There's a cool game.  I've never played it but it's everything you want.  Rules light hard sci fi.  It pretty old but there a new edition.  

I think it's called traveler.

Quote from: CRKrueger;917727There's nothing wrong with wanting a new system just because, I do that myself.  Maybe the players have experience with Traveller, with 2300, with SWN, or whatever, and it just doesn't do anything for them.  What it sounds like though, is if I had a brand new game with glossy color pages and 21st century layout that was Traveller in all but name, they'd go for it and not know the difference.

It doesn't literally need to be glossy. And my players would probably be on board if I said let's run Traveller or something. But they wouldn't light up the way they would if I found something they hadn't heard of yet that looks really interesting. Because this is a periodic one-shot, I feel like I really need that level of enthusiasm before play.

I'd also like something a bit lighter than Traveller and something that maybe approaches it with a slightly different feel. I want Hard Science Fiction, but I don't want to feel like I am playing traveller again. When it comes to light, what I am looking for is low learning curve, fast play, quick and easy character creation where players can design the kind of character they want.

QuoteIf you're looking for a new system, then what have you ruled out?

I have only just started thinking about it, so haven't ruled out much. In terms of new games I'd the Revised Traveller and N.E.W. Revised Traveller for reasons already stated. N.E.W. because my understanding is that whole line is intended to be rules medium (almost a kind of counter weight to the rules light stuff that is out there). I have no problem with rules medium games, but for this campaign, I really want something lighter.

I am definitely looking for newer games though. And like I said, I haven't run too many science fiction campaigns (generally I would be more inclined to be a player than GM in them in the past) so what I am hoping to do is get as big a list of new science fiction games as possible so I can browse my options.

I would suggest Transhuman Space but Gurps feels atrociously unfun to me see days. So, forget it.

Blue Planet ?

Quote from: Headless;917740There's a cool game.  I've never played it but it's everything you want.  Rules light hard sci fi.  It pretty old but there a new edition.  

I think it's called traveler.

Like I said, nothing against it. If it were a long term campaign, that is probably what I'd go for.

Quote from: The Butcher;917735If I was Brendan I don't think I'd ever play suggest-a-game on the 'Site ever again. Jeez.
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I am really not trying to be an asshole. I am just trying to amass as many non-Traveller options to browse through as possible.

Quote from: Itachi;917742I would suggest Transhuman Space but Gurps feels atrociously unfun to me see days. So, forget it.

Blue Planet ?

I've never played Blue Planet. How is it mechanics wise?

Quote from: Simlasa;917737I haven't played it but what about Diaspora? It's Fate, so kinda 'new' and aimed at firm to hard scifi.
EDIT: Oh, wait... was Fate ruled out as well?

I hate FATE probably more than any other game on the planet.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;917748I hate FATE probably more than any other game on the planet.

Oh, OK... I'm not fond of it either.

What about Sufficiently Advanced?

Quote from: Simlasa;917749Oh, OK... I'm not fond of it either.

What about Sufficiently Advanced?

That is kind of interesting. Not really used to Diceless play but the whole game appears to be on that site.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;917750That is kind of interesting. Not really used to Diceless play but the whole game appears to be on that site.

This page has a link to the 1st edition version, which uses D10s. Also free to DL: http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/sufficiently-advanced

There's Void, which is solar system sci-fi.  Kind of Hard...if you accept it's a Mythos setting.  Still, there's nothing that says you have to include the Mythos stuff.   It's a die pool game, kind of like the newer Shadowrun but way, way simpler.

Quote from: CRKrueger;917761There's Void, which is solar system sci-fi.  Kind of Hard...if you accept it's a Mythos setting.  Still, there's nothing that says you have to include the Mythos stuff.   It's a die pool game, kind of like the newer Shadowrun but way, way simpler.

I was looking at Void and wondering how easy the Mythos stuff was to pull out. I am seeing alien comparisons but also some Heinlein comparisons.

Quote from: The Butcher;917735Other than that I suspect your safest bet is to convert your own house system to SF.

Following up on Butcher's comment, I would like to have a Terror Network supplement or setting book to run the type of science fiction you are describing Brendan.

Mike Pondsmith was mentioned on the site today.  He has made a few games that are pretty hard science fiction.  His Cyberpunk has good science in it.  One could down play the cyberpunk political culture elements.  There are a few cyberpunk games that would also fall into this way of using them, like Corporation.  The Polychrome somewhat cyberpunk supplement for Stars Without Number would help bring the default setting down to Earth a bit.  Going back to the 90s, Pondsmith's Buck Rogers was actually pretty hard science fiction.

Barbarians of the Void uses the Lemuria system for a fairly hard science fiction set-up, with appropriately science focused influences.  So, even though there might be a perception of the parent game that follows it like Savage, it is actually pretty well suited, though it still has psionics, like so many mentioned.  It's an independently made game available over on g__gle drive.

Barbarians of the Void

I think we're looking at a case of Tigger Syndrome here.

Nah, tigger's don't climb trees.