Good Military/Hard Sci-Fi RPG?

[Eltharon]

As is cunningly concealed in the title, I'm looking for a good rpg along the lines of David Drakes Hammers Slammers books or, (if anyones played it) the Dirtside/Stargrunt/Full Thrust wargames.
I don't want one so ingrained as a military game that its impossible to play something else, but I'm not looking for 20 meter tall walkers, lightsabres, force powers, and ships bigger then planets. Or ones where the dramatic battles have both sides charging towards eachother with BLASTER RIFLES, instead of taking cover like intelliegent clones. Droids. People. Whatever.

I was looking at spycraft 2.0 and waiting for Farthest Star (Even if it is a bit Space Opera-ish). Are they're any other good sci fi games out there?

 

[nerfherder]

Traveller (in it's many guises - Megatraveller, the GURPS or the D20 version are probably the favourites).

Starship Troopers.

Cheers,
Liam

 

[Eltharon]

Which would be the version of traveller to get? 2300AD? T20? GURPs?

 

[Salcor]

If you take a look at Dawning Star. In that setting, the Helios Star system is about to explode into major combat. Currently there is a lot of little brush war type fighting going on between various factions, and the main enemies are biding there time, building up for the right moment to strike. The world has a very Firefly feel to it. I highly recommend it.

Salcor

www.dawningstar.com

 

[nerfherder]

Which would be the version of traveller to get? 2300AD? T20? GURPs?

I guess it depends which rules system you prefer.

T20 uses the D20 mechanics, and you can download an introduction to the rules here: http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/catalog/pview.pl?action=view&stocknum=elib0000&h=header_t20&s=

2300AD is available as an eBook, or you can track down a 2nd hand copy. There's also a version called 2320AD in production. More details here: http://www.travellerrpg.com/2320/

Ack, I've just read that 2320AD has been canned: http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/CotI/Discuss/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=30;t=000216

Cheers,
Liam

 

[kingpaul]

Have you looked at Blood and Guts 2 and Blood and Space 2 by RPG Objects?

 

[Eltharon]

Well, 2300 isnt D20 system, but i'll look into it.
T20 looks ok from the lite rules
Dawning Star...eh. I'm not a huge fan of D20 Modern and its offspring.
Any other games?

 

[AscentStudios]

It's a mite early to pimp this, but Crafty Games will be releasing Farthest Star as a reasonably hard sci-fi campaign setting for Spycraft 2.0. Seeing as this is Spycraft, military stuff is quite easy to do and will be supported with one campaign model.

More details can be found here.

 

[The Lost Muse]

GURPS 4e and GURPS Space

 

[Eltharon]

If I dare ask...when is it coming out?

EDIT: Directed at AscentStudios.