Good Military/Hard Sci-Fi RPG?

[DanMcS]

Another difference between SWd20 and d20 Future are the starship size categories. In d20 Future, starships use the same scale as characters (and thus, starships only have three categories: Huge, Gargantuan, and Colossal). In SWd20, starships have their own size scale from Fine to Colossal. A handy equivalence chart compares the starship and character scales.

The "starships have their own scale" thing is a bit of a pain when you have to compare the two. Dragonstar put starships on the same scale as characters, and extended the top end as so:

Medium: 4-8
Large: 8-16
Huge: 16-32
Gargantuan: 32-64
Colossal: 64-125
Colossal 2: 125-250
Colossal 3: 250-500
Colossal 4: 500-1000

And so on. Which worked pretty well. Most vehicles are huge or gargantuan, starships go up from there, capital ships are colossal 4 or 5 and fit into the system pretty well.

 

[DanMcS]

If I were doing a game set in a hard sci-fi setting, the RPGs I'd consider would be:

2) HERO 5th or M&M 2 (Über-Flexibility)

I did just this not long ago. M&M for rules, Star Hero and Alien Wars for setting and spice. Man those are awesome books, it almost makes me wish I was into Hero. I picked up Terran Empire, too.

I also stole liberally from my Alternity collection, particularly Star*Drive stuff.

 

[johnnype]

Keep in mind that WotC is releasing SW Starship Battles in November. It's a miniatures game but I beleive it will tie in nicely with the next edition of the Star Wars RPG. From what I hear it's collectable but will only have one set (about 60 different miniatures) with no future expansions planned (at least not yet). I'm on the fence with this game but remain hopeful.

If I had to recommend a game I'd go with Heavy Gear and/or Jovian Chronicles/Lightning Strike). Both are great settings and have everything your initial posts asks for exept psionics and planet sized spaceships. The RPG is great and ties in perfectly to the wargame. Heavy Gear is actually my scond favorite game of all time. I never hesitate to recommend it.

 

[Eltharon]

Well, as I said that I don't want psionics or planet sized spaceships, thats a good thing. Are JC and HG compatable?

 

[librarius_arcana]

If I were doing a game set in a hard sci-fi setting, the RPGs I'd consider would be:

1) Traveller (any edition, dependent upon prospective players)

No not "ANY", not T4, are you mad?? or did you wipe that horror from your memory?,

(well not without my system patch, anyhow)

 

[librarius_arcana]

Well, as I said that I don't want psionics or planet sized spaceships, thats a good thing. Are JC and HG compatable?

Same system (Silhouette CORE Rules, aka SilCORE)
but different setting

http://www.dp9.com/Products/Corerules.htm

 

[johnnype]

Well, as I said that I don't want psionics or planet sized spaceships, thats a good thing. Are JC and HG compatable?

They each have their own settings so there is no real reason to mix them although you could I suppose. Keep in mind that HG is much more of a planet based game than JC which is more of a space based game. What's interesting to note is that even though JC tech seems more advanced the setting limits itself to just the solar system wheras HG has 10 or so other colonized planets in other solar systems.

Don't let the mecha illustrations of either game turn you off. It's easy to drop that aspect of the game without it affecting the game at all.

 

[Eltharon]

I wouldnt really implement the setting, but could both rules be used for ground and space operations together?

 

[librarius_arcana]

I wouldnt really implement the setting, but could both rules be used for ground and space operations together?

Man it feels weird quoting myself

Same system (Silhouette CORE Rules, aka SilCORE)
but different setting

http://www.dp9.com/Products/Corerules.htm

The Same System

 

[Karl Green]

I wouldnt really implement the setting, but could both rules be used for ground and space operations together?

Totally, they are the same system... the weapons and armor and equipment are different, but if you want a more "space" based game I would go with JC as HG does not have any space ships (unless you get some of the supps) where JC is all about space! but it does not have any planetary vehicles in the core rules I don't think... but that is fairly easy to put something together with what you got.

I have lots of both and really like the basics of the game a great deal