Sci-Fi System Recommendations

[Alarian]

Hey all. I’m thinking about starting up a sci-fi PBEM game and was wondering if I could get some recommendations as to a good system to use. Because it’s going to be predominantly through email combat needs to be fairly easy and quick. I don’t want a round of combat to take days to resolve with special maneuvers and counter maneuvers going on. I would like players to be able to state their action for the round and send in any needed rolls in a single message. I would take the rolls and resolve the round and send out the results.

That said, I would really like a system that has a well developed character and skills system. Something that really gives the players the ability to create unique characters.

As to the type of game, I’m not looking for a hard science game. I don’t really mind if space ships can travel too fast or weapons don’t totally follow the laws of physics as long as as a whole the game seems believable. I am also not interested in even the slightest bit of silliness. No comical races (Jar-Jar Binks comes to mind).

Although I’ve never played it or really even read much of it, I do own a fair number of the Alternity books. I would have to dig them out of storage, but if people think that’s a good choice it would be a plus. Availability of the system is also important. I don’t mind looking on Amazon or Ebay for the books, but I obviously need to be able to get a hold of them for a non-insane price. One or few core books would be a plus as well. I prefer physical books, but I’m not against PDF’s either.

I spent a good portion of yesterday on the boards here reading past threads on the subject so I’m aware of a few potential systems like Classic Traveller, Mongoose Traveller, Starblazer Adventures (seems to be out of print and not available anywhere I looked), Stars Without Numbers, Gurps 4th and the Serenity RPG all seem to be possibilities, but I was hoping to narrow it down a bit first (and perhaps get other good suggestions). Nothing I read about talked specifically about playing over email, so I’m hoping some of you with knowledge of these systems might be able to give me an idea of how well you think each of the systems will work in this matter. I’m also aware of Savage Worlds, but I’ve used that system in the past with my group and for some reason it never really clicked with any of us.

Another thing that would be a definite plus would be a free/cheap players guide. I don’t mind spending some money to get the core system, but it would be nice if my players could get in on it on the cheap. Cost for some could be a deal breaker.

Thanks!

 

[Razjah]

It is generic, but Savage Worlds is fast and easy. Combat for most extras (non pcs and the mooking types) is either up and fighting, shaken (stunned), or out of the fight. I've played a few games and everyone seems to enjoy the system, but I have never done it outside of a tabletop. Not sure exactly how well it carries to PEBM.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I've only played a few with any frequency: Traveller, the original Star Trek RPG, and Gamma World. I'd recommend Trek, but good luck finding it. (And, obviously, I know nothing about how the other versions play.) I think I'd go with Traveller (I got the Mongoose version as my Classic books died after getting soaked with soda many years ago), but you'll have to make some houserules if you don't want it to become The Bookeeping Game. And you can just photocopy the character creation rules for the players if you have to. Unfortunately they cover Humans only, so if you want alien PCs to be available you'll have to buy more books or make them yourself.

Houserules if you go with Traveller would be just giving the PCs a ship gratis, reducing maintainence from monthly to yearly, and things like that. At least, that's what I'd do.

 

[halfjack]

Well, regarding player's guides, if you buy Diaspora (our FATE-based sf game) from the Evil Hat crew, you get the PDF for free. You have my permission to share that with your table.

It's certainly a hard sf game (well, except for the FTL travel) and the book is designed to evoke a physics text book from the outside. If you are thinking of a FATE game anyway (like Starblazer) then you might want to give this a spin.

 

[Alarian]

Thanks for the suggestions. As to Savage Worlds, I have the core book and my group played for a while in a Zombie Apocalypse setting (War of the Dead) for some reason the system never really clicked for us. I never really found anything "wrong" with it it just didn't work for us. I have played Gamma world more than once using more than one version and I do like it, but it is more post apocalyptic and I'm looking more high fantasy sci-fi I guess. Traveller is a definite possibility. I used to have a fair number of the original books and if I still have them and can find them that might be interesting.

Diaspora looks interesting as well and thanks for the offer of letting me share the pdf with the players. I read a few reviews yesterday on it and it is a possibility. I found a bit more info on Starblazer Adventures as well and it seems to me like the publisher has pretty much unofficially abandoned it. I noticed several posts on their website from people that didn't seem really happy with the publisher for basically ignoring any questions on the system from their fans and not answering any questions on what with up with the second edition.

Anyone else out there have any suggestions or opinions? Any additional advise is appreciated. In the end, I think I may pick up a few pdf's of a few potential systems and look them over before making a final decision.

 

[Azgulor]

Mutants & Masterminds, 3e.

Combat is fast and the system allows you to build just about anything. And I mean, anything.

You can look at the Roll Call forum on the atomicthinktank.com forums and find everything from statblocks for movie & TV characters to video game characters. Oh, and superheroes, too. Lots of sci-fi in comics and superhero movies...

 

[Treebore]

Traveller, just create a small system with several planets and mining complexes scattered throughout with a whole bunch of problems needing solving. Resolution is roll 2d6, add skill ranks and attribute mods plus situational modifiers. Beat an 8 after all mods, and you succeed. This is how both Classic and Mongoose Traveller works.

A setting you may love, or hate, and has its own system, is Eclipse Phase. I would not use its system, per se, for a PBM, but its setting is pretty mind blowing, and encompasses our own solar system in the far future, where we sleeve our consciousness into a variety of awesomely crazy things. It takes a lot to wrap your mind around, or at least it took a lot for me to wrap my mind around it. But it may be a cool enough setting for you to want to adapt and use with another system, such as Traveller. If you get into Mongoose Traveller like I have, the book on Cybernetics makes it a bit easier to convert the ideas over, but it would be a lot of work. But if you love the setting, you won't mind doing it.

Plus the PDF for several of the core books is available for free via the Creative Commons License. Very worth checking out even if you never use it.

Another possible Traveller idea, especially if you love Lovecraft horror, is Cthonian Stars. ?Its PDF only, but I recall it is written for Traveller. I played in a couple of convention games and had a really good time, and the atmosphere for it will probably work great for a PBM.

 

[DnD_Dad]

I post this all the time, Alternity is the sci fi game if you want space travel and Shadowrun second edition is the game if you don't.

 

[DM Howard]

I'd recommend Traveller hands down.

 

[hopeless]

What system do you feel comfortable running?

I believe you can get hold of the classic traveller pdfs quite cheaply, the pocket handbook of Mongoose's version of Traveller is cheaper if you want a physical book but ultimately it's your preference as you're the one who will be dming this.

Intriguing point but will this be an atypical space opera as in travelling to several worlds or limited to the same solar system?

When I prepped my game I decided to allow my players design their character's home system since the usual details for world creation don't include what other planetary objects like the solar system has.
I ended up asking for advice and went for Gurps Space I think 2nd edition as its been a while since I actually owned any alternity stuff does that have a means to design your own solar systems?