What Science Fiction Games are being played these days?

[Cam Banks]

I am in a biweekly Serenity game, we tried using the published rules and gave up and converted our characters to Hero 5e.

It's always good to go with what you're used to if the published rules don't click! You should check out the recently released Big Damn Heroes Handbook, though. Tons of stuff in there that's system-neutral.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Hjorimir]

I'd go with Diaspora myself. It is FATE set in a hard sci-fi universe. Amazing stuff.

 

[JediSoth]

Star Frontiers is a pretty good game, and you can still find copies on eBay and at various second-hand places. While most of the material was recycled into D20 Future, I find the original rules to be more suitable for that type of game.

 

[Arawn76]

Ignoring foolishness to the contrary Alternity is a sweet sweet game and surprisingly easy to pick up second hand.

Funny enough one of my players was begging me to run a new game yesterday.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I've run the BSG rpg and I like the Cortex system. Rules-lite, deadly, plot points are nice-it's good for the settings its been published for.

That said d20 Modern (Future) is SRD-ed and well supported. I think the future rules are fantastic and you can do just about anything.

 

[Psion]

Mongoose Traveller has been seeing some play at my table; my players (mostly new to Traveller) are lapping it up. The base book is very good; the quality of the supplements are hit-or-miss.

I'm also pretty impressed by Starblazer Adventures; it's an odd juxtaposition of fundamentally rules light system and huge toolkit. Not sure how well it would go in play, but I've pulled bits from it for other FATE based games.

 

[Votan]

Mongoose Traveller has been seeing some play at my table; my players (mostly new to Traveller) are lapping it up. The base book is very good; the quality of the supplements are hit-or-miss.

How do the players handle the character generation system? It's a nice contrast to the "build" approach but definitely not what modern players are used to.

I have been tempted to try Traveller again just to get away from the modern focus on "character optimization".

 

[Thanee]

This is an interesting option. I've seen Serenity and BSG in Barnes & Noble so the system is definitely out there but I hadn't noticed that the core rules existed separately (or that the 2 systems both used it as there are items that could be mixed and matched between the 2).

I definitely like the Cortex System. The book could be prettier (like the Serenity or BSG main books, which are very nice), but as a plus it comes with a download code for a free PDF version.

Savage Worlds is also an option for pretty much anything, of course, as is the HERO System (6th edition coming out now).

Always depends a bit in what direction you want to go (realistic, heroic, cinematic, etc).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Psion]

How do the players handle the character generation system? It's a nice contrast to the "build" approach but definitely not what modern players are used to.

I can unequivocally say they love chargen more than any other game I've played with them. I will caveat that I gave them a pool of "reroll points" to help temper the downside of the randomness, but the way the system builds a backstory, makes connections between PCs before play, and ensures all skill needs are addressed, is pleasing for the players and convenient for the GM.

I ran a campaign scenario with most of the PCs being non-combatant spaces and troubleshooters. When they ran into a combat part, I let them hire mercenaries, who would also be PCs. They had so much fun making characters the first time, they actually relished the chance to make a second set of characters.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

For Savage Worlds, there is Slipstream, which is 30's serial sci-fi. Rayguns and Rocketships, and the like. I totally recommend it.