Good Military/Hard Sci-Fi RPG?

[Aussiegamer]

I thought the mechanics were pretty much the same.

the setting does have a lot more to offer as it does have the jedi and races and gear set up.

 

[Eltharon]

Eh, the weapons take up two small tables. And I don't like The Force or anything else in my campaign. I like Star Wars, but right now I want something else. Races can be easily transposed anyway.
By the way, how is Starship combat in nexus? I havent read anything on that yet.

 

[Aussiegamer]

I have not posted them on site yet but will soon.

its still grid based, craft have facings, and top bottom. I have put altitude into the game as well, but you can drop back to 2d and still use it.


The pilot can move the craft and all stunts are then checked with a mod increasing with each stunt done

Ships can vary in size from 6m to 80km long and have volume, thus can be pencil shaped to cube.

weapon size sets the TH mod.

weapon damage steps up with size, thus a large might do 3d8 then huge does 4d8.

armour is divided into AC and DR.

Automatic fire is completely different to modern, it is broken into normal and suppressive. Normal broken into tight and loose, bacisally you get a bonus TH or damage not both.

It is still in development, I am changing criticals to damage slots. No bonus damage like creatures.

No critical confriamations, its all one die.

Seperate areas, so not just shooting at a target.

I have not yet moved over my new creature rules for stance and such, but that will really bring some new fun to the game.

Like creatures the initiative order alters with actions during the game.

I can see a problem with that, and I can see that the commander orders a certain style of stance etc and the ship does that. I would have all PCs use their own initiative from the NPC crew though.

Other than that it runs as per creatures really. If a gun is built with a facing that a gunner can see then they get their normal attacks. The craft is NOT considered a creature, each gunner has their normal FRA, like the pilot.

The repair system is being changed, from instant repairs with a simple check to more long term fixes required, so repair in combat is going to be harder but not impossible.

The ships can have several different shield types, which can regenerate during combat.

The changes to my TH system can be adapted back to standard d20, as I have used a combo of str and dex not dex for ranged and str for melee.

hay an questions then post them at RPG Projects I am more than willing to answer and help. I need the feed back to help finish the system

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Lethality is not bad. Lethality is good. Instant vaporisation at first level is bad. Understandably, cover is good. But my players never believe me when I say "um, you do know he has a gauss rifle and you're in the open, right?", and a TPK might not be the best way to start a game.

Anyway, I really don't know why I don't like the D20 modern classes. I see that they have their advantages, I don't want a game where everyone is a "fighter" (or whatever the setting renamed it). Maybe I'll give it a try.

I've got D20 Future, (never used it though) so maybe I'll grab T20, compare them, use the best of both and take it from there.

If you want lethality, but the ability for the PC's to keep on coming...

The ability to hear: "ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY POINTS OF DAMAGE????!?!??!" and then in the next breath: "I'll activate the clone and be on the next dropship in!"

Read the first page of the Nova Wars, Baby! thread.

Soulchips, forcegrowth, and autocloning is your friend, baby!

-Tim

 

[Eltharon]

Yeah, I was reading that. I might shamelessly steal your APV/HAV rules if I use D20 Future. Though I wont use cloning, etc. Its too high tech for my campaign. They havent got the whole human brain part down yet.

 

[Ranger REG]

Lethality is not bad. Lethality is good. Instant vaporisation at first level is bad. Understandably, cover is good. But my players never believe me when I say "um, you do know he has a gauss rifle and you're in the open, right?", and a TPK might not be the best way to start a game.

Yeah, that happened to me ... then I ruined the rest of my player's evening. I gave him a second chance, though his PC has to be renamed. After that, he learned his mistake.

I know you're also there to provide fun, but you can't coddle them. If they put themselves in the position to get killed, even after you gave him a second chance to change his action, you gotta follow through.

Anyway, I really don't know why I don't like the D20 modern classes. I see that they have their advantages, I don't want a game where everyone is a "fighter" (or whatever the setting renamed it). Maybe I'll give it a try.

I recommend you download the Modern System Reference Documents for you to preview.

I also recommend Future Player's Companion from Green Ronin.

 

[James Heard]

Interlock (Cyberpunk 2020,Mekton) is an interesting choice for hard science fiction stories, because the system's task resolution is blazingly simple, accepts even specific task skill management very easily, and combat is very, very deadly. Everything else is just scaling and explanation. Just be careful that you don't allow some of the class junk from Cyberpunk in, disregard anything that seems out of place like cybernetics (or not, depending on your flavor) etc. Interlock is a remarkably adaptable system, and if you get the Mekton Zeta stuff you can probably find an awful lot of hard sci fi support lying around in the fanbase.

If you want to get into the nitty gritty and feel the hard scifi oozing from between your toes I'd suggest the Traveller with Fire, Fusion, & Steel ...and then I'd check around for the fixes to the combat system, because iirc correctly that's the one that turned out with weird non-Traveller things like being able to take plasma blasts to the chest. I think at just my FLGS alone there are a couple sets of the system in the used and old inventory pile at about 2 bucks a pop, so I don't think it should be a problem getting a hold of it either.

 

[ken-ichi]

I would suggest taking a look at Heavy Gear by Dream Pod 9 if you want a planetary based game. Heavy Gear has mecha, but they are more of the 2-3 times human height mecha. Also infantry are still important and able to drop a gear with some well placed rounds. So you can run a military infantry game and still get to use mecha, or run a mechanized game and still use infantry as opponents. The setting is not too far future tech. The system works well for a fast and loose style of gaming, but also works well for a more strategy game aspect for combat.

If you are looking for a more space based game, Jovian Chronicles uses the same system, but includes all the good space ship stuff.

The rules system is pretty simple and easy to use. Character generation is point based. Combat is pretty lethal. One shot can kill a character if the shooter rolls well and the target botches his dodge. Hero points are bought with your xp and are spent to allow rerolls or temporarily improve your skill level for a task.
Skill resolution is roll a # of d6 equal to your skill level (usually between 1-3) take the highest and add your stat (usually between -1 and 3) to get your result. Compare with opponents result in opposed rolls. A nice skill system that has fairly broad skills like Melee, Firearms, Driving, Science: Geology; but it allows you the option to specialize within a skill (like Pistols within Firearms and get a +1 with pistols) if you want.

 

[Karl Green]

I would suggest taking a look at Heavy Gear by Dream Pod 9 if you want a planetary based game.

If you are looking for a more space based game, Jovian Chronicles uses the same system, but includes all the good space ship stuff.

I LOVE both Heavy Gear and Jovian Chronicles... I worked out a small system to use Jovian Chronicles for a Bughunter game some years back using the basic system for the "troopers" and then my own starships (with "warp-drives" tacked on ). It is a very cool, but very deadly game that's for sure. I am not a huge fan of "mecha" so I just ignore those aspects and it worked out great for me

 

[Swack-Iron]

I am not a huge fan of "mecha" so I just ignore those aspects and it worked out great for me

Yes, that's an important aspect of both HG and JC -- the settings are brilliant, richly detailed, and extrahard SF, but don't require the mecha. If you rip the mecha out of both settings, they still hold together perfectly.