Quote from: Kuroth;917830Following up on Butcher's comment, I would like to have a Terror Network supplement or setting book to run the type of science fiction you are describing Brendan.

Thanks but I am not talented in science/math enough to do a science fiction version of Network. If I ever did anything like that, I would need to co-design with someone who has a proper science background. I've thought of doing it in the past, but I just don't feel Arthur C. Clarke enough to do it. Even for my own use, I'd be reluctant.

QuoteMike Pondsmith was mentioned on the site today.  He has made a few games that are pretty hard science fiction.  His Cyberpunk has good science in it.  One could down play the cyberpunk political culture elements.  There are a few cyberpunk games that would also fall into this way of using them, like Corporation.  The Polychrome somewhat cyberpunk supplement for Stars Without Number would help bring the default setting down to Earth a bit.  Going back to the 90s, Pondsmith's Buck Rogers was actually pretty hard science fiction.

Cyberpunk has never been a huge draw to me, but I will check out more Pondsmith stuff based on your recommendation.

QuoteBarbarians of the Void uses the Lemuria system for a fairly hard science fiction set-up, with appropriately science focused influences.  So, even though there might be a perception of the parent game that follows it like Savage, it is actually pretty well suited, though it still has psionics, like so many mentioned.  It's an independently made game available over on g__gle drive.

Barbarians of the Void

I'll check it out.

Here's one I did a couple years ago.  It has its issues but character creation is spend 10 points on stats and skills so it's quick anyhow.

http://www3.telus.net/public/uncouths/Incandescent.pdf

I would rule out M-Space. I have played Mythras/RQ6 with some people who you game with (who will remain anonymous to protect them from the righteous fury of this thread), and some of them found it a little crunchy for their tastes. I suspect I could win them over with further sessions, but you are talking about a one-shot. It's definitely a game that takes a few sessions for the players to really get a handle on the options it gives, so as much as I love it, I would have to rule it out.

Since you already ordered Stars Without Number, I will talk about that.

I'm prepping a Stars Without Number campaign right now. I ignored the game for years because, while I have a fondness for D&D B/X as my first RPG, a sci-fi game built on it sounded misconceived. Eventually, after years of people talking about it, I looked at the free version that had been sitting in my hard drive for years. With the caveat that I haven't run it yet, I really like it.

I wouldn't call the default setting hard SF, but it isn't Star Wars either. I would describe it as gritty space opera. Players need to be smart or they stand a real chance of dying. It's certainly deadlier than Savage Worlds.

It's actually pretty kitchen sink, so a lot of things can be removed without effort to make it harder SF. It has psychics, but nothing breaks if you pull them out. It has tech level, so you can strip out TL5 and a lot of TL4 to get something more realistic. I'm not really trying to sell you on this game as perfect for hard SF, but I think I could manage it.  

The default space rules involve hyperspace and artificial gravity. If you want something grittier, the supplement Engines of Babylon has rules for ships that lack FTL drive. You can get ships that feel more like the Nostromo than the Millenium Falcon.

Whether it works for you or not, it is a great book for inspiration, so I doubt you will regret ordering it.

With science-fiction books, I like to think of myself as an expert, so I wish I could recommend a more perfect game for your needs. Anyway, good luck with it, whatever you use.

I have written more Science Fiction games than anyone else. Straight fact, no exaggeration. My suggestion? Precis Intermedia's Hard Nova II. It really is so light it is as hard as you want it to be. It's like an ink sketch of a game. When you first read it, it seems rather soft, but really, it is approximately as hard as Traveller. It's not really new - it came out the same week as my first game back in 2002.

I've never played it, but if I ever ran a pure sci-fi game I would use Human Space Empires. Seems like an interesting set of rules with great potential.

Shemek

Quote from: Baulderstone;917845I would rule out M-Space. I have played Mythras/RQ6 with some people who you game with (who will remain anonymous to protect them from the righteous fury of this thread), and some of them found it a little crunchy for their tastes. I suspect I could win them over with further sessions, but you are talking about a one-shot. It's definitely a game that takes a few sessions for the players to really get a handle on the options it gives, so as much as I love it, I would have to rule it out.

Since you already ordered Stars Without Number, I will talk about that.

I'm prepping a Stars Without Number campaign right now. I ignored the game for years because, while I have a fondness for D&D B/X as my first RPG, a sci-fi game built on it sounded misconceived. Eventually, after years of people talking about it, I looked at the free version that had been sitting in my hard drive for years. With the caveat that I haven't run it yet, I really like it.

I wouldn't call the default setting hard SF, but it isn't Star Wars either. I would describe it as gritty space opera. Players need to be smart or they stand a real chance of dying. It's certainly deadlier than Savage Worlds.

It's actually pretty kitchen sink, so a lot of things can be removed without effort to make it harder SF. It has psychics, but nothing breaks if you pull them out. It has tech level, so you can strip out TL5 and a lot of TL4 to get something more realistic. I'm not really trying to sell you on this game as perfect for hard SF, but I think I could manage it.  

The default space rules involve hyperspace and artificial gravity. If you want something grittier, the supplement Engines of Babylon has rules for ships that lack FTL drive. You can get ships that feel more like the Nostromo than the Millenium Falcon.

Whether it works for you or not, it is a great book for inspiration, so I doubt you will regret ordering it.

With science-fiction books, I like to think of myself as an expert, so I wish I could recommend a more perfect game for your needs. Anyway, good luck with it, whatever you use.

I ordered Stars without Number figuring there might be stuff I can use there even if I forgo the system, but when it arrives I will take a closer look at the rules and see if they fit what I am looking to do.

Quote from: Kuroth;917837Nah, tigger's don't climb trees.

Do they play Traveller? By which I mean Classic Traveller.

I ran a hard sci-fi one shot last year using a little micro-game called Void Station 57.  It uses a modified sci-fi version of TFT that comes with the game.  The rules are like 6 dense pages, but they are easily expanded (as most rules lite games are).  I added a few choice bits from GURPS for weapons, technology and zero gravity.  The scenario is kind of a creepy deep space mystery in vacuum suits.  The PCs have come to the station to refuel and must be extra cautious due to fragile hulls, vac suits, malfunctioning computers, limited resources (like life support and fuel). It comes with a pretty good map of the station and little cardboard counters. I;m not usually into such props but I used them for this one shot.  The adventure is written in "choose your own adventure" format which make it playable solo or easy to wing, but I just read the whole thing, and modified a few story elements and challenges.  Worked great.  It's probably not a long term solution as an RPG, but really everything you need for a one shot.

How about Legends of Time and Space?
http://www.darkcitygames.com/docs/TimeAndSpace.pdf

Simple, free PDF rules (6 pages of personal & ship combat system, map-based fairly realistic tactical combat). The design is based on The Fantasy Trip, but it's a new design spin-off of it. The rules are VERY concise - some people might need to read The Fantasy Trip - Melee at ~20 pages to get the context.)

It has two free short programmed sample adventures, and four $13 programmed adventures.

It's a simple but logic-based set of rules for tactical combat, both personal and with ships. But it could be used for the combat system for other settings & systems. If you were going to do the setting yourself, it could be ideal since there is almost no irrelevant system/setting noise.

Quote from: Skarg;918198How about Legends of Time and Space?
http://www.darkcitygames.com/docs/TimeAndSpace.pdf

Simple, free PDF rules (6 pages of personal & ship combat system, map-based fairly realistic tactical combat). The design is based on The Fantasy Trip, but it's a new design spin-off of it. The rules are VERY concise - some people might need to read The Fantasy Trip - Melee at ~20 pages to get the context.)

It has two free short programmed sample adventures, and four $13 programmed adventures.

It's a simple but logic-based set of rules for tactical combat, both personal and with ships. But it could be used for the combat system for other settings & systems. If you were going to do the setting yourself, it could be ideal since there is almost no irrelevant system/setting noise.

Yeah, that's the one I was talking about.  Void Station 57 that I recommended above is for use with Legends of Time and Space, which is basically simplified and spacified TFT. I've been pretty happy converting their micro-games into RPG one shots.

Cool. I find the Legends rules too basic for me, but a good core set that anyone can learn immediately, and a GM could add whatever to add rules or adjustments where he wants them, though it is mainly just a combat system with some skills listed. For example, I would add rules for effects of injury, taking cover, firing through other figures, facing, and probably some sort of soft effects, partial healing per day of rest, as a minimum for a sci fi game, and do a little playtest and tweaking to see how things play out before I have PCs getting blasted & killed in the first firefight. :-)

Traveller or Ringworld or Stars Without Number.

Brendan:  Have you ever thought of making your own game? I mean, you are  game designer/publisher after all. Haven't you considered adding a sci-fi game to Bedrock's roster?

Quote from: RPGPundit;919746Brendan:  Have you ever thought of making your own game? I mean, you are  game designer/publisher after all. Haven't you considered adding a sci-fi game to Bedrock's roster?

I got into this earlier in the thread, but this is something where I don't feel my science background would be strong enough to do the kind of hard science fiction I like to read. So I would only do it if I found a person to work with who had a strong science background. At some point, it certainly could be a project I'd consider. I would have to wait for the pipeline to clear up though. I still have some big Ogre Gate books to put out, then I have a Supers game on the horizon (where I did exactly what I am talking about----brought someone in who understood it better than me).

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;919767I got into this earlier in the thread, but this is something where I don't feel my science background would be strong enough to do the kind of hard science fiction I like to read. So I would only do it if I found a person to work with who had a strong science background. At some point, it certainly could be a project I'd consider. I would have to wait for the pipeline to clear up though. I still have some big Ogre Gate books to put out, then I have a Supers game on the horizon (where I did exactly what I am talking about----brought someone in who understood it better than me).

What hard science fiction do you like to read? Give us some titles or authors so we can better grasp where you are coming from with the OP question.