Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Same setting, but with a more gamist rule system; I love TSGS for online games but not so much in person.

I certainly wouldn't mind a sci-fi spin to BFRPG but it would require a specific goal in mind and well-thought out ideas for things like what armors, weapons and monsters to include. What would the base races and classes be? Things like that.

My vote would be human, gray alien, four-armed green alien and some sort of bird-like alien. For classes Fighter doesn't need much change but then maybe Psychic instead of Magic-User, Techie instead of Thief and something else for Cleric but I can't think of it at the moment.

I think if I were to play a SciFi game the setting would be more important than the system. IE I would want to play in a world I love like Firefly than a generic space game

I would in interested in a spelljammer like setting that is a blend of magic and tech. I think Artikid was working on something like that years ago in the Dragonsfoot forums.

This is the paradox of science fiction games... the most compelling worlds are those based on popular media, but if you play in one of those games, you'll never be the hero. You don't usually play a Star Wars game as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Leia Organa. You don't get to be Captain Kirk, or Captain Reynolds (i.e. Mal), or Captain Sheridan. Or Harry Dresden, or Harry Potter, if we shift to licensed fantasy worlds.

It's tricky, in other words, to create a successful sci-fi game.

I'm playing Starfinder at the moment and finding it tough going. I just don't know what's possible and what isn't.

I know my fantasy characters can tunnel from above into an old burial mound with a magic stone door.

But can my sci-fi character use a shuttle-craft to dock onto a derelict cargo ship in an erratic orbit around a large asteroid that's also in an erratic orbit around a moon? Can my character hack into the ruined ship's computer and transmit the whole starlog as a file to allies in a distant sector?

I just have to shrug my shoulders and wait for the GM to tell me what my options are.

Sci-Fi games seem to be more railroady, to me. Probably because I know nothing about actual space travel. The most fun SF games end up being something like Gamma World, not Traveller. I like exploring ruined areas, with gravity and reliable (if limited) oxygen and some unusual environmental hazards. I've never really liked full interstellar travel as a backdrop to role-play.

Solomoriah wrote: ↑Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:26 am This is the paradox of science fiction games... the most compelling worlds are those based on popular media, but if you play in one of those games, you'll never be the hero. You don't usually play a Star Wars game as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Leia Organa. You don't get to be Captain Kirk, or Captain Reynolds (i.e. Mal), or Captain Sheridan. Or Harry Dresden, or Harry Potter, if we shift to licensed fantasy worlds.

It's tricky, in other words, to create a successful sci-fi game.

Huh, must have been playing my own games wrong XD I understand where you are coming from, but I honestly think it is possible to have games like that (speaking from experience here). Had one Star Wars game where, to prevent a war between two planets that joined up with the Republic (post EP 6), the characters had to retrieve an ancient artifact for one planet (a giant pirple crystal) as well as stop groups of droid assassins on the other planet. Got awarded medals at the end by Leia too and one character went on to help build up the Republic fleet.

GM Parseth wrote: ↑Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:16 pm

Solomoriah wrote: ↑Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:26 am This is the paradox of science fiction games... the most compelling worlds are those based on popular media, but if you play in one of those games, you'll never be the hero. You don't usually play a Star Wars game as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Leia Organa. You don't get to be Captain Kirk, or Captain Reynolds (i.e. Mal), or Captain Sheridan. Or Harry Dresden, or Harry Potter, if we shift to licensed fantasy worlds.

It's tricky, in other words, to create a successful sci-fi game.

Huh, must have been playing my own games wrong XD I understand where you are coming from, but I honestly think it is possible to have games like that (speaking from experience here). Had one Star Wars game where, to prevent a war between two planets that joined up with the Republic (post EP 6), the characters had to retrieve an ancient artifact for one planet (a giant pirple crystal) as well as stop groups of droid assassins on the other planet. Got awarded medals at the end by Leia too and one character went on to help build up the Republic fleet.

You just described what he said. Star Wars is based on popular media. (Which is what I said above about playing in a world I know - Firefly, Star Wars, etc..) And I didn't get the feeling that your players were playing Hans Solo or Luke Skywalker. It sounds like they didn't, but you didn't say one way or the other. So I assume they didn't get to play as the hero in the books. ButI disagree with Chris' statement that you don't get to be the hero. You just get to be the hero whose scenes didn't make it into the movie