What traits would your Ultimate Space Opera setting have?

[frankthedm]

The H. P. Lovecraft Cosmos.

 

[Tonguez]

A cave in Arizona, Barsoom, Dejah Thoris, the ninth ray, Thoats, Banths and Red, Green, Black, White and all the other Martians

 

[Remathilis]

Mono-enviromental worlds.

Interstellar walkie-talkies, lazorswords, and skintight spacesuits.

Near Human-like Aliens (bipedal, carbon based, could reasonably be a dude-in-a-suit looking).

Lightspeed travel

Pseudo-mystical elements like magic, psionics, or hokey religions.

Imperial Space Rulers whom govern vast planetary systems through terror.

EDIT: NON-PARADOXICAL Time Travel. Fun stuff there!

 

[ColonelHardisson]

God, that movie was horrible.

And I loved every minute.

 

[Jack of Shadows]

A fictional element impervious to gravity and capable of shielding other objects from gravitational forces. It's been used by several SF authors.

Also think along the lines of spice (Dune) or dilithium (Star Trek).

My ideal space opera is right here.

Blink,

Somehow Vernor Vinge and space opera would seem more like military and intelligence to me.

For space opera I'd look for a setting like Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn. Just nix the souls back from the dead stuff.

Unfortuantely, aside from Transhuman Space, most current sci-fi RPG's are lagging way behind literary sci-fi. IMNSHO.

Jack

 

[trancejeremy]

Actually, there was a space opera setting from TSR for their Amazing Engine ruleset that was sort of based on the musical meaning of "opera". Can't remember the name of it, though.


For me, the old Buck Rogers TV show is very close to my ultimate setting.


Big, fairly open universe. Spacefraft common enough for private people to own. (Buck has his own light freighter). Most planets seem to be independantly ruled, though there are references to several empires (like the one Princess Ardala's father runs).

On the one hand, it's safe enough to have space cruise ships and gambling space stations and the space olympics, there are also pirates and lots of space riff-raff.

Stargates (which I Just like) as the method of FTL (though in season 2, they may also have something like a warp drive).

You have the whole hot women in spandex thing, which is admittedly sexist, but a must. And similar fashions for men, too. I mean, I don't think Gil Gerard ever wore a shirt that didn't show off his chest hair on that show.

Amusing robots. Not so much Twiki, but the other one.

It has Gary Coleman in it. And Disco has made a surprisingly big comeback in the 25th century.

Lots of people with special powers. Either from being aliens or some sort of mutant.

 

[S'mon]

For me, the old Buck Rogers TV show is very close to my ultimate setting.

I concur (and great post BTW) - I think something like this would be pretty much the ultimate in a fun playable setting. Most sf RPGs are far too grim & serious. I love Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. The dress uniforms are great! I've looked at detailing a Buck Rogers style setting, one problem I find is in keeping the right lighthearted tone and not default to standard grimness. Any suggestions?

 

[Teflon Billy]

For me, the old Buck Rogers TV show is very close to my ultimate setting...

That "Hawk" guy was pretty great

 

[S'mon]

Hm... Hawk & TB, separated at birth? *eek*

 

[JamesDJarvis]

Sabers and ray guns.

Big six-legged creatures as mounts.

Three moons and two suns.

Ornithopters.

White-furred intelligent apes.

Cavorite. (Or a similar plot-device element.)

This stuff is "Swords and Planets" not Space Opera. Don't get me wrong, I really dig swords and planets.