mz_lifepath.htm (https://tangent-zero.com/mz_lifepath.htm)
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: jeff37923 on July 29, 2021, 07:53:53 PM
Quote from: Chris24601 on July 29, 2021, 07:10:37 PM
For a more anime space opera feel; Mekton II (specifically w. the Mekton Empire supplement) or Mekton Zeta (has several anime space opera setting books).

For a still anime-ish but harder sci-fi, Jovian Chronicles (using the Silohette System, though the original version written as a supplement for Mekton is also sharp).

I third this recommendation.

Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: RandyB on July 29, 2021, 08:04:13 PM
And another endorsement for Mekton Zeta from me. You can't beat it for space opera.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Habitual Gamer on July 30, 2021, 01:42:07 PM
Depends on what you want, but I liked:

Fading Suns - think a modge-podged medieval Europe in space.  It suffers some from trying to be too close a mapping of medieval Europe ("here's the Space Vikings, and here's the Space Muslims, and here's the Space Catholic Church"), and it wants to be a game with a strong religious presence but never defines what that religion does and doesn't believe in, it wallows in 90's era White Wolf stereotypes at times (fitting since it has some of the same writers... and it dabbles with wanting a more operatic "good vs bad" vibe at times, before recanting), and the system kinda' blows.  But it's also one of those great settings that allows for dang near anything you'd want to add to it while providing a perfectly solid setting without making GMs add stuff, there's a whole secondary game devoted to miniature space ship battles in the setting that is portable into the RPG (it even has detailed ship maps if you can find them (good luck!)), and it manages to riff off of Dune and Warhammer 40,000 while still feeling like its own critter.

Rogue Trader - the RPG by FFG.  You and the other players are the command crew of a city-sized space ship in the Warhammer 40k universe.  Mechanically it's as big and ugly as the ship you'll command, but the W40k universe is another setting that allows for a wide range of stuff.  And the default campaign is "go out and exploit the galaxy in the name of the Emperor and personal profit.  Here's a small army and your city buster of a starship."  Star Trek this aint.  There's also other games covering said small army, super soldiers better than said said army, the holy Inquisitors who root out enemies of the empire, and a whole game line devoted to one of said enemies (you want to play demon worshippers from Hell in outer space?  Black Crusade has you covered.).  The books are riddled with editing errors, the mechanics are cumbersome, and still you can only try to pry these books out of my cold dead hands.

Rifts Phase World - Palladium was doing OSR gaming before OSR was cool.  Palladium still isn't cool though.  But Phase World kind of is.  Set on a multi-dimensional nexus point that also doubles as the nexus for three galaxies (because one galaxy is clearly too small for Rifts players!), this game has marketplaces run by evil cosmic gods, super hero space knights flying around at FTL speeds, ancient aliens bending reality, deal with the United Worlds of Warlock (you want fleets of dwarven spaceships?  Because this is how you get fleets of dwarven space ships!), and lots and lots more!  Plus, it's compatible with all the other dozens of Rifts books out there (more or less).  So unleash your inner munchkin, laugh at the incomplete ruleset for character creation in the main Rifts rulebook (you'll need it to use Phase World), and then realize it's all straight faced and serious.  Mostly. 

Blue Planet (and Polaris) - Because you don't want a whole galaxy so much as a detailed alien ocean-themed world.  I'll admit it, I only got this because I wanted a ocean-world to use in the above games, and was looking for something to read.    Polaris is... basically the same thing, but more technologically advanced and with different mysteries.  It also is set on the ocean floor, whereas Blue Planet is set on the ocean's surface and near shore.  Also, there's systems if you care.  I didn't.  A good choice set if you're looking for some harder sci-fi though, or something you could port into another setting with minimal to no effort.

Fragged Empires - In the far future, humanity is dead and the galaxy is populated by the races it created to take its place.  They try to play with each other, but... it's hard.  Especially since some of them are genocidal machines, while others are just plain hungry all the time.  I like this one just for the ideas it generates, as the system itself tries to do a lot of admirable stuff, but in the most oddly worded and haughty presentation I've seen since the 90's.  Still, it's a fun read and walks a good line between soft and hard sci-fi I'd say.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Marchand on July 30, 2021, 11:20:15 PM
Don't think anyone has yet mentioned 2300AD. Available in 2 main flavours: original GDW version from the 80s (2 editions technically but they are very similar) and a Mongoose update that runs off Mongoose Traveller 1e. (There was also a d20 version, inevitably called 2320AD, but that is long OOP.)

The setting is 300 years after a nuclear war (the one in GDW's Twilight: 2000). Humanity has recovered and begun to explore space, but society is basically similar to today - there aren't many cyborgs clanking around, and nation states are the main actors. The original focus of the game was the offworld colonies, where there is an Outland/Aliens kind of vibe. Later on they shoehorned in a cyberpunk take on Earth.

The big appeal to me is the aliens, which in my view are some of the most interesting in any SF, let alone RPGs. They follow the old rule of "show me something that can think as well as a man, but differently". For most of them, there is some key to their behaviour that creates a puzzle for the players to solve.

An obvious campaign focus is the war against the hostile alien Kafers. Another possibility is discovery/exploratory - there was a scenario about coming across mysterious alien tech at a mining outpost, and a campaign book about a long-distance exploratory mission. There is scope for tech-thriller stuff like corporate or international espionage, or fighting a transhumanist terrorist group.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: HappyDaze on July 30, 2021, 11:56:29 PM
I just saw a mention of Fading Suns and also noticed that a 4e of that has just been released on pdf through Drivethru. Anyone given it a lookout yet? I'd really like to hear about the game itself, not the politics of its writer(s) and/or the company putting it out.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Reckall on July 31, 2021, 10:39:14 AM
I'm surprised that no one mentioned "Coriolis: the Third Horizon". It combines hard sci-fi with pulp, "Blade Runner", "Dune", "The Thousands and One Nights in Space" and a splash of maybe cosmic horror (proof that you can do it yourself without aping Lovecraft). I kickstarted it and love the setting.

I never played it, toh. I know of at least a group that doesn't like the system, so they use the setting but run it with "Stars Without Numbers".

Googling "Coriolis Artwork" is the best way to get an idea about the setting.

(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55ef0e29e4b099e22cdc9eea/1607464203228-MCW85O1WH5RNIWSJTYJS/image-asset.jpeg)

(https://i0.wp.com/www.stargazersworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/image-1.png?ssl=1)

(https://i0.wp.com/boardgametoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/The-Last-Cyclade-2.jpg?resize=860%2C617&ssl=1)

(https://www.tomshw.it/images/images/2020/01/coriolis-70685.jpg)

You can even plug-in the "Alien" RPG, since it shares a very similar system (fan art is already at work...)

(https://rpggods.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/derelict-ship1.png)
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Habitual Gamer on August 02, 2021, 12:57:50 PM
Quote from: HappyDaze on July 30, 2021, 11:56:29 PM
I just saw a mention of Fading Suns and also noticed that a 4e of that has just been released on pdf through Drivethru. Anyone given it a lookout yet? I'd really like to hear about the game itself, not the politics of its writer(s) and/or the company putting it out.

I'm curious too.

Ulisses Spiele did a 2ed of Torg, and... it was a case of two steps forward and two steps back.  It seemed like for every good thing they did, they either ignored some element that defined 1ed or else outright borked another part.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Habitual Gamer on August 02, 2021, 12:59:58 PM
Quote from: Reckall on July 31, 2021, 10:39:14 AM
I'm surprised that no one mentioned "Coriolis: the Third Horizon".

I think it's -too- weird for most folks.  Personally, every time I look at it I thought "everything it can do, I can do with Fading Suns and more".
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: ScytheSong on August 02, 2021, 01:40:19 PM
It depends on what you mean by "Space Games" -- I love Teenagers from Outer Space and played the heck out of it back in the day, but it's more Spaceman Spiff than Star Wars.

SpaceMaster from ICE is very crunchy, but my friends and I in college had a blast with the tech design rules, and it could be fun.

And, of course, the best terribly written science fiction game of all time is SkyRealms of Jorune.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: palaeomerus on August 02, 2021, 06:16:34 PM
Quote from: Habitual Gamer on August 02, 2021, 12:59:58 PM
Quote from: Reckall on July 31, 2021, 10:39:14 AM
I'm surprised that no one mentioned "Coriolis: the Third Horizon".

I think it's -too- weird for most folks.  Personally, every time I look at it I thought "everything it can do, I can do with Fading Suns and more".

I have Coriolis and bought it mostly because it was from the Free League people and I loved Forbidden Lands Hex Crawl thing and Mutant Year Zero which brings Mutant back to the table since it wandered off into the far future to become Mutant Chronicles and forgot about it's After the Bomb/Gamma World -early origins.

It has some psi and magic stuff in it but mainly it seems to be Firefly only it is built on a Mediterranean muslim dominated future societal background (or maybe it's more of a Future Byzantiuum after the Turks took over?) instead of Chinese + cowboy settlers and it has lots of big advanced factions instead of BIG GOV vs. little bitties  vs. Tortuga Pirates vs. Psychopathic Hyper-Comanche cannibal raider hordes on the outskirts. Also it seems to have a lot of the Dune vibe to it with big halls and robes and hoods and self improvement academies and sci-fi body horror espionage and everyone carries personal fighting knives.

I only have the main book and I skimmed it.

My Shatterzone classic, Hard Nova II, Worlds Beyond order came in.  I am still looking into suggestions.

I already have the Mekton Z family and Jovian Chronicles D20 and Silhouette Core version, with the Lightning Strike 1 & 2 tactical games, and their Core Command game which they left kind of hanging when DP9 dropped out of games for a little while.  I also ordered a game called Golgotha and another called River of Heaven and they should be a week or two out?
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: DocJones on August 02, 2021, 06:22:57 PM
Savage Worlds - The Last Parsec
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Marchand on August 03, 2021, 11:55:44 AM
Quote from: palaeomerus on August 02, 2021, 06:16:34 PM
I also ordered a game called Golgotha and another called River of Heaven and they should be a week or two out?

Golgotha is a Black Hack based game about ruin-delving i.e. futuristic dungeon-crawling.

River of Heaven is somewhat Revelation Space: the RPG, using a light RQ/d100 engine (OpenQuest).

Have both, never had the chance to play, although I'd happily give either a shot. Having said that, Golgotha maybe looks somewhat limited for longer-term campaigns. RoH's setting never grabbed me because I couldn't get interested in the in-universe factions. Plus the art turned me off, although that isn't a showstopper.

By the way, the guy who did Golgotha also did a Mini6-based game called Exilium. It's set in a single system of multiple inhabited worlds, with humans (who have forgotten where they come from) and a bunch of uplifted aliens. The concept is the PCs are exiles from a dimension of godlike intelligences, who have been booted out and down to reality as punishment for some crime. Play is mainly supposed to revolve around hunting down other godlike intelligences who have come down to reality because they enjoy possessing mortals and causing havoc or misery of one sort of another. By stopping them, the players get to define their crime and also work towards atonement and readmission to "heaven".

The books are beautiful and the concept is fantastic. And d6 is a solid enough and long-tested system that a lot of people seem to like.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Mishihari on August 05, 2021, 04:03:55 AM
Blue Planet, depending on the semantics.  It's an SF game set on another planet _in_ space but play is generally confined to the planet's surface.  I quite like the setting.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Ghostmaker on August 05, 2021, 03:51:17 PM
Quote from: JeffB on July 29, 2021, 04:06:34 PM
Quote from: zircher on July 29, 2021, 03:34:42 PM
Starfinder has been mentioned, but if you're really curious, it's on Humble Bundle.  I just picked it up at the five dollar tier to get the core books and some other items.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/starfinder-paizo-books (https://www.humblebundle.com/books/starfinder-paizo-books)

Wow. Hardcover and the physical BB in that bundle.

And more importantly, a great charity.
Charity is probably the only reason to buy it. I played through the entire Dead Suns campaign, and the GM and I did some post-campaign reviews as well. Starfinder means well, but it is clunky as fuck and shows signs that it wasn't properly playtested in my opinion.

Plus, the equipment system just seems ridiculous.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Dropbear on August 19, 2021, 07:08:31 PM
If you liked Star Frontiers, its spiritual successor FrontierSpace by DWD Studios is a pretty good game. The mechanics are very similar, the skill list is pared down, and there's a lot of modularity to gear/robots/spacecraft.

Fading Suns: Pax Alexius seems pretty good so far. I have yet to actually play it, just received the books.

Shatterzone is one of my favorites, but its task resolution is crunchy. If you dig that kind of thing, go for it!

And there is always the first edition of Alternity. Much better than the "new" Alternity, very skill-based, easy to run and play.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Pat on August 19, 2021, 08:55:09 PM
Quote from: Pat on July 28, 2021, 03:29:45 AM
Could go with the originals, Starfaring and Metamorphosis Alpha. Though the former is going to be very hard to find, and the latter is easy to find but only technically a space game.
Speaking of which, Bundle of Holding is doing Metamorphosis Alpha until September 6th:
https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Metamorphosis
It's the Goodman Games versions, so it's the original (1976) game, with some errata, and some new supplements they commissioned from various authors, including Jim Ward. PDFs. Works out to about 80% off.
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: palaeomerus on August 19, 2021, 11:54:01 PM
I just found a POD hardback of Cosmic Cutthroats which uses the R.E.C.I.P.E. engine at the Half Price Books this afternoon.

Nice fat book and they had a babylomian khopesh on the back along with a blaster so I picked it up.

Very cheap too, 2nd hand. Someone just penciled $7 on it and boom.

So I'll start reading through it tomorrow.

I got FrontierSpace and I do like it quite a bit.

I ordered Shatterzone as part of a scifi bundle from precis Intermedia and it's nice but I don't have the cards or any of the support books for it yet. Came with Worlds Beyond and    Also got Foreign Elements and Hard Nova II revised and expanded.  I also ordered Exiled in Eris with two supplements/adventures and Foreign Elements.



Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: Marchand on August 20, 2021, 02:26:29 AM
I see Troll Lord have re-released StarSIEGE. Based off their "siege engine" from Castles and Crusades. Unlike the old stand-alone version, it now seems to be a sourcebook for Amazing Adventures.

If you like Cyberpunk, the old 2020 supplement Deep Space takes it into the solar system. It's hard scifi so no magic-tech reactionless drives or gravity deckplates.

Sounds like the OP already has plenty of reading though!
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: zircher on August 20, 2021, 02:41:22 AM
Just for fun... the intro is freebie.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/58817/StarSiege-Introductory-Manual (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/58817/StarSiege-Introductory-Manual)
Title: Re: Anyone have recommendations on space games?
Post by: palaeomerus on September 17, 2021, 05:00:25 AM
A little update on the acquisitions front:

I ordered the classic reprints of the rest of the Shatterzone line (I already had the core book) and the Rune Stryders fantasy mech game, and a deck of the masterbook cards which I hope work with Shatterzone, and to top it all off I got ten of those 8 in 1 D6s, all from Precis Intermedia. I thought about ordering them from Amazon but in this case I did not.

I also got the OSR Rulebook for Strange Stars (based on Stars Without Number) and the Strange Stars setting book.

I ordered a hardback of FrontierSpace Referee's Handbook but it has not arrived yet. I already have the Player's guide.

----------------Edited-------------------

Oh I should mention that about three weeks ago started collecting Metamorphosis Alpha stuff.

I got this thing which is too big for my shelves.

(https://goodman-games.com/store/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/04/MA-Deluxe-HC-900_SR.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51K2c6gnbxL._SX375_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513NzRG5amL._SX382_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Vj6J2oOoL._SX389_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5138IMomiUL._SX380_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

And the big fat Troll Lords Starship Warden sourcebook which is like 600 pages of stuff.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fScAscevS._AC_.jpg)