So what's your opinion?  Looking for the best in:
Creating your own Starships
Modifying existing Starships
Having PC crew able to use skills to effect in Starship travel, maintenance, and combat. (ie. not completely separate RPG and Starship Combat Boardgame).

If you're gonna pick a game with 73 different possible variations, like Traveller, be specific.

In large part it depends upon how much complexity you're looking for.

I know that I've played several sci-fi RPGs which looked to have interesting starship rules, but we totally avoided the starship rules because they were an entirely different system which was more complex than the infantry level rules and it wasn't worth learning.

I'd prefer something which followed the KISS rules so that it felt like you were in a cool space battle, but it went quick and got you back to the normal action ASAP.

Have you considered adapting a pirate, swashbuckling, heavily nautical-themed game?

Quote from: Harlock;976094Have you considered adapting a pirate, swashbuckling, heavily nautical-themed game?

It's a friend looking for a system.  I doubt he's looking at adapting seafaring RPGs, too much additional content not contained in the system to worry about.  He's not the type to balk from adapting but once you get to "writing half of it" that's more than he's looking for at the moment.

Quote from: CRKrueger;976096It's a friend looking for a system.  I doubt he's looking at adapting seafaring RPGs, too much additional content not contained in the system to worry about.  He's not the type to balk from adapting but once you get to "writing half of it" that's more than he's looking for at the moment.

I get that. Wish him luck, and I am kind of curious myself.

I don't know about the best but the most fun I've had has been using the Star Trek Tactical Combat Simulator with the FASA Trek RPG. It integrated well with the role-playing and had something for the different characters to do, and with the variety of starships and their capabilities there was a nice range of tactics to employ.

I'm still waiting for someone to incorporate the 3rd dimension into starship combat. All I've seen so far play out like surface fleet battles. Granted, I haven't played a huge number as most sci fi gaming I do has ship-to-ship action at a minimum.

Quote from: Dumarest;976101I don't know about the best but the most fun I've had has been using the Star Trek Tactical Combat Simulator with the FASA Trek RPG. It integrated well with the role-playing and had something for the different characters to do, and with the variety of starships and their capabilities there was a nice range of tactics to employ.

I'm still waiting for someone to incorporate the 3rd dimension into starship combat. All I've seen so far play out like surface fleet battles. Granted, I haven't played a huge number as most sci fi gaming I do has ship-to-ship action at a minimum.

That's definitely a favorite of his.  Modifying FASA Trek technology into something less Trek-Specific with more varied energy weapons might be the ticket.  Still interested on everyone's favorite, especially if they nominate something I have little experience with, like Space Opera.

Spacemaster Privateers is the best I've found.  Okay, hear me out it's got its problems, editing and playtesting mainly.  So here's what works it gives you tools to design vehicles, it does the mass and volume thing but armor is done with a couple charts so you don't have to push that scary cube root button.  The focus is on the things you need.  How big is it?  How much crew does it need?  How much damage can it soak up?  What weapons does it have?  The construction armor type is the material the hull is made from and is the value used on the attack tables.  There's something special about using a mark 100 blaster to eradicate your target.  You do need to download the corrected attack tables from the ICE vault, they look the same but work much better in practice.  Anyhow thicker armor increases the vehicle's hit points.  There's a couple options for integrating vehicle combat with personal combat depending on how badly you want to have laser pistols shoot down cruisers.

A attack's modifiers are Skill + HUD + Weapon MK# - Vehicle Defense Bonus (including shields).  The game runs on a narrative style chase mechanic but there is some discussion of how to implement the Silent Death movement system in Future Law but it's not a big deal because performance is given in terms of real world numbers, that's right Gs of acceleration, and kilometers per hour.  No wishy washy range bands or fuzzy speed ratings.  There are of course vehicle maneuver and repair tables as well as tables for vehicle verses squad and squad verses vehicle combat.  What can I say, it's a game I love.

It's not hard to implement with any d% or even d20 system and it's one thin little book.

Quote from: David Johansen;976115Spacemaster Privateers is the best I've found.  Okay, hear me out it's got its problems, editing and playtesting mainly.  So here's what works it gives you tools to design vehicles, it does the mass and volume thing but armor is done with a couple charts so you don't have to push that scary cube root button.  The focus is on the things you need.  How big is it?  How much crew does it need?  How much damage can it soak up?  What weapons does it have?  The construction armor type is the material the hull is made from and is the value used on the attack tables.  There's something special about using a mark 100 blaster to eradicate your target.  You do need to download the corrected attack tables from the ICE vault, they look the same but work much better in practice.  Anyhow thicker armor increases the vehicle's hit points.  There's a couple options for integrating vehicle combat with personal combat depending on how badly you want to have laser pistols shoot down cruisers.

A attack's modifiers are Skill + HUD + Weapon MK# - Vehicle Defense Bonus (including shields).  The game runs on a narrative style chase mechanic but there is some discussion of how to implement the Silent Death movement system in Future Law but it's not a big deal because performance is given in terms of real world numbers, that's right Gs of acceleration, and kilometers per hour.  No wishy washy range bands or fuzzy speed ratings.  There are of course vehicle maneuver and repair tables as well as tables for vehicle verses squad and squad verses vehicle combat.  What can I say, it's a game I love.

It's not hard to implement with any d% or even d20 system and it's one thin little book.

How does that compare to old Spacemaster?  Isn't old Spacemaster even easier to integrate with Silent Death or am I misremembering?

Maybe a GURPS Space/Spaceships variety? Each edition(s) had its own play style. I don't remember what kind of spacey skills GURPS let players use onboard for ship operations though.

Quote from: CRKrueger;976086So what's your opinion?  Looking for the best in:
Creating your own Starships
Modifying existing Starships
Having PC crew able to use skills to effect in Starship travel, maintenance, and combat. (ie. not completely separate RPG and Starship Combat Boardgame).

If you're gonna pick a game with 73 different possible variations, like Traveller, be specific.

It will be a tie between Classic Traveller, Mongoose Traveller 1e, d6 Star Wars Revised and Expanded and REUP, and Mekton Zeta (yes, you can do mecha spacecraft with it). Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Is there anything else extra that you or your friend are looking for with the system?

EDIT: Of those, I'd say d6 Star Wars R&E with the big advantage/disadvantage that it comes with all the baggage of Star Wars.

Hurumph...ahh...burp...erm....Traveller.....um....probably Mongoose. Ta-daaa!

For integrating space combat into the game and giving everyone a meaningful way to interact with the mechanics, and actually keeping them involved and interested, I haven't found a better game than Rogue Trader (the RPG, not 1st edition WH40K). Either Navigators or Astropaths (I can't recall which) aren't as well represented in the space combat as other classes, but it doesn't take too much effort to improve their options.

Unfortunately, there are other issues with the game make it a less attractive choice.

I have a low threshold for complexity and White Star is the first game I've found since d6 Star Wars with usable starship rules. There is a system for modifying ships. All characters modify the attack numbers, Pilot class pcs can midify most stats.

I've had a certain amount of fun with GUMSHOE's Ashen Stars for building and using a spaceship in space combat.

I've also had fun playing with Impulse Drive a PbtA game.