Committed Hero
Hero
GURPS is the end all of hard sci-fi, if you are willing to venture out from behind the icosahedron. In particular, Transhuman Space incorporates the most contemporary thinking about sci-fi (although Pluto is still planet).
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Good Military/Hard Sci-Fi RPG?
- Thread starter Eltharon
- Start date
Aussiegamer
First Post
I feel that Nexus is a pretty combat system. Its not a setting or campaign.
It also allows you to build what ever vehicles you want.
It intergrates all things from fine to 80km sized things.
It also allows you to build what ever vehicles you want.
It intergrates all things from fine to 80km sized things.
ValhallaGH
Explorer
But GURPS is so very intimidating! 
The real downside to using GURPS is that statted NPC generation can take ages depending upon how you do it. For a complete breakdown, take a look at this d20 versus GURPS thread.
Since you dislike Modern, one of the Spycraft Sci-Fi deals might be your cup of tea, as might Traveller. I'd recommend the True20-based Lux Aeternum but 1) it's been delayed 2) it's probably a bit too 'fiction' for you.
I would like to say that based upon your criteria of:
By the by, love the Slammers and I know there is an actual Slammers RPG out there somewhere. I stumbled upon it about a year and a half ago but I wasn't willing to pick up another rules system at the time and let it go by.
The real downside to using GURPS is that statted NPC generation can take ages depending upon how you do it. For a complete breakdown, take a look at this d20 versus GURPS thread.
Since you dislike Modern, one of the Spycraft Sci-Fi deals might be your cup of tea, as might Traveller. I'd recommend the True20-based Lux Aeternum but 1) it's been delayed 2) it's probably a bit too 'fiction' for you.
I would like to say that based upon your criteria of:
that I immediately thought of Modern.
By the by, love the Slammers and I know there is an actual Slammers RPG out there somewhere. I stumbled upon it about a year and a half ago but I wasn't willing to pick up another rules system at the time and let it go by.
Having just gone through a similar eval of my own (http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=172942), I'd recommend d20 Modern/d20 Future with several of the Gritty or True Grit options from the Blood & Guts Combat Operations Manual . You can tweak d20 Modern to make a pretty gritty game. You can also use campaign qualities in Spycraft 2.0 to accomplish a similar level of lethality. There is a tremendous amount of 3rd-party support that either fleshes out areas that didn't get a thorough treatment in d20M/F or provide you a toolkit to work with - both of which I have found to be important in sci-fi RPGs in general.
Alternatively, GURPS does great sci-fi. Unfortunately, while my GURPS sci-fi campaign was a great success, I couldn't maintain it. GURPS is definitely a labor of love for GMs - many will recommend "winging it" which is fine, I suppose, but why would I play a construction-style RPG if I'm going to ultimately wing it? I like statting out NPCs from time to time or as needed, but I've found it a lot easier to do in d20 games than GURPS. GURPS was the game I needed to play in my 20's. Now that I'm in my 30's with wife, kids, and full time job, I've switched to d20 across the board.
Azgulor
Alternatively, GURPS does great sci-fi. Unfortunately, while my GURPS sci-fi campaign was a great success, I couldn't maintain it. GURPS is definitely a labor of love for GMs - many will recommend "winging it" which is fine, I suppose, but why would I play a construction-style RPG if I'm going to ultimately wing it? I like statting out NPCs from time to time or as needed, but I've found it a lot easier to do in d20 games than GURPS. GURPS was the game I needed to play in my 20's. Now that I'm in my 30's with wife, kids, and full time job, I've switched to d20 across the board.
Azgulor
Eltharon
Explorer
Its not really the lack of lethality in Modern that turns me off, its just I cant stand the classes. I dont know why. I also don't really like the rather generic scifi weapons. I mean, in PL 7, there are like 2 types of ranged rifle and one pistol. Doing 2D8, 3D8 or 3D12 damage. Thats plenty gritty for 5th level, nevermind first, where its one shot one kill.
I have the spycraft pdf, and at some point im getting the print copy, and it looks like it would work...provided that I went out and made equipment lists and ship combat rules. Which, while school still rages, isnt going to happen. So I have to wait for Farthest Star which is coming out...soon.
I've got Nexus on my hard drive, i'll give that a look. By the way, have you ever thought about putting it into one big pdf file rather then all the rtf files? It would be alot easier to read.
GURPS I have looked at, but it is rather complicated for my group, and I havent dared look at the vehicle rules.
I just might grab T20 too, I'd have to rework the background, but from the reviews it might be worth it.
I have the spycraft pdf, and at some point im getting the print copy, and it looks like it would work...provided that I went out and made equipment lists and ship combat rules. Which, while school still rages, isnt going to happen. So I have to wait for Farthest Star which is coming out...soon.
I've got Nexus on my hard drive, i'll give that a look. By the way, have you ever thought about putting it into one big pdf file rather then all the rtf files? It would be alot easier to read.
GURPS I have looked at, but it is rather complicated for my group, and I havent dared look at the vehicle rules.
I just might grab T20 too, I'd have to rework the background, but from the reviews it might be worth it.
Aussiegamer
First Post
Eltharon said:
yer me too and thus my changes to burst rules. I got to blow two of my playtesters away, one with a plasma cannon hit to the chest by a huge mech based gun and the other by a grenade. Both deadly but in context of the fight.
And thats another reason I developed Nexus, to allow for you the GM to make weapons for your campaign. Yes there are base weapons but thats just the base you can alter factors like damage, range etc to suit your tastes and the system helps you cost them out.
Even the ones shown are just examples not the final product.
I have been updating stuff, and continue to do so. So access RPG Porjects if you want a more up to date version. Please comment (goes to bended knees and begs!)
I am in the process of doing that, but its in draft still thus everyones input is welcomed. This is the reason its still in single type files still.
It is not 100% there but its 95% there. I still have to add more stuff, when I get time
Big system + just me - time = its gonna happen promise.
Best of luck and happy gaming no matter the system you use.
andrew_kenrick
Community Supporter
I don't mean to blow my own trumpet (well, I do really ), but we do a Future Soldier series of military sci-fi pdfs. So far we've covered future wars and battlefields, near-future warfare, a campaign about a planetary drop and we're about to release a book about pilots and dogfights in the future.
Although they're designed to be used with d20 Future, and have crunch to match, there's plenty of background that'd be suitable with any system, especially the campaign seeds and adventure suggestions.
), but we do a Future Soldier series of military sci-fi pdfs. So far we've covered future wars and battlefields, near-future warfare, a campaign about a planetary drop and we're about to release a book about pilots and dogfights in the future.Although they're designed to be used with d20 Future, and have crunch to match, there's plenty of background that'd be suitable with any system, especially the campaign seeds and adventure suggestions.
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