I call modes, themes and have included some in the core of Kosmic:
Common Themes
On-going games are generally designed around a
theme. Based in science fiction, these rules lend
themselves to games following certain common
themes. This is not a definitive list of the type of games
that the rules are designed to handle; it is simply a
general list of common themes for consideration.
Commerce - The adventurers live aboard a frontier
trader or merchant trader, making a living through the
transport of freight, passengers, speculative cargo
and the occasional odd job. These campaigns heavily
explore the trade and commerce rules.
Drifter - The adventurers constantly move from place
to place, without any fixed home or job, seeking
employment through odd jobs as they explore the
universe that the Referee has created. These campaigns
are sometimes called "Sandbox Campaigns" because
they explore an area that has been previously created
and populated by the Referee.
Espionage - The adventurers all belong to the same
government or corporate intelligence agency, and
make a living by going on spy missions against their
enemies. These campaigns tend to be more episodic
than other common campaign themes.
Exploration - The adventurers serve aboard a survey
vessel, making a living traveling through previously
uncharted regions of space, exploring strange new
worlds, and seeking out new life and new civilizations
as they boldly go where no sophont has gone before.
These campaigns make heavy use of the rules for
generating worlds.
Mercenary - The adventurers all belong to the same
mercenary unit, making a living by participating in
military actions in the hire of an interested party to the
conflict. These campaigns make significant use of
the personal combat rules, with a particular focus on
large-scale military scenarios.
Political - The adventurers are heavily involved in the
social and political arena of an interstellar polity,
dealing with diplomats, jurisprudence. and other
factions with vested interests in controlling aspects
of the government. These campaigns tend to focus
on diplomacy and political intrigue.
Rebellion - The adventurers are involved in a blossom-
ing civil war, seeking either to preserve or overthrow
the current government. These campaigns typically
start with intrigue and end with action.
Settlement - The adventurers are on the borders of
explored space, helping to select a new world for a
community and then settle it. These campaigns allow
a group to develop a single world extensively.
One should not feel limited by these ideas, as the
game can change direction. Skill packages should be
chosen by need or want, rather than theme.
www.drivethrurpg.com
Generally I do sci-fi, other games such as Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green, we are some sort of investigators. In D&D type games, it of just straight up adventuring, dungeon crawling.
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