Science Fiction Setting

[GhostShip Blue]

Dickson's Dorsai and Drake's Hammer's Slammers settings are both human-centric and rich with intrigue (historical references as well). I love the Slammer novels and bought the Traveller source book, but dislike playing in the Slammer-verse. I think Childe Cycle universe might be more fun as an RPG setting, but without the bounds (and bonds) of contracts and familial relationships and the personal factors that bind us to social conventions, I think the model would break down pretty quickly.

Which is, I think, the long way of saying, "Great fictional settings that are poorly suited to roleplaying games."

 

[Dioltach]

Never got round to it, but I'd love to see how Harry Harrison's Death World worked as a roleplaying setting.

 

[GhostShip Blue]

Death World offers a great M. Night Shyamalan moment, but if anyone knows what the twist is would there be any fun left? If no-one knows, or you rewrite the twist (maybe throw it out all together) I think it would make for a great sf mystery campaign. Might not be the longest lasting game, but I think it would certainly be a fun one.

 

[karmarainbow]

Eclipse Phase - a transhuman RPG feels new and interesting to me. But it needs mythos tentacles adding to it. Everything is better with tentacles.

 

[GhostShip Blue]

Eclipse Phase - a transhuman RPG feels new and interesting to me. But it needs mythos tentacles adding to it. Everything is better with tentacles.

Then CthulhuTech is the game for you. Eldritch Skies is another option

However, I think a closer read of the Eclipse Phase setting will reveal hints of tentacled goodness. The Pandora Gates the nanite swarms and TITANs disappeared through have Event Horizon and Colour Out of Space overtones.

 

[Super Pony]

Then CthulhuTech is the game for you. Eldritch Skies is another option

However, I think a closer read of the Eclipse Phase setting will reveal hints of tentacled goodness. The Pandora Gates the nanite swarms and TITANs disappeared through have Event Horizon and Colour Out of Space overtones.

And the odd Amoebic Factors...some of them can project tentacle-like pseudopods. And then there are always the lingering lurking bits of TITAN tech and exsurgent virus strains which could result in any number of tentacled horrors. Plus the ETI could very well be the Great Old Ones. And finally, the cover of the core book

:Edit: And derrrrrp! The Octomorphs of course.

 

[karmarainbow]

I suppose i was thinking that Cthulhtech is mecha, and I thought Chthonian Stars was tentacle sci-fi. Whereas Eclipse Phase is unusual in being transhuman sci-fi. You're right though. The Factors are screaming 'Elder Things' to me.

I have been thinking about how to 'tentacle up' EP. I thought that perhaps the TITANS became self-aware, and being super-geniuses they put together the true nature of the universe in a way that humans fail to. Some of them went mad and started summoning outer dimensional entities or opening gates, and the sane TITANS went to war with the crazy ones, with humanity caught in the crossfire. (The TITANS saw no point in trying to elicit the help of humanity in facing a threat that it could not even comprehend.)

i thought the insane AIs might have gone too far and called Azathoth the black sun to our star system. It is due to arrive in a matter of years. As it gets closer the walls between the outer dimensions start to weaken, and the horrors begin to appear.

Deciding that the Earth could not be saved, the sane TITANS then uploaded a million minds and leave the Earth intent on trying to re-found humanity a long way away from the Sol system.

I thought one of the AIs could stay behind and secretly found FIREWALL to try to help the remaining humans against the ineffable horrors...

 

[vonhist]

That's a tough one. I love the Babylon 5 and Firefly Universes as a setting but in terms of what I most
play I would have to say Shadowrun with Cyberpunk a close second.

 

[GhostShip Blue]

I've only played Shadowrun twice and enjoyed it quite a lot, but the setting never came through that strongly. somehow, thinking about it now puts me in mind of Torg, which I LOVED but only got to play once. I'm not entirely sure Torg is classically a science fiction setting, but the game and setting spoke to me in ways that rifts never did.

 

[Chaos Trip Studios]

If I am allowed to toot my own horn, I think my Altered Earth science fiction book is worth considering. The setting is a dystopian Earth set extremely far in the future: wastelands, mega cities, sewer mutants, giant robots, that kind of thing. There is free preview you can download if you are interested. Beyond that, I'd have to say that I like the Star Drive setting and Shadowrun is ok. Never been a fan of rpgs derived from existing properties, so I never had the urge to play Star Wars or the like.