Best Science Fiction RPGs

[Morrus]

d20 Future is much better than I recall it ever being, now that I'm looking at it.

 

[Vyrolakos]

If you like your Sci-fi 'crunchy', ICE Games are still selling Space Master (SM:2 & SM) as PDF's.

If you can cope with lots of charts and tables and don't mind adding up d100% rolls, it's actually a really good game system.

 

[Umbran]

Perhaps they just aren't as popular and thus get less exposure?

I don't think the genre matters that much. If you aren't specifically D&D/Pathfinder, you "aren't as popular".

 

[DM Howard]

d20 Future is much better than I recall it ever being, now that I'm looking at it.

Much better? Tell me more, what do you find better looking at it now?

I don't think the genre matters that much. If you aren't specifically D&D/Pathfinder, you "aren't as popular".

A fair point Umbran, a shame though.

 

[Remus Lupin]

I just wish Alternity were still in print. Fortunately I have pretty much the whole run, but very few people to play with.

 

[Super Pony]

Eclipse Phase does the transhuman sci-fi thing really well. The system isn't the greatest (it works fine, I just dont love percentile systems that much) but the subject matter and setting are really good. Mostly, EP showed me a side of sci-fi that I had somehow avoided for one reason or another. Then I devoured the core rulebook faster than I have most novels. Oh and all of the books in the line are bloody fantastic.

 

[Crothian]

Of the new games I really like Ashen Stars. For older games Space Opera I think works well.

 

[Uskglass]

There's also Numenera, and uh... not sure what else. I had trouble finding a really good fantasy/science fiction RPG, so I created/am creating one using the 13th Age rules.

Do you have it shared somewhere? I'd be interested in taking a look. Thanks

 

[Derren]

There's also Numenera, and uh... not sure what else. I had trouble finding a really good fantasy/science fiction RPG, so I created/am creating one using the 13th Age rules.

Fantasy/SciFi practically screams Shadowrun. It is also one of the view settings were magic and technology coexist without there being a conflict between them or that technology was mostly destroyed by an apocalypse.

Some time ago there was a Shadowrun spotlight week (a concept which sadly has been abandoned apparently) and it got its own forum chock full of information for new players.
Sadly it seems to have been deleted. At least I can't find it any more.

 

[HobbitFan]

What I have liked playing:

1. Stargate sg-1 rpg based on the Spycraft d20 system. The main Spycraft game or the Farscape rpg, also based on this might be worth a look as well.
2. Traveller rpg by Mongoose
3. the old D6 Star Wars by West End Games
4. the old Star Trek rpg by FASA. They also had a Starship Combat game.
5. Shadowrun by FASA and now Catalyst. I have not played the newer editions but the orginial was cool.
6. the Warhammer 40k rpgs by Fantasy Flight

Stuff I like for source material:

old Star Frontiers rpg by TSR
old Space Master and Silent Death by ICE

Other stuff to look into:
d20 future expansions for d20 modern. I forget who published this.
old alternity by TSR
Savage worlds by PEG/Studio2
Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight

I hope that helps!

Monty aka HobbitFan